Cheap RTK for agriculture is possible, and very easy in 2022! It’s outright criminal that dealers still charge tens of thousands for an agriculture RTK guidance system in this day and age. There’s simply no reason they do it except for the fact that can get away with it. The technology is mature, and very accessible. The very best sub-centimetre accuracy can be yours for just a few thousand.
Dealers will also happily sell you an annual subscription for $1500+ to use their RTK base stations. This is not necessary at all! You can get your very own base station and never have to pay a subscription fee again for the around the same money. I supply very reasonably priced Agriculture GPS guidance systems across US & Canada with FREE SHIPPING. Other parts of the world as well, such as Australia, UK, France, and anywhere else with affordable shipping. All of my systems include their own base station so you never have to pay a subscription. Please contact me with any questions!
Cheap RTK for agriculture – basics
- RTK allows for sub inch accuracy and requires a base station to achieve it. Base station links to the tractor via radio (or Internet) link for this. More details here.
- Initially, this was high end tech which cost tens of thousands. Now, you can buy a complete kit with antennas, and a Toughbook tablet or laptop with field guidance and management software from me for just over $2000!
- RTK means you never have to worry about GPS accuracy, ever. The uBlox-based kits I offer have sub-centimetre accuracy! They are also multi-band GNSS, so they have quick lock times of a few minutes, which is great compared to older solutions.
- It’s a pretty good idea to use RTK for for planting. For spraying, you may be able to get away without it.
- There’s no way this should cost tens of thousands right now. This is purely ABSURD in 2022. The you-know-who’s don’t want you to know this, but it’s true.
- RTK requires very good signal strength, and should be installed carefully for optimal and reliable performance!
- My kit is easily adaptable to make it portable and throw it on a tripod in a waterproof box. This allows to easily move it to distant field. With a low power draw, it will run for days from a good capacity USB power bank. It can be powered by USB, 110V, or 12V. There is a lot of flexibility in powering the base station!
Any questions? Please contact me!
Complete cheap RTK agriculture guidance packages with 10 to 15 inch displays
- $2050 Ultimate RTK sub inch precision without subscription. *Popular*
- $2525 Ultimate+ RTK additional upgrades & auto steer ready. *Popular*
- $3075 Everything 30 RTK range upgrade to 50 km (30 mi) & even more options.
The units I supply with cheap agriculture RTK are ready to use for farming GPS guidance. They are tough, and field ready! Based on refurbished Panasonic Toughbook tablets or laptops, they can stand up to field use for years.
Any questions? Please contact me!
My cheap RTK kit for farming pricing
- $1250 Centimetre accuracy (sub inch) RTK: two antennas and 10 km (6 mi) radio link.
- $300 increase the RTK radio link range to 50 km (31 mi).
- $800 Additional tractor RTK receiver. Adds an additional rover antenna, including the configuration to use the same base station. You can run virtually unlimited tractors from the included base station.
- $125 One external vehicle mount high gain radio link antenna with 2 m (6.5 ft) low loss cable. Looks like this. This option is for RTK radio link, not GPS signal. Some people like to buy two of these, or one per tractor with the multi-tractor kit.
- $150 plastic cases for both of the GPS receiver boards in the RTK kit.
- $300 RS-232 output adapter for GPS receiver – to pass NMEA location to a second device, such as a screen you already have. This is not needed to run my units.
- $50 RS-232 male to male (M/M) or male to female (M/F) cable.
- $150 GPS custom configuration service to make signal work with another device you have. This includes NMEA sentence type, baud rate, update rate (Hz), etc.
What is RTK – explained for farming
An RTK kit consist of three systems:
- The base station receiver with GPS antenna. This must be stationary while in operation. It can be mounted in a permanent location, or it can be put on a tripod and brought out to distant fields.
- A rover receiver with GPS antenna. This is the component installed on your tractor. There can be more than one!
- A radio or internet link to connect them. The base station sends corrections to the rover, and enables excellent precision. A single base station can support almost unlimited rovers at a time.
The corrections happen in the background, and a result, you get excellent accuracy (sub centimetre) on the rover (tractor).
Any questions? Please contact me!
Why get a cheap RTK package from me for farming?
All of the units below can’t beat the value I offer. They can’t beat the fact that there’s no subscription. Their functionality is similar. It’s a clear win, from a value perspective! FarmerGPS | Ag Leader Compass | Teejet Matrix 430 | Raven Cruizer | CenterLine 220 | John Deere | Trimble CFX-750 | FieldBee | EZ-Guide 250 | Topcon X14 | Agricision onTrak | Patchwork BlackBox Air | Sixty-5 Grass-Guide. My systems are compatible with with all tractor brands, such as: John Deere, Case IH, Massey Ferguson, New Holland, Fendt Mahindra, Deutz-Fahr, Kubota, Valtra, Claas, International, and others. Please contact me with any questions!