26
USER MANUAL
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. ASSEMBLY AND INSTALLATION
3. OPERATION AND FUNCTIONS
4. FUNCTIONAL CHECK
5. OPTIONS
6. FAQ
7. GENERAL
8. TIPS
9. TECHNICAL DATA
1. INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing BIRTH ALARM. BIRTH
ALARM is an extremely reliable alarm system for
foal births. Before you start to use the system we
recommend that you read this manual through
carefully, since proper assembly and operation
are essential for the system to function correctly.
United Kingdom
Gallagher Powerfence Ltd
Curriers Close, Canley
Tel. 0870 201 0101
Fax 08700 111 545
E-mail: [email protected]
GUARANTEE
For 2 years after the date of purchase. Does not
apply to breakage, water damage and/or other
types of damage. Neither the manufacturer nor
the importer are liable for any damage whatso-
ever resulting from the use of BIRTH ALARM.
BIRTH ALARM® is patented and it is a registered
trademark.
2. ASSEMBLY AND INSTALLATION
BirthAlarm has two parts: the transmitter and
the receiver. The transmitter must be mounted
on the anti-roll bar. Also the receiver should be
installed indoors. All the parts and fittings are
included in the packaging.
Assembling the transmitter (on the anti-roll bar)
Pull the three (or five if required) tie clips through
the gaps in the transmitter section. Make sure
the ribbed side of the tie clips is on the inside.
You can feel this with your hand.
Make sure that the closing system on the tie clip
is not on the antenna side or on top of the rolling
bar. By this you can prevent the tie clip from
being damaged, for example when the mare
rolls over.
Place the transmitter upright on the anti-roll bar.
The flat base of the transmitter MUST BE
ABSOLUTELY horizontal.
Attach the two hose clamps only around the
anti-roll bar of the girth, in such a way that they
are pressed right up against the two lowest tie
clips. If this is done the transmitter will be firm-
ly attached and it can no longer shift out of posi-
tion.
Cut or snip off the loose ends of the tie clips
leaving 0.5cm.
Undo the 10 cross-head screws at the front of
the transmitter case. Attach the 9V battery
which is included, and press it firmly onto the
battery contact clip to ensure a good connection.
Then place the battery in the transmitter. Then
tighten the screws again and make sure the
packing on the lid is in place. If assembled prop-
erly, the transmitter is now watertight.
The transmitter is now ready for use.
On and off
There is no on and off button on the transmitter.
From the moment the battery is connected the
transmitter is and remains in the stand-by mode
but in so doing only uses a minimum amount of
power.
The power used in the "rest" or "stand-by"
position is so small that a full battery can last up
to around 3 months. However you are strongly
27
recommended to replace the battery after each
foal birth before you start to use BIRTH ALARM
on another mare.
The transmitter only transmits when it is vertical
(in other words as soon as the mare lies down
completely flat). The green signal light on the
transmitter will then come on.
In order to prevent the battery from being
unnecessarily drained which might cause leak-
age, it is advisable to take the battery out of the
transmitter if it is not being used for a long peri-
od. Otherwise always hang up the transmitter in
a horizontal position when it is not being used.
Tip – how to use the girth
It is best to attach the transmitter with the
antenna facing the tail end of the horse.
Make sure the girth is well positioned. The girth
should be just a bit less tight than a saddle girth.
If the girth is too loose, the Birth Alarm can slip
partly off the mare’s withers when she is lying
against the wall. This results in false alarms or no
alarms at all.
Get the mare accustomed to the girth before-
hand. Use the supplied belly strap (or a soft alter-
native). The girth might move to just behind the
front legs because of the shape of the pregnant
horse. If any irritation arises use a girth protector.
Take the girth off the mare regularly. Clean the
girth and brush and tend the skin. It is particu-
larly important not to forget this in the spring
when the mare is moulting.
For miniature Shetland ponies it may be neces-
sary to fit a tail strap to the girth so that it will
stay in place.
The anti-roll bar with transmitter can stay on
during foaling.
Installing the receiver
Place the receiver in the best possible position (=
where good reception can be achieved). The
higher up the receiver is located, the better the
reception, preferably in front of a window which
looks out in the direction of the transmitter. The
maximum range of BIRTH ALARM is 1000
metres. Screw the antenna of the receiver in the
opening on the upper right-hand side of the
receiver. Stick the adapter into the stop contact
and the connector at the other end of the
adapter lead into the plug box no. 6 at the rear
of the receiver.
3. OPERATION AND FUNCTIONING
The receiver comes with a single push button
(1). All receiver functions are operated using this
push button.
The receiver can be switched on by gently
presing briefly on the button and switched off
again by pressing a little longer (2 seconds) on
the button.
BIRTH ALARM has 3 different user programmes
and once the receiver is on you can simply press
to switch from the user mode. Which mode is
active is shown on the lights (a), (b) and (c). The
meaning of this is described briefly on the receiv-
er .See below for more user information on
these programmes.
Programme (a)
Mares resting the normal way
Pressing briefly on the button allows you to
choose one of the three modes. Once the pro-
gramme is chosen, a green light comes on.
MAKE SURE THE RIGHT LIGHT COMES ON. For
normal resting heavily pregnant mares we
choose program-me (a).
As soon as delivery starts and the contractions
begin, the mare lies down flat. This causes the
transmitter on the anti-roll belt to go to the ver-
tical position, and the system starts working. In
this programme (a) after around 7 seconds the
buzzer alarm will go off. Along with the buzzer
alarm the red light (3) flashes. After around 2
minutes the buzz alarm stops. Light 3 stays flash-
ing.
United Kingdom
T +44 (0)247 647 2825
E [email protected]
