New user questions

Hello,

New user here based in Cornwall, UK. I live on a livestock farm with mostly grassland, and work for a contractor in the summer doing mostly grassland work. I’ve been using FarmerGPS for a few years, but not moved onto AOG as well as some android apps.

The main jobs I use the guidance for is spreading fertiliser, chicken manure and for parallel cut ins mowing and raking. Since its only on grassland, i’m not fussed about rtk or autosteer, and I’m just using an ublox usb gps receiver from eBay. I am using the software as a record of where I’ve been as much as guidance.

While I am very grateful for the hard work that Brian and the team have done, the software feels very… windows 98. Some of the android apps out there are much nicer to use, just lack the features. I know implementing new features and doing them in different ways needs a lot of buttons and menus, but it seems the way its laid out isn’t very intuitive. In FarmerGPS, you could show or hide different buttons, and customise the sizes, which I miss in AOG. I don’t know a lot about open source software and coding, but is it something i can alter myself? I only really have experience with xml from modding Farming Simulator. There are also some buttons and features that i’m yet to work out what they do. Could the ‘Button Functions v4.0’ section of the wiki be updated as some of the numbers are still blank.

I would possibly be interested at some point in automatic section control of the implements. All the implements I use are controlled by the tractor spool valves to lift/open/spread and my tractors have manual spools not electric. Is there any way AOG can control these?

Great to see an active online community and i’m looking forward to future updates and using AOG.

Sam

Welcome Sam,

I am also from Cornwall UK, and was also a long time FarmerGPS user before AOG.

Feel free to check out my project below:

Also on youtube (darrenjlobb)

What tractors etc do you run?

Also with regard to controlling implements using spool valves (mechanical), Yes many ways you can go about this, I have a similer situation with fert spinner etc. I am planning to replace the hydraulics on the spinner, add my own valve block with electro solenoids, and just connect it with power beyond to the tractor (could also do it with an SCV and open center valve also) and then you can build a section board in a box for that implement, and have control over it.

Nice to know someone who can relate to small and awkward fields! I had a read of that topic the other day, tidy job you’re doing there. We run John Deeres too, 2 x 6140Rs, one at home and one at work and a 6115R loader tractor. Fert spreader is an Amazon ZAM compact and we’ve just changed our Rolland rear discharge spreader for a new Marshall which uses a big ram rather than chain and slats, still waiting for the delivery.

Thought that would be the best option for manually controlled machines. Are electric spools able to be controlled by AOG or would it have to be a similar setup?

Electric spools can be controlled, just tap into the switch wires.