Real-Time Stock Tank Monitoring

Real-Time Stock Tank Monitoring Ranchbot lets you check the water levels of remote stock tanks at any time of the day or night. You’ll receive an alert if levels drop too fast or not fast enough. “The whole idea of Ranchbots is to give a rancher the information they need when they need it,” says Evan Ogden, Ranchbot. “Other monitoring systems might give an update once or twice a day, but you can’t check at any given moment or understand what the water has been doing throughout the day.” Ogden suggests that the monitoring system was designed to be super user-friendly and to provide as much information as a customer could want. Ranchbot monitors communicate via satellite or 3G/4G cellular, where available, and utilize GPS for location identification. They’re solar-powered with lithium batteries and, when properly installed, are accurate to within 1%. On-site options vary in features, but all communicate via the MyRanchbot platform or other platforms if preferred. The platform detects leaks or faults and takes action, notifying operators before an issue occurs. It provides easy-to-read graphs showing water status trends and livestock consumption. It can be viewed by one or more ranch team members from a smartphone, laptop or other device. Member roles can be selected, and alert triggers tagged accordingly. On-site options include Ranchbot Lite, Ranchbot Trough Monitor, and Ranchbot Water Monitor. Ranchbot Lite can be used with stand-alone tanks up to 19 ft. in depth. It connects to a single sensor and can be installed in 20 min. or less. Ranchbot Trough Monitor is designed to monitor tanks 5 ft. in depth or less remotely. It connects wirelessly to a Ranchbot Water Monitor to send alerts if the water level is too low or too high. “Wireless connections require a line of sight and to be within three to five miles,” says Ogden. “Trough Monitors vary from $500 to $700, depending on the unit and what it does.” The Ranchbot Water Monitor offers multi-site monitoring and more. It connects to as many as five wired sensors and 10 wireless sensors. “Anything that uses an electric switch, such as an electric pump, can be hard-wired to the Water Monitor,” says Ogden. “That’s also true for a generator or tank heater. All can be turned on and off via the website. Add-on options include the Rain Gauge and Pump Control. With its self-emptying bucket, the Rain Gauge automates rainfall data gathering. Daily, weekly and monthly rainfall can be exported to multiple formats for analyzing trends and patterns and a better understanding of pasture growth rates and yield potential. Pump Control provides remote monitoring of pump activity. It offers remote start and stop of pumps of all types, whether diesel, solar or main line powered. Ranchbot users pay an upfront cost for hardware and an annual subscription fee. It covers all real-time alerts sent via text or email throughout the year. “Visit with a sales representative to discuss options for your situation,” says Ogden. “The Ranchbot Water Monitor is priced at $1,400. A dollar per day subscription fee provides access to MyRanchbot software and backend data for monitoring and analysis.” Installation is easy, requiring only a drill and 10 to 15 min. of time. All other equipment is included. In addition to tanks and troughs, Ranchbot can monitor any water source, including bores, dams and channels. Contact the company for information on tailored applications. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ranchbot Monitoring Solutions, 1701 River Run, Suite 1109, Fort Worth, Texas 76107 (ph 512-706-9084; sales@ranch-bot.com; www.ranch-bot.com).

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