The first calibration we need to do is the temperature calibration. The yield monitor needs an accurate temperature in order to calculate moisture accurately. It is a good idea to leave the combine parked in the shade for an hour or so before doing calibration, or do it first thing in the morning.  It is best to have the combine the same temperature as the air around it. (See these videos about how to perform a temperature calibration on the EDGE or INTEGRA.)

The next calibration we need to do is the vibration calibration. For this calibration, the combine header needs to be attached. The vibration calibration teaches the yield monitor the difference between grain hitting the impact plate and the vibrations of the combine going through the impact plate. You will need to do this calibration for each crop type. (See these videos about how to perform a vibration calibration on the EDGE or INTEGRA.)

Calibrating the header stop height is the next calibration we need to do. You will need to teach the yield monitor the maximum and the minimum header heights, and then you will set a height at which the area logging on the yield monitor will turn off.  When you pick your head up at the end of the pass, the yield monitor will quit logging area and keep your yield more accurate. You will need to do this calibration for each crop type. (See these videos about how to perform a header height calibration on the EDGE or INTEGRA.)

The next pre-harvest calibration we need to do is the distance calibration. Your yield monitor will use the wheel speed sensor on your combine as a backup in the event of a GPS signal loss. If you have done this calibration before, you will only need to do it once to make sure everything is still working right.  If this is a new install, you will want to run the calibration more than once to make sure everything worked correctly the first time.  (See these videos about how to perform a distance calibration on the EDGE or INTEGRA.)

Now that all of your pre-harvest preparations are complete, you can turn your attention to moisture and weight calibrations.

A moisture calibration is a simple calibration.  It is important to perform the moisture calibration before you do a weight calibration. (See these videos about how to perform a moisture calibration on the EDGE or INTEGRA.)

The final calibration is the weight calibration.  In order to do a proper weight calibration you will need to harvest 4 to 6 loads between 3,000 and 6,000 lbs. each. All the loads will need to be run at a different flow rate. When harvesting your loads try to stay within the same hybrid, and try to find an area with uniform looking crops.  Calibration loads in different hybrids or running a high flow load in a poor yielding part of the field can cause accuracy problems.  (See these videos about how to perform a weight calibration on the EDGE or INTEGRA.)

As always, feel free to call Ag Leader’s Tech Support team at 515-232-5363 if you have any questions as you prepare to head into the field. For current Technical Support hours, please click here. We hope you have a successful harvest!

One of the most important things to remember during harvest is to create a backup of your display. In the event that something would happen to your display, you can restore that backup on another display and be running again in no time.  I would recommend you create a backup at least once a week during harvest, as you never know what could happen out in the field.

It is also important to take a few minutes to check the physical components of your yield monitor to ensure the components are working correctly. First, remove the flow sensor from the top of the clean grain elevator. The first thing to check is the impact plate, the hard black piece of plastic attached to the flow sensor.  If it is showing signs of wear, it is time to replace it. Next, inspect the area behind the load cell; it should contain a black gel material called potting. It is normal for a few cracks to appear in the potting, but if large portions are missing it will need to be sent in for repair.  Also, make sure the wiring coming from the flow sensor is in good condition.  If you suspect something is wrong with your flow sensor, contact your local Ag Leader dealer or Ag Leader tech support.

Once the flow sensor has been checked, we need to turn our attention to the deflector plate.  It is generally attached to the top of the clean grain elevator. If it is beginning to show signs of wear (ripples or dimples in the steel), it will need to be replaced.

Next, check the elevator paddle clearance; you will need to measure between the top of the elevator paddle and the deflector plate.  It should be between 3/8” to 5/8” on most combines.  The easy way to measure this is a pinky finger.  It should be a pinky width apart.  (Not all combines will meet this specification; refer to your combine’s yield monitor installation instructions, found here, for the correct height.)

You will also want to make sure your elevator moisture system is functioning properly. First, you will need to remove the moisture sensor and make sure it is clean.  Then, while the moisture sensor is out, look up inside the housing where the moisture sensor would normally be; the white piece of plastic is the proximity switch. You can (carefully) stick your hand inside and cover the proximity switch with a finger.  The auger should turn when the proximity switch is covered. If it does not, you will need to adjust the sensitivity of your proximity switch.

Now that we have checked the physical components of the yield monitor, we need to run through the preseason calibrations; we will discuss these in Part 2 of the pre-harvest hardware blog posts.