Valtra Autoguide

[scrubbuster]

I have been looking at used tractors recently. Looked at a Valtra online and the listing says Autoguide, Trimble sub-meter. How accurate is that system and what sort of applications could it be used for. Excuse my ignorance I have no GPS experience at all

 

[Robt]

its sub meter so its sub meter.... basically its on egnos so 30-50cm

 

[Northern farmer]

Is it an almost new Valtra, at most two years old? Older than that have Topcon hardware (if factory fitted). Accuracy is still similar, depending on options, starting from EGNOS (sub metre), going down to sub-inch at RTK.

 

[scrubbuster]

It's a 2018 N174. So does that mean you would get gaps and overlaps up to 50cm if drilling or the like? As I say no experience with autosteer, it just happens to be on a tractor that is on the shortlist

 

[Northern farmer]

Nice.

EGNOS and similar corrections signals are often claimed to reach 20 to 30 cm pass-to-pass accuracy (driven within some 15 minutes). You could get much more than 50 cm like after filling the drill. You should then calibrate the receiver before continuing the work.

I would not consider EGNOS or SF1 or similar correction signals sufficient for drilling even if some forum members here say it is fine. You could still purchase this tractor and add the RTK gear on it. Not familiar with Trimble but retrofitting the necessary add-ons must be easy (but not cheap). Trimble also gives some other options like rangepoint that could be sufficient for drilling (a personal opinion, like I said, some consider EGNOS sufficient).

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Just to add to what @Northern farmer has said, the receiver will come “unlocked” in its most basic state of accuracy at EGNOS aka “sub-metre” level accuracy. The EGNOS correction signal is free to use and is received from space.

To get to better levels of accuracy, you will need to progressively unlock the receiver to higher levels of accuracy. For example from “sub-meter” to “deci-metre” and then further on to “centimetre”. Each unlock level is going to cost you several thousand pounds.

Once unlocked you will either need to pay for an annual (or shorter duration) subscription to receive the actual correction. The corrections can either come from space or terrestrial from radio or via the mobile phone network, depending on the correction.

The annual subscription charges will vary but will be several hundred pounds (or more) per machine. At the highest “centimetre” accuracy level you have the capability to buy/install your own “base” to provide correction also for what is called RTK.

 

[scrubbuster]

Thanks very much for the info. I suspect if I go down that route I will keep it as it is. I didn't like the word "thousands" cropping up! What applications will it do in it's current state? Will it be sufficient for jobs like tedding grass and mowing and.the like?

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

I didn't like the word "thousands" cropping up!

In the order of about £1800 for each unlock step.

 

[Matt77]

Thanks very much for the info. I suspect if I go down that route I will keep it as it is. I didn't like the word "thousands" cropping up! What applications will it do in it's current state? Will it be sufficient for jobs like tedding grass and mowing and.the like?

I had one on demo, it was running rangepoint, friend of mine drills on rangepoint and it used to be about £250/year, he said it’s good enough but not perfect but not bad enough to pay thousands on centrepoint or RTK. If you just have engnos on it then I’ve used that for mowing, worked 99% of the time but needed to set mower width to 2.5m but now I’m on RTK it’s set at 2.75m, 3m cultivators I’d set at 2.75 and seemed ok. It’s better than you’ll do with your eyes day in day out.

 

[Slick]

No unlock required for Rangepoint, just the annual subscription which is about £260.

 

[scrubbuster]

No unlock required for Rangepoint, just the annual subscription which is about £260.

What does adding Rangepoint do?

 

[Slick]

No unlock required for Rangepoint, just the annual subscription which is about £260.

What does adding Rangepoint do?

The published pass to pass accuracy is the same as Egnos but in reality it is much better.
It also gives access to the Glonass constellation so you'll effectively be seeing twice as many satellites.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

No unlock required for Rangepoint, just the annual subscription which is about £260.

The published pass to pass accuracy is the same as Egnos but in reality it is much better.
It also gives access to the Glonass constellation so you'll effectively be seeing twice as many satellites.

Also to be fair if it’s a new tractor, the OP should get 12 months free RangePoint sub included with the new receiver/tractor.

At least you do with factory ordered and dealer ordered (via parts) Trimble receivers in other AGCO brands.

So he can try it out and see how well it works for what he wants to do with it.

 

[scrubbuster]

It's less than a year old

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

It's less than a year old

Worst case you’ll have the balance of 12 months left on the sub from when the sub was activated.

 

[fudge]

It's less than a year old

Have you looked at new?

 

[scrubbuster]

Have you looked at new?

Yes big saving for only having done less that 200hrs

 

[scrubbuster]

Happy New Year to all. I decided to go for the Valtra and took delivery on Christmas eve. I have had a quick play with the autoguide. I haven't been able to get it to steer. Is sub-meter (EGNOS) not autosteer or am I not doing it correctly?

 

[Matt77]

I’ll know more when we take delivery of ours in March but from memory from the short demo I had, you need to have the main 3-4 things in green, lad here managed to turn one of them off and it wouldn’t work until I found it and turned it green again, if that makes sense.

 

[scrubbuster]

Main 3-4 things? Sorry new to such fancy things!