Valley ICONX Makes Pivot Conversion Less Complicated, More Affordable

Because there are often multiple people working with the four different brands of pivots on Brian Petersen’s farm, he deals with numerous phone calls, frustrations, and wasted time. To streamline his situation, the Nebraska farmer’s Valley dealer, Central Valley Irrigation, recommended he install an ICONX smart panel. The dealer chose one of his older, basic mechanical panels that was equipped only with 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“The ICONX brought my outdated pivot into the 21st century,” Petersen says.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.”

Valley ICONX, which uses the control panels’ circuits, brings together any control panel from the major pivot brands into the AgSense or BaseStation3 network. Equipped with GPS position and AgSense ICON link, the ICONX can be easily integrated into the networks. 

“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. The Valley ICONX is the first smart panel that gives growers a more affordable way to bring all control into one network.”  

Pairing AgSense with ICONX, Petersen 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,” he 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 not only is able to plan better but also can save on mileage. He is alerted around the clock if anything is happening at the pivot. 

He plans to add more pivots to his AgSense network for better control consistency while eliminating mechanical error.

“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.” 

You can learn more by visiting ValleyIrrigation.com.