READ THIS FIRST - YardsTech® Panel Reader

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

Care and Maintenance

The YardsTech® Panel 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® Panel Reader in good operating condition: 

• ONLY use the charger or battery cable provided with the unit. Using anything else to charge or power the unit could cause permanent damage to the unit.
• Store the YardsTech® Panel Reader in a cool, dry area when not in use. Avoid storing in direct sunlight. 
• After use, clean the YardsTech® Panel Reader with a damp cloth.  
• Don't submerge the YardsTech® Panel Reader in any liquid, or spray at high-pressure. 
• If storing the YardsTech® Panel 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® Panel Reader

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

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

 

2. Turn the YardsTech® Panel Reader on. To do this press and hold the power button until the red activity light comes on. Note: the unit (by default) will try and connect to the YardsTech WiFi network setup by the YardsTech® 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". You mobile device should then connect to the YardsTech® network.

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

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

Important :  

If you are using the YardsTech® Panel Reader with the YardsTech® Scales, the panel reader will only read tags while there is weight on the platform. This is a special feature to conserve battery power. If the reader activity light is doing a quick double flash followed by a pause, then it is waiting for weight to come onto the plaform.

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. If the panel is mounted directly onto steel, try spacing the panel from the steel using a non-conductive material (wood, plastic, etc)
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.