Dickey-John mini GAC User manual

MINI GAC® AND
MINI GAC® PLUS
GRAIN MOISTURE ANALYZER
SINCE 1966
®
DICKEY-john, the DICKEY-john Logo and GAC are registered trademarks of DICKEY-john.
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
Operator’s Manual
5200 Dickey-john Road
Auburn, IL 62615
www.dickey-john.com
217-438-3371
217-438-6012 fax
©2017 DICKEY-john
DICKEY-john Sales
800-637-2952
[e-mail]
DICKEY-john Technical Support
800-637-3302
[e-mail]
Europe Sales and Technical Support
[phone]
[e-mail]
MINI GAC® AND
MINI GAC®
PLUS
GRAIN MOISTURE ANALYZER
Operator’s Manual
SINCE 1966
®

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
/I
Introduction ........................................................................ 1
Features ....................................................................... 1
Specifications ............................................................... 2
Storage ......................................................................... 2
Battery .......................................................................... 3
Switchpad Functions .................................................... 3
Cursor Selection Tool ................................................... 4
Quick Start Guide ............................................................... 5
Selecting Grain ............................................................. 5
Grain Sample Testing ................................................... 5
Settings ............................................................................... 7
Languages .................................................................... 7
Results ......................................................................... 9
Average ...................................................................... 10
Backlighting ................................................................ 10
Contrast ...................................................................... 11
Units ........................................................................... 12
Power ......................................................................... 12
Normal Operation ............................................................. 15
Measuring Moisture .................................................... 15
Grain Sample Testing ................................................. 16
Auto Ranging .............................................................. 19
Average ...................................................................... 19
Bias ............................................................................. 21
History ........................................................................ 22
Grain Calibrations ............................................................ 23
Accuracy ........................................................................... 25
Condensing Samples (Corn Drying) ........................... 25
High Moisture Grains .................................................. 25
Improving Grain Test Results ..................................... 26
Error Codes ....................................................................... 27
Diagnostics ....................................................................... 35
Information .................................................................. 35

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11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
/II
OPERATOR’S MANUAL

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
INTRODUCTION / 1
INTRODUCTION
The mini GAC® models of grain testers are portable units that
quickly test grain and automatically calculate moisture content
and test weight/bulk density (mini GAC plus only) of the sample.
The unit operates using four function keys coupled with a
menu-driven operating system.
The mini GAC portable tester offers:
• Moisture readings
The mini GAC plus portable tester offers:
• Moisture readings
• Test weight readings
FEATURES
• Plastic loading cup (Loader)
• 9V alkaline battery (included)
• LCD digital display
• Multiple languages
• Backlit display
• Memory for up to 20 product (grain) tests per language
• English/Metric units
•Beltclip
• Carrying case
• USB port for calibration loading
• No screw cap or sample preparation required
Figure 1
mini GAC
Carrying Case
Loading
Base
mini GAC
Unit
Belt Clip
Slider
Assembly
Fill
Cup
Grain
Striker
Grain
Striker
Cup

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
2 / INTRODUCTION
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating Temperature Range: 40 - 113 degrees F,
(5 - 45 degrees C)
Validated Grain Temperature Range: 40 - 113 degrees F
(5 - 45 degrees C)
Operating Grain Temperature Range: 32 - 122 degrees F
(0 - 50 degrees C)
Recommended Maximum Temperature Difference (between
analyzer and grain): 36 degrees F (20 degrees C)
Humidity: 5-95%, noncondensing
Weight: 2 lbs 7 oz (1.1 Kg)
Power Source: A 9V alkaline battery is included. A low battery
indicator on display will identify when replacement is necessary.
STORAGE
The Loader should be turned upside down and placed inside the
unit for storage.
Figure 2
Loader/Unit Storage
Loader
mini GAC
Unit

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
INTRODUCTION / 3
BATTERY
A 9V alkaline battery is installed in the unit. A low battery
voltage menu will appear when battery life has almost reached
capacity. The unit is still capable of making accurate
measurements, but the battery should be replaced soon.
A dead battery warning displays when the battery has reached
its end of life and is no longer capable of making accurate
measurements. The unit will no longer perform any functions
other than to power off the device. If a dead battery warning
displays prior to saving some settings, the information could
potentially be lost.
Battery life can be prolonged by reducing the Power Down
setting of inactivity. The power down setting range is selectable
from 10 to 90 seconds. The default setting is 90 seconds.
SWITCHPAD FUNCTIONS
ON/OFF/HOME
The On/Off/Home button is pressed momentarily to power the
unit On and held for 2 seconds to power the unit Off.
Pressing the Home button on any page will discard any changes
and return to the Home menu.
ENTER
The Enter button is pressed to start a measurement from the
Home menu. The Enter button is also used to make a menu
selection, and if applicable, save the selection and return to the
Home menu.
UP AND DOWN ARROW BUTTONS
The Up and Down Arrow buttons are used to scroll through the
items on the menu.
(Figure 3) illustrates the Switchpad area.
on/off
home
UP
DOWN
Low Battery
Dead battery
Enter button

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
4 / INTRODUCTION
Figure 3
Switchpad
Use care when handling the mini GAC unit. Any misuse of
the unit, such as tossing, dropping, or throwing, can
potentially damage the internal measuring device. The
unit should be stored in the case when not in use.
CURSOR SELECTION TOOL
A Cursor Selection Tool in front of a heading name on the display
is used as a navigation tool that, when the Enter button is pressed,
the selected item’s menu will display.
Figure 4
Cursor Selection Tool
Soybeans
Product
Average
on/off
home
UP
DOWN
Enter
Display Screen
On/Off
Home
Up/Down
Arrow
Keys
Current Product
>
Product
Average
Corn
Corn
Soybeans
Product
Product
Average
Soybeans
1. Cursor Selection
Tool highlighting
Product header.
2. Pressing Enter on the
Product header displays
the Product menu.
3. Pressing Enter on the
Soybeans header displays
the Soybeans menu.
Cursor Selection Tool

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
QUICK START GUIDE / 5
QUICK START GUIDE
IMPORTANT: The cell must be empty and the loading cup
removed before turning the unit ON and
during all testing (progress bar indicates
when testing).
SELECTING GRAIN
1. Press the On/Off/Home button to power on the unit.
2. To select a grain type, press the Down Arrow button to
position cursor at the Product heading and press Enter.
3. Select a product (grain) using the Up or Down Arrow
button and press Enter.
4. The selected grain will appear at the top of the display.
GRAIN SAMPLE TESTING
1. Ensure Loader is removed from the top of the unit.
2. With the product name selected at the top of the display,
press the Enter button.
3. The cell must be empty, upright, and still to perform an
empty cell test. When the Empty Cell menu displays, press
the Enter button.
IMPORTANT: The empty cell reference measurement is
used for all product testing until the unit is
powered off. It is critical that the cell be
clean and completely empty when the unit is
on. Keep the measurement cell opening
clear of hands or other objects during this
period.
4. After the empty cell test completes, the Fill Cell menu
displays.
5. With the slide closed, scoop or pour grain into the Loader
over the minimum fill line (Label on loader identifies
minimum fill line) (Figure 5).
6. Place the Loader on top of the unit.
7. When secured, pull Loader slide out to dispense grain into
the unit.
8. Remove the Loader and use the level edge to strike
any excess grain from the unit.
9. Press Enter to begin the test.
NOTE: Refer to the Normal
Operation section for
additional information on
the screen displays of
Selecting and Testing
Grain.

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
6 / QUICK START GUIDE
IMPORTANT: A slight tilt when holding and testing grain is
acceptable. If tilt is more than 10 degrees, an
error warning is possible.
10. When grain test completes, press Enter to store the results.
Press Enter again to see the average of all samples and
press the Up or Down Arrows to scroll through all previous
readings.
11. Press the Home button to return to the Home menu.
IMPORTANT: Refer to the Error Codes and Troubleshooting
section if an error displays after a grain test.
Figure 5
Scoop, Pull Slide, Strike Grain
Use care when handling the mini GAC unit. Any misuse of
the unit, such as tossing, dropping, or throwing, can
potentially damage the internal measuring device. The
unit should be stored in the case when not in use.
1. Scoop 2. Pull Slide 3. Strike Grain

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
SETTINGS / 7
SETTINGS
The mini GAC can be customized to user preferences by
changing the following control settings from the Setup menu:
• Languages
• Results - test weight and temperature (mini GAC plus)
• Display
• Average buffer size
• Backlighting
• Contrast
• Units of measurement
• Automatic power down
LANGUAGES
Up to 12 languages are supported in each version of the mini
GAC with each language conforming to its own set of
calibrations. Other languages will be added when available.
To change the Language setting:
1. From the Home menu, press the Down Arrow button and
scroll to Setup and press Enter.
2. Press Enter to select the Language menu.
Languages
English US Dutch
English UK Polish
English AUS Danish
French Russian
French Canadian Turkish
German Czech
Italian Slovak
Spanish Romanian
Portuguese Greek
Hungarian Finish
Bulgarian Croation
Serbian

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
8 / SETTINGS
3. Press the Up or Down Arrow button to scroll through
languages.
4. Press Enter to accept the desired language.
5. Any Averages and History stored will be cleared when the
language setting is changed. Press the Enter button to
acknowledge or the On/Off/Home button to escape and
retain averages and history.
Figure 6
Modifying Language Settings
History
Setup
Corn
Language
Results
Setup
English US
English UK
French
Italian
Language
Averages and
History will be
cleared.
Continue?

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
SETTINGS / 9
RESULTS (MINI GAC PLUS ONLY)
The Results menu is only available on the mini GAC plus
testers. The Results menu controls the appearance of test
weight and product temperature results for each measurement
on the Test Results menu. The default is set to Show results.
To change the Results setting:
1. From the Home menu, press the Down Arrow button and
scroll to Setup and press Enter.
2. Scroll and press Enter to select the Results menu.
3. Select either Test Weight or Temperature.
4. Select either Show (to display results) or Hide (to disable
results).
5. Press the Enter button to save the changed setting or the
On/Off/Home button to escape and retain the previous
setting.
Figure 7
Modifying Results Setting (mini GAC plus only)
IMPORTANT: The mini GAC model does not have the
Results menu and automatically displays the
product temperature and cannot be
disabled. Test Weight is also not available.
History
Setup
Corn
Language
Results
Setup
Results
Test Weight
Temperature
Test Weight
Show
Hide
13.4%
56.3 lb/BU
70.5F
Corn
Test
Results
Screen
Test Weight
Show
Hide
13.4%
70.5F
Corn
or
Temperature can be
displayed or hidden

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
10 / SETTINGS
AVERAGE
Averages for up to 20 products are stored in the unit. Individual
results correlate with a specific product, moisture result, product
temperature and/or test weight. The number of stored memories
that appear on the test results menu can be altered to show a
minimum of 2 up to a maximum of 10 memory readings. The
factory default setting is 3 stored memories, refer to (Figure 8).
To change the Memory Storage setting:
1. From the Home menu, press the Down Arrow button and
scroll to Setup and press Enter.
2. Scroll and press Enter to select the Average menu.
3. Press the Up or Down Arrow button to increase or decrease
the number of buffers to appear on the menu.
4. Press the Enter button to save the changed setting or the
On/Off/Home button to escape and retain the previous
setting.
Figure 8
Modifying the Average Buffers Setting
BACKLIGHTING
Backlighting can be turned On or Off. The factory default setting is
backlighting Off. Turning on the backlighting can compensate for
low lit areas or can make the text appear sharper. Unnecessary
use of backlighting will decrease battery life.
To change the Backlight setting:
1. From the Home menu, press the Down Arrow button and
scroll to Setup and press Enter.
2. Scroll and press Enter to select the Backlight menu.
3. Press the Up or Down Arrow button to turn backlighting on
or off.
History
Setup
Corn
Results
Average
Setup
Average
8
Stored
Memories

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
SETTINGS / 11
4. Press the Enter button to save the changed setting or the
On/Off/Home button to escape and retain the previous
setting.
Figure 9
Modifying Backlight Setting
CONTRAST
The display menu contrast can be adjusted on a scale from 10 to
36; 36 being the most intense.
To change the Contrast setting:
1. From the Home menu, press the Down Arrow button and
scroll to Setup and press Enter.
2. Scroll and press Enter to select the Contrast menu.
3. Press the Up or Down Arrow button to change the
contrast of the display. The display will reflect the changes
as the number is altered.
4. Press the Enter button to save the changed setting or the
On/Off/Home button to escape and retain the previous
setting.
Figure 10
Modifying Display Contrast
History
Setup
Corn
Average
Backlight
Setup
Backlight
ON OFF
Backlight
or
History
Setup
Corn
Backlight
Contrast
Setup
Contrast
22

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
12 / SETTINGS
UNITS
Units of Measurement can be changed to either English (Lbs/Bu)
or Metric (Kg/HL).
To change the Units setting:
1. From the Home menu, press the Down Arrow button and
scroll to Setup and press Enter.
2. Scroll and press Enter to select the Units menu.
3. Press the Up or Down Arrow button to select English or
Metric.
4. Press the Enter button to save the changed setting or the
On/Off/Home button to escape and retain the previous
setting.
Figure 11
Modifying Units Setting
POWER
The Power setting offers several power off durations that will shut
down the unit after so many seconds of inactivity. The default
factory setting is 90 seconds.
Power off durations available:
• 10 seconds
• 15 seconds
• 20 seconds
• 30 seconds
• 45 seconds
• 60 seconds
• 90 seconds
• Infinite (manual shut off)
History
Setup
Corn
Units
Power
Setup
Units
English
Metric

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
mini GAC
®
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
SETTINGS / 13
To change the Power setting:
1. From the Home menu, press the Down Arrow button and
scroll to Setup and press Enter.
2. Scroll and press Enter to select the Power menu.
3. Press the Up or Down Arrow button to select a power
down time.
4. Press the Enter button to save the changed setting or the
On/Off/Home button to escape and retain the previous
setting.
Figure 12
Modifying the Power Down Settings
History
Setup
Corn
Units
Power
Setup
Power
Off After
90
Seconds

MINI GAC® AND
MINI GAC® PLUS
GRAIN MOISTURE ANALYZER
SINCE 1966
®
DICKEY-john, the DICKEY-john Logo and GAC are registered trademarks of DICKEY-john.
11001-1464A-201701 Rev B
Operator’s Manual
5200 Dickey-john Road
Auburn, IL 62615
www.dickey-john.com
217-438-3371
217-438-6012 fax
©2017 DICKEY-john
DICKEY-john Sales
800-637-2952
[email protected]
DICKEY-john Technical Support
800-637-3302
ser[email protected]
Europe Sales and Technical Support
[phone]
[e-mail]
MINI GAC® AND
MINI GAC® PLUS
GRAIN MOISTURE ANALYZER
Operator’s Manual
SINCE 1966
®