Learning Center

Drive straight parallel passes with an AB line

On the Field Survey screen you can lay a set of straight, evenly spaced passes across a field: set the swath, mark A, drive about 100 ft and mark B. The same lightbar and arrows as contour following keep you on the nearest pass, recording or not.

  • Full Automation Kit
  • Guidance Only Kit
  • Ditch Assist Lite
  • DIG™ Kit

In the app Field Survey › Swath › Set A › Set B

An AB line gives you straight, evenly spaced passes to drive across a field, so a whole-field survey covers the ground evenly with no gaps. You mark two points to set the direction, and the app lays a fan of parallel passes at your swath spacing and steers you down the nearest one.

It's on the Field Survey screen and uses the same lightbar and arrows as contour following. It's steering help only: it never moves the blade, and it works whether or not you're recording.

Before you start

  • Field Survey open (from Levee, Contour Tiling, Contour-Guided Terracing or Forming's Survey Field)
  • A GPS fix (RTK Fixed if you're recording)
  • Know the pass spacing you want: about one implement width, or wider for a quick elevation map

Time: about 2 minutes to set up the line.

Tap Swath

The Swath: button is in the right-hand column, under Benchmark. It shows the current spacing (40 ft to begin with; 15 m in metric). Tap it. The Swath width window opens.

Field Survey ready to record: right-hand column Start, Benchmark (0), Swath: 40 ft, Set A, Cancel
  1. Swath: 40 ft. Tap it.

Type the spacing

Clear the box and type the spacing you want between passes, 1–500 ft (1–200 m) (typing). You can change it any time; the passes redraw.

Swath width: Spacing between the parallel survey passes. Field showing 120 ft, Allowed: 1 - 500 ft, Cancel and Set 1
  1. Spacing. 120 ft typed here.

Tap Set

Set is at the bottom right of the window. The button in the right-hand column now shows your spacing, for example Swath: 120 ft.

Swath width window with Cancel and Set at the bottom 1
  1. Set. Tap it.

Drive to the start of the first pass, tap Set A

Line up where the first pass should start. Tap Set A, under the Swath button. The button changes to Set B, with Cancel AB under it.

Field Survey right-hand column with Set A under Swath: 40 ft
  1. Set A. Tap it where the first pass starts.

No fix: Need a GPS fix to set A.

Drive about 100 ft along the line, tap Set B

Drive straight along the direction you want, at least about 30 m (100 ft), and tap Set B. Too close and it asks you to go on: Drive farther from A before setting B (at least ~30 m for a good line). The farther apart A and B, the truer the line. Cancel AB drops A so you can start again.

Field Survey after Set A: sidebar Start, Benchmark (1), Swath: 120 ft, Set B, Cancel AB, Cancel
  1. Set B and Cancel AB. Tap Set B after driving along your line.

Check the passes

Parallel passes appear in blue at your spacing, with the one you're on highlighted, and the lightbar comes on across the top. The button under Swath now reads Clear AB.

After Set B: parallel passes drawn in blue across the field, the active pass through the machine highlighted, lightbar centred at 0 inches, sidebar Clear AB 1 2
  1. Passes. Blue at your swath spacing; the active pass is highlighted.
  2. Lightbar. Same as contour following.
  3. Clear AB. Removes the passes.

Drive the passes

Steer toward the arrows to keep the lightbar centred. At the end of a pass, turn and come back on the next one: the app switches guidance to the pass nearest you. Tap the lightbar to change its sensitivity (Guidance Sensitivity; the settings are shared).

Recording with AB guidance: 22 pts and 1 BM, active pass under the machine, lightbar centred, sidebar Pause, Log Point Here, Benchmark (1), Swath: 120 ft, Clear AB, Finish & Save (22), Cancel 2
  1. Points and benchmarks. Recording as you drive the passes.
  2. Active pass.
  3. Swath / Clear AB.

Change or clear the line

  • New spacing: tap Swath: again; the passes redraw at the new spacing on the same line.
  • New direction: Clear AB, then Set A and Set B again.
  • Before Set B: Cancel AB drops A.

If something goes wrong

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