AgCam Ranch Hand Wireless Transmitter/Receiver Pair

Kit Includes:

Ranch Hand Wireless Receiver, 3-Channel Ranch Hand Wireless Transmitter, 3-Channel 2pcs 3dB antennas 2pcs Mounting Brackets w/ screws External RCA Adaptor, allows input into standard VCR or TV 1500mA A/C power adaptor for Transmitter (not pictured) 300mA A/C power adaptor for Receiver (not pictured) Hardwire power adaptor (not pictured)

Wireless Ranch Hand Pair

The Ranch Hand is a wireless add-on to the AgCam system using 2.4Ghz frequency at 100mw of power. Simply attach the receiver to your AgCam monitor using a single wire, and attach the transmitter to the AgCam camera in a remote location up to 2500 feet away (line of sight required). Alternately, you can attach the receiver (via RCA jacks on the front of the units) to any TV or VCR set with an AUX input. The range of your Ranch Hand can be greatly increased with the addition of one of our accessorie antennas listed below.

Waterproof Ranch Hand Transmitter

The Ranch Hand waterproof transmitter is a completely sealed unit that can be mounted outdoors in the elements. This unit offers users the ability to transmit from areas where there is extremely high humidity, such as heavily populated barns, or directly outdoors in the rain, snow and sun. The RH waterproof transmitter includes a 1500mA A/C adaptor and a 3dbi antenna. It can be purchased seperately, or in a kit with a standard receiver.

Wireless Ranch Hand Easy Switch Receiver

The Ranch Hand Easy Switch receiver allows users the ability to easily switch between the 3 available channels.

Ranch Hand Accessories

Dakota Micro offers a variety of accessorie antennas and antenna extension cables to enable transmission outside of steel buildings or over distances up to 4 miles (depending of line of sight).

5dB Gain antenna (Magnetic mount)

Our 5dbi gain antenna is a omni-directional antenna designed for use on vehicles or equipment, and can extend the range of our wireless signal up to over 1/2 mile. It is ideal for situations where the length of equipment makes it difficult to run cables (although power must be supplied to the transmitter in any case). Both transmitter and receiver are required to have the same antenna to obtain maximum range. Magnetic mount makes for quick installation and removal.

Includes 6’ antenna cable. Antenna extension cables are not available for this antenna.

8dB Gain antenna (Unidirectional)

The most popular antenna is our 8dbi gain omni-directional antenna. Where an external antenna is needed or to simply extend the range of your Ranch Hand, this antenna will cover most applications. The range will extend from 2500 ft to approximately 1.5 miles. The maximum range is again considering line of site; any obstructions will reduce that range significantly. Tree shelters, other buildings, ground terrain and other considerations must be observed when selecting a location.

Some custom combine outfits have been using the 8dbi antenna on combines, grain carts and trucks with excellent results. The extended range allows the grain cart operator to monitor the hoppers on each combine. By adding extra receivers others also will be able to monitor the same event. Transmitters have 3-channel capability so the limit is 3 within the range of the antenna, although the receiver will only select the strongest signal, therefore the possibility of interfering with another Ranch Hand user, or being overpowered by another ranch hand transmitter is unlikely.

Includes 20ft antenna cable. 20' and 80' antenna extension cables are available for this item.

8dB Panel Mount antenna (Directional)

We also offer a directional, panel mount 8db antenna. This antenna offers superior transmission capabilities when static transmission and reception points are available.

The most common uses for this antenna include calving/foaling/farrowing barns, grain dryer monitoring and remote site monitoring.

Includes 20ft antenna cable. 20' and 80' antenna extension cables are available for this item.

15dB Gain antenna (Yagi Style)

If stronger signal strength is needed to extend the range even farther our 15dbi antenna may be the choice for your application. At 15dbi increase in signal, your range will extend to a maximum of 5 to 6 miles. This antenna is focused in a smaller beam so it will only direct the signal where you want it. This type of antenna requires that you direct the signal in the direction where you intend to receive it, also line of site is required. Ranchers monitoring remote feedlots and farmers observing the operation of irrigation system miles away have experienced excellent results. Since the antenna must be fixed in place, this antenna is a good choice for site-to-site observation but would be a bad choice for moving objects such as farm equipment or other type of vehicle. Observe line of site rules when selecting a location.

Includes 20ft antenna cable.20' and 80' antenna extension cables are available for this item.

Helpful Tips for Wireless Setup

Over the past couple of years people have been installing the Ranch Hand wireless system to enhance the usefulness of their AgCam system. We have helped to solve many wireless problems and so it was decided that we should put in a section to help people understand some of the fundamentals of using and installing a wireless system. In most cases the Ranch Hand wireless system will surpass any users expectations, especially if they have had experience with some other systems with less technology and power.

Although most systems will function flawlessly over fairly long distances there have been a few areas which a perfect signal is simply impossible to achieve even in what would seem to be ideal conditions. These situations are few and far between, however it has been discovered that our headquarters is one of those situations. We are uncertain why the heart of the facility and the immediately surrounding area is flawed to wireless transmission, it is theorized that it may be some geological feature or some unknown radio signal or even possibly some sort of radio interference from high powered transmission lines which cross the country. Whatever it is, it was certainly helpful in creating the most perfect wireless unit allowed by FCC limitations of frequency use without a license.

Choosing locations

Sometime it is difficult to chose a location which will allow for unobstructed line of sight, survey the area and chose a location where you may attain the most clear shot to the area where your receiver will be. When you first install the system don't automatically assume that the first location would be the best, it is often found that moving the transmitter location (antenna particularly) even a few feet or inches can make a world of difference. Radio signals bounce off of buildings and walls, remember what you see when you see a radio tower for a TV station in the middle on nowhere, there is a reason why they are so high and in remote areas, aside from the fact that they don't want them to fall on any populated area, it simply is the best location for successful transmission without interference.

Antenna Location

There are several common misconceptions about installing an antenna for a wireless video link. Most of the installation problems we have solved were because of improper installation or placement. In short ranges it is not necessary to put the antenna very high. If the antenna is in the same yard and transmitting only a few hundred feet, most antennas will only need to be 10 to 15 feet high at the most.

One thing to keep in mind is the position of the antenna relative to a building, if the antenna is mounted on the side of a building which faces the direction of transmission it will have poor performance, It is better to get the antenna up above the roof line where it is in clear of the building or put the antenna around a corner so that there is no obstruction. for example: if you were to draw a straight line between the receiver and transmitting antennas you should be able to draw past the antennas without hitting a solid object. If it is impossible to get that clear line past the antennas, do your best to offset the antenna away from the building as far as possible, 10 inches from the wall of a building will perform much better than 3 inches, but 24 inches will be even better.

Antenna Selection

Chose the proper antenna for the distance and then factor in any possible obstructions. Mathematically it is theoretically possible to achieve very long distances with the proper antenna. However in our tests we have downgraded the mathematical possibilities significantly.

If you have a building which you would like to monitor within a typical sized farm yard (200 to 300 yards range) it is quite conceivable that using only a small 5dbi gain antenna would do the trick well, and of course the only reason to use an external antenna is to avoid the building obstruction.

In longer ranges within a farmyard the 8dbi gain antenna will perform very well.

When transmitting longer distances such as monitoring a remote farm or building site, it is preferable to use the directional antennas such as the Panel mount 8dB or the 15dB Yagi. These type antennas focus all of the power in a single direction and also are higher gain antennas, they will perform across 5 miles or more well.

Mount the antenna suitable to its design. Here are some particulars for each antenna

5 Dbi magnetic. Mounts on any steel surface, no real requirements here other than having no surface obstructions in any direction horizontal to antenna.

8 Dbi Omni. This antenna is designed to be mounted on a pole which is grounded, be sure to mount the antenna at the highest point of the pole or offset it from a pole or tower by at least 18 inches. The grounded metal of the pole is part of the antenna, the pole should be at least 4 ft in length minimum but longer would be better. Heigth is important, and the antenna should be mounted at least 15 feet off the ground, rough terrain and ground clutter seems to lower it's distance significantly when it's mounted lower than 15 ft.

15 Dbi Yagi. Designed to be mounted on a grounded pole but works very well when attached directly to a steel building on a corner, not on the flat surface of the side of a building. Best if mounted on a pole without any reflective surfaces nearby. Heighth is relative to it's required distance and obstructions, works well within 3 feet of ground across many types of terrain.

The Exceptions to the rules

Obstructions will change all the rules for selecting an antenna. Where a Yagi 15 Dbi gain antenna would work across 12 or more miles, a single belt of trees will reduce that range to small distances or not work at all. Trees are very dense and wet, they will tear apart a radio signal and render it useless, in the winter months when there are no leaves, the trees are nearly transparent to radio signals. Often cattle producers will enjoy clear video in the spring while calving is occuring, where the summer months the signal is dimminished due to leaves on the trees, but mostly the cameras find themselves on a tractor by that time. In situations where you need to clear trees to attain line of sight you may consider using a Yagi antenna for even short ranges of a few hundred feet, the tight focus of the signal may penetrate the trees enough to produce a good signal.

Buildings are mostly not a problem but can be, metal skin on a building can block a signal and also reflect it in different directions. Reflected signals are also picked up by the receiver but in a slightly different time, this will cause a horizontal flicker, which persists. What is happening is that the PLL synthesizer is trying to focus itself on the most stable signal, having the presence of a random and unintentional signal will cause the receiver to constantly wonder looking to see if it can improve the signal strength. Once again to improve this you may need to use a focusing antenna such as a Yagi, an omni directional antenna like the 8dbi and smaller transmit their signal in all directions allowing the signal to bounce. Also try to change the direction of the Yagi, even if it appears to be slightly out of direct line of sight it has improved signal in some situations. If all else fails move the antenna to a different location, sometime luck will help a bit.

Chose a larger antenna than the longest range you need. If you want to transmit a signal across 5 miles you may be tempted to use an 8dbi antenna, which is capable of 5 miles in good conditions, however, it is much safer to assume that your conditions are not ideal and chose a 15dbi Yagi. In a situation where you need to receive a signal from several directions the 8dbi antenna is very good within the 3 to 4 mile range, beyond that you may want to consider another solution. We also offer an Internet video server solution for situations where there is no possibility of getting a wireless signal to work sufficiently. In a long-range setup it is necessary to install the same antenna on both ends to achieve maximum range. This is not true within shorter ranges, if you are using a Yagi antenna to penetrate trees or buildings it is often acceptable or even better to use a 5 Dbi antenna, this will save money in a lot of situations and frankly the 5 Dbi antenna looks a heck of a lot better on the entertainment center than a Yagi.

Cable Length

OK so you have decided that you need a longer cable to get over the trees or on top of a grain bin, we offer a 20ft and an 80ft extension cable for antennas larger than the 5 Dbi magnetic antenna. This will allow for a total of 40ft or 100ft of cable, but it is not the best solution in all situations. As a rule you should limit the range of the antenna cable to the shortest possible length as the cable will lose signal across longer distances of cable. The higher the Dbi gain of the antenna the less this is important. The 5 Dbi antenna is equipped with only a 6 ft cable, there is no extension available for this antenna as the signal loss would be too great for the small amount of signal boost. If you have a need to have more antenna cable to get the transmitter in an ideal location you may have to consider using a waterproof ranch hand so it can be mounted outside in the elements. Cable length is more important on the receiver than it is on the transmitter, the receiver is only getting power through the antenna from radio signals in the air, the power is minute and can be lost completely with too much cable.

Flicker within the same room or building.

The most common problems within a building can be not so much a problem for the Ranch Hand as other equipment. Some equipment such as wireless phones and wireless network systems can cause problems for the video signal or stop working well or at all themselves. If this is the case you may want to try changing the channel on the transmitter and receiver, which also applies to all other problems, this should be one of the first things to do in any attempt to clear up any signal problems. Another way to reduce these problems is to change the location of the transmitter, this can be easily done using the camera extension cables.

Whenever possible use the wires!!

It is sometime tempting to simply set up a wireless unit rather than running a wire. As a rule if the distance is within 100 to 150 ft and the two points of observation are connected, it is always best to use a wired system. Wireless is fantastic where it is unpractical to run wires but it will always be a better and clearer video if you can use wires. From tow vehicle to a trailer for example, spend the time to install a cable, the results will be better and you will be happier with the system in the long run.

Vehicle to Vehicle

This is fun and useful. Combine to grain cart, beet lifter to truck, forage harvester chute to truck and many other uses. The 5dbi antenna is a very good magnetic mount antenna, which will allow for transmission across more than a mile. In most farm fields there are very little obstructions and is an ideal environment for wireless viewing. There are many many custom combine operations that are using the AgCam/Ranch Hand combination between grain cart or truck to combine hoppers, it is usually an easy installation and proves to be a significant time saver during harvest. Using an 8 Dbi antenna can increase the range and clarity but is usually not necessary.

TV tuner antenna for monitor

For several months now we have been asked to offer an external TV antenna for the monitor (7" and 9" monitors with tuner). We have tested many many models of Mobile TV tuner antennas, in fact over 25 of them were tested in several vehicles and different locations. The results were the same every time, there is no significant gain using any of the tested models of antennas over the rabbit ear antenna, which is built into the TV tuner. In fact most antennas made reception worse. The problem with an antenna mounted in a static location on a vehicle is that the vehicle will always change its location and direction of travel. Some directions the antenna will work well while others it is difficult to get any signal at all. As a universal rule the reception was always better with the standard installed antenna and there seemed to be less sensitivity to direction. We will not be adding an external TV antenna to the product offering until we find one, which will improve the performance of the TV tuner. There is available from Radio Shack and other electronics stores several optional antennas that you may try if you need to simply have an external antenna due to cab space restrictions or other reasons. The 7" and 9" monitors with TV tuner built in make a nice Kitchen or Office TV, simply get a RF to 1/4" plug from Radio Shack to connect your AgCam Monitor to the your home cable system.

Optional Accessories:

All Dakota Micro products work together seamlessly, so you can easily add on any of the listed products at any time.

AgCam Kit

Quad Processor (splits screen into 4)

Digital Video Recorder (4 channel input)

Video Server

Panavise Suction Cup Monitor Mount (Temporary Mount)
Panavise Pedistal Monitor Mount (Permanent)
Custom Length Cables
In line microphones
Audio Enabled Cables:

Warranty: