Tinkering; Like Guntering for the Connected Generation.

If your PTO is overriding a safety switch by flicking a switch twice then I assume it is controlled by an ECU. You need to be more careful here as it may not be a traditional make/break type circuit but more like a computer input. You should meter out the switches for continuity and voltage in the various modes to figure out what's going before considering splicing into anything.

Does your PTO button stay on? Or just a push button.

And whatever you do make sure it fails off.

I've come up with a simple electric fence monitor.

1 simple signal light.

+ a photo diode.

+ a microcontroller with integrated LoRa radio

Some crude code stolen from a MySensors PIR Sensor, shows up in Home Assistant as a motion sensor, but it doesn't really matter its just a binary on off sensor which can report the electric fence pulses.

#define MY_DEBUG
#define MY_RADIO_RFM95
#define MY_DEBUG_VERBOSE_RFM95
#define MY_RFM95_RST_PIN 4
#define MY_RFM95_CS_PIN 8
#define MY_RFM95_IRQ_PIN 7
#define MY_RFM95_IRQ_NUM digitalPinToInterrupt(7)
#define MY_RFM95_MODEM_CONFIGRUATION RFM95_BW125CR45SF128
#define MY_RFM95_FREQUENCY (RFM95_868MHZ)


#define MY_NODE_ID 83


#include <MySensors.h>




uint32_t SLEEP_TIME = 120000; // Sleep time between reports (in milliseconds)
#define DIGITAL_INPUT_SENSOR 3   // The digital input you attached your motion sensor.  (Only 2 and 3 generates interrupt!)
#define CHILD_ID 1   // Id of the sensor child


// Initialize motion message
MyMessage msg(CHILD_ID, V_TRIPPED);


void setup()
{
    pinMode(DIGITAL_INPUT_SENSOR, INPUT);      // sets the motion sensor digital pin as input
}


void presentation()
{
    // Send the sketch version information to the gateway and Controller
    sendSketchInfo("Electric Fence Sensor", "1.0");


    // Register all sensors to gw (they will be created as child devices)
    present(CHILD_ID, S_MOTION);
}


void loop()
{
    // Read digital motion value
    bool tripped = digitalRead(DIGITAL_INPUT_SENSOR) == HIGH;


    Serial.println(tripped);
    send(msg.set(tripped?"1":"0"));  // Send tripped value to gw


    // Sleep until interrupt comes in on motion sensor. Send update every two minute.
    sleep(digitalPinToInterrupt(DIGITAL_INPUT_SENSOR), CHANGE, SLEEP_TIME);
}

I Bought this one, its similar but with rechargeable battery.

That's a handy platform build guide!

On EID, I was considering building something before but didn't want to be investing in the tags, but since we are being forced to do so now anyway, it might not be a bad idea. the scales I have has a serial port so getting data from it will be straight forward enough.

Gone from Amazon alright but available else where, link above is a pigs back offer.

No, not on my list yet anyway.......................... But I know a few farmers that have been trialling no fence fencing for decades 🤣

I'm adding weather forecasting to my Automations.

Might be useful to be sent alerts for specific weather conditions like wind/frost etc, but also to take actions like frost protection measures.

I'm also testing at the moment an automation to limit immersion heater usage when it is going to be sunny. I've started using the immersion at night on night rate electricity, but don't want to heat tank if the following day will be relatively clear skies as I have thermal solar panels.