Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1443765
WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 37 5 5 - Y E A R W A R R A N T Y L O N G E S T I N T H E I R R I G A T I O N I N D U S T R Y seametrics.com THE LEADER IN IRRIGATION FLOW TECHNOLOGY AG Series Magmeters E a s y t o U s e , A c c u r a t e & R e l i a b l e AG3000 Inline Magmeter • Accurate in Tight Installations • No Moving Parts to Wear Out AG90 Saddle Magmeter • Easily Replaces Propeller Meters • No Moving Parts to Rebuild For Information Contact Seametrics 800•975•8153 The Best Value in Irrigation Flow Measurement AG3000 Inline Magmeter Now Available in 2" 4097-12Seametrics13h.indd 1 4097-12Seametrics13h.indd 1 1/4/22 1:29 PM 1/4/22 1:29 PM competitor base station at the research station's shop. But the base station similarities ended there. "I was able to confirm the base station's connection to the cloud via the MyToroTempus app on my phone, and to also report its physical location with a geolocation procedure similar to dropping a pin." In contrast, to determine the competitor base station's connectivity, the door and faceplate had to be removed to manually check the color of LED lights and the number of blinks, and a form had to be submitted online to report the station's physical location. Next, a water- and dust-proof standalone controller powered by a 9-volt battery was installed near the competitor controller in a challenging location about a half-mile from the base station and about 60 feet lower in elevation. A pond and forests between the base station and controller also posed communication threats. McWhorter easily strapped the Toro controller onto a field valve, wired the solenoid valve to it, and within minutes confirmed connectivity to the base station via the phone app. "Both systems successfully communicated in this first test, but the Tempus system's controller installation was far easier and faster, and, perhaps most importantly, was accomplished by just one person," says McWhorter. "The connectivity between the controller and the base station also occurred minutes faster." In contrast, the competitor system's installation required a second person to travel back to the base station to communicate via walkie-talkie that connectivity to the field controller was successful. In addition, the competitor field controller required the same infrastructure and procedures as the competitor base station, including a panel removal to test connectivity and form submittal for geolocation. "From a maintenance standpoint, the 9-volt battery controller is far more attractive than the competitor's solar panel-powered controller because solar panels have to be routinely cleaned," explains Elliot Mayer, the research station's farm manager. Next, McWhorter traveled to a second test site 0.71 miles away from the base station—two-tenths of a mile farther than the 0.5-mile radius range specification. Again, the Tempus controller was quickly and easily installed and activated. Within minutes, communication with the base station was confirmed on the app, and the solenoid valve wired to the controller clicked—confirming activation from the cloud command. "Since Toro's automation uses Bluetooth, I could have activated the solenoid directly from my phone with the manual activation feature, but that would have defeated the purpose of the test so I didn't utilize that option," says McWhorter. "Instead, I proved that the valve was activated from the cloud via component connectivity, not local Bluetooth." Notably, the competitor controller didn't successfully communicate with the base station from this second test site. To remedy the situation, the competitor installation team made multiple calls to a support rep. Since the competitor uses mesh network architecture, they were advised to install an interim repeater node midway between the second site and the base station to successfully carry the signal from the controller to the base station. Again, installing this extra node required a two-person team to confirm connectivity in addition to extra time and cost of installation. When it comes to overall useability, the research station was pleased with the Toro Tempus Automation System and the ability for operators to evaluate its performance from the palm of their hand. The one-person installation, automatic geotagging, and range of connectivity (in spite of distance, elevation and impediments) made the new system an easy choice. Plus, relying on a 9-volt battery rather than solar panels eliminated additional installation costs and cumbersome panel-cleaning requirements. Irrigation should bring peace of mind rather than added work, and that's exactly what the Tempus Automation System did for the Clemson University Simpson Research Station. For additional information on the Tempus System, visit automation.toro.com. PG