While radio-based RTK correction signals for guidance are adequate for producers on flat land close to a dealer’s tower, the fact is that these systems still depend on line-of-sight.
That problem is compounded by the fact that there is little compatibility between brands. If your tractor is red, then your system has to be Trimble. If your tractor is green, then your system has to be Deere. But if you mix colours, you’re going to run into problems and you won’t find sympathy or help from the dealer in most cases.
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Technology developers in most other industries are touting connectivity, openness and interoperability. In agriculture however, the main manufacturers continue to protect their proprietary systems.
Poor RTK performance and manufacturers proprietary protection are the two significant problems that a Colorado company called Intuicom set out to solve with the introduction of their RTK Bridge-X device.
The company says Bridge brings total connectivity to RTK by allowing reliable access to wi-fi, internet, Bluetooth, ethernet and cellular RTK. All these signals are available in the cab, regardless of paint colour.
As well, the wi-fi feature gives the operator access to smart phones, tablets and laptops in the cab. The Bluetooth feature eliminates the need for extra cables running around the implements, and makes it easy to install and start.
In the case of Kentucky farmer Bobby Boggess, his Bridge Bluetooth feature provides precise depth control on the tile plow without having to run extra cables from the tractor to the plow.
Intuicom chief engineer Peter Miller says the system gives farmers precise network corrections without having to spend big on equipment upgrades.
“We can take the oldest Trimble gear, something like an old 252, for example, and network correction enable it with RTK. It makes economic sense because it extends that previous investment in equipment out over a much longer time period.”
To provide even better accuracy and reliability, Miller says Intuicom is developing new technology that will allow the one device to access two different streams of correction simultaneously.
For more information, contact Miller at pmiller@intuicom.com or at 303-449-4330, ext. 226.
