Farmscape for December 15, 2023
An evaluation of GPS tracking devices conducted in rural Saskatchewan has shown that not all are created equal.
To improve biosecurity in transportation, Guelph-based Farm Health Guardian, in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board and the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network, conducted a pilot project comparing the performance of various GPS tracking devices under real-world conditions Conditions assessed were rural Saskatchewan. Rob Hannam, CEO of Farm Health Guardian, says the devices were installed in the trucks that regularly transport pigs to and from the farms that volunteered to take part in the study, and three of the technologies emerged as winners.
Quote-Rob Hannam-Farm Health Guardian:
There is a device we call Passport L. It is a GPS powered brake light that replaces the light on the back of any livestock trailer or feed wagon. It's a 4 inch light and it works just fantastic. This was one of the winners and we would call it a powered GPS unit because the power comes from the truck's lighting system so it is always powered. As soon as you apply the brakes on your trailer, the battery in this light is charged, so we get really good signals no matter where the truck is. This works great.
The second technology we looked at was battery powered. Not all vehicles have a 4-inch brake light.
Let's take manure transporters for example. Since these trucks or wagons may have something different, we also have a battery powered device. This particular device is actually manufactured by Blackberry and is of course known for its data security and reliability, which is why this device was also one of the winners. The third device is suitable for passenger vehicles, i.e. pickup trucks, cars and vans and connects directly under the steering wheel where you have the diagnostic equipment that your mechanic can connect to check if the car is working. The same port can be used for GPS transmission.
Our Passport-A unit plugs in directly under the steering wheel and is powered again so it works quite well.
Hannam notes that the full report can be downloaded for a fee through his company's website at farmhealthhguardian.com.
For more information, visit Farmscape.Ca. Bruce Cochrane.
*Farmscape is made on behalf of North America's pork producers
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