Remote Control Manure Pumping

Remote control manure pumping MANURE HANDLING Equipment 12-4-9 A model airplane remote control device lets Dave and Melvin Danzinger, Alma, Wis., activate the throttle on their Massey-Ferguson 1130 tractor so they can load liquid manure out of their dairy barn lagoon at the flip of a switch from the seat of a second tractor pulling a spreader. "We leave the tractor on all day long," says Melvin. "It pumps only when the throttle is wide open. Previously, we had to jump on and off tractors to open the throttle. We haul 30 to 50 loads of liquid manure each day, so by the end of the day, you'd get tired. Also, when the steps get wet, they're slippery and dangerous. With-the remote control device we simply back the manure spreader under the pump, fill it, turn off the pump and go, without ever getting out of the cab. " The Danzingers bought the remote control device as well as the antenna, receiver, and DC linear actuator, at a local hobby and electronics store. A local electrician helped with the wiring of the controls. They mounted the antenna and receiver in a bracket welded to the tractor's hood just ahead of the steering wheel. The antenna, receiving signals from as far away as 300 ft., opens and shuts a switch on the actuator. The actuator is bolted to the throttle, which, when activated, changes the forward-reverse operation of the tractor motor. "Commercial remote control devices can cost from $500 to $1,000. We built ours for less than $300," notes Melvin. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, D.S. Farms,Rt.1,Box 147, Alma, Wisc. 54610 (ph 608 685-3628).

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