Mowing Mowing with a GPS

[Hootie]

All joking aside I am on the lookout for a decent GPS now [/QUOTE]

Me too!!

 

[RonR]

Several yrs ago, I bought a Garman Map76S. It has the built in US maps and has more bells/whistles than I'll ever use. We first bought it for a car trip to CA. Knowing how far you are to the next exit is NICE.

We use it more in the cars than in the boat. It's great for navigating places you've not been before. And I like the ETA feature to know at the present speed, how soon you will arrive.

Son knows tricks to see what restaurants are at each exit--I've never figured out how to do that, but it is on one menu on the GPS!

Used it on the sailboat this summer some. I set the ground track--amazed me how many trips back and forth we made across Grand Lake, OK!

I also didn't know my speed in the boat, so that was fun to see. We had the dock as our MOB (Man over board point), so we always knew how to find our way home.

Disclaimer: No affiliation with Garman, other than happy customer.

Ron

 

[ratter]

Several yrs ago, I bought a Garman Map76S.

Ron

That's the one I have to. I've used it for calculating acreage and on some car trips. I'm probably using about .01% of its capabilities...

 

[scott_vt]

GPS is used for planting, combining, applying chemicals and fertilizer. Fields are charted for yields and fertilizer applied as needed, heavier in low yielding areas than higher areas, ect. Some are even accurate enough (used in conjunction with yield monitor) to chart yields being lower in compacted tire tracks from tractor/combine/grain cart/ect.

Most major manufacturers have their own "house brand" nowdays. They come pre-installed in tractors and combines, with matching hardware on planters, sprayers, fert. spreaders and such. John Deere markets their GPS as "GreenStar".

Hence the term "Precision farming".

And there's GPS controlled steering available too. Makes planting after the sun goes down a LOT easier.

Hey Farm,
How are those broken bones mending ???

Can you imagine how boring it must be to run a tractor tied into your GPS ? Heck you dont even have to turn for Petes' sake Nothing like a crooked row

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Hey Farm,
How are those broken bones mending ???

Can you imagine how boring it must be to run a tractor tied into your GPS ? Heck you dont even have to turn for Petes' sake Nothing like a crooked row

Fine thank ya! The leg's been out of the cast for a few weeks now. Still a little limp. Seems I did more damage to muscles in my thigh than to the bone itself. There's a "dent" in my upper thigh. There's not much pain and the stregnth is returning, but the doc is puzzled as to why the depression won't go away. The physical therapy is easier than my normal work routine. The therapist took exception to my commenting on that last week. I expect a real drilling this week.

Yeah, some of todays technology seems sort of boring anyway. Cabs that are more comfortable than my first house. Quiet exhaust. Massive horsepower that pulls tools effortlessly. Just ain't right! These young whippersnappers need a day behind Grampa's mules to set 'em straight.

I doubt GPS guidance would be worth much on my old place. Irregular shaped fields. Some weren't big enough to turn around some of todays equipment. It was always a part of the neighborhood bragging rights as to who could plow or plant the straightest rows. Not much to know with a computer driving for you....

Progress! HA!

 

[daTeacha]

The latest trick is to compensate for the grade across which the tractor is moving. A GPS sensor mounted several feet above the ground when on a side hill is off center compared to the sprayer/planter or what have you. The new ones measure the grade and compensate for it.

There was an article in the latest issue of one of the Ohio farm magazines we get about a guy who planted his corn in double rows 5 inches apart with the doubles 25 inches on center using a GPS unit and passing over each section of the field twice with a 5 inch offset. This was uphill, downhill, sidehills, and flat ground. Now THAT's precision tractorin'.

 

[PineRidge]

GPS is used for planting, combining, applying chemicals and fertilizer. Fields are charted for yields and fertilizer applied as needed, heavier in low yielding areas than higher areas, ect. Some are even accurate enough (used in conjunction with yield monitor) to chart yields being lower in compacted tire tracks from tractor/combine/grain cart/ect.

Most major manufacturers have their own "house brand" nowdays. They come pre-installed in tractors and combines, with matching hardware on planters, sprayers, fert. spreaders and such. John Deere markets their GPS as "GreenStar".

Hence the term "Precision farming".

And there's GPS controlled steering available too. Makes planting after the sun goes down a LOT easier.

GPS? Heck I'm just starting with old technology! A foam marker on the boom sprayer. It actually works pretty neat too. Still room for more gadgets on the tractor though.

 

[Toolguy]

It is amazing how accurate the new GPS units are. A few years ago, less than 30 feet was considered pinpoint accuracy. Now it is down to inches. Wow! Thanks to the US Military, we now have "Smart Tractors" as well as "Smart Bombs".