Remote Monitoring

[Amber Gold]

I’m strongly thinking about getting a remote monitoring system, and I think the costs have come down enough the costs are justifiable even on a smaller woods like mine (900 taps). The woods is remote from the house, and I work full time all season…both make it hard to keep a good eye on the woods. I think there’s two options: maple company manufactured unit and security cameras.

Maple Manufactured units. I haven’t spent too much time looking to compare the companies, but I’m leaning towards the SmarTrek unit. I’ve had very good luck with H2O customer service, and I think SmarTrek has been around the longest (bugs worked out??), they have a phone app and a upcoming web interface, so I can walk around the woods watching vac levels. Data would be available in real time. I think I can do my entire woods on 3 single port sensors and 1 double. I may or may not need a repeater…not sure if I have some hummocks in the way between readers. A tank level sensor would be nice too, so I don’t make emergency trips back to the woods on an unexpected overnight flow. I can get set up with vac. sensors for about ~$3500. Tank sensors about another $750…next year maybe. Prices would be less the spring discount. This setup would allow me to optimize my time in the woods…focus my efforts.


Security cameras. They’re pretty cheap (Northern Tool or Amazon). I could set one up in the pump shed to read the VFD display (tells me if the pump is running) and the vac. gauge at the releaser. It’d at least tell me if I have any leaks and how big they are. I can check the camera as I walk around the woods and watch how the vac. level improves in real time. Put another camera looking into the tank to visually check liquid level. I think I could get set up with cameras for <$500. This setup would give me the basics and the important information….what are my vac. and tank levels.

I have a mobile hotspot, so that is my internet connection out of the woods.

Looking for peoples inputs on the two alternatives. Are security cameras a reasonable way to go, and will it be beneficial enough, or should I suck it up and spend the money (I don’t mind doing it if it makes sense)? Of the manufactured units is any one clearly better than another?

Thanks for your input.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Amber Gold I went with the CDL system because I stick with my supplier so I cant tell you what is better. I love the system and ability to keep an eye on every part of my woods. I also use a mobil hotspot the Netgear from AT+T. I do have a lag time from the hotspot but its no problem. I would go go with the tank sensor instead of a camera. Every sensor communicates with each other so the more units the better the coverage. Each sensor will tell you what the temp is in real time. The tank sensor will start a graph that shows when the sap started to fill the tank and how fast it fills with the temp as it fills.

I have a sensor at each releaser taped into the manifold. I have the motor start with a Amp meter to make sure the pump is at it best. I really like the fact I ncan keep an eye on the releasers as they build vacuum. You will learn to read the levels to see if its ice in the lines or open flappers from ice. I had one sensor at the end of my longest mainlines and that would give me an idea if the woods are still tight. I cant say enough about how cool it is to feel like I'm walking the woods from my bed.;

I plan on more end line sensors and with the mobile hotspot Ill get some $100.00 wifi cameras by Ryobi. You will absolutely love the total concept.

[wiam]

Pictures from my $20 eBay wifi camera.

[Mark]

I have over a hundred of the Smartek nodes and never had a problem with any of them. After four seasons they are still working on the original batteries.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

I have looked them over and done some research for the large bush we work in and I think if I was going to get one it would be the Smartrek system even though everything else we do is pretty much CDL.

[DrTimPerkins]

We started experimenting with various systems over 10 yrs ago, having UVM Tech Services and then a group of Engineering Students build us systems. When Smartrek came out, we were an early adopter. We have about 75 vacuum sensors and 6 tank level sensors out now. They work great. Since we have wifi in the sugarhouse, we also use cameras so we can double-check on things. Huge time savers (for finding leaks) and a real big piece of mind.

http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/Smartrek%20...ple%20News.pdf

[Haynes Forest Products]

And you get to sleep in with the remote pump start................................good night ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[Amber Gold]

Thanks for the input. Nobody is local to me, so it’s being ordered and shipped. Like I said, Smartrek gets the leg up because I’ve had very good luck with the H2O support.

Does anybody have the Lapierre Monitoring system, and how well does it work?

Getting temp. readings from each station is a nice feature, but more for personal info than anything else.

I’m good friends with a nearby school that has a sugaring program integrated into their curriculum and he’s all excited about being able to show the kids in real time what my woods is up to.

Wiam…those are pretty cool snapshots from the camera…in the dark too. I put two sheets of metal roofing over my tank, so would need to figure out how to mount the camera so it can see inside the tank.

What’d be cool, and maybe possible, is if I could calibrate the tank level sensor, so it gives me the tank volume instead of a depth reading that I then need to figure out what the sap volume is. That sap flow graphing feature is pretty cool too.

Any pros/cons to the different interfaces? Phone apps or website.

[wiam]

I prefer 360EYE ap cameras. Last two I got from eBay said that in description but use 2 different apps. :/ The 360EYE app you can preset different camera positions. I also have one pointed at my RO so I can keep track of that. I have not tried checking the cameras from anything but my phone.

[Haynes Forest Products]

My tank sensor shows the percentage on a 1 to 100 scale. You do the setting up by measuring your start depth and stop point. I use cage tanks so being flat bottom with numbers already on the tank its was easy.

I will say that Roth Sugar Bush went well beyond what I expected when it was time to set mine up. Because I didn't have internet at the site we had to use a mobil hotspot. Eric came out to my site and did all the set up 4 hour trip one way.