A PROPERLY CALIBRATED SPRAYER MAY BE YOU MOST IMPORTANT JOB
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HAND GUN CALIBRATION
Items you will need: measuring tape, flags/paint, bucket, stop watch, measuring container.
- Measure and mark an area 18.5 feet by 18.5 feet square.
- Fill the sprayer with water. Do not use chemical.
- Set the pressure at your preferred setting.
- Set your desired application pattern.
- Spray the area marked, keeping the time it takes to spray to wet the area.
- Collect in a bucket for the length of time it took to spray the square.
- Measure this amount in ounces.
- This will give you a number in ounces, which is equivalent to gallons/acre.
- Divide this amount by the gallons in your sprayer. This tells you how much of an acre will be treated with a full sprayer tank.
- Multiply this percentage by the per acre rate and you will know how much herbicide to put in your tank.
For example:
You have a 25 gallon sprayer
It took you 75 seconds to spray the 18.5’ x 18.5’ area
You collect 150 ounces in the 75 seconds.
That number of ounces means you are applying 150 gallons/acre
If you divide 25 (Sprayer Size) by 150 Gallons (gallons per Acre).
You will find that your tank will cover 1/6th of an acre.
If the herbicide calls for 30 ounces per acre you will need to add 5 ounces to the tank.
Remember: This method only works if you use the same pressure, spray pattern, and speed in the field.
BOOM GROUND SPRAYER CALIBRATION
All boom sprayers can be easily calibrated using the varying travel length technique. With all the attachments in operation, count the number of seconds it takes to travel the calibration distance using the table below. Your travel length will depend upon the width between the nozzles on your sprayer.
BOOM SPRAYER TABLE |
INCHES |
FEET |
48 |
85 |
40 |
102 |
38 |
107 |
36 |
113 |
34 |
120 |
32 |
128 |
30 |
136 |
28 |
146 |
24 |
170 |
20 |
204 |
18 |
227 |
16 |
255 |
14 |
292 |
10 |
410 |
EXAMPLE: |
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1. Your nozzles are spaced at 20 inches intervals.
2. It takes you 48 seconds to travel 204 feet.
3. In 48 seconds one of your nozzles puts out 17.6 ounces.
4. Your sprayer will apply 17.6 gallons per acre. |
REMEMBER: |
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Random check your nozzles to make sure they are all putting out about the same. Replace old or worn out nozzles or check for obstructions clogging low flow nozzles. If there is a greater than a five percent variation replace the nozzle. |
Again this method only works if you keep the same speed and pressure. Do not make the mistake of using the travel length on your driveway and then discovering that you cannot make the same speed in a field application.
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