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On-The-Go Grain Moisture Tester
Now you can moisture test grain from the combine cab while you're harvesting it, thanks to a new "on-the-go" moisture tester from New Concept Mfg., Sioux Rapids, Iowa.
Said to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world, the unit's remote moisture-sensing probe mounts near the bottom of the combine grain tank. It connects by a cable to a control module in the cab. Power is supplied through the combine's 12V system.
Dennis McHugh, president of New Concept, says you only need to combine a few feet of standing or wind-rowed grain to get enough grain to sample ù just enough to cover the probe. A moisture reading is instantly flashed on the control module in the cab to tell you whether the field, or any portion of it, is ready to be harvested or if the crop should dry more. McHugh boasts a ? 1% accuracy rating for the unit.
Called the Combine Special "Grain Brain", the unit is designed for "2-crop" capability. That is, it can handle a combination of corn and soybeans, wheat and soybeans, or wheat and corn, with one microcomputer base module. McHugh says conversion tables are available for use when harvesting other crops.
Extra moisture-sensing probes can be installed throughout the combine tank for added sampling versatility. Several probes can be run off the same control module in the cab.
One moisture probe for the combine's grain tank and the Combine Special control module that mounts in the cab both sell as a unit for $1,099. Extra probes are available for $139 each. The unit will fit any combine make or model, says McHugh.
New Concept has also developed a similar unit for sampling stored grain in bins without having to climb inside the bins. It tests for both moisture and temperature to help detect hotspots and potential spoilage. It's currently available only for corn but conversion charts are being developed for use with other stored grains.
The grain bin probe installs at the end of a 3/4 in. pipe suspended from top center of the bin, positioning the probe about 5 ft. off the bin floor. A wire runs from the probe, through the pipe, out the top of the bin and to a jack at a ground-level control box. Sells for $1,209.
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, New Concept Mfg., P.O. Box 429, Sioux Rapids, Iowa 50583 (ph 712 283-2394).


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1981 - Volume #5, Issue #4