Seems like it’s been forever since I’ve written a big Q&A post, so here we go..

Gen 4 — 4600 / 4100 Displays

I’m not going to claim to be an expert with Gen 4 stuff (4600 / 4100 displays.. the big / small ones on the armrest in Final Tier 4 emissions 7R/8R/9R tractors). I’m lucky we have one at here, so I’m learning along with everyone else, only I haven’t had formal training on them.

Some important facts: (someone please correct me if I’m wrong)

• Gen 4 displays don’t do everything yet (background maps for example). They’re only armrests of FT4 tractor for right now.. part of the reason for this is the brains aren’t inside the screens themselves, they’re built into the vehicle.
• You’ll have to buy the Premium Activation to do documentation and/or prescriptions (it also includes Section Control and AutoTrac, if you don’t already have AutoTrac).. or Put a 2600/2630 on the corner post
• One thing I really like is you finally have an option to disable boundaries for section control!
• They cannot be back-dated on software, the software was a complete re-write from anything previously built model
• They cannot run air seeders yet as of this sping’s software update (see release notes)
• They can pair with 2630 displays on the corner post, make sure both are updated for the best compatibility and functionality
• Dedicate a flash drive to Gen 4 only displays, don’t mix and match with 2630 files on the same flash drive
• The updater program is completely different and separate from GS Live Update which did 1800 / 2600 / 2630 dislpays. It’s now called “Software Manager”. Make your firewall doesn’t stop it from downloading the update files themselves from within the program. The files are huge, so be patient. Looks like you can get it from Stellar or the Ops Center, but for some reason my download seemed to be an older version from Stellar, so I’d recommend clicking the “…” at the top of Ops center and downloading there
• A lot of things will be reset when the latest update is done (depeding on how old version was previously on).. better take pictures with your phone or something first
• The update package you load to a usb flash drive and load into the display doesn’t update receivers. To do this you’ll need to go into Menu -> Application – ISOBUS VT -> a new old-looking menu button in the lower right corner, press on the StarFire and look for the update
• Gen 4 doesn’t do iTEC Pro as of writing this, although a 2630 on the cornerpost could with AT and iTEC Pro activations
• The only way to load a setup profile (as of writing) is through the Operations Center on My John Deere. Go to the “…” in the upper left corner and click on setup builder

 

Recommended resources:

Release Notes

Online simulator — takes a few minutes to load (be patient), but works really well. I haven’t found any missing functionality so far. This one won’t tax your computer so hard because it uses server computer power to run the actual program, you’re just effectively “remoting in” instead of installing a bunch of big files.

 

GS3 2630

PLEASE UPDATE

I realize not all of you had the scattered Section Control issues last year, but nonetheless there’s a ton of bug fixes. Also important to update if you use ISOVT implements. 2630’s can be backdated if need be, and the old updates are now hosted on Stellar

I highly recommend you update one item at at time instead of everything at once, especially if you’re hooked to a planter or air seeder.

How to update one item at a time video:

GS2 2600

Nothing new here to report on updates, I’m guessing we’re pretty much done seeing updates, other than GS Live Update will likely have new software just for StarFire 3000 receivers connected to 2600 displays.

 

 

Apex

Please get updated before loading cards and flash drives. I see there were some bug fixes regarding prescriptions when editing off of older versions. I had this problem last spring. I’m encouraging my customers to continue to use Apex to load setup profiles since the Ops Center is so new to this functionality. The exception would be Gen 4 displays, which can only have setup profiles created in Ops Center at this point (I hope Apex or at least SMS will get this functionality soon). There was one very rare update version of Apex last year that had Gen 4 setup, but it’s nowhere to be found in current versions.

 

General Q&A / Info

• Cellular based Coverage Map sharing cannot be used with 2g MTG’s. (Modular Telematic Gateways)
• Apex isn’t “going away” despite everything that’s being said. Lots of confusion around this. Sure it might not see any new features, but I’m expecting to be able to load setup files and do basic things for at least a couple years yet
• I’m considering eventually moving everything to AgLeader’s SMS Basic desktop software. I really like using SMS for writing prescriptions. Their latest update this spring added background map generation capability and better management of other Deere items.
• Apparently, post-calibrated yield maps from multiple machines can cause acreages to not add up right in Apex
• Another weird one, this time on the 2630.. make sure not to forget the negative (west) symbol when manually entering pivot tracks, otherwise your display may lock up and do weird stuff 
• GS Live Update doesn’t seem to like Windows 10 on my desktop computer. It will work fine after being installed the first time, but the window never comes up after that. Anybody else seeing that?
• I have not yet had the opportunity to try Mobile Data Transfer, but its a really neat solution for Wireless Data Transfer on machines that don’t have active JDLink subscriptions.

 

• AS ALWAYS, PLEASE MAKE BACKUPS of Apex, etc. Chose for safe keeping outside MyJohnDeere when doing a backup to an external hard drive or flash drive of Apex. I also recommend making a copy of your flash drives / cards. Just copy and past all the files into your computer as an extra backup, I try to store mine on Google Drive in the cloud.
• And take pictures of things! How harnesses are hooked up, offsets, etc. Keep them on your phone or better yet have them backed up in a cloud service such as Google Photos or Drive

 

Q: Should I use the Operations Center to load setup data to my 2630 display?

A: I’m encouraging producers that have been using Apex or other desktop software to continue to use the same system, but if you want to try something new I don’t see any harm in it.

 

Q: What’s the best way to get all of my maps and information into Operations Center?

A: Super easy if you’ve been using Apex. Open Apex, click on File, click Backup and Restore, click Ok, and follow the steps to make a backup. When it asks what kind of backup, select “To upload to My John Deere operations center myself”. Note: you’ll need your Stellar Support / My John Deere login information and a good internet connection. This is the kind of thing you’ll want to do overnight. Another option is the MyJohnDeere Data Manager, which you can find in the Ops Center under the “…” in the upper left hand corner.

 

Q: How do I tell if I have a 2G or 3G MTG in my tractor/combine/sprayer?

A: Looks like it’s really easy now in Operations Center. Mouseover the “…” in the upper left hand corner and click on Terminals. You should see 2G or 3G listed under the Type column.

 

Q: Where is the best place to sell my used AMS equipment?

A: I always encourage folks to use the great classifieds that NewAgTalk forums have, but things seem to be bringing very high values on eBay. I’m also getting more into consignment sales, more of the large iron kind, but feel free to send a note if you’d like. See AaronBobeck.com for contact info

 

Q: Should I get the ISO VT version of _____ product, or run it from a tablet or secondary display?

A: I know many of you get excited about putting everything on one monitor, but it’s just getting to be too much. Too much information to fit on one ten inch screen, and some cases just a lot for the CANBus system to handle. I prefer Bluetooth systems over WiFi, but realize there are pro’s and con’s to each. I won’t start an Android versus iOS war here, but many of you know how I feel haha.

 

I’m putting this at the bottom, but I suppose it’s worth mentioning that our old friend LightSquared has been in the news some. They have reorganized and emerged from bankruptcy, plus settled litigation with several countries. It’s important to remember there’s nothing about this system that is active or affecting GPS signals. It’s all still just proposed (albeit pared back) stuff as of right now. Google it if you’re interested in reading more

 

Don’t forget to use #DeereAMS on twitter, and follow me @AaronBobeck