Questions, answered

Usually not for the telemetry hardware itself — RS130 and RS330 are solar and battery powered, with no electrical wiring required. If you're using RM400 to control valves, pumps, or other equipment, that wiring may need a licensed electrician depending on your existing setup and local code. Your authorized reseller can tell you exactly what your site needs before installation.

RS130 and RS330 keep running — they're solar and battery powered, so a power outage at the site doesn't take them offline. That's separate from cellular or WiFi connectivity, which is what actually gets your readings to myRanch.

Shorter days mean less solar charging, so the biggest win is cutting power use: stretch transmission intervals from 10–15 minutes to 1–2 hours, keep firmware current so sleep modes work, and switch off power-hungry extras like field cameras until you need them. A fall inspection of mounts, enclosure seals, antennas, cables, rain gauges and solar panels catches small problems before a storm does. The full checklist is in our Fall / Winter Maintenance Guide →

Each unit keeps logging locally, so you don't lose readings during a dropout — once signal returns, the backlog syncs to myRanch automatically. myRanch also flags offline devices, so you and your reseller know right away if something needs attention.

Yes — that's the whole idea behind the platform. RM400 and RS330 both have expansion slots for additional relays or sensors, and you can add entirely new units to the same myRanch account as your operation grows, from one tank to a farm-wide network.

Both go through the same myRanch app. RM400, RS130, and RS330 are real-time telemetry — readings show up live the moment a device connects. The RS10 Data Logger is the RS10 running in data-logger mode instead of real-time transmission — a lower-cost option for sites that don't need continuous live monitoring, logging locally for download on your own schedule.

The terms are closely related and often used interchangeably. Telemetry refers to the remote collection and transmission of sensor data — soil moisture, tank levels, pump status, and so on. Telematics is typically used for systems that pair that data with location or fleet tracking. Ranch Systems is a telemetry platform first: our hardware reads and transmits field sensor data to the myRanch cloud, which is why you'll see "telemetry" as our primary term, with "telematics" used here and there since the two are frequently searched together.

RS330 units can link together into a RanchMesh™ network, relaying data from node to node until it reaches one with a usable signal — built specifically for large or cellular-poor properties where a single unit wouldn't have reliable coverage on its own.

Ranch Systems hardware supports a wide range of third-party probes, including Aquacheck, METER Group, Sentek Drill & Drop, John Deere Field Connect, FloraPulse, and HSTI HydraSCOUT — connected directly or wirelessly via the RS10 sensor transmitter.

Yes — an Air Quality / Particulate Matter sensor reads PM1, PM2.5, PM4, and PM10 levels and graphs them in myRanch, with PM10/PM2.5 converted to a color-coded EPA Air Quality Index and optional threshold alerts, so you know about smoke or dust conditions on-site instead of relying on a monitoring station that may be miles away. It requires an RM400 or RS130 fitted with an A1 sensor attachment board. See Air Quality Monitoring → for details.

On the engine side, Ranch Systems partners closely with Murphy by Enovation Controls for diesel and natural-gas pump engines. For variable frequency drives, we connect to VFDs from Yaskawa, Danfoss, Franklin Electric, and other Modbus RTU-compatible brands. We also retrofit existing two-wire irrigation systems, including Hit Products Logic Plus, onto a single Ranch Systems node — so most existing pump and valve equipment can come online without being replaced.

Yes. Ranch Systems is built as an open platform that talks to SCADA, Modbus, and PLCs, so it can work alongside infrastructure you already have rather than requiring a replacement.

Only people you grant access to. myRanch is a secure, login-protected dashboard — you control who on your team or at your reseller can view or control your devices.

You don't have to do it alone. Our network of authorized resellers handles installation, configuration, and ongoing support in most regions — find one near you on our Find a Reseller page. In California, you also have the option of working directly with Ranch Systems for installation, support, and maintenance.

Yes. Ranch Systems has regional offices and authorized resellers across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Australia — find yours on our Find a Reseller page. Wherever you are, you're always welcome to reach us directly too — we may point you to your regional reseller, but our support line and email are open to anyone.