PLM RTK+
Row-Crop / Inter-Row Dryland / Strip-Till / Implement-Guidance
Sub-Inch - $1200/Year - 1st Year Free!
Why Go Inter-Row?
- Lower Seeding Rates
- Better Germination
- Snow Retention
- Taller Stubble
- Reduced Disease Risk
- Taller Pulse Crops
- Easier Harvesting
- Less Ascochyta Blight
Nearly all studies on inter-row seeding in no-till applications agree that there are many benefits to be gained by inter-row seeding. There are however, varying opinions as to whether the benefits of inter-row seeding can justify the cost of a traditional radio RTK GPS setup. The introduction of cellular PLM RTK+ brings seamless network coverage across the prairies and most importantly a new price tag $15,000-$20,000 cheaper than traditional radio RTK. This means that there is now also great potential in sub-inch accuracy in broad-acre, dryland applications.
What Is RTK+?
- A brand new technology offered by Vanee Farm Centre Inc. and CNH
- RTK+ is the highest accuracy GPS signal available
- Sub-inch accuracy
- Sub-inch repeatability
- FREE first year, $1200/year subscription afterwards
- Delivered via cellular signal like your cell phone
- Cell signal received either by your phone or a modem
- Extremely fast start-up times ( 1 minute )
Why Is RTK+ Better?
- RTK+ (Cellular) vs RTK (Radio):
- PRICE! $15K-$20K less initial investment
- Seamless coverage across most of the Prairies
- No line-of-sight required - unaffected by trees, buildings, etc.
- Can run for up to 20min without cell service
- More accurate AND cheaper subscription than Trimble CenterPoint RTX
- Enables inter-row seeding
- Enables precise track-on-track for in-crop spraying
- RTK+ (Cellular) vs RTK (Radio):
Actual RTK+ signal quality logged by an RTK+ system installed in a Vanee Farm Centre Inc. truck.
RTK+ signal quality logged by a ] RTK+ system installed in a tractor defoliating sugar beets.
RTK+ Progress Updates:
Update as of December 2019: With base stations in Lethbridge, Hays, Foremost, Milk River, Pincher Creek and Parkland, we now have nearly all of Southern Alberta covered. Each base station provides coverage within a radius of about 60 miles and does not require line-of-site like traditional radio RTK base stations.
Update as of November 2018: RTK+ is tried and proven. Signal maintained at 0.5" accuracy traveling through the following towns and cities: Lethbridge, Taber, Bow Island, Cardston, High River, Vulcan, Pincher Creek, Claresholm, Warner.
Update as of August 2018: RTK+ is up, running and ready for installs and demos! Works on all Trimble, New Holland and C-IH GPS receivers.
Update as of January 2018: Proposed 340,000 km - 2 region in the Western Prairies by March.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A. You will need a GPS Receiver unlocked to RTK level and a Modem with a Data Plan (1GB recommended). After that, an annual subscription is required to see the network correction. *Note: This is not proprietary, ANY current generation GPS Receiver should be capable of this technology.
A. CNH Industrial maintains both the infrastructure and servers for this system and is under 24 hour constant supervision. ] is responsible for the ground level hardware (physical base stations).
A. Wherever network coverage exists. Currently that area is most of the Southern & Central Prairies, as well as large areas of the U.S. There is a growing network of about 15-25 stations that exist in Alberta and Saskatchewan with new stations going up frequently.
A. You will not have signal after 10-15 miles outside of the RTK+ network. You can reinitialize by re-entering the network without any loss in accuracy or repeatability. (No nudge/boundary shift).
A. If for any reasons you do lose signal, X-Fill technology will run as a backup for 20 minutes of operation until cell signal is reacquired. You will not notice this as the operator, as it happens automatically. Another point is that the modem is a much stronger receiver than the a cell phone, so not being able to make phone calls does not mean you are unable to use RTK+.
A. Yes, you are responsible for your own SIM card and Data Plan through the carrier of your choice. 1-2GB/month will suffice in most situations.
Any further questions or for pricing please contact our Precision Manager at Vanee Farm Centre Inc.:
Lucas Jakober
(403) 308-6305 cell
(403) 327-1100 office
lucasj@vaneefarmcentre.ca