August 13, 2017

View of the day-Finally got the drone in the air...this was on Friday, though.

Al was out at the combine early to meet with the tech from Young's Equipment. He worked on the combine until noon, when Al decided it was time to call it and get out to the field with the rest of the combines. No luck with the autosteer or GPS, even with all the suggestions from ProHarvest.

The story from the tech was that he would have to go back to the shop and do some "research".

Marilyn got the drone out for some action during the afternoon. This season the propeller guards are off...mainly due to the crash into the trees at home. We had a nest of ravens in the top of a tree, so during a practice run in the spring, Marilyn decided to try and take a look in the nest with the drone. It would have been a success if it hadn't been for the north wind that had been blocked by the trees around the house. As soon as the drone cleared the protection of the trees, the wind caught it and sent it crashing into the tall cedars and down to the ground.

Two of the prop guards took the brunt of the damage and three props needed to be replaced. We now only fly in the open areas...

It was a good day of combining even without the autosteer. We were left to our own devices, cutting along the water runs, where keeping it straight didn't matter. The farmer had an issue with one of his machines when the boot fell off the auger into the cart. Fortunately, the cart was the right height to put it back on.

We combined until 9pm, then quit so we could swap headers and go over to the other farm. Marilyn pulled the straight header over and Al was going to bring the other pickup over and get a ride back for the combine. Marilyn had to go work at Staples, Saturday and Sunday, so it would have been on her way back to Yorkton. Al decided to leave the combine over there until the morning when he could hook up the header in the daylight.

Al got everything moved the next morning and started combining...and continued on all day without issue...for us at least...and still no autosteer. There was an issue with the farmers grain cart, however. It threw a track...and not just the rubber part...the whole mechanism. There might be pictures tomorrow if Marilyn gets the release signed.

Sunday was more of the same, with four combines running. They had to borrow a smaller grain cart...if 1100 bushels can be called "smaller"...from the farmer that was helping out with the combining. With four machines the buggy-man is kept really busy, especially since the crop is yielding 50 bu/ac or better.

Marilyn left work at Staples just after 5pm and drove back to the camper to unload some of the stuff brought back from Yorkton. She doesn't work again for two weeks, so she might see some combine time.

Sure would be nice to see it involving some autosteer...