- 1/4 inch drill bit (optional)
2. Installation Tips and Suggestions
For each step of the installation, carefully follow the directions provided in the manual. The following section contains several additional suggestions regarding installation of various parts of the system.
2.1. Mounting the Monitor Head
Unless specified otherwise at the time of purchase, Velcro® material is supplied to mount the Monitor Head. An optional, metal mounting bracket can be purchased for mounting. This mounting bracket should be ordered with the monitor head.
2.2. Electrical Wiring
It is extremely important that this connection is made to a 'clean' source of +12 volt power. Do not connect to the same point that any other electrical or electronic equipment (e.g. a two-way radio) receives its power from. If necessary, run wires all the way to the battery itself.
Once connected, check the voltage using a voltmeter (if available) between the +12 volt (red) wire to the ground (black) wire. With the switch on the voltage should be about 14.2 volts and can be as high as 14.5 volts. If voltage is not present re-check the wiring. If the voltage is less than +12 volts, re-check the connections.
2.2.1. 12-Volt Connection
Connect the red +12-volt wire in the power cable directly to the battery or to a switched 12-volt power source, preferably from the ignition circuit of the tractor. A convenient connection point can usually be found on the back of the ignition switch assembly. Consult a wiring diagram for the tractor if necessary.
2.2.2. 12-Volt Connection
It is extremely important that the ground connection is made to a good 'ground'. This means connecting to a ground source in the fuse panel. Do NOT connect the black wire to the negative terminal of the tractor battery. Do not connect to the tractor cab; it may not be grounded to the tractor frame.
2.2.3. Tips
Listed below is a collection of tips and suggestions to ensure good electrical wiring.
- All connections should be tight and secure.
- Do not connect wires to terminals that are painted, corroded, rusted or covered with dirt or grease. Clean grease with a solvent and then remove other materials using a wire brush or scraping tool. The contact surface should be shiny.
- Do not use battery clips to connect to the battery terminals. They will eventually oxidize causing a poor connection.
- Do not use a cigarette lighter plug to connect to +12 volts. The connection can become intermittent causing problems for the system.
- Do not simply twist wires together. If two wires have to be spliced together they should be soldered together and then taped or covered with heat shrinkable tubing. Make sure that no part of the splice is exposed to any other conductors. This is even true of ground wires. They should not make contact with the chassis at more than one point.
- Make sure that the connection will not be subject to moisture.
- Although crimped splices and terminals are not as reliable as soldered ones, they can be used. They should be checked from time to time to ensure that no corrosion has occurred at the connection.
- Visually check the fuses in the fuse holder. You should be able to see a continuous 'S' shaped connection inside the fuse if it is intact. To double-check the fuse use an ohmmeter set to measure continuity (resistance). The resistance of the fuse should be less than 1 ohm.
2.3. Seed Flow Sensor Installation
Always install sensors in a location that minimizes the possibility of damage. This will help ensure reliable system operation. The AR99 manual explains how to install sensors on various types of air-seeders.
Seed Flow sensor orientation should be such that the sensor cables experience the minimum amount of strain. In curved hose, material tends to follow the outside of the curve. With small grains at low application rates, it is possible that the seed will not break the infrared beam. For maximum reliability, experience has shown that the sensors should be oriented so that material flows directly through the infrared beam. The infrared eyes are aligned with the cables, and perpendicular to the cables.
2.4. Hose Adapters
AR-99 Seed Flow sensors can be adapted to the secondary hose of all major air seeder manufacturers. This is accomplished by installing the appropriately sized Seed Flow sensor. Seed flow sensors are sized according to the inside diameter of the lense ring located inside the sensor. The sensors are attached to the hose with a Compression-type fitting which uses a hose nut and o-ring on either end of the sensor body. Five standard seed flow sensor sizes are available. The sizes are as follows:
- 7/8 inch
- 15/16 inch
- 1 inch
- 1¼ inch
2.5. Seed Flow Sensor Wiring
When routing cables, secure them to the equipment chassis. Make sure the cables are routed in such a way to avoid being pinched, cut, stressed or stretched while seeding and when transporting the equipment. Damaged cables can cause problems with the electrical signals being sent from the Seed Flow sensors to the Monitor Head in the tractor cab. If the cable jacket is cut or nicked, moisture can enter the cable and cause similar problems. Do not install the sensor so that the cable bends back 180 degrees. This causes excess stress on the cable. Never loop or secure cables around the seed tubes. Static build-up in the hoses can cause problems with the operation of the system. Where possible, running the cables along hydraulic hoses is usually the best technique.
When using Seed Flow sensors to monitor seed and fertilizer hoses, consider connecting all the seed sensors together and all the fertilizer sensors together (extra cables will be needed). By disconnecting two cables the fertilizer sensors are bypassed, and constant blockage alarms are avoided when the fertilizer runs are not being used. Otherwise each fertilizer sensor must be bypassed separately.
2.6. Connectors
Whenever you plug together cable connectors, be sure that the arrows molded into the connector body are lined up. Also make sure to secure the latch on the female plug over the tab on the male plug. If the cables are pushed together in the wrong alignment, this can cause a fuse to blow and may even damage a Monitor Head or Sensor.
2.7. Hitch Ground Straps
An important but simple part of the AR-99 installation involves installing a ground strap to ensure that the implement has a high quality ground connection with the tractor. This ground connection helps dissipate static electrical charges that build up and interfere with the operation of the AR-99 system.
The procedure for installing a hitch ground strap is as simple as connecting a medium gauge (8 to 16 gauge) stranded wire from the tractor chassis to the implement chassis. The connections on both ends should be secure, making a good electrical connection. Some provision should be made to allow the wire to be disconnected easily when the implement is unhitched. If a tow-between cart is used, a similar strap must be installed across the cart to implement hitch.
Additional hitch ground strap kits are available if the two provided are not enough to meet your hitch needs. In rare cases it may be necessary to install ground straps across the wing joints. Some implements have wing hinges that do not make good electrical connection (plastic in the hinges).
3. Checking the Installation
Prior to turning on the power, review each step of the installation of the AR99 system. The following checklist outlines some of the more important areas to check.
- Are the 12-volt and ground connected securely and with the correct polarity?
- Are all cable connectors aligned correctly and fully engaged?
- Are the Flow Sensors connected in the correct order?
- Are all cables routed and secured so that they cannot be damaged during seeding or transport?
- Has a ground strap been installed across the hitch(es) of the implement?
- Are all sensors oriented for optimum flow sensing and to avoid distortion to the hose adapters?
