+ Reply to Thread
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 37

Thread: Remote Monitoring

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Easton, Maine
    Posts
    235

    Default

    Is Tap-Trak still in the game?
    -JoeKing

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    DeKalb, NY
    Posts
    1,707

    Default

    Yes, it most certainly is. Great service!

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    northfield,mass
    Posts
    251

    Default

    can i use my iphone on smart trek or is it still just for android phones?
    4 by 12 cdl
    Cdl 3 post ro , 4th post waiting to get added
    5 hp sihi vaccum pump, 3/4 hp airblo vaccum pump, gv60 atlas copco vaccum pump www.roundmountainsugarhouse.com.

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Knapp, Wis
    Posts
    1,872

    Default

    I don't have a cell phone. Is there anything that would work for me to get the info to the home computer? One woods has electric available, but am 1 1/2 miles away, the other has no electric, but is a 1/2 mile from the chair i am sitting on, what would i need? am new to this.
    Mark

    Where we made syrup long before the trendies made it popular, now its just another commodity.

    John Deere 4000, 830, and 420 crawler
    1400 taps, 600 gph CDL RO, 4x12 wood-fired Leader, forced air and preheater. 400 gallon Sap-O-Matic vacuum gathering tank, PTO powered. 2500 gallon X truck tank, 17 bulk tanks.
    No cage tanks allowed on this farm!

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,044

    Default

    Smarttrek system includes or has the option to purchase a tablet, not sure about the others.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,391

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by steam maker View Post
    can i use my iphone on smart trek or is it still just for android phones?
    Android only. There is a web-interface as well that has gotten considerably better in the past year. They are doing much more development of the web-based side at this point, and probably transitioning away from the Android system over time.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Barrington, NH
    Posts
    2,762

    Default

    Lots more good info/discussion being added to the thread.

    At the open houses, Chad for H2O said they're further developing the web interface and it'll be live later this year I guess.

    Smartrek comes with a tablet, which is needed at the Gateway to get the signal out to the world. You'd need another tablet/phone/computer at your house to interact with the system from your recliner.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Thetford, VT
    Posts
    450

    Default

    Do your woods between the two sugar bushes connect? We have the CDL unit and a Gateway is required with internet access for the primary point. Then the units build a mess network through the woods. This means several unit connect and data has multiple and reliable paths to travel.

    Our Sugarhouse is about 300 feet from my house. I run internet to it over the powerlines which works out to be about 350' based on where the house unit is located. We have wifi in the sugar house and wired connection to a multi-port base and the gateway is hardwired along with some security cameras (they are not part of the CDL system).

    I was told in some woods a few extra sensors are installed to improve the mesh and extend the distance. Maybe you can add two between your bushes and they would allow for good signal and data transfer.

    CDL vacuum sensors have internal batteries and a small solar panel to keep them charged. Never and issue this year for us. The tank sensor requires 120 or, if you are reasonably handy, you can set up a 12v to 5v converter (ie cell phone charger) and run it off a battery. We used a large truck battery (one we had on hand) and kept the battery charged with a Battery Tender Trickle charger run by solar. In fact this charger brought the battery up to a full charge and it never lost any charge. It would be nice to find time to make and adapter which was USB to the pin charger on the sensor. That way it would run off the 12v to usb plug.

    Mike
    Tapping since 1985 (four generations back to early to mid 1900s). 200-250 taps on buckets and then tubing in the mid 90s. 2013- 275 taps w/sap puller 25 gal. 2014-295 taps w/sap puller 55 ga. (re-tapped to vacuum theory) 2015-330 taps full vac. 65 gal, 2016-400 taps 105 gal, 2017-400 taps 95 gal. 2018-additional 800' mainline and maybe 400 new taps for a total near 800 taps. 2x6 Leader WSE (last year on it) supported by a 250 gph RO.

  9. #29
    Haynes Forest Products Guest

    Default

    VT K9 I suppose you could still use the solar trickle charger ti the truck battery and use a small 110 volt converter. I ran 200 ft of extension cord for my tank sensor and that kept it going no problem. Will be adding more end line vacuum sensors so I can get a better read on the leaks and how my woods wake up in the morning.

    I can see down the pike they will have a sap surge sensor that will detect sap that is going from a mainline that has to many taps off. This last year I had 32 taps come out of the trees from a long cold windy 10 stretch. I had to put my hand on every drop line because trying to isolate the effected mainline by shutting off valves didn't reveal a dang thing.

    I could see having solenoid diaphragm valves that work remotely so I could open and close the mainlines on my phone and see what happens to the vacuum from the end line sensor. With 10 sensors all on the mesh network I would get better reaction time. Once the season is in full swing Im a one man band and walking the woods every day is out of the question.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Thetford, VT
    Posts
    450

    Default

    I am avoiding an inverter because they use more power trying to provide 110. We cut the 110 plug off the power cable and soldered a USB fitting in it's place and use a 12v accessory plug and USB adapter to acquire 5 volts.

    I understand CDL is coming out with a new and more affordable control unit which can power switches and solenoids for valves. I am not sure on distance between the control unit and valve to function in the woods like you are talking about, but that would be a neat idea.

    We are looking at the new control unit to turn the pump on and off. They are designed to handle two loads.

    We are still trying to expand to 800-1000 taps for next year with a goal of being between 1000-1200 taps so a more complex system is not easily justified at this point.

    Mike
    Tapping since 1985 (four generations back to early to mid 1900s). 200-250 taps on buckets and then tubing in the mid 90s. 2013- 275 taps w/sap puller 25 gal. 2014-295 taps w/sap puller 55 ga. (re-tapped to vacuum theory) 2015-330 taps full vac. 65 gal, 2016-400 taps 105 gal, 2017-400 taps 95 gal. 2018-additional 800' mainline and maybe 400 new taps for a total near 800 taps. 2x6 Leader WSE (last year on it) supported by a 250 gph RO.

+ Reply to Thread
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts