GALLAGHER Hand Held Eid Tag Reader & Data Collector HR4
- June 6, 2024
- GALLAGHER
Table of Contents
GALLAGHER Hand Held Eid Tag Reader & Data Collector HR4
DISCLAIMER: Whilst every eff ort has been made to ensure accuracy,
neither Gallagher Group Limited nor any employee of the company shall be
liable on any ground whatsoever to any party in respect of decisions or
actions they may make as a result of using this information.
In accordance with the Gallagher policy of continuing development, design and
specifications are subject to change without notice.
Developed and manufactured by Gallagher Group Limited, and ISO 9001 2000
Certified Supplier.
OVERVIEW
The Gallagher HR4 Hand Held EID Tag Reader & Data Collector is a Bluetooth and WiFi enabled reader that allows the user to read and store ISO animal Electronic tag ID numbers as well as record traits and activities against the ID. The Gallagher HR4 is also capable of sorting animals from a predefined list of Electronic IDs and it can read both HDX (Half Duplex) and FDX-B (Full Duplex) Electronic ID tags.
Kit Contents
The Gallagher HR4 box contains:
- Gallagher HR4 Hand Held EID Reader & Data Collector (Bluetooth enabled)
- 5 VDC USB charger (110-240 VAC)
- USB Car Charger (12-24 VDC)
- 12 volt battery cable
- USB cable
- Instruction manual
- Animal Performance Software (APS)
Animal Performance Software (APS)
APS can be installed on your PC from the CD provided with the HR4. It enables the transfer of data between the HR4 reader and a PC via Bluetooth, WiFi, or USB. APS can also be used with other Gallagher Weighing & EID equipment to serve as the main database for all of your animal information. For further details refer to the APS User Guide (accessible via the Help menu in APS).
Charging the internal battery
Important: The HR4 Reader must be fully charged before first time use. It
is recommended that the battery is charged overnight. Always charge the
battery indoors.
It takes approximately 8 hours to fully charge the battery from mains power.
The ambient temperature limits for charging the battery are 0° to 45° Celsius.
For more information about charging the battery, see Charging the Handheld
EID Reader (p.19).
First Time Use
The very first time the Handheld Reader is powered up:
- select the language to be displayed; and
- verify the current date, time and time zone
FEATURES
Feature Description
Trigger| When in the ‘Read Tags’ (Collect) screen, pull the trigger to begin
reading tags.
Light| The red light flashes when transmitting and illuminates continuously
when a tag is read.
Vibrator| A single vibration is felt in the handle with every successful EID
tag read.
Antenna| The HR4 antenna has a read range of 27–33 cm.
Note: If there is more than one tag within range, neither tag may be read.
USB
connector & Dust cap
| The supplied USB cable connects to the HR4 via the connector beneath the dust cap. This cable enables:
• data to be transferred to/ from a computer; and
• the supplied USB charger to charge the internal battery.
Replace the dust cap when cable not in use.
Memory| • Over 100,000 EID records can be stored in the HR4.
• When the memory is 90% full, a pop up warning will display.
• When the memory is full, no further tag reads will be accepted until one or more sessions have been deleted.
Auto Power Down
The HR4 will power itself down after 30 minutes of inactivity. This setting
is only controlled via the APS software.
Screen & Keypad
Use the power key on the keypad to power up the HR4 and display the main
menu options. See Main Menu Screen (p.7) for more information on accessing the
screen functions.
Keypad Button Functions
MAIN MENU SCREEN
When the Gallagher HR4 is powered up, the Main Menu screen is displayed. All
actions on the reader are initiated from this screen via the keypad.
Use the arrow keys to navigate to the required menu option. Press the OK
button to select it.
Main Menu Op ons & Icons
Sessions
All the data read by your HR4 reader is collected into sessions. A session
must exist before the reader will read any tags. The options available
from the Session Menu are:
New Session| Use this to create and open a new session, ready to read
tags.
---|---
Session Summary| Shows the current session name, starting date, and
total tags read.
List all Sessions| Displays a list of all sessions stored in the reader.
Sessions can be selected to delete, or open as current session.
Edit Current Session| Enables navigation to the current session so the
user can change associated traits, activities, life data, or sort list, where
allowed.
New Session
New sessions may be created for the following reasons:
- A new session is required for a new day’s activity
- A different group of animals are to be read into a separate session.
Adding traits to a session
On the HR4 Reader, a session can be configured so the user is able to
assign trait values to the animal from a list of values. Up to three traits,
activities, or life data fields can be specified for a session.
Note: If no traits or life data are specified for a session, the Read
Tags screen will display animal count only.
Sort list execution in session
When setting up a new session, it is possible to select a sort list to
apply to the animals scanned within the session. As the animals are scanned,
their sort assignment will be displayed to the user, along with any colour
that may have been assigned to the sort group. Sort lists and group colours
are configured in APS on the PC
How to start a new session
-
From the Main Menu screen select the Session icon and press OK.
-
On the Session Menu, select New Session and press OK.
The session name is automatically created based on the current date and an alphanumeric character. -
To assign traits add/or a sort list to the session, use the arrow keys to select Yes if required for either option
-
Press the Next softkey to proceed to session setup.
-
If Yes was selected for Record Traits, a list of traits available will be
- Use the arrow keys to select the required trait and press the Select soft
- Repeat to select up to three traits for the
- The order of the selected traits will be displayed as a number to the right of the
- Press the Next softkey
- If desired, a default value can be assigned to a trait by using the arrow keys to scroll through the opti This will automatically be applied to the animal once scanned but can be changed from the Read Tags screen during scanning.
- Press the Next softkey
-
If Yes was selected for Sort by List, a table of available sort lists will be
- Use the arrow keys to select the required sort list, and press the Next softkey
Note: Traits and sort lists are loaded to the reader via APS. Refer to the APS User Guide for further information.
- The screen will display your session setup summary. Press the Done soGkey to confirm session options and begin reading tags.
Note: Navigating away from the new session screen when trying to create a new session will result in the session being cancelled
Tag Display
VID Cross reference
The Hand Held Reader maintains a cross-reference table that links an animal’s
Electronic ID with the animal’s Visual Tag Number.
Once it makes this link, it will recall the Visual Tag Number the next time
the Electronic ID is read. Cross reference information containing EIDs and
corresponding VIDs can be exported to the Hand Held Reader from APS in a
session or Animal table. The VID is displayed above the Big ID box on the
Reader screen and the EID is displayed below it when the tag is read. The
numbers in the Big ID screen will be part of the EID or VID depending on your
Tag Display setup.
Big ID on display
If there is a cross-reference table that provides the VID for the scanned animal, you will see both the EID and VID on the screen. The Big ID field can be configured to show the VID or EID. It can be used to highlight the part of the VID or EID that is most significant to you.
To Setup the Big ID field
-
From the Main Menu, select the Tag Display and Press OK
-
Using the arrow keys make field selections
Digits| The number of digits (from 3 to 10) are shown in large type.
---|---
EID or VID| Indicates which ID is displayed in the Big ID box.
Offset| Determines the number of digits from the right of the VID that are ignored for the large digit display (only for VID). -
Press the Return key to exit to the Main Menu and save changes.
Read Tags
When the Reader is powered on, the main menu screen will be displayed with the Read Tags icon highlighted. Press the OK button to start reading tags
To read a tag
Squeeze the trigger on your Reader and pass the antenna near the tag. A red
light will show on the antenna when the reader is attempting to read a tag.
Important: If the Beeper and Vibrator have been turned off in Settings, a
successful tag read will only be indicated by the tag information changing on
the screen.
A beep sounds, a vibration is felt in the handle, and the screen updates with
the Electronic ID tag information, to indicate a successful tag read. The
fields on the Read Tags screen will vary depending on the Session settings.
See Sessions (p.8). The tag number displayed in the big ID field will vary
depending on your Tag Display setting. See Tag Display (p.10).
Note: If using sorting for the session and group colours are assigned in
APS, the sort group colour will appear behind the read tag in the Big ID
field.
Count or ‘No:’ The counter will increment each time a tag is read to show the number of animals in the current session. The ‘No:’ field on the lower left of the screen can be selected to scroll back through the previous animals in the session.
Sort Lists
A sort list contains a list of animal IDs, each with a sorting assignment. This assignment may be used to separate animals into predefined groups, or to flag specific animals for selection
The Sort Lists screen shows all the sorting lists available on the reader. These lists are imported from APS.
To view a sort list
- From the Main Menu, select Sort Lists and press OK. The sort lists available on the HR4
- To view the contents of a sort list, select a list and press OK. A list of groups that make up the sort list display.
If sort colours have been set up with groups in APS, then the group colour
will be displayed behind the group number. The number of tags scanned into
each group is displayed next to the group name.
- To view the sorted animal IDs within a group, select the group to be viewed and press
- A list of animal IDs (VID or EID as set in the Tag Display screen) are
- Press the Return key once to go back to the sort list and again to return to the Main Menu.
Note: The sort list ‘Empty List’ is the factory default and contains no animals. This can be used to assign sort groups to each animal as it is scanned, rather than from a predefined list.
Sort lists are compiled or edited in APS then downloaded to the reader. Changes made to a list will be effective for all sessions that use the list after the change is made.
Traits
The Traits screen lists all the traits available on the reader which have been
imported from APS or are the factory default traits. These traits can be
assigned to an animal in a session.
To view a list of values for a trait
- From the Main Menu, select Traits and press OK. A list of the traits available on the HR4 will be displayed.
- To view the trait values, select a trait and press OK.
- Press the Return key once to go back to the trait list and again to return to the Main Menu.
Notes:
A trait can only be deleted if it is not used in any session on the reader by
pressing the Delete soft key. A pop up message will either ask you to confirm
the deletion or advise which session the trait is still in use.
Life data traits that have been assigned to an animal cannot be deleted on the
Reader.
Settings
The Settings screen is accessed directly from the Main Menu screen and is a quick way to turn functions on and off using the arrow keys.
SeGng | Options | Description |
---|---|---|
Backlight | On* (5 minutes) Off | Controls the backlight of the Reader. Time-out |
period can be configured via APS.
Cont. Read| Off| Reader stops transmitting once a single tag is read.
On| Reader continues to transmit following tag read, allowing multiple tags to
be read.
Read Timer| On| Determines time allowed for transmitting a tag read:
Continuous Read – 5 minutes Non-Continuous Read – 5 seconds
Time-out period can be configured via APS.
Off| Unlimited read time. Time-out will occur with power off time-out.
Vibrator| On Off| A successful tag read is confirmed with a vibration in the
handle.
Beeper| On Off| A single beep can be heard aGer a successful Electronic ID tag
read.
Two beeps are heard on a duplicate tag read.
Notes Alert| On Off| Any pop-up note alerts that have been recorded against
the animal will halt tag reading and have to be acknowledged before reading
can continue.
Time| 10:03 AM| The current time is displayed. Select and press OK to
change the time.
Date| Y-M-D, M-D-Y, D-M-Y.| Select and press OK to set the date format
and date. Time and Date are used to create Session names.
Zone| NZL – NZST*| Indicates the time zone. Select and press OK to change
country zone and set time and date automatically.
Language| English, Dutch French, German Spanish, Portuguese| Select and press
OK to change the language.
Changing Settings
- Use the up and down arrows to scroll to each function to select it.
- Use the left and right arrows to turn the function On or Off .
- For the Time and Date fields, select the field and press OK. Use the field arrows to select the correct time and date.
- Press the Return key to save changes and return to the Main Menu.
Note: APS can be used to alter advanced time-out settings. Refer to the APS Standard User Guide – Device Sub Menu – Setup for further details.
Wireless
The HR4 Reader is both Bluetooth and WiFi enabled and can be searched for and
connected to by other devices (Discoverable), or perform a search to initiate
the connection itself. Only one Bluetooth or WiFi device can be connected to
the reader at any time.
Note: WiFi functionality is only available on HR4 v2 hardware. Icon
Descriptions
Wireless Setup
- From the Main Menu screen, use the arrow keys to select the Wireless icon and press OK.
- The Wireless screen will display, showing the last known connection as either Bluetooth (default for first time connections) or
To change the type of communication, select the field where Bluetooth or WiFi
is displayed and press OK. Use the arrow keys to change the communication
type and press OK.
Note: Selecting None will turn off Bluetooth and WiFi, and will save
battery power if a communication connection is not required.
- The connection status and device table display and the connection status changes to ‘Discoverable’
Note: The table will be empty if no devices have previously been found. Any previously connected devices will be displayed in parentheses, e.g. ‘(Gallagher-TSi)’.
The Reader can now be searched for and found by other devices (Discoverable). The status of the current connection is displayed on the screen.
4. To initiate a connection from the HR4 Reader, press the Search softkey. This will search for new Bluetooth or WiFi devices in range. As the name of each device is received it will be displayed, replacing the Bluetooth or WiFi address.
5. Use the arrow keys to select a device to connect to and press the OK button. The connection status will change to Trying to connect…
Note: The HR4 can be configured to send and/or receive data from other devices via Bluetooth and WiFi.
6. Press Return key to save se ngs and return to the Main menu.
Note: If the connection is not dropped, the device will attempt to reconnect once, when next powered up.
Info soft-key
When a connected Bluetooth or WiFi device is highlighted, the right hand soft- key becomes Info. Pressing this button allows viewing of information about the connected device. When connected to a Bluetooth device, Option displays the following fields
None (default)| Only EID data is sent over Bluetooth. Commonly used with weigh
scale connections.
---|---
Printer| Allows for session summary data to be sent to a Bluetooth printer
from various screens on the HR4
Note: WiFi passkeys can be configured in APS for the HR4
POWER OPTIONS
When the HR4 is fully charged, it is expected to operate for 3–4 working days in typical yard applications.
Important: It is recommended the Gallagher 5 VDC USB charger, supplied
with your HR4 reader, is used when charging off mains power. Always charge
the ba†ery indoors.
Charge time will vary depending on the capacity of the power adapter. Fastest
charging is achieved via the mains adapter when the reader is off
(approximately 8 hours).
Note: Tags cannot be read while the Reader is connected to mains power. The Reader will operate while being charged using the car charger, battery or PC, however charging will take longer while the Reader is in use with the backlight on.
Charging the Handheld EID Reader
The internal battery of the Reader can be charged using :
- a 5 VDC USB mains power adapter
- the 12–24VDC USB car charger included with the Reader
- a 12 V vehicle batt
Connect the components needed (supplied with your HR4) for your preferred charging method as shown below and plug into the necessary power source for your charger.
Batrery Icon Status
Operation
During operation, the battery icon on the Reader screen indicates the actual amount of charge leG in the battery. An estimate of the remaining battery percentage can be found in the Information screen on the Main Menu.
Charging
When the Reader is connected to a charger, the battery icon displays a charging status as follows:
CONNECTING THE HR4 TO A COMPUTER
In order to view or alter advanced settings on the HR4, you need to establish a connection between the HR4 and a PC/laptop that has APS software installed.
- Plug the USB cable supplied with the HR4 into the Hand Held
- Plug the other end of the cable into a USB COM port on your
- Turn on the
- Use your APS software to configure advanced settings See the APS User Guide for further details.
Note: Settings can also be updated using a WiFi connection.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
The Gallagher HR4 Hand Held EID Tag Reader is a tough and reliable product
designed for use in typical livestock environments. However, proper care and
maintenance can extend the Reader’s life.
Listed below are guidelines for keeping the Reader in good condition.
- For optimal battery life, Gallagher recommends that you store the Reader in a cool, dry area (10 to 30 ° Celsius) inside the supplied hard case and out of direct
- AGer use, clean the Reader with a damp cloth. Take care not to scratch the
- Recharge the batteries aGer use and before storing for extended
Ensure the dust cap is pushed onto the USB cable connector on the reader aGer charging to prevent dirt and dust entering the connector.
SPECIFICATIONS
WASTE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
This symbol on the product or its packaging indicates that this product must not be disposed of with other waste. Instead, it is your responsibility to dispose of your waste equipment by handing it over to a designated collection point for the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment. The separate collection and recycling of your waste equipment at the time of disposal will help conserve natural resources and ensure that it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and the environment. For more information about where you can drop off your waste equipment for recycling, please contact your local city recycling office or the dealer from whom you purchased the product.