Tinkering; Like Guntering for the Connected Generation.

I've a Glideroll Door with GDR+ motor retrofitted.
In the GDR+ Manual there is instructions for installing a wall mounted single push button switch, which makes integrating with a Smart Relay switch easy as long as it supports "inching" (Basically on for 1s then off)

switch by Emaherx, on Flickr

Here is an example of a Wifi smart switch.
https://ewelink.coolkit.cc/?p=143



These smart switches have their own apps for easy setup. They can also be integrated with Home Assistant (or other Automation server software) for centrlizing control of multiple devices regardless of brands and different native apps. The ITead/Ewelink Sonoff devices are also popular with a lot of DIYers as they can be flashed with custom firmware.

I'm going to add in a bit from my heating system as it might interest someone who wants to monitor a Milk tank or Calf Milk Heater etc.

HW Temp by Emaherx, on Flickr
This is my Hot Water Control including Imersion and HW zone valve Thermostats and solar Hot tank Temperatures.

Heating Graph by Emaherx, on Flickr
Graphs are useful part of monitoring too.

IMG_20200425_105226 by Emaherx, on Flickr
Temperature sensors provided by PiHome, the advert is a room sensor, but its the same device only with internal sensor, chat with PiHome before ordering
to make sure you get tank probes.
https://www.adverts.ie/16402420
needs a gateway to connect to network
https://www.adverts.ie/16402355

The sesnsors and gateway are provided by PiHome for their Smart Heating System, I know nothing about their software but they use open source hardware based on Arduino and ESP8266 devices. You can build your own if you feel adventurous as they are based on the MySensors.org. but piHome has created a nice PCB package for a reasonable price.

IMG_20200425_105427 by Emaherx, on Flickr
inside the sensor.

IMG_20200425_105437 by Emaherx, on Flickr

IMG_20200425_105302 by Emaherx, on Flickr

893bet wrote: »

This is some of the automation I am trying to install.

These are gate hangers. Means a gate can be opened and closed with ease with out dragging it on the ground or it falling over from been tied with twine at the top.

Below is a chain in clip. Real labour saver. Open a gate in 5 seconds verse 5 minutes trying to untie baling twine then cutting it and retying 5 times a day.

Old lad ain’t convinced of this automation. Keeps on tying things.

I'm fond of improving the yard by hanging gates correctly and replacing twine with chain myself but there is already a thread for that

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/post/113265468

893bet wrote: »

I know! I was joking. Hanging gates ain’t guntering! Closer to automation!

I got that but.....

It is guntering if it's on 2 sections of RSJ welded together to make one gate post also labour saving (people seem to miss the labour saving part of that thread)

Timmaay wrote: »

Roughly 250e+vat (from Argentina) hmmm. I think the likes of this link would be alot cheaper and more KISS 2bh, I'm not too sure on the price of a proper kit but I keep meaning to make up afew for the main farm gates around here using just plumbing pipe and electric fence tape. It would serve the dual purpose of keeping tourist out also who keep mistaking the farm gate for the beach lane gate lol.

https://am.gallagher.com/global/support/videos/drive-through-electric-gate-kit

Yes, it's a bit on the pricey side, could make something very similar for a lot less though. It was just something that popped up on my Facebook Feed thought I'd share. Of course the common low tech solution is probably much more reliable.

Edit:
KISS maybe, but not cheap either.
https://www.agridirect.ie/product/electro-drive-through-electric-fence-gate#

endainoz wrote: »

I have a similar system myself in the shed. (But not anywhere near as sophisticated as yours!)

The home house is about 300 metres from the slatted house so last year I ran a network cable from the router in the house into the shed. Connected that to an older router in the slatted shed to get WiFi. I have two foscam cameras working off it for calving season. They are fantastic quality and a fraction of the cost than giving some lad over a grand to install it for you.

I also connected a sonoff smart switch to the lights in the shed. Put the smart switch into a weather proof box for safety. I also have the mains fencer in the slatted house for connected that to a TP link smart plug. I can work all of these from my phone which is really convenient. Especially the fence one, no more having to ring the mother to go out to the shed to turn off the fence.

Sounds every bit as sophisticated as mine from a wiring perspective. My yard setup is basically the same as yours the only difference is I use Home Assistant to manage the devices. The setup in my house however is a bit more sophisticated and constantly evolving, my wife worries that she won't be able to work the house if something happens to me. (Although I have left all manual controls in place too just in case)

My yard setup started much like yours, I setup a load of cheap cameras but found the night vision was less than I would have liked (particularly red cows on fresh straw are invisible), smart switches added to the lights solved any issue there, and I'm glad it did too because I found the night vision is slowly fading over the past year, I think the LED IR bulbs are dying.

A little rainy day project, Liquid level monitor for Diesel, Kerosene, water etc.
It uses a Nodemcu Esp32 and a distance sensor like youd find in a car reversing sensor. integrated into Home Assistant using ESPHome.

IMG_20200518_155721 by Emaherx, on Flickr

Screenshot_20200518-161838 by Emaherx, on Flickr

Converted sensor data which reads empty space into estimated fuel.

oil gauges by Emaherx, on Flickr

Sensor yaml for ESPHome in case anyone wants to do similar.

# Ultrasonic sensor - tank measurement
sensor:
  - platform: ultrasonic
    id: sensor_cm1
    trigger_pin: GPIO15
    echo_pin: GPIO16
    name: "Oil Ultrasonic Sensor"
    icon: "mdi: arrow"
    update_interval: 10s
    accuracy_decimals: 2
    unit_of_measurement: "cm"
    filters:
     - filter_out: nan
     - multiply: 100
     #- sliding_window_moving_average:
      #   window_size: 12
       #  send_every: 12

# Oil Level Sensor
  - platform: template
    id: sensor_cm2
    name: "Oil level"
    icon: "mdi: arrow"
    update_interval: 10s
    accuracy_decimals: 2
    unit_of_measurement: "cm"
    lambda: 
      return 150 - id (sensor_cm1) .state;

# Oil Percentage Sensor
  - platform: template
    name: "Oil Percentage"
    icon: "mdi: water"
    update_interval: 10s
    accuracy_decimals: 2
    unit_of_measurement: "%"
    lambda: 
      return id (sensor_cm2) .state;
    filters:
      - calibrate_linear:
        - 0 -> 0
        - 140 -> 100

# Oil Litres Sensor
  - platform: template
    name: "Oil liters"
    icon: "mdi: oil"
    update_interval: 10s
    accuracy_decimals: 0
    unit_of_measurement: "L"
    lambda: 
      return id (sensor_cm2) .state;
    filters:
      - calibrate_linear:
        - 0 -> 0
        - 140 -> 1500
    
    

5 wheel drive wrote: »

Anyone make their own gps guidance system by downloading one of the apps onto a tablet and mounting aerial on roof. Some guys can even do their own auto steer.

I've dabbled a few times with Android phone/tablet and a windows laptop. But only using a cheap USB GPS. Really even DIY system using proper AGRI GPS unit gets expensive quick when you add cost of software and hardware.

5 wheel drive wrote: »

Your probably rite. What off the shel system would fellas recommend? I've looked at a few basic models but the Trimble ez250 looks outdated.

It probably depends on what you need. What level of accuracy do you need? Even off the shelf entry level systems are quite expensive.

Some of the tablet apps may be good enough for some people, but there may not be much difference between a cheap external GPS unit and that built into a good quality phone.

If you were looking seriously at a DIY solution there is a PC software / hardware solution that can include auto-stear and implement controls like switching of individual nozels on a spray if over lapping strips of a field.

http://www.farmergps.com/index.html

rounders wrote: »

Hi lads, great thread!

In terms of contributing, mine is pretty low tech but effective. GSM plug, pop the electric fence into it and off you go. Way down the fields, find a issue, ring the fence and it's off. Talking about £20.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional-Wireless-Control-Household-Appliance/dp/B07SS8QM7Z/ref=pd_day0_c_107_3/260-6599422-3161917?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07SS8QM7Z&pd_rd_r=ff7b0afc-650b-4944-afcb-03fb7e6b349d&pd_rd_w=B6tga&pd_rd_wg=SUKeo&pf_rd_p=cb7ac7c9-1220-4f8e-9626-3d6840134f7f&pf_rd_r=5NK88TCBZ22M2R34XSJA&psc=1&refRID=5NK88TCBZ22M2R34XSJA

Has anyone used the Vodafone V sims for their devices and any alternatives? Internet at home would be touch and go so would be looking at basing my automation on a GSM network rather than the home network.

How did yet get started learning about all this stuff? I have a lot of automation ideas but don't have the experiance in Raspberry Pi's and arduino. I do have IT and farming background though

And finally, a company I was in contact with recently in Canada, calculates the weight of an animal just from the front two legs at a water trough, doesn't make economical sense for Ireland's farming margins but very interesting tech all the same https://youtu.be/-Non246rVAU?t=105

Nothing wrong with using a GSM Switch, I've never actually used one though, when you ring the device dose it report back its current status? and give option to turn on off?

No expereince with the Vsim but sounds ideal for GSM devices. don't know of an alterative sim from other providers but there are alternative technologies. I've been reading up on LoRa which sounds ideal for remote locations. With LoRa you could build your own network or subscribe to a provider like SigFox. LoRa is a long range wireless communications technology designed speciifcally for IOT.

My own background is: I work as an engineer for a large multinational IT company. I spend most of my time maintaing Industrial Print Lines, but also network equipment, servers ATM's and Tape Libaries. I have a degree in Electronics and a higher cert in IT and some Cisco certs. But things have changed so much since I studied Electronics and very much for the better when it comes to DIY, everything is available now as modules meaning you don't need much knowlage of circuit design to build nearly any automation you can imagine. There are so many cheap and easily configurable microcontrollers with tons of features built in. Online resources these days make the programming end much simpler, most of what I have running now is just the bits of other peoples projects that I liked cut and pasted together.

If you'd like some help with an automation idea, I'd be happy to look at it.




The YouTube video is interesting, obviously not for most of our farms but I think this is as good a place as any to share what is out there.

rounders wrote: »

You can ring it or text. If you text it tells you the status but I'd be trying to get the father using it so just go with the basics of ringing the box which changes the box to either on or off depending on it's current position when you ring it

Yeah was doing some reading on Sigfox networks last night. Is that primarily only good for sending small data points or could it support triggering a action like the GSM plug?

My background is Information Systems so I understand the high level systems but get lost completely once we start talking about circuits

Knowledge of circuits is less of an issue than ever, I made a RFID system for a college project using an Intel 8051. To use an 8051 you needed to build a circuit to connect separate Memory chips and a UART chip to communicate over serial and even quartz clock crystal for timing. The likes of Arduino and ESP based devices make this simple with built in flash memory WiFi/Bluetooth and even LoRa, the GPIO pins make connecting a multitude of pre built modules such as sensors or relays very easy.

Yes, only small packets but what could be smaller than on or off?

I'm not sure there is an off the shelf smart plug, but it's definitely doable. I was considering trying to make something for the out farms. But truthfully it's not because of any real need, just a curiosity. Not necessarily looking at Sigfox either, might try setting up my own LoRa gateway and seeing how far I can transmit/receive.