Near Intersection of I-35 & I-90 Southern Mn. | dheitz - 2/6/2009 07:08
I was wondering if it is possible to use a Raven 440 to spread dry fert. I know you don't have the spreader constant or density to enter but I was wondering if someone knew a way around this. Thanks
You are correct that the 440 would not have the spreader constant or density. The 660 is a console that looks like the 440 but does have the granular features that you mention. The 660 also has the ability to work with larger numbers which is helpful for granular products.
We have customers who have used a straight 440 for dry. This involves coming up with a meter cal number that is appropriate for a given gate setting and product with a given density.
This meter cal can be determined by putting the desired product in the rig and using a meter cal of say "100". Set the total volume to Zero. Run the rig with this meter cal and dispense some product. Stop dispensing the product and check the total volume. Compare this value with the amount actually dispensed as deterimend by a scale.
You can either try to catch the product dispensed and weigh it or weigh the rig before and after the test. I've seen this done with a skid steer. The apron was run on the rig with the spinners stopped and the fertilizer was caught in the skid steer bucket.
If the volume on the Raven agrees closely with the weight dispensed as measured by the scale then the meter cal is correct. This is unlikely and the meter cal will probably need to adjusted up or down. If the number shown on the Raven total is too large, then the meter cal needs to be increased. For example, if the Raven total volume shows 500 but the scale only shows 250 then the meter cal needs to be increased. In this case the refined meter cal would be "200". The Raven console divides the number of pulses that is "sees" by the meter cal number to calculate the flow.
The test should be repeated. The results should compare much more closely the second time. The test can be repeated a few more times in an attempt to fine tune the number even more. This number should be written down along with the gate setting. Remember this value will only be correct for a product with the same density and gate setting.
If you switch to a product with a different density - a good guess for the new product can be made by comparing the density of the two products and adjusting the meter cal proportionately. This really is all the Spreader Constant idea in the dry controller does anyway.
Metering a dry product is much less of an exact science than controlling a liquid. The flowability, humidity etc. all effect the outcome. |
using 440 for dry
