Planter Monitor Displays Sctual Placement Of Seed

Planter monitor displays actual placement of seed PLANTING EQUIPMENT Accessories 17-3-3 They're calling the new Big John Computrol II the "ultimate" in planter monitors because it displays each seed on the screen as it's planted, letting the operator instantly spot doubles, skips, or other problems. "Other monitors show the total number of seeds dropped per row and the average seed spacing. However, this doesn't mean your planter is placing seed properly," says Kevin Blair, the farmer who invented the new monitor and licensed it to Big John Mfg., Inc. "It lets you watch each row unit perform and helps you analyze any problems that crop up." The monitor also displays tractor and planter speed, total acres planted, and field acres planted. Visual and audible alarms sound if a row unit fails. It can monitor up to 24 rows at a time, and gives you a readout of population planted in each row. The screen shows a line for each row and marks each spot where a seed is planted so you can check actual seed placement with your own eyes on-the-go. "Losses due to skips and doubles are often as high as 3 to 5 bu. per acre. Over 500 acres of corn, that could cost you $5,000 to $8,000," says Blair. The Big John monitor sells for $3,400 complete with seed and speed sensors, cables, mounting brackets, and everything else needed to hook it up. It can also be used to test row units in the shop during the off-season and you can feed data collected by the monitor into another computer back home, if desired. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Big John Manufacturing, Inc., Box 456, Osmond, Neb. 68765 (ph 800 658-4471, 402 748-3860 or 3868).

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