# For the life of me, I can't find a remote dew/humidity alarm that can phone me



## OregonAlfalfaMan (Jun 22, 2011)

Hi, I'm a 3rd generation alfalfa farmer in SE Oregon, currently farming 2000 acres of alfalfa.

I would LOVE to know if anyone knows where I can get some kind of contraption that can be placed in a field and set to call me when the humidity/dew point reaches a set level.

I've had multiple people tell me that they've seen such a device for sale in various magazines or online but I just can't find one for the life of me! Knowing seems to have any concrete details on where to find one. Does anyone know where I can find such a thing? Our fields are about 15-20 minutes from our house and it would definitely save our sanity (and a lot of sleep) if instead of having to drive out to the fields at all hours of the night to check the dew, our fields would just let us know when they were ready to be baled!

Thanks so much for reading this!


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

I would think with internet and cellular technology nowadays that a miniture portable weather station could be used. Coast guard and NWS has stations with transmitters. The costs I would imagine would be about half of your years salary. Must be nice having to worry about hay too dry to bale?


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## OregonAlfalfaMan (Jun 22, 2011)

Yea we don't have internet out there but if someone came up with a satellite internet version that would be fine as well.

I hadn't thought about trying some kind of remote weather station like that. I certainly hope something like that wouldn't cost a half year's salary!

Yea it's not fun when we don't get any dew some nights! We only get about 7-12 inches of rain a year. It's a fairly cold high-desert climate so we only get 3 cuttings but it makes for some high quality alfalfa.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Ask over on Talk.NewAgTalk.com there are a number of western hay growers on that site.

Viewing a forum - Crop Talk

Good Luck to you.


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## Hank- in or (Feb 12, 2009)

Here is what you are looking for. I have the radio version but know of several cell phone versions in the area. Welcome to Varmitbox.com's web site!


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## johndeerefarmer (Jun 22, 2009)

Davis Instruments which made my weather station has a new product coming out that will do what you want. It's not out yet and will require an annual subscription.

Vantage Connect™ by Davis


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

johndeerefarmer What you mention would be of use to my less spread out operation. For some one with a thousand or more acres in alfalfa they need more localized information.

When looking at humidity for hay baling ( or raking and other operations as well )you want the humidity down at the windrow. 
Here for night time baling we can expect to bale around 10 pm DST. West Texas to California there may not be enough humidity to bale before 2 or 3 am. It would be nice if everyone got a few hours of restful sleep before time to start baling. 
In the Good Old days not all that long ago it you could sleep in the seat of your truck and the alarm would go off and set things in motion. 
It would be nice to be able to sleep in your bed and wake up with enough time to gather the crew and drive to that nights field to bale.

This alarm thing would work just as well for those of us who can bale during the day. It can alert us to the fact that the humidity is getting close to 70% & on the way down.

HERE in CenTex, just out side of Temple I can start a few bales as the air (near the ground) is 70% RH. The first windrow may be border line at 20% moisture for some of it's length. but I will have to increase tension at least on each end of the field. 
I usually can get 600 small bales on the ground before the hay starts to have significant leaf shatter.

Side notes:
Bermudagrass is worse about leaf shatter than alfalfa. 
Baling in the same field at the same time, square bales will test 1% - 2% higher CP than a round baler, even using net wrap.

Here is one universal truth for hay.

Relative Humidity 
90% RH the hay will have no lower than 40% Moisture. 
The magic moisture for raking. 
*70% RH the hay will be no lower than 18 to 20% Moisture *
The magic moisture for small square baling.
*65% RH the hay will be no lower than 16 to 18% Moisture*. 
The magic moisture for large bales. 
*55% RH the hay in the 12% moisture *

range where leaf shattering becomes a major concern.

The humidity we are talking about is down close to the hay, not free air humidity, not on TV and not at the Airport.

The devil is in the details and there are a number of details. 
American Forage & Grassland Council, Forages, American Forage and Grassland Council Home.

Texas Forage & Grazing Council tfgc.org


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## johndeerefarmer (Jun 22, 2009)

He would just have to look at what Davis has to offer. I believe that they have sensors that he would actually lay in the windrow or on the ground. They also have wireless repeaters that would repeat the data (basically sending it an extra 1000') so if necessary he would have to connect multiple repeaters together to get the range that he wanted. All of this stuff is either battery powered or solar powered. So the way I see it he would have to move the sensors from field to field as he worked each one. The sensors send their data back to the weather station. The weather station gets an alarm and calls his cell phone. He might have to move the weather station and the sensors as he cuts different fields, placing the weather station centralized to each set of fields that he was working. Depends on how much he cuts at once, and how many places he wants to measure. Could be expensive but I think they have enough stuff that it would work.


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## 1chevy02 (Apr 3, 2009)

AgSense, LLC
very reasonably priced too. I have been thinking about getting one. A lot cheaper than the sens alert units.


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