2013 - Volume #37, Issue #1, Page #40
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Wireless Alarm System For Center Pivots
“The WireRat™ alarm system actively monitors irrigation equipment to protect against thieves who try to steal wiring,” says Julie Stark of NetIrrigate, LLC, Bloomington, Ind.The WireRat is a small battery-powered device about 3 in. thick and 6 in. long that mounts on the end tower or in a control box of a center pivot. The waterproof unit produces a low voltage current that automatically detects span cable tampering. The process is patent pending. Within 60 seconds of an alarm triggering event, the WireRat will send a message to the owner. Stark says the best feature of the NetIrrigate WireRat is that it doesn’t require external power to detect cable tampering. The WireRat supplies instant alerts to owners via text message, voice mail or e-mail upon cable theft, safety stops or stop-in-slots. Alerts can be sent to as many as 10 different recipients at one time. Stark says in the past year, NetIrrigate customers have notified the company of 15 arrests because of WireRat instant alerts. Many other notifications have advised owners of equipment malfunctions.
Another feature of the WireRat is that a farmer can use it to start or stop an irrigation system from a telephone or a computer. The WireRat is also equipped with a GPS function that allows a farmer to detect the exact location of a tower and its degree heading. “These are safe guards as well as management functions,” Stark says, “and with the high cost of irrigation equipment, the return on investment to an owner is very quick. Many farmers have several irrigators going at once and being able to monitor them from one location, , without driving to each one, is very important.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Net Irrigate, LLC, 4201 E. 3rd St., Bloomington, Ind. 47401 (ph 800 961-9549, ext 1; www.netirrigate.com).
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