Trimble has one good option for “locking Heading”
When the farmer comes across the AB line nicely
then the driver can revert (15s) without changing the Heading,
to return the machine to the beginning of the field it had previously aligned with the ab line.
If it is a small field and the farmer wants to get on the AB line nicely and return the machine to the beginning of the field.
This is one of the Trimble options that they advertise with on the first page of their datashit.
To farmers who have more smaller fields, this would mean a lot, they mostly use the AB line and nothing more …
- Vehicles can be engaged in reverse for up to 15 seconds -
“The added benefit of the EZ-Pilot Pro system is that vehicles are now able to be engaged in reverse to allow them to be lined for the next swath (max 15 seconds). Adding this feature can allow users to benefit from a high accuracy solution from the second the implement engages with the soil.”
- it’s all one ab line
Step 1, Step 2, Step 3
To me and the farmers I spoke to this is a significant Trimble option, I’m not sure how applicable it is in AOG and how much it would mean to others
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A Trimble feature? I probably did not understand this right. Are they just talking about autosteer when reversing? Is is a Trimble feature if it works only for 15 seconds, otherwise a standard feature from 10 years back?
Possibly useful with mounted implements. With my Fendt I perform certain tasks by reversing. Only run forward for short periods at the headland.
Is there a good reason to avoid headlands that allow a U-turn? Takes a significant portion of a small field but is that an issue? Some special product?
My John Deere tractors can stay in autosteer while reversing, and they kind of stay on track (sort of). Not sure they can engage it while already in reverse.
This sort of feature looks very useful for row-crop farmers who essentially have very little head lands. Potato growers in my area regularly do this sort of backing up after a turn to get the implement right to the edge of the field.
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Exactly, this would suit most farmers with small fields who want to make the most of the field.
UTurn is not the solution for them.
I also learned that in the full version of Trimble you can drive backwards,
and in the cheaper version only 15s.
Yes, but they can use skip. You don’t have to come back right beside the last pass, that’s why you have GPS
With dual antenna in AOG you can autosteer in reverse all day. The 15 seconds i suspect is how long before imu drift becomes unacceptable in Trimble.
What about adding to the AOG a reverse gear sensor from which the signal would activate reverse mode? I think it would be good but it requires a lot of work to create such a function.
I’m guessing this is what OEM equipment do. CAN bus gives the reverse gear info and the auto-steer sort of changes between tractor and combine steering geometry accordingly. Works fine with a single receiver too (indefinite reverse driving supported).
Yes, with the more expensive trimle versions, you can drive for a long time, in the cheaper versions you can only take 15s and then the autosteer shuts off
Generally, the autopilot does not need to drive. It is important that the vehicle does not rotate 180 degrees on the screen. The farmer should drive back.