Psion tag reader

[zed12345]

Hi [emoji112]

Purchased a second hand tag reader from neighbour who is no longer farming sheep
Just wanted to know will the tag reader read tags if I’m not subscribed with a software company or do you have to sign up and download software before the tag reader is functional
Tried to read tags but doesn’t seem to work or is there a button to push to pick up tags
Thanks

 

[Muddyroads]

There’s a button on the middle right hand side as you look at the key pad. A green light comes on on mine when it’s scanning.

 

[Bullring]

I’ve bought one from a retired farmer a few years ago but I can’t get it to read tags, it was fine last time i used it but it’s been sat in the office for a couple of years and tried it the other day and it wouldn’t read any. Any ideas?

 

[Quaddog]

Pretty sure you would have to have some kind of program on there associated with tag reading. Also you should upload the latest version of it.

 

[CollCrofter]

Yeah you would definitely need a programme of some sorts for it to read the tags. At best it might read them or give you the illusion it's reading them with the audible sound but wouldn't be able to store them but even then I doubt it.

@Bullring Have you tried a soft reboot? Also if it was left unplugged for that amount of time it might need another battery. There is two batteries in the Psions, the large normal one and a wee weird looking one hidden in there too

 

[zed12345]

Thank you also just wondered why the reader doesn’t pick up the check letter and the end of the numbers as well
Thanks

 

[TGM]

You do need software on the reader to make it work. we have developed and supplied software (for sheep) for these readers for many years. We've now dropped the workabout pro from our product list, but we still can provide the software for it. It can be a pain to get to communicate with windows 10. The operating system on it is old and windows 10 is a bit fussy sometimes about allowing it to connect, but the problems can be solved, although sometimes you have to fiddle around with some windows 10 system settings. From the perspective of someone wanting to buy a new reader, you get almost 3 of the Agrident APR600 handheld readers for the price of 1 Workabout pro. It's a lot less painful to drop and break a reader which cost < £500 compared to dropping and breaking a reader which cost in the region of £1500

 

[neilo]

You do need software on the reader to make it work. we have developed and supplied software (for sheep) for these readers for many years. We've now dropped the workabout pro from our product list, but we still can provide the software for it. It can be a pain to get to communicate with windows 10. The operating system on it is old and windows 10 is a bit fussy sometimes about allowing it to connect, but the problems can be solved, although sometimes you have to fiddle around with some windows 10 system settings. From the perspective of someone wanting to buy a new reader, you get almost 3 of the Agrident APR600 handheld readers for the price of 1 Workabout pro. It's a lot less painful to drop and break a reader which cost < £500 compared to dropping and breaking a reader which cost in the region of £1500

To be fair, you’d almost have to climb a cliff first to drop a Psion and cause it any damage IMO. It’s pretty imperviousto just being dropped, thankfully.

I know they have a hefty price tag initially, but they must surely be the most versatile data recorder available that can stand up to the rigours of being bounced around on/off a quad all day, every day.

 

[Muddyroads]

To be fair, you’d almost have to climb a cliff first to drop a Psion and cause it any damage IMO. It’s pretty imperviousto just being dropped, thankfully.

I know they have a hefty price tag initially, but they must surely be the most versatile data recorder available that can stand up to the rigours of being bounced around on/off a quad all day, every day.

Ours has suffered a bit. Crovect dripped onto it a bit and hasn’t done the plastic case much good.

 

[neilo]

Ours has suffered a bit. Crovect dripped onto it a bit and hasn’t done the plastic case much good.

Fair enough, I’ve only tried demolishing mine. I’ve not attempted a chemical attack as yet.

 

[Muddyroads]

Fair enough, I’ve only tried demolishing mine. I’ve not attempted a chemical attack as yet.

I had no idea Crovect was corrosive to plastic. I’m more careful as to what goes where on the combi-clamp these days.

 

[TGM]

I've box fulls of Psions here in various states of decay. over the last few years,our psion users usually change to an alternative when the unit is beyond economic repair. The problem with lots of old readers is that I can't even use them for spare parts as we're not sure which bits have given up. If we used a mainboard out of one of these it last for years and it might not last a week. so my back office has a junk Psion area where we just keep adding more when they give up the ghost for our users. A mainboard repair + battery, plus replace rubber buttons - You're probably looking in the region of £500. Replace the Agrident reader on the top if it drops and the Agrident bit casing breaks is in the region of £350 - £400. (Shearwell stock recorder has the same agrident bit on the top as a non shearwell workabout pro). So it's much easier for us and cheaper for the customer just to replace with an agrident APR600 handheld for £495 rather than to repair an old workabout pro.

 

[zed12345]

Hi folks
Just want some ideas on recording data on sheep. I have got my tag reader to read tags without software purchase and Ive purchased a small Bluetooth printer

I plan on recording data from my ewes in spring 2021

Options I was thinking of doing is to tag each lamb and match them up on an excel file and record the usual with the lambing ie mothering ability, colostrum availabitly, dag score foot mobility etc
and the record lwg of lambs ( I have a scales with an Bluetooth weigh head)

Am I naive to think I can do this on an excel file or would you invest in the software
And what info can you record on soft ware

I have approx 100 ewes and 30 replacements and am expanding every year and want to move forward with good breeding stock that in theory tick the boxes on paper as well as visually ticking the boxes

Without sounding miserable funds are tight at the moment

Appreciate any feed back or constructive criticisms.

 

[Andy84]

You do need software on the reader to make it work. we have developed and supplied software (for sheep) for these readers for many years. We've now dropped the workabout pro from our product list, but we still can provide the software for it. It can be a pain to get to communicate with windows 10. The operating system on it is old and windows 10 is a bit fussy sometimes about allowing it to connect, but the problems can be solved, although sometimes you have to fiddle around with some windows 10 system settings. From the perspective of someone wanting to buy a new reader, you get almost 3 of the Agrident APR600 handheld readers for the price of 1 Workabout pro. It's a lot less painful to drop and break a reader which cost < £500 compared to dropping and breaking a reader which cost in the region of £1500

looking at changing the computer should I avoid Windows 10 as I use a Stock recorder and don’t want it being a pain to work with the new computer?

 

[TGM]

I've not had any windows 10 computer which didn't finally connect. Windows 7 is similar to windows 10 in relation to the difficulties encountered so there's no point in not going with windows 10. Re software, for the number of sheep you have, Select Sheepware is £250. We sold our PocketEdition for the workaboutPro in the past for £150 but I'll be happy to throw it in to get you going, so it's only Select Sheepware you need to get. the process for connecting to a PC - I'm happy to do this for you if you purchase Select Sheepware from us. 1. install windows mobile device manager - it can be downloaded from the web and can also be downloaded from our website. 2. there are usually a few windows settings which need to be changed to get windows mobile device manager to connect, which are too detailed to put in this post. 3. connect the psion via the cradle, - windows should indicate it is detecting the device and hopefully after a minute or two windows mobile device manager will show that it's connected. If not, then there's a series of steps we follow to check the driver is correctly installed etc.