ple passes are necessary to reach the fin- ished elevation or when it is necessary to make minor adjustments when matching existing perimeter elevations. Manual over- rides are also provided on single mast sys- tems.
A laser receiver can also be used simply as a visual reference when grading an area without the use of an automated blade control system; the receiver is mounted di- rectly over the cutting edge of the skid steer bucket. The receiver has a series of flashing red and green lights that tell the operator if the bucket needs to be adjusted up or down or if the cutting edge is on grade. Note: individual transmitter functions
mounted on either end of the blade. By controlling each end of the blade individu- ally, a dual mast system can grade in any direction relative to the slope with equal efficiency and accuracy. Using manual controls on a dual mast
system, the operator can go from auto- matic to manual with either the left or right side of the blade and adjust the blade higher or lower than the elevation deter- mined by the transmitter without leaving his seat. This comes in handy when multi-
vary by model and manufacturer. As they say in the golf industry, "the
proof is in the putting." ■ Jim Hermann, CSFM, is president of Total
Control Inc. Athletic Field Management, www.totalcontrolinfields.com.
www.stma.org
SportsTurf 21
