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1. eee REID LINE EAST RD 5 FEILDING 4775 New Zealand Phone 06 323 6146 Fax 06 323 6116 Email Jenquip Clear net nz 12 09 Filip s Electronic Folding Plate Pasture Meter EC 09 User Manual Jenquip 2009 24 FILIP s ELECTRONIC FOLDING PLATE PASTURE METER Introduction Congratulations on the purchase of your FILIP s Folding plate pasture meter This meter is a high precision engineered device for measuring the average height of pasture relative to density of the pasture This is directly relative to the quantity of dry matter present Kilograms of dry matter Learning to operate your FILIP s Folding Plate Pasture Meter won t take long You will soon find it to be an invaluable tool in your farming operation for day to day feeding decisions and long term feed budgeting Please retain this instruction book for future reference You will need it regularly Important Safety Note Read and understand all the instructions before using the meter Your meter is designed only for measuring pastures Use it for no other purpose e g it is not a walking stick We have manufactured the meter using quality materials and manufacturing techniques however if faults do occur please have them corrected before you use the meter Be careful around electric fences Parts of the meter will conduct electricity Store the plate correctly Be careful that the wind does not blow a plate away it could be dangerous It is2. custom Now press Reset briefly and the display will look like this 0 This is the first of two numbers you will enter The first number is the equation add number and the second the multiply number For example in equation 2 above the first number 115 is the multiply number and the second 850 is the add number 2 The add number is 4 digits long and can range from 0 to 9999 Starting with the first digit press the Formula button to change this digit to a value from 0 to 9 Press the reset button when it is correct NB 850 for example would be entered as 0850 Enter the next digit Repeat this process until all 4 digits have been entered The display then changes to the multiply number 3 The multiply number has 3 digits and can range from 0 to 255 The first digit will appear Press the Formula button to change this digit to a value of 0 1 or 2 Press the Reset button when it is correct and the next digit will appear Repeat this process until all digits are entered and the display returns to its normal state As manufacturers we can only give broad guidelines with regard to the for mula to use So Which Formula Should I Use We say if you are comparing results with a neighbour a discussion group or an adviser then you are probably best to use a similar formula to them A lot of Farmers don t compare with others and only use the Dry Matter values for the
3. material For longer pastures a box with no bottom works well This can be any shape but the area of the hole in the template must be known We recommend a template with a hole measuring 20cm x 50cm ie 0 1 m Firstly using the plate meter measure where the pasture is typical of the rest of the paddock Now place the template in the sample area Using shears or clippers cut and collect all the pasture within the template right down to the soil level Wash the sample to remove any soil or dung contamination Place the sample in a 20 litre bucket turn a high pressure hose on it until the bucket is 73 full Pick any floating dung out of the bucket by hand and pour the water through a sieve or colander catching the grass in the process but taking care to leave any lumps of soil in the bottom of the bucket Repeat with a second rinse if necessary and leave the colander to drain for a few minutes Drying the sample This can be done in a standard oven provided it is set on the lowest setting 60 to 80 C and the oven door left open to let the moisture escape Check with the cook first as this will generate a smell in the kitchen Drying time is overnight Over drying is a possibility so be consistent with your procedure Alternatively a microwave oven can be used They have limited capacity so only small samples can be dried at a time Leave a glass of water inside the 19 How do I enter my own formula Hold down the Formula but
4. 9 and enter clicks mode At full height the display should read ap proximately 52 which is 52 half centimetres The counter has now been calibrated successfully 4 Switch off when you have finished and then back on again without press ing any buttons 5 Test the zero calibration by raising and lowering the plate several times A beep should sound and the kgDM ha displayed as the plate falls If it does not repeat the steps above and retest If the calibration fails to hold then the potentiometer which the cog drives is probably faulty and will need replacing This can occur with exces sive wear often compounded by dust and dirt entering the dry bearing of the potentiometer Start up Self test Switch on The counter will beep and display the current formula setting The for mula will be displayed next with the part of the equation first default 500 and then the x part second default 140 The display will then show the kgDM ha calculation based on that for mula and any readings stored in memory To clear the readings press and hold the Reset button until the display shows 0 0 There is one default plate equation and one custom user editable equation The former is built into the chip and cannot be re placed or modified This equation is typically used between April and September in New Zealand During start up if the battery charge 1s low it will display Lo and give 2 beeps It wil
5. Apply some dry lubricant or light oil to the hinge assembly and to the inside of the hinge lock tube Store the meter in its folded position 13
6. ading x 120 1000 In New Zealand there are a number of Check what equation you are us standard equations published by various ing organisations These reflect regional pas ture types If you wish to change an equation or select alternative species you will need to contact your consultant Tra ditionally the equation of height X 158 plus 200 was used however there has been a series of equations produced to reflect changes in pasture types and physiological state vegetative flowering seed head which can alter DM levels in the paddock Plate Meter Reading x 140 1200 Plate Meter Reading x 165 1250 Plate Meter Reading x 185 1200 Plate Meter Reading x 170 1100 Equations may change without notice and are influenced by seasonal dif ferences If you are unsure of the current equation contact Dexcel or your local consultant A more accurate calibration can be achieved by taking cuttings or your con sultant may be able to advise you on the most appropriate equation for your situa tion This particularly applies to pastures under irrigation 16 9 Entering your own formula To enter your own cover equation or one that may have been recommended by a third party such as your consultant or Dexcel please do the following 1 While the EC09 is switched on hold down the Formula button The display looks like this F__ d Press the formula button again briefly the change the d default to c
7. d the dry matter reading will also change to the previous reading You can continue taking more readings if you wish Results from your feed budgeting will assist you in making important manage ment decisions such as 12 Stocking rates Quantity of feed supplements to feed When to apply nitrogen fertiliser Predicting future shortages or surpluses of pasture Planning silage and hay making Drying off times Stock sale decisions Highlighting poor performing pastures or paddocks Software Use the Jenquip Pasture Management Software 4 to further process the plate me ter readings and do your feed budget Total Dry Matter Kg Dry Matter per Hectare x Paddock Area Growth Rate of Pasture Final Kg DM Ha Initial Kg DM Ha Kg DM Ha day Number of days Between Samples Maintenance Your meter has been developed over a number of years to be simple effective yet reliable However a little maintenance will ensure many years of trouble free use from this meter Before Use After unfolding the meter and assembling the plate onto it move the plate up and down a few times to ensure no binding occurs If its movement is restricted the rea son must be found and cured before the meter is used After Use Remove the plate and wash it clean Wash wipe and dry the area around the bottom of the meter Move the sliding tube assembly so that all dirt and accumulated grass can be washed away
8. e is expressed in lieu of all other guarantees expressed or implied and all other obligations and liabilities on JENQUIP s part and specifically excluding consequential damage JENOUIP makes no guarantee of merchantability or fitness for purpose and is not responsible to any purchaser of its products for any undertaking representation or guarantee except those stated in these terms made by any person dealer or body corporate selling or dealing with its products in any manner whatsoever 29 Page Notes 11 12 13 14 19 20 21 22 INDEX How to Assemble the FILIP s Folding Plate Pasture Meter How to Dismantle and Transport Optional Extras Operating the Electronic Counter Zero Calibration Formulas Using Your Plate Meter Taking Paddock Readings The Farm Walk Maintenance Replacing the Battery Fault Finding Addendum Cutting Quadrats Conversion Factors Supplementary Feed Values Notes How to Assemble the FILIP s Folding Plate Pasture Meter Your meter is supplied in three parts 22 The Carry Bag Used for storing or transporting the meter around The Plate This light weight circle of anodised aluminium sits on the top of the pasture to establish average height amp density The area of the circle and weight of the plate have been carefully calibrated to researched data The Folding Handle Shaft Also generally referred to as the meter A unique design allows this meter to fold into an easily ca
9. e software simplifies the feed budgeting process This is a very simple easy to use programme It takes the information from your farm walk and produces ready to use reports Computer re quirements Version 3 Windows 3 1 95 or XP Version 4 Windows XP or later All Weather Note Books A notebook is supplied with your meter but others can be ordered These are pre printed for recording your farm walk readings Biro pen or pencil can be used We recommend pencil in wet weather Pencil can also be rubbed out and the pages reused Pages are perforated so they can be removed and used or filed in the office The reverse of each page can be used for general notes a great asset to carry in your pocket for any purpose OPERATING THE ELECTRONIC COUNTER Switching On and Off The Electronic Plate Counter is switched on and off using the toggle switch at the back of the unit Off is in the up position When the unit is off there are no numbers displayed on the LCD screen The Front Display Buttons The various functions of the EC09 are accessed by the two buttons on the front of the unit labelled Height Reset and Count Formula The wordings in bold type are the primary functions These are activated by a short press of the button The secondary functions Reset and Formula are activated by holding the button down until the function operates When the unit is first switched on the display will show the curre
10. ir own use In this case select an equation relevant to the pasture growth stage Still unsure as to which equation to use suspicious of your findings or having a disagreement with others The answer is to cut dry and weigh a sample We 10 NOTE Most problems are due to the counter being out of calibration see following points as to why If in doubt it is worth Zero Calibrating just to make sure it is correct see page 7 The counter does not beep when taking a reading If it doesn t beep this means the counter does not know where the bottom is therefore does not record the plonk The cog has wound off Replace Request a spare cog from Jenquip Resolution Potentiometer damaged The Potenti Send to Jenquip for service and ometer is the shaft part that drives the cog repair NB Under no circumstances should you apply CRC or a light oil to the potenti ometer It is a dry bearing and any lubri cant will render the potentiometer use less Check the metal shaft is coming right Clean the Plate Meter back into the base of the black tube Ensure there is no grass or soil build up preventing it from doing so Also check the washer at the bottom of the shaft is not catching on the bottom of the plate Check the cog is running smoothly on the Re assemble the Plate Meter shaft If the counter is mounted too close to the metal shaft there will be quite a lot of friction when taking a reading If the coun
11. ive you many years of valuable service and we are sure you will find feed budgeting to be very beneficial 18 Zero Calibration To ensure the Plate Meter accurately measures the compressed height of pasture the counter must be calibrated This requires setting a base level of zero so measure ments can be benchmarked against this If the counter does not return to zero after each plonk it will not record the measurement hence the counter will not beep If the counter is removed from the black tube or receives a severe knock it may jump a groove on the steel shaft which will put the counter out of calibration It will need to be reset To do this work through the following steps 1 Ensure the plate is fully down place on a firm flat surface and the unit is switched off 2 Hold down the Count button while switching the unit on The display will change to CAL briefly and display a colon followed by a number Let s assume you see 5 when you switch on Proceed as follows 3 The colon signifies that it is in fine calibration mode Use a flat blade screw driver and turn the blue plastic or steel shaft within the cog anticlockwise until the display reads 0 NB The cog and steel shaft must remain station ary DO NOT TURN THE SHAFT BEYOND THIS POINT OR YOU MAY DAMAGE THE POTENTIOMETER Once the counter reads zero move the counter up the full length of the shaft The colon will disappear once it passes
12. l still work OK for quite some time However it would be a good idea to take a spare battery with you on the farm walk The original formulas developed for use with the plate meter were Dairy Pasture Reasonably consistent rainfall areas Taranak1 height reading x 158 1000 Cover kgDM ha Dairy Pasture moderate rainless periods Manawatu Waikato etc height reading x 158 200 Cover kgDM ha Sheep pastures height reading x 158 Cover kgDM ha The counter also provides an option for selecting your own equa tion or those recommended by consultants DEXCEL or Meat amp Wool When you receive your counter it will normally be setup for the DEXCEL recommended equation for the autumn winter months ENTERING THE FACTORY DEFAULT FORMULA While the EC09 is switched on hold down the Formula button The display looks like this F__ d press the Reset button briefly The display will then show 500 and then 140 The default for mula has now been loaded and saved to memory Plate Meter not running freely Low results Metal shaft is bent Straighten or request a replace ment part from Jenquip Grass or soil build up inside the black Clean the Plate Meter tube Flutes on steel shaft have become filled Clean the Plate Meter with grass or soil Front Panel membrane problems Buttons not clicking or activating Service membrane needs replac ing Send to Jenquip for service and repair Ba
13. lly less than 15 minutes Once the sample is dry it is then weighed If your sample area was 0 1 m then Weight gms x100 Kg DM ha The more quadrats you cut in a paddock the better will be your result Typically 3 to 5 samples per paddock are taken DERIVING THE FORMULA Although a long hand mathematical calculation can be used to derive the formula the easiest method is to use a programmable calculator capable of regression analysis The average pasture height reading is graphed against actual dry matter measured B CONVERSION FACTORS Hectares x 2 471 Acres Acres 2 471 Hectares 1 Hectare 10 000 square meters Kilograms x 2 205 Pounds KgDM1Hax0 892 lbs DM Acre lbs DM Acre day Final lbs DM Acre Initial lbs DM Acre Number of days between Samples 20 To Disassemble and Transport This is the reverse of the assembly process Never hold the counter when fitting or remov ing the plate Remove the Plate and insert in the carry bag pocket Fold the pasture meter in half and insert into the carry bag Optional Extras A Carry Bag which can be mounted on your farm bike or utility is available to safely store the meter This ensures the meter is pro tected yet always available to use The carry bag 1s particularly use ful where the meter needs to be transported between farms Pasture Management Software Not essential but if you have a computer th
14. not to be thrown Conditions of Sale and Guarantee Your JENQUIP product is guaranteed to be free from defects in materials and or workmanship under normal use and service for a period of 6 months from date of initial purchase JENQUIP S liability and obligation is limited to problems which JENQUIP acknowledges to be defective under the guarantee conditions either to the free replacement or repair where practicable at the JENOUIP premises of any parts returned within the guarantee period or shipment of replacement parts to the customer as mutually agreed to Supply of non standard parts or services from other than JENOUIP are not covered under the guarantee conditions unless prearranged in writing with JENQUIP Shipment of product to JENQUIP is the consumers responsibility and cost Guarantee conditions are void for any of the following reasons Abnormal use of the product Accident damage or vandalism Modifications or unauthorised repairs to the product or its components Where component seconds have been supplied Normal wear and tear JENQUIP cannot be liable for any damage caused to people or other property during use of the product or as a result of any defect or malfunction of product or components supplied by JENQUIP Use of the product is solely the users responsibility Other losses such as delays in work incorrect or misleading information omissions and errors JENQUIP is not liable for This guarante
15. nt formula in use and the calculated kg DM ha based on that formula and any readings in memory Pressing the Height but ton will briefly display the Average pasture height This is often referred to as clicks measured in 0 5cm and will be displayed to one decimal place i e 0 0 or 12 4 7 Note 1 click 0 5cm First in the Field The number of readings is dis played when Count button is pressed The display will show a c on the left side and the count on the right The display will return to normal after 2 seconds at back All readings can be cleared reset by holding down the Reset button for approxi mately 2 seconds then the dis play will change to 0 Addendum A CUTTING QUADRATS To calibrate the meter you must first know exactly how much pasture is in the paddock Cutting quadrats is the traditional scientific method of measuring dry matter used almost universally for decades Once the amount of Kilograms of Dry Matter KgDM are known then this can be compared with the readings obtained from the FILIP s Folding Plate Pasture Meter A formula converting the meter readings to actual KgDM hectare can then be arrived at Cutting Quadrats This involves sampling a number of quadrates small areas per paddock There are variations of this method but a common version is described here Make a template out of 72 steel rod plywood sheet or similar stiff
16. o 0 This should be accompanied by 2 short beeps 5 Walk across the paddock taking readings every few paces You will hear a beep every time a reading is stored The average kgDM ha is immedi ately recalculated and displayed The number of samples plonks to be taken should range between 20 and 40 per paddock however this will be determined by the variance existing in the cover You will hear 3 short beeps when you have completed 29 plonks and one long beep when you reach 30 This is the recommended number of readings Plonks need to be taken on a regular basis e g every three paces to even out any varia tions however avoid stock camp areas tracks or uncharacteristic areas The greater the variability the greater the number of plonks you should take 6 If you need to negotiate an obstacle e g fence or creek switch the unit off so that no readings are taken if the plate moves On the other side of the obstacle switch the unit back on and continue taking readings T When you have completed the paddock read off the average pasture cover 8 Write down the average height and or the average cover in the All Weather Note Book 9 Repeat instructions 4 to 8 until you have completed every paddock 10 Switch the unit off using the toggle switch at the back Undo Feature You can undo the last Plonk or reading by holding down the Height button as you switch on the counter The count will now be one less than what it was an
17. rried tool The grooved part allows pasture to be measured in 72 centimetre Intervals clicks To Assemble Hinge the handle to an upright position Slide the hinge lock tube over the hinge assembly Holding the meter by the grooved area slide the tube assembly 5Omm up the shaft and re tain it with your thumb With the other hand offer the plate printed side first up to the meter and thread the two together It is important that the printed side of the plate is upper most or incorrect readings will result C SUPPLEMENTARY FEED VALUES 1 cubic metre of silage averages 800 kg 0 8 tonne To estimate DM content of silage twist the silage in your hand to see how easily the juice 1s expressed If juice easily expressed by hand DM below 18 If juice expressed with difficulty 18 22 If little or no juice expressed but hands moist 22 27 Silage Hay conversions tonne direct cut silage 9 bales hay tonne wilted silage 15 bales hay tonne maize silage 14 15 bales hay Hay Conventional bale of hay weighs 20 25 kg A 25 kg bale has the approximate equivalent feeding value of Two 14 kg bales of barley straw 120 kg direct cut silage 70 kg wilted silage and maize silage 16 kg barley meal 14 16 kg of pasture DM 21 oven to prevent arcing which otherwise could occur as the sample dries out Drying time depends on the size of the sample but is usua
18. ter is mounted too far away from the metal shaft the cog is liable to jump a notch easily 15 This is a precision meter look after it Replacing the Battery On start up if you get a Lo battery warning then the battery will need replacing over the next Farm Walk or two A Triangle icon in the top left hand corner also indicates a low battery The electronic counter is powered by a single 9V battery The use of an Alkaline battery is recommended though a standard heavy duty bat tery will still work well An Alkaline battery should give 40 50 hours continuous use A NiCad rechargeable battery may also be used Before you replace the battery ensure the counter 1s switched off Loosen the screw on the front lower panel of the counter 4 or 5 turns will be sufficient The black battery retainer at the lower end of the counter can now be removed A screwdriver slot is provided if it needs a little levering out Remove the battery and gently remove the battery snap connections lever off with a screwdriver Fitting the new battery is a reverse of removal procedure If your battery is near the end of it s life it is a good idea to carry a spare with you nothing worse than getting 1 2 way around the farm and having a battery go flat on you Fault Finding There is no visual display The Counter is not turned on The battery is flat Replace battery If you have just changed a battery you Service send to Jenquip may ha
19. ton until the display changes to The EC09 is switched on F d Press the Formula button again to change the d toa c Now press the Reset button and the display looks like 0 The display will then show you the first of two numbers you will enter The first number is the equation add number and the sec ond the multiply number For example in equa tion above the first number 140 is the multiply number and the second 500 is the add number b The add number is 4 digits long and can range from 0 to 9999 Press the Formula button to change this digit to a value between 0 and 9 When it is correct press the Reset button Enter the next digits the same way Repeat this process for all 4 digits until the display changes to the multiply number NB 500 would be entered as 0500 c The multiply number has 3 digits and can range from 0 to 255 Enter the first digit by pressing the Formula button to change this digit to either 0 1 or 2 Press the Reset button when it is correct and continue to the next digit Repeat this process until all digits have been entered and the display returns to its normal state If you are having problems require assistance or spare parts please contact JENQUIP REID LINE EAST R D 5 FEILDING 4775 Ph 06 323 6146 FAX 06 323 6116 email Jenquip clear net nz We trust your meter will g
20. ttery Retainer keeps falling out The counter screws have not been tight Ensure the battery retainer is ened sufficiently properly clicked into place and make sure the centre screw is re tightened after the battery is re placed How do I change a formula The ECO09 is switched on Hold down the Formula button until the display changes to F d While the d is If you wish to select the inbuilt displayed press the Reset button The fol default formula lowing equation is used Cover kgDM ha 140 x height 500 OTHER FORMULAS To better reflect the growth stages of pastures these formulas were de rived SEASONAL VARIATIONS OF FORMULAS Cog becoming worn 1 Winter and early Spring x 125 640 fi h A Not aligned correctly on the shaft Re align the cog or replace the Ce x 130 900 cog Order from Jenquip during stem growth Counter Readings do not seem accurate A x 165 1480 The counter is like a calculator it does Check the equation being used is 4 Early Autumn XIIA EEO not give false readings under normal cir correct and the calibration has beos Aumin cumstances been correctly set zeroed 5 Late Autumn x 157 970 Cover Equations after rain DEXCEL also developed these month based formulas Rising Plate Meter Equations Dairy Pastures Winter April Plate Meter Reading x 140 500 Factory Sept Default Plate Meter Reading x 115 850 Plate Meter Re
21. ve damaged the battery snap clip to top of the battery The counter continuously beeps and eventually turns off This is normally due to a low battery Recharge the battery The counter requires a given level of power to operate correctly If the bat Battery may be due for replace tery doesn t have sufficient power it may ment continuously beep to warn you Remem ber if you turn the counter off for a few Requires electronic service minutes it may recover slightly but the problem will not go away 14 have heard of disagreements with grazing contracts based around meter readings where each party thinks a different formula should be used The answer is unbi ased for the most accurate formula cut dry and weigh a sample See Cutting Quadrats in the Addendum This weight 1s then compared with a meter reading for the same sample using the various formulas to see which one most closely matches the weight of the sample Remember be Consistent with your farm walk and formulas and you will end up with records which are meaningful comparable and very useable Using Your Plate Meter PRINCIPAL OF USE Place the meter squarely on the ground The plate will rise as it rests on the grass giving a reading of grass height 2 cm increments on the bottom counter At each measurement click the top sample counter to record the total number of samples taken TECHNIQUE Practice the technique of an interrupted slow
22. walking pace taking care not to roll the meter This is where the plate is not square to the ground and it will provide a false HIGH reading Go ahead try rolling and compare the results with placing the meter squarely on the ground See what we mean The meter should also be lowered consistently not gentle but not forced into the ground either FARM WALK The more regularly you take readings the better Astute farmers will take readers weekly sometimes more often during critical times of the year and less frequently during times of static conditions The more samples taken per paddock the less margin of error We recommend 20 to 40 samples per paddock but if you have bad conditions ie pugged paddocks then more samples should be taken Most paddocks will have areas of good growth and areas of poor growth If re cently grazed the pasture may be clumpy Ensure that your walk includes repre sentative samples of both areas Avoid tracks stock camp sites and other uncharac teristic areas 11 Take samples every 3 or so paces rather than choosing by eye the spot to sam ple This removes operator preference for long or short patches Be Consistent Plan the same walk every time although it can be done in re verse This allows each walk to be compared with another Taking Paddock Readings The Farm Walk Switch the unit on using the toggle switch at the back 4 Reset by holding the Reset button until the display changes t
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