AgSnap

It’s been a while since I’ve written some original content, so here’s a few thoughts and favorite articles as technology pertains to Agriculture looking back on 2015.

• The year that drones and big data went mainstream… they’re cool and they’re everywhere but are producers really putting more money in their pockets because of these tools?
• Next gen hardware – new displays with better touch screens and more computing power, but what do we really gain other than split screen ISOVT?
• More apps on more tablets and smartphones for agriculture.. air seeder blockage monitors, planter mapping, grain cart scales, etc.. I hope this trend continues!
• Internet of Things (IOT) starts to a little traction? … Sensor tech and a lower cost probably still has a ways to go, especially for the corn belt

I went through my a list of articles I thought were interesting this year, some interesting reading for sure..
The focus is more on concepts than individual products or services

My comments on some articles are in underneath the ariticle in italics

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With all the focus on “big data” in Agriculture, are we forgetting about the small and simple information?

A couple conversations on Twitter over the last few weeks got me to thinking about what’s going on with all the data and information in Ag today. Yield mapping in the combine has become the norm, and in many cases we’re mapping planting, spraying, side-dressing, and other field operations as well. Plus beyond the maps, there’s the telemetry and machine performance data. So much data collected, but so little of it is accurate (which is improving rapidly) or even useful for anything. To what level does it really matter to a producer that one tractor is using 2% DEF of fuel and another is at 3%?

With that being said, I’m not trying to knock big data or telematics. There’s real promise in big data for Agriculture, but for most the costs (not just $$) don’t outweigh the benefits just yet. My point is, what about the small and simple information and what are we doing to document it? Almost all of us are carrying smartphones and sometimes tablets too; Let’s get the basic info down first.

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It’s not much of a secret that the Apple iOS version of the DJI Go app smokes the performance of it’s counterpart Android version. But I don’t think this problems is all the fault of Android. It’s true that many Android devices don’t have the high end caliber of performance that iOS devices do, but that’s a “get what you pay for” / software code / user preference argument that doesn’t need to be made here. I blame DJI’s poorly written app for about 70% of the issues, but here’s an Android app alternative:

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Before the questions and answers, first a few reminders:

• If you have yet to update your iTC or 3000 receiver to the Fall 2015 release software (SU2015-2), make sure the the StarFire network frequency has been changed to the new number, 1545.9675. See previous post for more info, as well instructions as for the Original (Gen2) StarFire, which does not have any new software.

• Remember to update to Apex 3.7.3   (current as of writing this post), or whatever program you utilize to load setup data to your display

• Don’t use symbols such as apostrophes, dollar signs, pound signs, etc. in the names of anything in Apex. Trust me, this may prevent a lot of inexplecible errors in the future. I used to preach this at customer clinics all the time, but nobody seems to do preventative support anymore.

• Remember to make sure last year’s yield data is off the display/card. Mixing multiple years of yield data will throw off your totals pages, and possibly mess up maps as well

• Most pricing from new products can be found on configurator.deere.com

• If you’re view the mobile version of this page, you may not be able to see the QUICK INFORMATION, etc on the right side of the screen. By switching to desktop version there are some shortcuts that will be at the bottom of the screen, sorry I’ll see if I can get this fixed better.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

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After you’ve figured out which new first drone is right for your farm, you’ll need to consider what kind of device will best display the live video feed and change settings. Both the DJI Phantom 3 models (Inspire/M100 too) and the 3DR Solo have Android and iOS apps. While smartphones will work, their displays often aren’t large enough compared to seven to ten inch tablet screens.

The Drone Deploy app on a Nexus 7 2013 LTE Android tablet

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OPINION:

In the last few months, the general media has published multiple articles (this Wired article, and this newer NPR article — just to name a couple) attacking farm equipment manufacturers for their proprietary software. Both articles act like producers can’t repair any equipment because the software is locked down. The NPR article says a producer “waited for a day” because his “tractor belts were loose”. Now what do loose belts on track tractor have to do with software?

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Windows 10 is coming out for public release the end of this month (July 29th to be exact), but that doesn’t mean you have to update right away. In fact, I’d recommend waiting at least a few months, especially if you’re running Agriculture-specific applications installed on your PC.

Sales of new PC’s are way down from last year’s highs, so expect a lot of marketing hype to buy a new computer; But know that you’re not missing out on much. Usually there is a lot of new hardware component technology released with every new version of Windows, but that does not seem to be the case this year. Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for current Windows 7 and 8 users for the next year.

Nearly every Ag company with software has a frequently update web page about the software’s system requirements. Many times this information is on a web page with downloads to update said software. Make sure to check with your software provider before upgrading to Windows 10.

Note to those using web apps: If the Ag-specific programs you’re running are accessed via a web browser on the Internet (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) this likely won’t affect you as much, if at all. However, Internet Explorer does receive a major overhaul (and a name change?) for Windows 10. So, if your web app specifically requires Internet Explorer I’d recommend waiting until your software provider approves usage on Windows 10.

A brief reminder for anyone with a StarFire receiver (Original, iTC, 3000) on ALL frequency levels (SF1, SF2, RTK)

As of last week, the frequency at which the StarFire Network  broadcasts down to earth has changed.

Note: Software updates can change at any time and can be found here: https://stellarsupport.deere.com/en_US/categories/downloads/

Original StarFire

You must manually enter StarFire Frequency 1545.9675 in your display

Example simulation of display below:
*NOTE: I can’t type in the numbers in the simulator, please make sure to press on the cycling arrows button (E) next to the frequency number, type in, and press button (E) again to lock it in

**For those using an 1800 or 2600 with the Original Starfire, please press Menu – > Original GreenStar, then follow these steps.

*** If you’re only yield mapping, it is likely that mapping will continue to work, however you will be on WAAS, which is much less accurate than SF1

StarFire iTC

I would recommend updating your StarFire iTC to 3.73G, which came out Spring 2015, but you can also enter the new frequency manually.

Note: A few years ago, the last time the StarFire frequency changed, some receivers showed difficulty in locking onto the new frequency, even after the update. It is OK to update the receiver AND change manually change the frequency. This should be the first step in troubleshooting any accuracy or signal issues.

Example simulation below:

StarFire 3000

2.10P is the latest software for the StarFire 3000 (as of Spring 2015), but I’m told any StarFire 3000 that has the previous software, 2.00R should automatically pick up the new frequency, assuming it has been on and outside after that 2.00R update.

Note (again): A few years ago, the last time the StarFire frequency changed, some receivers showed difficulty in locking onto the new frequency, even after the update. It is OK to update the receiver AND change manually change the frequency. This should be the first step in troubleshooting any accuracy or signal issues.

Example simulation below:

“Which drone should I buy for my farm?”

There is no easy answer to this question, but with this post I’ll try to narrow it down a bit.

A still image form my Inspire 1 drone

I thought about typing out a whole question and answer list, but let’s just keep it simple. For most producers the best first drone is going to be sometime relatively simple and low cost (NOT 8 or 10 grand+). Like any other technology, these models are changing very quickly, so make sure to do your homework.

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SOLD as of 5-22-15

Looking for another large, low hour, like-new piece of equipment? — Be sure to let me know about it