Budget Retrofit RTK autosteer

[Soon_60]

Your best option to make it on budget might be to use cell phone data: NTRIP.
A RaspberryPi 3 or 4 can be used as a NTRIP caster at base. Free android Lefebure NRIP client and BT-serial dongle hooked to TMX in tractor (=rover).
Google: eringerli NTRIP....

Or use a Windows PC running UseSnip Lite (free version with limited functionality) caster at base. Very easy! Very good!

For Trimble to do RTK you have add the antenna descriptor message RTCM 1008 the the correction stream. (A little bit tricky for first timers.)
The Eringerli RasperryPi way has it solved internally as a configuration option. No GUI - but it just makes you good to learn some basic linux command line stuff.. I mainly used copy - paste...

On SNIP -caster to get the RTCM 1008 message to the stream you have to:
A) buy licence for Basic version (some § 800) to use all the fine extra features...
B) solve it with software (RtkLib strsvr the latest release might be OK) or
C) by hardware + software (adruino uno running "inject 1008") in serial line between the receiver and PC (could maybe be placed between rover BT-serial and TMX serial ports as well?).

Or maybe use the Rtk2Go.com free caster also might has the option to get this add 1008 done. I'm not sure as I don't use it. Go find out!
But - anyways - it i a very popular free public "cloud" caster.

And for sure there are many other ways of getting NTRIP done. These are just the ones I use or have played around with.

Also note: Is your TMX unlocked to RTK? If it is not I do not recommend showing the unlock invoice to your Mrs unless you are on row crops or high value vegetables.
The reasonably priced Range Point RTX is not all that bad for small grain and grassland operations...

But then again: Comparing the more expensive Center Point RTX to owning a RTK base gives a more reasonable pay back time for all the additional one time extra costs...

 

[jorgenbg]

Your best option to make it on budget might be to use cell phone data: NTRIP.
A RaspberryPi 3 or 4 can be used as a NTRIP caster at base. Free android Lefebure NRIP client and BT-serial dongle hooked to TMX in tractor (=rover).
Google: eringerli NTRIP....

Or use a Windows PC running UseSnip Lite (free version with limited functionality) caster at base. Very easy! Very good!

For Trimble to do RTK you have add the antenna descriptor message RTCM 1008 the the correction stream. (A little bit tricky for first timers.)
The Eringerli RasperryPi way has it solved internally as a configuration option. No GUI - but it just makes you good to learn some basic linux command line stuff.. I mainly used copy - paste...

On SNIP -caster to get the RTCM 1008 message to the stream you have to:
A) buy licence for Basic version (some § 800) to use all the fine extra features...
B) solve it with software (RtkLib strsvr the latest release might be OK) or
C) by hardware + software (adruino uno running "inject 1008") in serial line between the receiver and PC (could maybe be placed between rover BT-serial and TMX serial ports as well?).

Or maybe use the Rtk2Go.com free caster also might has the option to get this add 1008 done. I'm not sure as I don't use it. Go find out!
But - anyways - it i a very popular free public "cloud" caster.

And for sure there are many other ways of getting NTRIP done. These are just the ones I use or have played around with.

Also note: Is your TMX unlocked to RTK? If it is not I do not recommend showing the unlock invoice to your Mrs unless you are on row crops or high value vegetables.
The reasonably priced Range Point RTX is not all that bad for small grain and grassland operations...

But then again: Comparing the more expensive Center Point RTX to owning a RTK base gives a more reasonable pay back time for all the additional one time extra costs...

Hi

Thanks for very good advice.

After installing it I would probably try interrow drilling and thats where it might come in handy with RTK.

NTRIP is probably the preferred solution, but I would only need radio link if it would work.

I guess the rangepoint RTX is the easiest solution and probably what I will do. The TMX is not RTK unlocked as far as I know.

 

[Northern farmer]

You might be correct, but my intention is to get rtk signal broadcast to trimble on budget. It seems possible.

Shouldn't you then consider NTRIP instead of radio?

EDIT: seems there were new posts that I did not notice, already covered my point.

 

[jorgenbg]

Shouldn't you then consider NTRIP instead of radio?

EDIT: seems there were new posts that I did not notice, already covered my point.

My knowledge of GPS and all this is limited. I just thought radio would be easier and simpler, but clearly Im missing something. NTRIP is the way to go.

I'll leave it at that for the moment.

 

[Soon_60]

Inter row drilling. Now you are talking things that might make the Mrs also happy!

If you are doing no till inter row drilling could make it much better. Years ago I saw some pictures from the prairies of it. The main purpose if I got it right was that the stubble keeps to snow cover even in windy conditions and soil moisture after the winter is more uniform.

Where I live climate is different. But I have seen it with my own eyes that (neighbors) no till winter wheat did survive as (my) conventional (plough + harrow + drill) died due to temperatures under -15 C degrees and wind with almost no snow cover at all. Same variety on both (he got the seed from me). On the no till field the stubble was enough to keep the very thin snow on place. On my conventional field wind pushed it away...

I will enclose one picture. There is a no till winter wheat drilled with a 15 cm row spacing drill on a 12,5 cm drilled barley stubble. Both had been done on RTK and EZ-Steer using the same AB-line. The rows do no match but the message you might be able to read from the picture is:
Inter row seeding can be done even with the most simple assisted steering gadgets if you are on RTK. Most likely it will also reduce the so called straw "hair pinning" in seed rows. With something like 15 - 17 cm row spacing should be very much likely to work fairly well, but naturally you must keep the row spacing constant.

So do not give up with your ideas! And keep on learning. We all knew next to nothing some years ago. And the more we learn the better we know how little we know after all.

If I had a change to be young again I might make my make ag-engineering or agronomy masters thesis about inter row grain drilling. But now being well over my forum name it too late for me.

 

[cquick]

'The Box'
Need to hone my skills in making neat square holes for the front panel (anyone got a laser cutter I can use?), and I've got a long list of changes to make for version 2, but it works!

 

[davidroberts30]

Hi guys any further on with this ?

 

[Pedro-glebe]

I'd be really interested in your thoughts on FJ Dynamics RTK system. They are a Chinese company, and beginning to grow over here.
Price point is very good, with the ability to expand the system and make your tractor fully autonomous!
Any feedback would be good, and possibility of testing such a system?
You could PM me if preferred?
Cheers, Jon

I have one on trial at the moment - got it all fitted easy enough - currently having an issue with the RTK connection- but that may be from my own base station (agopen style supplied by Andreas Ortner )
Only does basic straight and curved a-b lines but looked very straight on power harrowed land with maize drill on - but that's when rtk played up so changed back to claas system ..now its rained might have some spare time to play with it.

 

[cquick]

Parts for Box 2 are currently on the slow boat from China
I've got 10 hydraulic valves arriving in June/July which is the major bottleneck

 

[Pedro-glebe]

I have one on trial at the moment - got it all fitted easy enough - currently having an issue with the RTK connection- but that may be from my own base station (agopen style supplied by Andreas Ortner )
Only does basic straight and curved a-b lines but looked very straight on power harrowed land with maize drill on - but that's when rtk played up so changed back to claas system ..now its rained might have some spare time to play with it.

Update - now got it working will have to see how it performs I have just done a couple of short runs up and down then on one run I went 1/2 way and lifted up then came back down the same mark again 1/2 way - this was the result - looks promising.

 

[Bale Baron UK]

I'd be really interested in your thoughts on FJ Dynamics RTK system. They are a Chinese company, and beginning to grow over here.
Price point is very good, with the ability to expand the system and make your tractor fully autonomous!
Any feedback would be good, and possibility of testing such a system?
You could PM me if preferred?
Cheers, Jon

Hi Jon,

We are UK importers of FJ Dynamics Autosteer. Would be happy to have a chat either via PM or you can give us a call on 01403 887720

Cheers,
Will