How to get sap from a remote tank?

[Bruce L]

Setting up a tank with releaser at our other bush which is probably about 800' from the main releaser and tanks,1000' away from the vacuum pump. I have the 1.25" vacuum line run to supply the vacuum,1" pipe to suck the sap from the tank to the main releaser/tanks, but how can I automate this set-up. We have always had trouble early in the season getting sap from this bush, as the mainline crosses a snowmobile trail through a small culvert. Bruce from leader suggested running a separate releaser and tank in this bush, then opening a valve to suck the sap up a higher elevation over the trail to the main releaser. When I was at Leader's tubing seminar, a producer told about how he had 2600 taps on a 300 gallon tank which would work much like I am trying to set up, but never got to speak to him as to how he set it up that when the tank emptied he wasn't losing vacuum by sucking in air.

[maple flats]

I don't know how to automate it, but the vacuum line is likely too small.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

An awesome set up I have seen is Thads. He has a 8kw electric start gen powering a deep well pump hooked to a 1-1/4 or 1-1/2 vac line. Gen is set up on a float to shut off.
He picks up the float and holds it up and starts the generator, sets the float in the sap and goes about checking his lines. When the float gets down so far it shuts off the generator.
He pumps his sap 1 mile around the mountain and the lift is around 120' I think. I cant remember how many taps he has on this set up.

[madmapler]

I have'nt looked into it but it seems as though you should be able to auto start a generator the same as many home systems do. If a float can shut it off then I'm sure a float could be rigged up to a starting circuit. It seems like it would be a hard thing to trust but I have a friend who has a dayton propane generator that auto starts every week in a test mode and its been doing that for 10+ years without fail. I've looked at the circuitry and it does'nt look all that complicated. In fact, the schematics are available online for many home systems..... Heres a youtube video for an aftermarket AGS(auto generator start)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTvfN2ohjAU Theres several other videos on the subject there also.