New Holland Yield Sensor

[sidvicious02]

hi,
i wondered if anyone has any experience trying to fix a New Holland Yield Sensor? It's on a CX840 and it's the older style. My local dealer basically admitted they don't know the first thing about how to fix it so buy a $3000 new one.
It looks like the sensor mechanism itself is malfunctioning. It's made by a company called Logicontrol from Belgium. I tried emailing them but they didn't respond but maybe because they aren't english speakers.
Anyone have any thoughts or ideas? I tried a couple of wreckers but no luck so far, most of those machines are burnt and seems the sensor doesn't survive. I'd even take suggestions on a good electrical shop that i could maybe take the sensor into and let them have a boo at it.

thanks in advance

[mcfarms]

your best bet is to ask the same question in the new holland forum on the combine forum if you have not.

[sumdumguy]

Farmtronics in Regina will probably be aable to fix it.

[farmaholic]

To me its just a gadget. I am more concerned about the basic machine working and putting the crop in the bin, especially this year, than moisture and yeild monitors working.

Nothing worse than sitting in the field because some electonic gadget puked. If I can go without I would, time is of the essence this year.

Improperly calibrated yeild monitors are nothing more than a poor source of useless information.
How many people actually have the ability to, or do a proper calibration. Right Furrow? Not saying they aren't done either, but....

Get it in the bin, safely please.

[sidvicious02]

Thanks McFarms and sumdumguy I will try those routes.

Farmaholic, I completely agree, yield sensor is not essential. We are using the setup for yield maps for on farm trials of products - most importantly ground truthing our VR fields. When operating and properly calibrated it is very accurate. We have had our fair share of rain days too so I've had lots of down time to look at it and think about it. Desperately want to get it working before the end of the year because if i don't it will be into another year without knowing for sure if it's working. Unfortunately we've already spent a lot of money to have this ability (data logger, software, gps, etc) to make sure we can do this and it has been less than reliable.

Thanks for your replies everyone, if anyone else has any suggestions please feel free to chime in!

[farmaholic]

Sorry for the crass reply, I see your point. You're missing an important piece of the puzzle. We don't do VR, mapping, etc., but doesn't mean other's shouldn't. I too thought of FarmTronics in Regina but will you get it back in time? If you've been having trouble with it, it may be worth shelving it and doing what the dealer suggests, buying a new one. If the information is that valuable to you, it may be worth it.

Good luck.

[sidvicious02]

No problem, Farmaholic, i didn't take it that negatively. We too are just trying to get this crop off and in the bin, i've just had a lot of extra time not in the field to ponder this problem. I'm the kind of person that detests the "throwaway" idea. I'm 100% sure it can be fixed (or replaced cheaper) it's just finding the right person to do it.
I've posted over at the combine forum too and I'll try giving Farmtronics a ring tomorrow and see what they suggest. I guess maybe i should be looking at 3rd party yield sensors to see if there is a cheaper option there.

thanks again!

[Klause]

I believe it has an electronic eye that measures the level of grain on the paddle


If so check the refractive lenses on both sides of the elevator. They get covered in dirt or scratched and then the laser is bounced off improperly... really stupid simple solution but you'd be surprised how often it happens.

[sidvicious02]

hi Klause
it's actually a bit different than that. It has an impact plate at the top of the clean grain elevator. Force on the impact plate lifts the counterweight and arms. That puts pressure on the sensor which I guess it reads as an increase in voltage. The more grain, the heavier the impact on the plate, the more movement on the linkage, the higher the voltage reading and so increased yield numbers on the monitor.
So what is happening with it is there is no voltage reading from lifting or putting force on that impact plate. Even lifting the connector linkages doesn't increase the voltage. However, if i pry up on the sensor itself in one very specific spot it will make the voltage jump.

I've attempted to include a link to a couple of photos of the sensor, the one marked with the red rectangle is where i've been prying on the sensor to get the voltage reading to change. Sorry i'm not sure how to create a hyperlink on the forum.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/sidvicious02/library/Farm%20Stuff

[farmaholic]

The part that creates the different voltages may be called the "potentiometer", is it possible to change just that component?

Is it possible that component needs calibration WITHOUT any grain going over the pad?

Shouldn't there be a range of voltages as different amounts of pressure?grain strike the pad. You said it only creates a reading in one spot?

[farmaholic]

http://partstore.agriculture.newholland.com/us/parts-search.html#epc::mr65162ar347011

[sidvicious02]

Sorry about the late reply, we actually had a couple of good harvest days in a row and add in the rush to get some winter wheat seeded before the deadline.....
So yes I believe it is a 'potentiometer'. It is supposed to have a base reading of 0.7V when running empty and there is an adjustment bolt adjust pressure on the sensor for calibration. It only reads 0.3V now and we can't get it to move off that 0.3V unless we pry directly on the sensor in one very specific spot. Doing that we can get a voltage jump up to the maximum reading. I believe under normal operation voltage will run from 0.7 up to over 2V depending on volume of grain hitting the impact plate.
I would like to try and swap out just the potentiometer itself to see if that fixes the problem but I have been unable to get in touch with the company that makes them (or at least they did not answer my email). New Holland's suggestion is replace the whole unit, counterweights, linkages and all. I don't think that's a very useful way to spend $3000 when it's probably a $25 sensor that needs replaced or repaired.
I haven't had anyone respond on the Combine Forum so I suspect there isn't anyone on either board that's attempted to go the repair route on this unit. I also didn't have any luck with Farmtronics, they don't repair yield sensors. I'm going to comb through the yellow pages and see if i can come up with an electrical repair place that might be willing to have a look at it. Otherwise i suppose it's sitting on my hands and hoping a wrecker comes up with one that isn't crispy!
thanks again and hopefully you are getting some harvesting done!