"It's not showing a rate" is the most common Raven call we get, and nine times out of ten nobody needs a new part. Every Raven rate controller — SCS 440/450/460/660, the 4400/4600/5000 family, CANbus product nodes behind an Envizio Pro, Viper Pro or Viper 4, ISOBUS product controllers, RCM, CR7 and CR12 — needs three things before it will show a rate, and they only work in this order:
Speed → Boom sense → Flow
Area per hour will not register without speed, and flow will not register without boom sense. So test them in that order, and skip ahead once you see one working. You'll need a paper clip, a multimeter, and the machine running.
1. Speed
While moving, the console's distance should count up and speed should show. If it doesn't:
- Is the speed source mounted, powered, and the right type? SP1 is a wheel magnet, SP2 is radar or simulated radar from GPS.
- Is the speed cal right? New speed cal = (current speed cal × measured distance) ÷ distance shown on the controller. Measure at least 400 feet.
- Using GPS speed over CAN? Speed type Radar, speed cal 1000.
Speed sensor test: enter a speed cal of 1000 (SP1) or 9999 (SP2). At the speed sensor's 3-pin connector (keyway at 12 o'clock: Ground, Power, Signal) short Ground to Signal with a paper clip in a "short – no short" motion. Distance should climb on every touch. If it doesn't, move back one connector toward the console and repeat until it works — the cable you just bypassed is the bad one. If every cable passes, the sensor itself is bad. Put the real speed cal back when you're done.
2. Boom sense (area/hour)
A boom width has to be entered, and with the master and boom switches on and speed showing, you should see an area/hour figure. Where to find it: SCS consoles have an Area/Hour button; Envizio Pro is under Product Control > Volume/Area Settings (out of a job); Viper Pro under Product Control (out of a job); Viper 4 in the Product Control widget > More (in a job).
Area/hour test: put the console in Manual. Master and all booms off, with real or self-test speed — area/hour should read 0. Master and Boom 1 on → a number appears. Boom 2 on → it increases. Go through every section; each one should add. A section that adds nothing isn't reaching the node — the node has to see 12 volts from each switch. On a CAN Switch Box or Switch Pro, remap the dead section to a different switch: if the problem stays with the switch, the box needs repair; if it follows the section, that section isn't configured (check its width and product assignment).
3. Flow
With speed and boom sense present, look at volume per minute. That proves the console is getting pulses from the flow meter (or the encoder on a granular system).
- Is the meter mounted correctly, powered, and within its flow range for your target rate? Is the cal number right — the meter cal from the tag for liquid, the spreader constant for granular?
Flow meter test: enter a meter cal of 1 (liquid) or density 1 and spreader constant 0 (granular). Console in Manual, total volume zeroed, master on and at least one boom on — try more than one switch in case one is bad. At the flow meter connector (Power, Ground, Signal) short Ground to Signal "short – no short". Total volume should climb by at least 1 each touch. No count → move back toward the console one connector at a time. All cables pass → the flow meter or encoder is bad. Re-enter the real cal afterward.
Rate shows, but it's wrong
Recheck every cal number and section width, confirm area/hour climbs with each switch, and re-calibrate the meter cal with a catch test — the formula and the starting cals for every Raven meter are in our flow meter catch test article.
Still stuck?
The full procedure, with connector pinouts, wire colors by section, and the SCS reset sequences, is in the Raven Troubleshooting Guide. If you'd rather talk it through, call us at (509) 838-2209 — have the console model and the part number off the back of the node or display handy. We stock Raven flow meters, speed sensors, cables and nodes if the test does point at a part.
Procedures summarized from Raven's Interactive Troubleshooting Guide and Raven Support Center articles. Confirm voltages and cal numbers against the manual for your hardware and software version. Spray Center Electronics is an independent Raven dealer in Spokane, WA.