The Value of On Site Service

Story Time

We recently did a major network expansion for a client. They had acquired a new building and were moving their business office functions to an upstairs space in the new building. The expansion involved a lot of new ethernet cable and a few new pieces of network equipment. We completed the project. Everything ran perfectly for about a month.

We got a service call that Internet access on two computers was slow to the point of unusable. We arrived on site and began the process of diagnosing the issues. Situational time limits prevented us from completing the task and we had another project the following day. We would not be available again until the day after.

The client called another service provider that they work with. They provide remote service. They attempted to diagnose the issue. They contacted us and we told them what we were able to determine. The client contacted us reporting that they had fixed the problem.

The next morning we got a call from the client. The problem went away temporarily but had returned. We were back on site. We were eventually able to determine that a security technician had installed a sensor on a wood moulding that covered an ethernet cable that was integral to providing service to the two computers and a couple of other devices. A screw damaged the underlying ethernet cable enough to effect performance but not completely cut service. We pulled in a new ethernet cable and returned complete service to the entire office.

So What?

While bringing an IT service professional on site can be costly, especially for remote operations where the miles charges add up, the service provider can be far more effective and efficient on site. Problem diagnosis, troubleshooting, and mitigation is faster and better when the technician is on site. On site installation by a professional can ensure better performance, longer service life, and fewer problems and service calls. Moreover, if the technician has been on site, either to install or even just inspect the network equipment and installation, the technician can be much more effective in phone support and/or remote online support.

RanchHacks is unique in that we specialize in serving ranch and livestock operations. We bring 40 years of experience in the computer industry with companies like Microsoft, Apple, Roku and a several startups. Over the last 8 years we have worked hard to learn the livestock agricultural business. Whether you are a commercial outfit producing the best beef in the world (we all know that's Montana beef, right) or a seed stock producer focused on producing the best genetics to help build great commercial programs, we can keep up with the conversation about your business needs.

We also understand that you already have to know quite a bit about a lot of different disciplines; biology, genetics, bovine health, meteorology, pasture management, automotive mechanics, and the list goes on. We understand that you have little interest in also become a computer whiz. We want to help find ways to use technology to the greatest advantage with the least amount of hassle and headache.

RanchHacks would really like to be your IT service provider. RanchHacks, IT solutions for ranchers.

What We've Learned About UAVs and Cattle

Over the past month we've had the opportunity to try different scenarios in using UAVs in various applications on cattle. Here is what we've learned so far.

Thermal Imaging
Back in November of 2018 I worked with Jim Steinbeisser finding cows down in the Cedar Creek grazing association, south of Glendive. It was the first use of the thermal camera which was not adjusted correctly. The cows did show up but very faintly. A few days later at the Bar Star operation I figured out the settings on the thermal camera and got significantly better results. Cows were now very easily identifiable from half to three quarters of a mile out.

In June 2019 we were out to a ranch northwest of Missoula where we were to help locating cattle. The effort was unsuccessful for two reasons; plant life is thermally opaque, and cattle are much more difficult to identify in warmer temperatures.  In July we went to IX ranch to do some preliminary testing in preparation to help with an upcoming pasture move. Given the experience in June we had an idea of what to expect. However, we were better able to understand the problem.

During winter months the ambient air and ground temperatures are much lower. Thermal cameras display the difference in temperatures. Therefore, in winter months the cattle are more obvious in thermal imaging because they are the warmest object in view. The fact that most of the trees have lost their foliage in the winter months means that it is also a little easier to spot the heat signature of cattle even behind or under trees although foliage is still thermally opaque. In warmer temperatures there are more objects that are as warm or warmer than the cattle. Rocks, logs, metal objects, even the dirt on the ground heat up under the sun's rays throughout the day. As a result, cattle are not as obvious and not nearly as easy to spot.

RanchHacks is looking for opportunities to further prove these concepts as the temperatures drop. If you are interested in having RanchHacks come out during a fall gather, please contact us. We still believe that thermal imaging can be useful in locating cattle but it appears to be season dependent.

Visual Range Imagery
Using UAVs with regular, visual range cameras have proven useful in managing cattle but not necessarily in the ways that we expected. The biggest time saver that UAVs seem to offer is in verifying where cattle are not. In large pastures in rough country UAVs can be used to fairly quickly determine sections of the pasture that are devoid of cattle. Especially in the early morning when the cattle are most likely to be out in the open rather than brushed up under the trees and shrubs. This can save the time it takes to ride up each draw checking for cows.

The small, compact UAVs such as DJI's Mavic 2 Zoom can prove very useful. The Mavic platform folds up into a small package and is easily stored. The Mavic 2 Zoom, three extra batteries, and the controller fit in a small Pelican type case. This provides 2 hours of flight time. The kit can be carried in the truck or in a saddle bag. This gives the operator the ability to conduct a variety of visual inspection tasks much more quickly. We visually checked two miles of fence in rough country in about 30 minutes. We were able to check about 2 to 3 miles of creek for sheep stuck in the muck in about 20 minutes and had flight time left to also check the water gap in a fence. Both tasks would have taken about half a day without the UAV.

RanchHacks Workshops: What and Why?

We talk a lot about our workshops but what exactly is a RanchHacks workshop and why is it of interest or value to you as a ranch owner and livestock producer.

I have been talking to livestock producers and ranchers for over 5 years, asking questions about whether and how they use technology in their operations. The answers vary pretty widely. I have talked to ranch owners who still do their bookkeeping in a green canvas covered ledger book. I know of a ranch that adopted Google Apps about three years ago and swears by the convenience and expediency of using cloud based business data system tools. If we put these two extremes on a scale from 0 to 5, most ranch owners would probably be a 2 or a 2.5. Seedstock producers tend to have adopted a little more technology into their operation at least in part because they would like to tap into the marketing potential that the web and social media seem to promise. Commercial beef producers tend to be a little more tentative about bringing technology into their operation, mostly because they are not convinced that it will improve the operation or add value. There is also concern about the return on investment and the learning curve.

RanchHacks mission is to provide information and education so that rancher owners and livestock producers can make informed choices and decisions about what business systems, what technologies will benefit their particular operation and at what cost. A significant part of this is knowing what technologies can be managed internally, without bringing in costly outside technicians and experts, and how to determine when to enlist a subject matter expert effectively. You do not hire an electrician to turn the lights on and off in your office. You do not hire an electrician to change the light bulbs. You hire an electrician to repair system failures and add capacity. Business systems and technology should work similarly. The question is what equates to turning on the lights and changing light bulbs?

The purpose of the RanchHacks workshops is to provide an inexpensive way to gain a foundation of knowledge and understanding about how to evaluate and adopt technology based solutions effectively into your specific operation. Every operation is different. What works for a large commercial producer in southeastern Montana probably does not work for a smaller commercial producer in the foothills and mountains around Choteau. Livestock operation owners and managers need a fundamental understanding of business systems and technology so that they can make informed decisions about what will benefit their operation at a cost they are willing to afford.

RanchHacks workshops are intended and designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the management of technology in a relatively short period of time and at a reasonable cost. Most workshops are half a day, four hours, sometimes less. In the first workshop intended for owners and managers, we do not teach you how to build a web site, we help you understand how to determine if you need a web site. We talk about determining what a web site can and should be able to do for your operation and how to measure the effectiveness toward those goals. How to decide what computer to buy. What are the different computer operating systems, or should I even care? What is malware? What about the security of my information? The objective of RanchHacks workshops is to provide a basic understanding of these concept so that owners and managers can make informed choices about what is right for their operations.

RanchHacks is looking to schedule workshops throughout Montana. We are especially interested in working with Montana Stockgrower Association affiliates and Montana Farm Bureau county chapters. If your organization is interesting in hosting a workshop please contact us at info@ranchhacks.com.

About...

RanchHacks was originally the brain child of Walker Milhoun and Jen Livsey in 2014. The basic concept was to tell the stories of ranchers and livestock growers who use technology to improve their operations, and teach others how to do the same.

In 2018, RanchHacks was acquired by Smittie. The mission remains the same; train and equip ranchers and livestock growers to adopt and manage technology to increase efficiency and profit within their operation.

Workshops offered by RanchHacks are central to the concept of training and equipping operation managers and leadership to evaluate, adopt and manage technology in a way that benefits and improves their operation. Workshop attendees should leave with a reasonable understanding of how to select, deploy, manage and maintain computers, computer software, business systems, and other technologies. Workshops are not intended as sales opportunities. B