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      You Spoke, We Listened! New & Improved Square Wireless Dry Contact (WDC) Sensors!

      The new WDC design brings ease and comfort to the user, allowing for a confident and seamless installation and a sensor that will withstand the demanding environment within our barns!

      WDC_Front

      If you are inquiring about dry contact within the BarnTalk Gateway or the Tube Style WDCs, please visit help article: Gateway Dry Contacts and Wireless Dry Contact (WDC) Sensors.

      Don't limit your visibility! With the BarnTalk Wireless Dry Contact, you can have peace of mind while monitoring barn controllers, generators, lights, feed lines, water pressure switches, drop curtains, and so much more!

      Learn how you can keep an eye on your barn from anywhere in the world:

      • The BarnTalk Wireless Dry Contact can simultaneously monitor barn power and 2 separate dry contact circuits.
      • A Dry Contact sensor measures if a circuit is OPEN or CLOSED
      • Circuit measurement is done using screw terminals in the 'Inputs' on the devices’ circuit boards 
      • Wireless Dry Contact sensors are rechargeable and recommended to always be plugged in for ideal results
        • WDC sensor will last approximately 1 Year on battery power alone. The WDC sensor is rechargeable and can be recharge at any time.

      CAUTION: A Dry Contact can measure a powered circuit with the use of a Relay. Wiring a powered source directly into a dry contact circuit without the appropriate relay will destroy the Gateway or Sensor! (Recommended relay here on Hog Slat or Amazon).

      CAUTION: Always consult an electrician when wiring into a powered circuit!

      The Wireless Dry Contact Terminals:

      • DIN1 and DIN2 (Digital Input)
      • COMM (Common) - there are 2 COMM terminals because the terminals are small.
      • COMM terminals are tied together so could actually use either one.

      WDC Sensor Diagram (1)

      Monitoring Power

      • The power monitoring is used to notify users when the outlet loses power
      • If the WDC is unplugged or the outlet loses power, it can notify the CallTree if "Monitor Power" is selected in the app. See below for setting dry contact alarms in the app.
        • Note: The WDC can operate for approximately 1 year on its battery alone and is also rechargeable if the battery dies. If WDC dies, plug the WDC into an outlet using the power cable included. Charging may take a full day.

      Monitoring 240V (Both Legs of Power): To monitor both legs of power in a barn, one will need to install a 240V Relay. We recommend an electrician run wires from the panel to the relay and then wires from the relay back to the Digital Inputs (DIN1 or DIN2) in the Gateway or WDC sensor. With a 240V relay installed correctly, if either leg of power is lost, our system will send an alert out!

      WDC Square Behavior

      •  Check sensor connectivity by tapping the pairing button in the lower right hand corner of the WDC sensor. 
        • After tapping the pairing button, If the L1 light flashes Green, then your sensor IS Communicating
         
        • After tapping the pairing button, If the L2 light flashes Red, then your sensor is NOT Communicating. If you come across this behavior, first try to pair the sensor to the respective Gateway. If behavior persists, contact our support team. 
      • Each input (DIN1 & DIN2) will show you if the WDC sensor is reading an 'Open' or 'Closed' circuit right at the sensor! No need to check the app anymore during this step!
        • In the video below, DIN1 (Left) is not wired to anything and the green light is flashing showing the user the sensor is reading an Open circuit. DIN2 (Right) has a wire running back into it's connected COMM port causing this to be a Closed circuit and the light to stay solid.

      Note: If the WDC sensor is plugged into an outlet, majority of the sensor's light will stay ON. When not plugged in, sensor's light behavior can be checked by tapping the pair button in the lower right hand corner of the sensor. 

      Wiring

      • Use 'Alarm Wire' (22 gauge wire) to wire up to different applications. There is no electrical energy at all in this wire.

      CAUTION: Hire an electrician and use an appropriate relay if wiring to a powered source.

      Recommendations

      • The terminals in the Gateway and in the WDC can be used to measure a number of different on-farm applications including but not limited to: 
        • Generators, Water Pressure Switch, Door Switch, Maximus, ChoreTime, Hired Hand, Rotem, VT-110, Halo, and Many More!
      • Always reference the product manual (and consult an electrician when needed) when installing the BarnTalk system into the application you may already have on farm.
      • Recommend the use of N/C (Normally Closed) because when the BarnTalk app reads "Closed," one will know it's working. 
        • If using N/O (Normally Open), one will not know if the circuit is functioning or if there is a loose wire.

      Screenshot 2022-09-27 142455

       

      Setting Dry Contact Alarms in the App

      1. To set thresholds on your dry contacts, open the BarnTalk app and choose the gateway you want to customize.
      2. Click on the individual sensor tile to open that sensors information.
        1. The BarnTalk system will automatically tell whether the circuit is wired as open or closed.

          IMG_4199-1

      3. In the top right, you will see a tab for Manage Threshold. Click on the manage threshold tab and the next screen will prompt you to customize the sensor's settings.
      4. Click the Enable Threshold Settings to turn on the alarms/notifications for this sensor.IMG_4201
        1. After enabling threshold settings, you will be able to set the notifying alarm state, notification method, and if you want to have a delay in the notification.
        2. If wiring installation is already done (and wired appliance is not in alarm mode), set the "Get Notified" section to the opposite of the current state. Ex: If current value is "Closed," you will want to set to be notified when state changes to "Open."

      5. Repeat steps 2 - 4 for each dry contact you want alarms/notifications for. 

        Note: Warning levels on a threshold will trigger a push notification from the app. While Emergency levels on threshold will trigger an SMS notification followed by a phone call (unless acknowledged earlier).

        Note: In the event you do not want to be alerted by the sensor due to cleaning out a barn or not having animals you can turn off alerts to each individual sensor by toggling off the 'Enable Threshold Settings' OR by Silencing your Gateway's alarms altogether.  

      Common Use Case Manuals and Wiring Diagrams:

      Barn Controllers

      AP Edge TC5-2V8SA (Page 8)

      Chore Time (Page 85)

      Chore-Tronics 2 (Page 100 & 109)

      Chore-Tronics 3 (Page 95)

      Expert VT-110 (Page 5)

      Farm Hand SC-5v2 (Page 31)

      Farm Hand Stage Master (Page 29)

      Phason Supra (Page 28/29)

      Feed & Water Systems

      Halo Jr Max (Page 7)

      Murphy Swichgage Water Pressure Switch (Page 3)

      Valco Flexible Auger (Page 31)

       

      If you have any issues or feedback, reach out to our support team via email at support@barntools.com, call/text 515-272-5122, or call Toll Free at 855-580-0058 during the hours of 8am-5pm CST Monday-Friday.