Using the RFID Wand

You'll need: A Bluetooth RFID wand (134.2kHz FDX-B compatible)

The RFID wand reads EID ear tags from a distance — no need to catch or restrain animals. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth.

Pairing Your Wand

1. Turn on your RFID wand
2. Open Kilnside and go to Settings
3. Scroll to RFID Wand
4. Tap Scan for devices
5. Your wand should appear in the list — tap it to connect
6. Wait for the status to show Connected

Once paired, the wand reconnects automatically when you open the app.

Scanning Tags

With the wand connected:

1. Point the wand at an animal's ear tag
2. Press the scan button on the wand
3. Kilnside receives the tag number and shows a card on screen

If the animal is known (already tagged in the system), you'll see its name, breed, and quick action buttons.

If the tag is unknown, you'll see options to link it to an existing lamb or create a new one. See Tagging Lambs.

Signal Strength

The wand section in Settings shows signal strength for your connected wand. If readings are unreliable, try:

• Moving closer to the animal
• Checking the wand's battery
• Ensuring the ear tag isn't damaged or obscured

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Wand doesn't appear in scan	Make sure Bluetooth is on and the wand is powered on
"Device was disconnected"	The wand went to sleep — press its button to wake it, it will reconnect
Tags not reading	Check wand battery; try scanning from closer range
Wrong animal shown	The tag may be linked to a different animal — check the tag number matches

Tips

• Battery life — most wands last a full working day. Charge overnight.
• Range — typical read range is 20-40cm depending on the wand model
• Rain — most agricultural wands are water-resistant, but check your model's rating
• Speed — you can scan continuously without waiting between animals. Kilnside processes each tag as it arrives.