Valley ICONX makes pivot conversion less complicated and more affordable

Date:04-14-2017

Valley® Irrigation, The Leader in Precision Irrigation®, recently introduced Valley ICONX as part of the Valley ICON® series of smart control panels to combat the challenge of multiple control technologies on today’s farms.

Farming operations continue to expand, adding new or rented farmland that often come with a mixture of center pivots. Though gaining land with existing pivots may seem like a big money saver, managing various software and mobile applications can become time consuming and challenging for modern farmers – until now.

Valley ICONX easily brings any control panel – from all major pivot brands – into the AgSense® or BaseStation3™ network. By using the panel's circuits, the ICONX takes control of the existing pivot panel to connect any brand of pivot into one network.

“These days, one operation may have four, five or even six different types of control panels,” explains John Campbell, Valley Irrigation manager of technology advancement and adoption.

“Previously, the only reasonable way to get all of those technologies on one platform was to replace every panel – including the enclosure – and add GPS position,” he states. “The Valley ICONX is the first smart panel that gives growers a more affordable way to bring all control into one network.”

Because Valley ICONX is equipped with GPS Position and AgSense ICON Link, it can be easily integrated into the AgSense or BaseStation3 network, which allow growers to control and manage all of their pivots on one platform. For growers who prefer to control their machine from the pivot point, a full-color, five-inch touchscreen display comes standard with the panel. The Valley ICONX solution allows for the ability to upgrade without fully replacing your current control panel, making it an affordable solution.

Brian Petersen has four different brands of pivots on his South Central Nebraska farm. Because there are often multiple people working with them every day, Petersen experiences many phone calls, frustrations and wasted time.

To simplify his situation, his Valley dealer Central Valley Irrigation suggested the install of a Valley ICONX smart panel on a more distant competitive machine that has an old, basic mechanical panel with only on/off and forward/reverse controls.

“The ICONX brought my outdated pivot into the 21st century,” Petersen says. “I didn’t have to replace the pivot for the time being. Instead, I could update it less expensively.”

This was Petersen’s first experience with using telemetry for remote management and control of his irrigation operation. He used AgSense with his Valley ICONX, and found that programming and monitoring from his smartphone opened up a whole new world.

“I can program my pivot, and even change the end guns from the road, so I can see where they’re turning on and off,” Petersen explains. “I also know exactly what’s going on in the field, without having to drive there twice a day.”

By monitoring from his phone, Petersen says he can plan better and save on mileage. He can check things out first thing in the morning, and be alerted 24-hours-a-day if anything is happening at the pivot.

For better control consistency while eliminating mechanical error, Petersen plans to add more pivots to his AgSense network.

“Integrating all panels into one platform simplifies operations for growers,” explains Campbell. “That’s the idea behind the Valley ICONX – to save irrigators time, labor and money…not to mention eliminating the headaches caused by using various networks and platforms.”