READ THIS FIRST - YardsTech® Stick Reader

Thank you for your purchase of the FarmXL® YardsTech® Stick Reader. The YardsTech® Stick Reader is simple, tough, innovative and reliable.

Care and Maintenance

The YardsTech® Stick Reader is a tough and reliable product, designed for use in typical livestock environments. However, proper care and maintenance can extend its life. 

Listed below are guidelines for keeping your YardsTech® Stick Reader in good operating condition: 

• Store the YardsTech® Stick Reader in a cool, dry area when not in use. Avoid storing in direct sunlight. 
• After use, clean the YardsTech® Stick Reader with a damp cloth.  
• Don't submerge the YardsTech® Stick Reader in any liquid, or spray at high-pressure. 
• If storing the YardsTech® Stick Reader for a long period of time, store with the battery fully charged. Also note that the battery may discharge over time, so charge the battery prior to next use. 

Connecting to your YardsTech® Stick Reader

Following are the steps you need to take to initially connect to, and setup your YardsTech® Stick Reader.

1. Download and install the YardsTech® app from the app/play store.

 

2. Turn the YardsTech® Stick Reader on. To do this press and hold the power button (the button furthest away from the hand grip) until the red activity light comes on. Note: the unit (by default) will try and connect to the YardsTech WiFi network setup by the YadrsTech®  Scales, so if you have Scales, turn them on now. If you are not using the Scales, then momentarily press the power button again and the Reader will switch to WiFi hotspot mode.

3. Connect your mobile device to the YardsTech® WiFi network. Go to your mobile device's WiFi setup area and find the WiFi network called "YardsTech". If asked for a password/passkey, use the word "yardstech". You mobile device should then connect to the YardsTech® network.

4. Start the YardsTech® app on your mobile device and the YardsTech® Stick Reader should be displayed in the list of available devices.

5. You can now setup your YardsTech® Stick Reader by selecting the gear icon to the right of the device. For more information on setting up the scales refer to this article.

Effective Tag Read Range

There are numerous things that can affect the read range of the reader. Below are some examples:

1. Tag orientation : the orientation of the tag with respect to the tag reader can have an impact on read range.
2. Tag size and quality : larger tags tend to have a larger internal antenna and will often give you a better read range. The quality of the tag may also have an impact on read range.
3. Reader battery charge : a reader with a low battery charge will have a reduced read range.
4. Interference : electrical interference from fluorescent lights, other tag readers, and nearby electrical devices can impact read range. Note that this also includes electrical noise introduced from charging the reader while using it.
5. Metal : metal objects close to the tag and/or the reader can have a negative impact on the tag and the readers ability to communicate with each other.
6. Multiple tags : the reader will have difficulty reading a tag if there are multiple tags in the read zone.
7. Animal movement : the reader may not be able to read an animals tag if the animal moves through, or in and out of the read zone too quickly.