Case Puma slow to acquire a signal.

[Bill Turtle]

We have a Case Puma with a 372 receiver on the roof. Over the weekend I wanted to use the guidance for dutch harrowing a 26 acre field prior to drilling Sugar Beet. On the first pass I had actually harrowed about 18 acres of the field before it found a signal. The next day on the same field for a second pass, I did about 7 acres before it would autosteer. Is this fairly standard for such a system? At the moment it is on Egnos. I am told I would have to pay out a four figure sum to the dealer for an unlock code before I could upgrade the system.

 

[Field Track]

Ask your dealer. I assume we are talking Trimble? In the GPS settings you should find a setting for something like quality and by default it will probably be on accurate and you want Availability. Sorry I'm not sure which, or where but on a Trimble screen you'll get a GPS signal, as a set of bars with a line under it. Accurate will have the bottom line only under the last bar. You want it under the last three bars to get autosteer to work earlier. Probably doesn't make sense but your dealer should know. There's signal - GPS Sats in view and then there's the correction element. It is the latter that takes time to settle and you can adjust how quickly this is OK by you with three Quality settings which by default will be too accurate.

 

[Badshot]

It is correct, to upgrade would require a £1500 fee for each step up in accuracy. Bonkers isn't it?
If you are running on Egnos it is fast to acquire signal, as long as the satellites are there. Egnos can be problematic at certain times of the day so if poss I'd say try turning it on at different times to rule that out.
Could you be on a higher accuracy signal? I seem to remember rangepoint rtx, and centre point have quite long convergence times.
Field track is correct with needing to be on availsbility not accuracy in the settings.

 

[Ross M]

Good afternoon Bill,
with a 372 receiver, you can upgrade to use Rangepoint RTX (15cm), with no unlock code fee's, just a £220 year subscription. As for EGNOS, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to get signal, so it may be that there is a set up issue in the display, eg: which EGNOS satellite the system is looking for.
As you're in Essex, am I to assume you are a Ernest Doe customer? Carl Jewel or Richard Gore are the Precision Farming Specialists, and should be able to help you out on this.

 

[Bill Turtle]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I've been busy the last few days and haven't looked on here much. Some useful pointers to check up on.

 

[moldengineer]

Am surprised it's struggling to find a signal on EGNOS. We struggled with RTK on the old 262 system, but was very reliable on EGNOS. The new 372 system is a massive improvement. Would advise you speak to someone in the know at Case.

 

[RTK Farmer]

Am surprised it's struggling to find a signal on EGNOS. We struggled with RTK on the old 262 system, but was very reliable on EGNOS. The new 372 system is a massive improvement. Would advise you speak to someone in the know at Case.

Ross M back up the thread is that man.