Fendt variguide

Richard Smyth

Member
Arable Farmer
If my memory serves me right, I seem to remember a thread on here somewhere, explaining how to transfer steer activation to the joystick.

Don't seem to be able find it, can someone recap, please.

I have mine set up on the to and end button on the joystick. Just program the buttons in the teach in part of the display. If you need more info I could get a picture next time near the tractor.

Richard
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
I've not had that happen but if it was mine I would go to page 3 I think it is and follow the instructions to change the hr and mins number. If it already is on 0 and 0 change it to something else then back down to 0 and 0. This was needed on ours to get gps on the can network and might get u gps speed for the spreader.

Worth a try perhaps.

Richard

Sorry for the slow reply. I have tried changing the hours & mins but it has not made any difference. There have been some changes with the new software (776) in the vario doc screen it automatically selects the most accurate speed input and the tractor will then use that setting. We don't know if this is having an effect on the KRM software or not. As I have now finished my autumn application we are going to see if we can sort it in the winter.

Thanks for the advice

BG
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
I have mine set up on the to and end button on the joystick. Just program the buttons in the teach in part of the display. If you need more info I could get a picture next time near the tractor.

Richard

I often put the gps on the go 1 button this then leaves the go 2 button for any more complicated headland manoeuvres. I have it set like that for most machines as you never know when you may want a straight line even if its not a usual thing with that machine. That doesn't mean to say you cant set the steering as part of a combination of movements.

BG
 

Richard Smyth

Member
Arable Farmer
I often put the gps on the go 1 button this then leaves the go 2 button for any more complicated headland manoeuvres. I have it set like that for most machines as you never know when you may want a straight line even if its not a usual thing with that machine. That doesn't mean to say you cant set the steering as part of a combination of movements.

BG

Same here. Prefer to have it on the joystick as everything is close to hand then. Works really well being able to control hydraulics, gps, speed and direction without moving hand. Just works
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
If my memory serves me right, I seem to remember a thread on here somewhere, explaining how to transfer steer activation to the joystick.

Don't seem to be able find it, can someone recap, please.

The easiest way is to go to the Teach in menu and select edit offline. Choose which button you are going to program. The display is quite simple to follow just select the arrow on the right of the screen that points to a box. that will bring up another menu pick the steering wheel icon and it will then work. Remember to save it all for next time.

im not near my tractor now, I suspect someone else can get the pictures up before I can.

BG
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
Another question I'm afraid, Is it possible to plough in furrow and still use GPS?

If yes any guide on settings?
Never tried it but I think you would have to be on RTK. Must say I do use it to strike out these days, then I know the bends are just my bad driving.

BG
 
Location
North
Another question I'm afraid, Is it possible to plough in furrow and still use GPS?

If yes any guide on settings?

Yes, on RTK, see my avatar.

Just put the wayline distance to 1 or 2 cm less than the plough can do.

I do it for straight A-B lines mostly except for headlands where obviously A-B lines are not enough. Even there the other implement settings make little difference (like how far the plough comes etc.). Of course could be different with huge, semi-mounted ploughs.

Running on RTK should be perfect for on-land ploughing.
 
Yes, on RTK, see my avatar.

Just put the wayline distance to 1 or 2 cm less than the plough can do.

I do it for straight A-B lines mostly except for headlands where obviously A-B lines are not enough. Even there the other implement settings make little difference (like how far the plough comes etc.). Of course could be different with huge, semi-mounted ploughs.

Running on RTK should be perfect for on-land ploughing.

Which RTK base stations provide the best compatibility with the current AGI-4 based VarioGuide? Just TopCon or are others ok too?

I think you said you built your own home base @Northern farmer, recall you said for something like €5k, can you share any other details? TIA
 
Location
North
Which RTK base stations provide the best compatibility with the current AGI-4 based VarioGuide? Just TopCon or are others ok too?

I think you said you built your own home base @Northern farmer, recall you said for something like €5k, can you share any other details? TIA

Cannot say which base would provide the best compatibility but I would expect any brand should do. After all if you select a commercial RTK signal, you cannot select the base brand.

I'm not running a Topcon base but compatibility has been fine. For some reason though the tractor receiver needs one specific RTCM message which allows the receiver to adapt to the base signal. My understanding is that Topcon actually had a different (incorrect) interpretation of the RTK specs which causes an issue at a rare case. Not even sure if it is only certain Topcon receivers or all. Anyway, once they know if the base is Topcon or something else, the two are fine with each other.

I'd prefer not to mention my base brand because any brand should be fine. I just picked up one that was quite cheap (in relative terms) and was dual constellation & dual frequency capable. Added a couple of laptops (for redundancy) running NTRIP casters, have them connected to internet via ADSL and that's it more or less.
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
Pheasant surprise. Our base stations (Topcon) across Suffolk can broadcast a signal to fendt varioguide receiver via an external radio.
Call me for more details
07788292441
Bases in Suffolk are , otley, diss ( Norfolk) but covers large area of Suffolk
 

Wombat

Member
BASIS
Location
East yorks
Cannot say which base would provide the best compatibility but I would expect any brand should do. After all if you select a commercial RTK signal, you cannot select the base brand.

I'm not running a Topcon base but compatibility has been fine. For some reason though the tractor receiver needs one specific RTCM message which allows the receiver to adapt to the base signal. My understanding is that Topcon actually had a different (incorrect) interpretation of the RTK specs which causes an issue at a rare case. Not even sure if it is only certain Topcon receivers or all. Anyway, once they know if the base is Topcon or something else, the two are fine with each other.

I'd prefer not to mention my base brand because any brand should be fine. I just picked up one that was quite cheap (in relative terms) and was dual constellation & dual frequency capable. Added a couple of laptops (for redundancy) running NTRIP casters, have them connected to internet via ADSL and that's it more or less.

It comes down to the way Glonass is calculated, the FDMA (Google will explain it in more depth) method means there are slight differences between how each hardware manufacturer calculates the glonass observations (Bias). The RTCM 1033 message tells the receiver what base and antenna are used so the rover can take account it maybe a different make to its own and apply the correct bias.
 

Oscar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Thought I would update my experience the last 3 months !!
First thing is to say that I do live and work in a bad area ref mobile phone coverage with plenty of hills and valleys and also point out that I work over a 25 x 5 mile wide area and from sea level too 1200 ft high. I bought a 724 fitted with variguide from the factory with the rtk module with a roving sim card. However I did nt fit the sim until September 14 although I used it with egos to good effect. Basically since the SIM card I have done 450 hrs with the tractor but have only had 1 ten hour day where rtk worked 100% and the rest of the time it has not. It either can t connect from the start or just drops out and again it's 50:50 if it connects again. Had plenty of days where I get half days then nothing! Dealer knows and excepts it's very poor and I m told agco are also aware. I ve basically told them I want my money back as it's not fit for purpose but I am waiting for promised updates in February when tractor gets a service. When it works it's brilliant but obviously I m not getting enough times when it works!
If your thinking of this system then please have it on trial for a month before parting with money. I really hope they get it better but will have to see. Only option I have other wise is a mobile mast which I move around but that is dearer and as yet unproven in my area.
 

Richard Smyth

Member
Arable Farmer
Thought I would update my experience the last 3 months !!
First thing is to say that I do live and work in a bad area ref mobile phone coverage with plenty of hills and valleys and also point out that I work over a 25 x 5 mile wide area and from sea level too 1200 ft high. I bought a 724 fitted with variguide from the factory with the rtk module with a roving sim card. However I did nt fit the sim until September 14 although I used it with egos to good effect. Basically since the SIM card I have done 450 hrs with the tractor but have only had 1 ten hour day where rtk worked 100% and the rest of the time it has not. It either can t connect from the start or just drops out and again it's 50:50 if it connects again. Had plenty of days where I get half days then nothing! Dealer knows and excepts it's very poor and I m told agco are also aware. I ve basically told them I want my money back as it's not fit for purpose but I am waiting for promised updates in February when tractor gets a service. When it works it's brilliant but obviously I m not getting enough times when it works!
If your thinking of this system then please have it on trial for a month before parting with money. I really hope they get it better but will have to see. Only option I have other wise is a mobile mast which I move around but that is dearer and as yet unproven in my area.

This is not something that I want to hear really as I have just done a deal to swap my tractor to a 927 with full mobile rtk coming in march. We are also in a dodgy area. Can get phone service with external antennae attached. Hope we have better luck
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
There is a very good reason ourselves and others have fitted lots of RTK radio masts. It's expensive but it works. We are moving into your area(going by your address of mine head) I'll check our coverage map for future base coverage
Rob
LH Agro
 

Docwalters

Member
Location
Monmouthshire
Northern Farmer:
I'm referring to the poor accuracy from EGNOS, both in terms of path-to-patch accuracy as well as in terms of absolute accuracy. When changing from one path to the next one, you may often need to set an offset at the headland to reach the correct line. This of course is needed after a pause but easily also after turns at headlands.

Of course it all depends on the expected accuracy. Preparing a field and using one metre overlap should be fine with EGNOS. But some use EGNOS for drilling too where continuous adjustments (at least) after each turn are pretty much a must.

I don't understand why you need one meter overlap and why you need to constantly reset your settings.
Is this a Fendt thing?
You don't need to do this with BlackBox from Patchwork. You just set the A-B line with no overlap and of you go!
Egnos is good for the majority of field work.
 
Location
North
Is this a Fendt thing?
You don't need to do this with BlackBox from Patchwork. You just set the A-B line with no overlap and of you go!
Egnos is good for the majority of field work.

Sorry but there is no difference between Pathwork or other major brand receives when they work with EGNOS. EGNOS has poor absolute accuracy and it has drift. You may say it works for drilling but then you set a lot of constraints, small field and you will really need to adjust for drift for more or less every A-B line. Nothing brand specific performance difference here (we are all assuming a proper antenna, not just a small patch antenna inside the cabin).
 

Docwalters

Member
Location
Monmouthshire
Sorry but you are incorrect.

Firstly who puts an antenna IN the cab. It's meant to be located as high as possible on the OUTSIDE of the cab. It is, after all, reaching for a sky-borne signal so it makes sense to get as high as possible to receive that signal away from lumps of metal etc.

Secondly, we use a patch antenna which gives us excellent results being a powered antenna. Not all patch antennae are powered. Not all patch antennae are the same.

Thirdly, drift does not occur on every pass. If it was that inaccurate no one would use it.
Satellite drift occurs significantly about every 20 -30 minutes, that is it can take about 20-30 minutes for the Egnos signal to go a little wobbly and drift by about 20cms.
But not all products are the same since different software interprets the signal in different ways.Some will latch and hold. Others will buffer the result to allow for a more soft-edged change in signal.
We all know satellite drift occurs;it's the nature of the beast but it is not that fast and some equipment, like ours and others, can be recalibrated for satellite drift on the fly.

Fourthly, if you are using a one metre overlap for your fert spreading then you defeat the whole point of using GPS in the first place. If you spread to 20 cm accuracy then your overlap should be, at most, 20cms. In practice, with a good signal and good differential, accuracy can be seen as less than 20 cms and with auto steering significantly less since the autosteer operates far more quickly than the human brain for eye-hand communication.

Does that all make sense?
 

Docwalters

Member
Location
Monmouthshire
Can I just add, we know that Rob at LH Agro, and other guys like him who use RTK are doing an excellent job and all power to their elbow.
Not all areas are good for RTK although our equipment also works with RTK if required but for some, RTK will be too expensive, too complicated and not practical.
It is true one size does not fit all. We are happy to plug the gaps with Egnoss and Glonass where they suit to job and the budget.

Happy Christmas to all our readers from Patchwork.
 

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