What is Contour mode and how do I use it?
Contour mode, available from both the Whirl app and the Wheelman dashboard, enables you to autosteer along parallel curved lines or to autosteer along a border or within headland areas. The figure below shows a close-up of the Whirl screen while driving along (and recording application on) the second contour line.
To autosteer using Contour mode (Whirl):
- Make sure you have a task started (start a new task or remain in your current task).
- If necessary, when starting a new task, review the information on the screen below then tap OK. To bypass this step in the future, tap Don't show this again before tapping OK.
- While on the map screen, tap the autosteering panel icon
(or swipe to the left from the right edge of the screen) to display the autosteering panel (shown below).
- Tap
then tap CONTOUR (see below).
- On the map screen (first figure below), follow the instructions at the top of the screen (tap START CONTOUR and start driving your first contour pass). Additionally, tap APPLY ON.
Note: You can tap APPLY ON to begin recording area covered or product applied at any point. In this example, you tap APPLY ON immediately after starting driving the first pass but before tapping START CONTOUR.
As you drive the contour path, data is logged (first figure below), then when enough data is logged the FINISH CONTOUR button appears (second figure below). - When you finish driving any curved portions of your pass (for example, the remainder of your pass is straight), tap FINISH CONTOUR. The contour pattern is drawn on the screen and you are ready to engage autosteering (first figure below). Tap ENGAGE AUTOSTEERING - you are now engaged on the contour guideline (second figure below).
- Keep autosteering along the contour line. At the end of the pass (such as reaching the headland), turn apply off and manually turn around and steer toward your next pass. The next pass may be an adjacent pass or you may skip a pass (for example, if you think of the first pass as Pass 1, you can turn around and steer toward Pass 2 or Pass 3 to either the left or the right of Pass 1).
When you manually steer off the guideline, autosteering automatically disengages (first figure below). Note the heading indicator shows you have turned off your guideline to the right...at the moment shown in the first figure below your heading is 33° compared to a heading of 1° while engaged on the guideline in step 6 above.
When you are within half an implement width of the next pass, that guideline (contour line) appears in red and you are ready to engage on that guideline (second figure below). Note the heading indicator shows you are approaching the next guideline with a heading of 198°. After you engage on the line in the next step the heading will be close to 180° (opposite direction of the 1° heading in step 6 because you are autosteering along a parallel line in the opposite direction compared to the first guideline). - When the guideline you want to steer along is red, tap ENGAGE AUTOSTEERING and turn apply on. You are automatically steered onto and along the guideline.
- Repeat steps 7 and 8 for each additional pass you want to drive/record.
Note: The following procedure refers to different buttons, LEDs, and icons on the Wheelman dashboard. For an overview of the dashboard, go to Wheelman dashboard overview.
To autosteer using Contour mode (Wheelman):
- Drive to the starting point in your field. The dashboard appears as shown below. A blinking Valid Path button is normal—it will be solid on after you finish setting your AB line.
Note: If the Straight LED is solid on (you are in Straight mode), press the A and B buttons at the same time to switch Contour mode. If the Pivot LED is solid on, press the A and B buttons at the same time to switch to Straight mode then again to switch to Contour mode.
- When the A LED is blinking (this may take a few seconds if you switched modes in the previous step), press the A button and start driving your contour path. The A button LED is now solid on.
- As you drive the contour path, data is logged, then when enough data is logged the B LED is blinking. Press the B button. The contour path guidance line is completed and you are ready to begin autosteering:
Tip! When the left Engage LED is solid on, you are ready to engage on your line and begin autosteering. - Press the Engage button to engage autosteering. The same LEDs (from step 3) plus the Engage button right LED are solid on (as shown below), indicating Wheelman is autosteering the vehicle along the contour line.
- At the end of the pass, manually turn around (autosteering disengages) and steer toward the next pass. When you are close enough to the next pass the Engage button left LED turns solid on—press the Engage button to engage autosteering.
- Repeat step 5 for additional passes.