Trimble RTX Rangepoint

[Tractor Boy]

How do you find the centre point? Rangepoint was sold as being "good enough" for drilling. I read many user comments before taking the plunge that Rangepoint was perfectly adequate fur drilling. Now a 10cm bought running wide then the next 10cm running too close is not good enough. The drill runs very straight but not in the right place!! Drilling "old school" is better than my Rangepoint at the moment.

I like Centrepoint, the problem I had with rangepoint wasn’t as consistent as yours though. Reading the other comments here you probably do need to try offsets rather than blame the signal. My problem with rangepoint was occasional wide joints and overlaps but also wandering. As soon as I had wide joints the blackgrass flourished so I had to ensure my drilling was more accurate.

 

[WB5]

I agree. Claydon coulters are already 33cms apart albeit band sowing so running wide gives the blackgrass free reign. There must be something amiss with the set up.

 

[WB5]

I've just discovered under Implement set -Implement mount type - there is a choice between "hitched/3pt" or "drawbar". It has been on the "drawbar" choice where I'm actually using a hitched drill. Will this be having any effect to the wide and narrow joins?

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

I've just discovered under Implement set -Implement mount type - there is a choice between "hitched/3pt" or "drawbar". It has been on the "drawbar" choice where I'm actually using a hitched drill. Will this be having any effect to the wide and narrow joins?

Yes. Any guidance of any colour relies on the “pivot” point of the implement being set correctly.

This totally affects where the guidance ‘thinks’ the implement is tracking and where it is in reality.

 

[WB5]

Interesting. My "GPS support" are making out it only makes a difference to the "coverage logging" on the screen. The autopilot keeps the tractor online and doesn't worry about anything else .

With a given drawbar length input, it works out where to paint the yellow coverage based on where it estimates the implement is following behind, but is still just steering the tractor?

I'll only find out the next time I'm in the field! I've painstakingly measured marker arms to drill centre and checked drill is central behind tractor. Claydon maintain unlikely to be pulling to one side as points are straight and drill symmetrical.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Interesting. My "GPS support" are making out it only makes a difference to the "coverage logging" on the screen. The autopilot keeps the tractor online and doesn't worry about anything else .

With a given drawbar length input, it works out where to paint the yellow coverage based on where it estimates the implement is following behind, but is still just steering the tractor?

I'll only find out the next time I'm in the field! I've painstakingly measured marker arms to drill centre and checked drill is central behind tractor. Claydon maintain unlikely to be pulling to one side as points are straight and drill symmetrical.

Hopefully the Trimble software engineers that work on development of their ag steering are a little bit more clued up, but then again they have trouble discerning water from land sometimes

The tractor should steer (and compensate) to keep the coulters / spray bar / whatever in the right place from bout to bout. It’s not so much about keeping the tractor on the line, but the implement.

 

[Northern farmer]

The tractor should steer (and compensate) to keep the coulters / spray bar / whatever in the right place from bout to bout. It’s not so much about keeping the tractor on the line, but the implement.

The tractor should do that but all the autosteer screens that I know of (very limited selection though), steer like WB5 says, except Fendt. Fendt steers the tractor in a way that the implement follows the wayline (obvious for AB-lines, not obvious for curved lines).

Would be interesting to have this behaviour documented for as many brands as can be found from the forum. Tests just need to be accurate, I know an experienced sales and support guy from the forum who got it wrong for their brand (got mislead by looking the coverage and mapping only).

 

[Sandy]

I've just discovered under Implement set -Implement mount type - there is a choice between "hitched/3pt" or "drawbar". It has been on the "drawbar" choice where I'm actually using a hitched drill. Will this be having any effect to the wide and narrow joins?

Flat ground you should be okay but crossing slopes there’s a big difference between the 2 hitch points

 

[Brisel]

Interesting. My "GPS support" are making out it only makes a difference to the "coverage logging" on the screen. The autopilot keeps the tractor online and doesn't worry about anything else .

With a given drawbar length input, it works out where to paint the yellow coverage based on where it estimates the implement is following behind, but is still just steering the tractor?

I'll only find out the next time I'm in the field! I've painstakingly measured marker arms to drill centre and checked drill is central behind tractor. Claydon maintain unlikely to be pulling to one side as points are straight and drill symmetrical.

My 6m mounted Claydon needs a 2" offset despite 19 legs and being symmetrical too. I run at 5.98m but you can see the tighter row spacing every run. On JD Starfire 2 (probably closer to Centrepoint than Rangepoint) it still throws a wide row occasionally but fits the 36m tramlines ok with a bit of overlap (35.88m).

I'm interested to know why Claydon told you to have the arms in float. I'm on sloping ground & unless the sway blocks are fairly tight the drill just wanders down hill and exaggerates the wide/narrow runs when the slope changes. What do you mean by floating?

 

[WB5]

Brisel - I am on predominantly level land. Taig Norman suggested that I allow the linkage arms to be unlocked to allow slight movement going round any headland corners to reduce stress in the machine and avoid breakage! It pulls very straight. My drill is pretty tight on the linkage arms even where the arms are not locked. I run at 2.98m on a 3m drill. Need to remember to adjust the marker arms in the autumn for the 0.02m!! We will be trying to reduce the gaps I have experienced with a possible offset.

 

[Andrew K]

Not being funny WB5, but have you a slightly flat tyre or a bent stub axle on your drill, makes a difference sometimes?

 

[fergie35]

Drilling with 3m Claydon. I have a consistent 10cm running wide and then too close every 2 boughts. Pulls straight. Signal strength always full green bars. Tractor runs on a selected AB Line accurately in yard after making a roll compensation adjustment. I have had this problem for a while now and can't understand what's wrong as it is a consistent error across any field. Drill seems to be centred behind tractor. Any thoughts?

I have a customer that had this very problem with a 4.8m mounted claydon. Turned out the coulters were moving side to side in their clamps and that was acting as a rudder and steering the drill ever so slightly to one side, then if he went around an opposite corner, they moved the other way, so the problem was on the other side. They ended up putting some shims in the clamps to stop the coulters moving side to side.

 

[SinisaB]

If you have the same skip/overlap, than you have implement offset. Put the half of the value in offset settings on the side where it pulls (left or right).

 

[GPS_Support_2014]

Interesting. My "GPS support" are making out it only makes a difference to the "coverage logging" on the screen. The autopilot keeps the tractor online and doesn't worry about anything else .

With a given drawbar length input, it works out where to paint the yellow coverage based on where it estimates the implement is following behind, but is still just steering the tractor?

If it’s a Case IH guidance system that is correct about coverage logging. That setting does not influence the guidance system.
The only way it will influence the guidance system is if you are using automatic headland turns feature - it will change the shape of the headland turn swath based on the implement and geometry.

 

[Farma Parma]

just to add running 3m kuhn LC3000 disc combi here i have to have an offset & i think its on 4 or 5cm cant quite mind as mine seems to pull one way more than the other
we recon its just the angle of the seeding discs thats doing it ever so slightly. after replacing pins & heavier buses on various frame points as they were worn slightly also.
but it still wants to drag the drill across to the right far more so on a slight or increasing slope also.
so annoying