Fault finding by satellite?

[startinghandle]

Firstly I have very little knowledge of modern technology in farm machinery
Last night on Countryfile a fault
with combine was found by dealer who was miles away and the driver knew nothing
How much does this service cost?
It looked straight forward but was this just for camera?

 

[Lincs Lass]

Volvo have been using this system on plant machinery for the last 5 years ,,all the data is sent back to Sweden,,oil changes ,service times ,,only time you know about is when a service van turns up

 

[Farmer Roy]

John Deere can do it internationally

we had a software issue with a CS690 cotton stripper a couple of years ago, & a tech in the US fixed it up . . .

nothing new now

 

[TripleSix]

Just a GSM modem in the machine providing connectivity and fault reporting.

No more specialist than your mobile phone

 

[Wellytrack]

Not that I know much about it but this technology has been available for closer to 20 years. Just not in all agricultural equipment.

 

[Farmer Roy]

Not that I know much about it but this technology has been available for closer to 20 years. Just not in all agricultural equipment.

yeah, the CS690 I was talking about has a massive amount of software & computer controls, connectivity to the owners, cotton gins, John Deere & has a price tag of $1 million. Bit different to a 100 hp “utility” tractor . . .

 

[Bumble Bee]

I feel it is possibly yet another unnecessary expensive gimmick.
I have a New Holland combine. There are usually only 2 types of break down. Mechanical and electrical. If its a bearing or a belt breaking the telemetry is unlikely to pick it up. If it's electrical, an error code comes up on the screen in front of the driver. From experience 9 out of 10 error codes are usually down do a bad connection in a multi pin plug. A quick wobble of the plug and you're away.

 

[Lewis821]

If i had a fuel pressure sensor playing up i think id rather organise the fitter for 7 am the next morning rather than mid afternoon when your 100 yards off from finishing a field

 

[Farmer Roy]

I feel it is possibly yet another unnecessary expensive gimmick.
I have a New Holland combine. There are usually only 2 types of break down. Mechanical and electrical. If its a bearing or a belt breaking the telemetry is unlikely to pick it up. If it's electrical, an error code comes up on the screen in front of the driver. From experience 9 out of 10 error codes are usually down do a bad connection in a multi pin plug. A quick wobble of the plug and you're away.

In the above case with the cotton stripper, we had a software issue that needed programming / updating. No one in Australia was able to do that, it was done remotely from the US
These sort of machines are hugely complicated & do not operate without the gimmicks working correctly & in synch
I think you’ll find it pretty commonplace now amongst the high end transport & earthmoving applications also

 

[deleted user 837354]

Firstly I have very little knowledge of modern technology in farm machinery
Last night on Countryfile a fault
with combine was found by dealer who was miles away and the driver knew nothing
How much does this service cost?
It looked straight forward but was this just for camera?

I believe New Holland/CNH combines have had on board GSM modems for some years, a technician with access to the network can see the telemetry from the ECU remotely. Like if you had an employee that was flogging a machine to death he could tell. As others have mentioned, it is used extensively in other industries so managers and supervisors can monitor machines remotely but it only reports information gathered from sensors feeding into the ECU. Someone mentioned Volvo equipment, which has, for example, sensors in each axle to monitor oil temperatures, so it could be reporting that information back. Engine load, speed, fuel consumption, oil level etc etc etc all great but it can't diagnose if a major bearing somewhere is about to fail.

 

[Farmer Roy]

In the above case with the cotton stripper, we had a software issue that needed programming / updating. No one in Australia was able to do that, it was done remotely from the US
These sort of machines are hugely complicated & do not operate without the gimmicks working correctly & in synch
I think you’ll find it pretty commonplace now amongst the high end transport & earthmoving applications also

PS - that was done under warranty

 

[Mur Huwcun]

In the above case with the cotton stripper, we had a software issue that needed programming / updating. No one in Australia was able to do that, it was done remotely from the US
These sort of machines are hugely complicated & do not operate without the gimmicks working correctly & in synch
I think you’ll find it pretty commonplace now amongst the high end transport & earthmoving applications also

I had a software problem with a tractor when I was a dealer tech about near 15 yrs ago and could not sort it. Phoned the tech guy up and he asked If I was using the new bluetooth adapter to connect the laptop to tractor. Yes, have you got wifi, yes If I move tractor closer to the stores. Moved closer to get wifi on the laptop and set up a remote connection and then I was able to share my screen and we got it sorted. We got a demo few years ago of the JD link system and what they could see and do.It’s ideal, a person at a desk can sort out most software glitches now easily save running out to tractor, plugging in laptop, setting up an inverter or running and extension lead just in case!!

 

[Farmer Roy]

I had a software problem with a tractor when I was a dealer tech about near 15 yrs ago and could not sort it. Phoned the tech guy up and he asked If I was using the new bluetooth adapter to connect the laptop to tractor. Yes, have you got wifi, yes If I move tractor closer to the stores. Moved closer to get wifi on the laptop and set up a remote connection and then I was able to share my screen and we got it sorted. We got a demo few years ago of the JD link system and what they could see and do.It’s ideal, a person at a desk can sort out most software glitches now easily save running out to tractor, plugging in laptop, setting up an inverter or running and extension lead just in case!!

especially in our examples, where the machine might be 100’s of km / hours away from the dealer, & paying for all that travel time

 

[6r 185]

Quite amazing really all the stuff they can do but when you have two 6000 receivers nicked they can’t tell you where they are And can’t turn them off so they can’t be used!

 

[nick...]

Quite amazing really all the stuff they can do but when you have two 6000 receivers nicked they can’t tell you where they are And can’t turn them off so they can’t be used!

Any unit stolen is another sold making manufacturers more money.thats how it works
nick...