This is just a commercial product and Wisconsin is hardly local. I think a requirement for being on this site should be full schematics, as well as a committment to support people building it themselves.
The normal way I've seen this done is to fasten the lower edge of the plastic to a pipe, usually 2" waste water line with an internal glue in connector. A crank and one end rolls the plastic up.
With this system I can see it getting loose in the wind. If it gets loose, it will tear on the spike.
* Ipad: I have found that the screen is impossible to read in daylight -- difficult in full shade. This is true for the iPhone too. Larger fonts, and doing work that requires these tools on overcast days or dawn/evening helps. But this makes the tool less useful. (In general a screen that works from reflected light instead of back lighting is much easier to use in daylight.)
* Square-Up -- big win here. While they charge more (2.25 to 2.75%) than other credit card brokers, there is no monthly fee. You would have to take in more than 120K/year by credit card before a conventional account is a win. You need an internet connection to run a charge.
* Ag-Squared. Tried it when it was in Beta. I saw this as having a lot of potential for small scale farmers that grow lots of different crops. E.g. Truck farmers.
Other stuff
* Google Sheets (part of google apps) I run my tree farm with a 12 tab google spreadsheet: It has raw inventory, inventory summary, list of trees, vendor orders, customer orders. Big win Same file can be open on multiple computers. I can take an order on the phone, mark it in red. Laura can enter it into the accounting, remark it in black, all at the same time. If she has a question, she marks in it blue. Means I have to deal with it. Requires full time internet connection.
* Filemaker Pro (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android?) This is an expensive solution (about $500) and requires that you learn how to program filemaker. It's very mousy. If you use Microsoft Access you can learn FMP. The Big Win is the ability to generate an iPad/iPhone app. This app can be used disconnected from the internet, and it will reconnect when you come home. This has good potential for inventory, for time management (E.g. mark when employees arrive/depart)
* OmniFocus (Mac, iOS) Todo list on steroids. Not quite a full blown project manager. Lists can have sublists. E.g. Projects can have "Woodshed" "Greenhouse" "Powerline"
Then under Powerline "Clear cutline" "Get poles" "Get Wire" "Dig Holes" "Put up poles" "String Wire"
Any given task in a list can be given a priority. A given list can be a mix of things that have to be done in sequence (Get poles has to come before put up poles) or in parallel (Doesn't matter if buying poles or wire come first) Tasks can be given due dates/alarms. Tasks can also be given a location, and it will remind you of things when you get close to them. Handy for shopping tasks. Tasks can be one shot, or recurring. E.g. Weed survey every two weeks.
Available as a Mac App too. The desktop version is somewhat more capable -- you can create complex dependent task lists on the desk that you can't on the iPhone. But you can still read/checkoff them on the phone. Last time I looked the desktop app was $80, the iOS app was $20
Gotchas
In many cases apps are cloud based: You need an internet connection to use them. In much of western Canada cell coverage in rural landscapes ranges from non-existent to poor. At my farm I get 1 or 2 bars most of the time. This will allow phone calls, but it takes 2 minutes to connect and check my email.
Comments
Incomplete information.
This is just a commercial product and Wisconsin is hardly local. I think a requirement for being on this site should be full schematics, as well as a committment to support people building it themselves.
Stability in wind?
The normal way I've seen this done is to fasten the lower edge of the plastic to a pipe, usually 2" waste water line with an internal glue in connector. A crank and one end rolls the plastic up.
With this system I can see it getting loose in the wind. If it gets loose, it will tear on the spike.
When the plastic is lowered what anchors it down?
Good start
In some cases, more detail is needed.
* Ipad: I have found that the screen is impossible to read in daylight -- difficult in full shade. This is true for the iPhone too. Larger fonts, and doing work that requires these tools on overcast days or dawn/evening helps. But this makes the tool less useful. (In general a screen that works from reflected light instead of back lighting is much easier to use in daylight.)
* Square-Up -- big win here. While they charge more (2.25 to 2.75%) than other credit card brokers, there is no monthly fee. You would have to take in more than 120K/year by credit card before a conventional account is a win. You need an internet connection to run a charge.
* Ag-Squared. Tried it when it was in Beta. I saw this as having a lot of potential for small scale farmers that grow lots of different crops. E.g. Truck farmers.
Other stuff
* Google Sheets (part of google apps) I run my tree farm with a 12 tab google spreadsheet: It has raw inventory, inventory summary, list of trees, vendor orders, customer orders. Big win Same file can be open on multiple computers. I can take an order on the phone, mark it in red. Laura can enter it into the accounting, remark it in black, all at the same time. If she has a question, she marks in it blue. Means I have to deal with it. Requires full time internet connection.
* Filemaker Pro (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android?) This is an expensive solution (about $500) and requires that you learn how to program filemaker. It's very mousy. If you use Microsoft Access you can learn FMP. The Big Win is the ability to generate an iPad/iPhone app. This app can be used disconnected from the internet, and it will reconnect when you come home. This has good potential for inventory, for time management (E.g. mark when employees arrive/depart)
* OmniFocus (Mac, iOS) Todo list on steroids. Not quite a full blown project manager. Lists can have sublists. E.g. Projects can have "Woodshed" "Greenhouse" "Powerline"
Then under Powerline "Clear cutline" "Get poles" "Get Wire" "Dig Holes" "Put up poles" "String Wire"
Any given task in a list can be given a priority. A given list can be a mix of things that have to be done in sequence (Get poles has to come before put up poles) or in parallel (Doesn't matter if buying poles or wire come first) Tasks can be given due dates/alarms. Tasks can also be given a location, and it will remind you of things when you get close to them. Handy for shopping tasks. Tasks can be one shot, or recurring. E.g. Weed survey every two weeks.
Available as a Mac App too. The desktop version is somewhat more capable -- you can create complex dependent task lists on the desk that you can't on the iPhone. But you can still read/checkoff them on the phone. Last time I looked the desktop app was $80, the iOS app was $20
Gotchas
In many cases apps are cloud based: You need an internet connection to use them. In much of western Canada cell coverage in rural landscapes ranges from non-existent to poor. At my farm I get 1 or 2 bars most of the time. This will allow phone calls, but it takes 2 minutes to connect and check my email.
Imgur links don't work
All I see are black rectangles.
Visualizing this?
I don't quite see how the heat tape fits into everything.
Could you add pictures?