Top 5 Best RTK GPS Receivers for Agriculture

Finding a good GPS antenna for your agriculture  projects can be difficult and time consuming. With more and more brand entering the market won’t make it any easier.

Normally you would have gone to your local dealer and he would tell you he has the best receiver for you, but is this really true? Most local dealers only have 1 to 2 brands and probably just offer you what they want to sell you, not which receiver is best and most cost-effective for you. 

Active users of RTK GPS equipment in the agriculture business use the equipment for several reasons. Besides using it for machine control and/or autonomous driving, a lot of farmers use a GPS surveying set to stake out their property. Collection of coordinates and mapping of the workable area are also included in the day to day job. 

The RTK GNSS receiver sets are pretty similar to the GPS sets used by land surveyors however the big difference is, farmers normally don’t work in challenging conditions like urban environments.

Most GNSS interferences a farmer will come across are from trees or standalone building. I mean you would still need a good performing GPS antenna but the best of the best is just overkill and a waist of money

 

Performance and price are 2 of the key ingredients of finding a good GPS receiver. Of course there are more components that play a role which we take in consideration as well. 

Here is our review process in detail:

  1. Performance
  2. Price
  3. Connectivity
  4. Compatibility
  5. Features  

Top 5 Best RTK GNSS Receivers For Farmers in 2022

Below is a list of the top 5 best RTK GNSS receivers for farmers that we think are cost effective and work well in the environments common in the agriculture industry.

Please note: As you probably know, a GPS surveying set is not complete without a good surveying software solution. Where the GNSS antenna determines the location its the software that allows you to determine what to do with this location. Wether this is uploading your DTM (digital terrain model) for staking out, or for point collection. In this review we focus on the GNSS antenna only because this is responsible for the performance. Please read the article below for a good software solution: 

 

1. South Galaxy G2 – Best Overall

 

Galaxy G2 Pros

+  965 Channels 

+  Fast FIX (CM accurate in 5 sec)

+ 4G Internet modem

+  Connect via IP, Bluetooth, Cable

+  60° IMU tilt sensor

+  8 km “Farlink” radio solution

+  410-470 MHz range internal radio 

+  Robust aluminum housing

 

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The South Galaxy G2 is the RTK GNSS receiver we recommend for the agriculture industry. It is the cheaper version of the high performance South INNO7 GPS receiver.

The reason we have picked the Galaxy G2 GPS receiver as the number one receiver is first of all its price. You won’t find a GNSS receiver with this level of performance for the same price very quickly. 

For the agriculture business the South Galaxy G2 RTK GNSS receiver is exactly the type of receiver you’re looking for. This GNSS receiver has an 4G internet modem so you’ll be able to connect your RTK GPS antenna with an RTK network correction service without needing a data collector. So you’re able to get centimeter accuracy nevertheless and connect your Galaxy G2 RTK GNSS receiver with an autonomous driving system.

Its standard NMEA protocol allows you to connect the GNSS receiver to any software or machine you like. Within its intuitive user interface you can choose which parts of the NMEA string you want to include or not. This is good to reduce noise when you only need the GGA data. Connect the GNSS receiver to any software package via bluetooth, cable or via WiFi.

Last but not least the South Galaxy G2 RTK GNSS receivers internal radio uses the 410-470 MHz range and can use the protocol Farlink which allows it to achieve a working range of 8 kilometers. This allows you to set up another GNSS receiver as a base station and be able to connect the two receivers with eachother for a distance of 8 kilometers. 

Here are some possible Galaxy G2 setups

south-galaxy-g2-1

South Galaxy G2 Rover set

A standard RTK GPS set for mapping your terrain, staking out or collecting points.

Check options
south-Galaxy-G2

South Galaxy G2 Rover and Base set

When you live in a remote area a second GPS receiver is needed to act as a base station for correction data. 

Check options

 

2. EFIX F4 – Great performance

 

EFIX F7 Pros

+  824 Channels 

+  Fast FIX (CM accurate in 5 sec)

+  4G Internet modem

+  Connect via IP, Bluetooth, Cable

+  12 hours battery life in RTK mode 

+  Magnesium alloy housing

 

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The EFIX F4 is a great RTK GNSS receiver for its price. With its 824 channels you’ll have more than enough to get a quick fix which makes the EFIX F4 GNSS receiver a great choice for the agriculture business. 

The EFIX F4 RTK GPS antenna has also a 4G internet modem so with this GNSS receiver you also don’t need a data collector to receive RTK correction data. Because of the 4G internet modem you’re also able to connect the GPS receiver with an autonomous driving system.

This GNSS receiver has a magnesium alloy housing which makes the GNSS receiver light and strong. With its IP67 rating you know the EFIX F4 can handle some dust and water, perfect for working on the land.   

In RTK mode you’ll be able to work 12 hours non-stop thanks to the optimized power consumption this GPS receiver has.

Here are some possible EFIX F4 setups

EFIX F7 Rover set

A standard RTK GPS set for mapping your terrain, staking out or collecting points.

Check options

EFIX F7 Rover and Base set

When you live in a remote area a second GPS receiver is needed to act as a base station for correction data. 

Check options

 

3. Comnav T30 – Good Performance

 

Comnav T30 Pros

+  4G internet 

+  Fast FIX (CM accurate in 5 sec)

+  Connect via Bluetooth, Cable

+  IMU tilt sensor (up to 30° angle)

+  Two hot swap batteries

 

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ComNav Technology is a China based Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that develops and manufactures RTK GNSS receivers, GNSS OEM boards and solutions for high-precision positioning applications worldwide. They develop their own high-end GNSS technologies that help land surveyors all around the world to achieve their high precision objectives without having them to spend tens of thousands of euros.

The Comnav T30 RTK GPS receiver has two 3400mAh hot swap batteries which allows you to replace the batteries when they run dry. The battery LEDs flash when the battery alsmost runs dry so you know when you have to replace them or when you need to charge the RTK GNSS receiver. 

This RTK GPS receiver has an 4G internet modem and an IMU tilt sensor which let’s you tilt up to 30°, so measuring points in difficult positions isn’t a probem with this GNSS receiver. The 4G internet modem let’s you connect with RTK VRS correction networks and autonomous driving systems easily. 

Here are some possible Comnav T30 setups

Stonex S850A Rover set

A standard RTK GPS set for mapping your terrain, staking out or collecting points.

Check options

Stonex S850A Rover and Base set

When you live in a remote area a second GPS receiver is needed to act as a base station for correction data. 

Check options

 

4. Emlid Reach RS2+ – Cheapest Price

 

Emlid Reach RS2+ Pros

+  4G internet 

+  Fast FIX (CM accurate in 5 sec)

+  Connect via IP, Bluetooth, Cable

+  Free surveying app (Reachview)

+  Internal battery (+10 Hrs)

+  Ublox GNSS chip 

 

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The newest RTK GPS receiver of Emlid is the Reach RS2+. This GPS antenna is an upgrade of the previous Emlid Reach RS2. Emlid has upgraded the 3.5G internet modem in the RTK GNSS receiver to a 4G internet modem. 

The Emlid RTK GNSS receivers are possibly one of the most user friendly devices currently on the market. The Reach RS2+ comes standard with a free Surveying app called Reachview. This app is downloadable from the Google Play store and Apple store. With this app you can access the Emlid’s user interface where you can do your surveying jobs but also setup and change the settings of the GNSS receiver itself. Since the app connects to the GNSS receiver via WiFi it is also possible to access it via a web browser. This means that you can run the free application on any device you like. 

The price is also very attractive on the Emlid RS2+ GPS antenna. With around €2145 it is one of the cheapest GNSS receivers on the market. In terms of performance they are surprisingly good as well. 

In terms of connectivity the Emlid RS2+ RTK GPS receiver is able to connect via Bluetooth, USB or via the internet. This allows you to connect the device to any other software you want it to. Its internal battery is good for around 10 to 12 hours of continuous surveying. 

 

Here are some possible Reach RS2+ setups

Reach RS2+ Rover set

A standard RTK GPS set for mapping your terrain, staking out or collecting points.

Check options

Reach RS2+ Rover and Base set

When you live in a remote area a second GPS receiver is needed to act as a base station for correction data. 

Check options

 

3. South Galaxy G3 – High Performance

 

South Galaxy G3 Pros

+  1598 Channels

+  Fast FIX (CM accurate in 5 sec)

+  Connect via IP, Bluetooth, Cable

+  IMU tilt sensor up to 60°

+  Built-in 6800mAh high-performance battery

+  15 hours of continuous operation and fully charged in 3 hours

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South is currently the biggest geospatical manufacturer in China and has over 3000 employees. They exist for over 15 years now and deliver very good and reliable products. So it’s no surprise you find them twice in this list.

The South Galaxy G3 RTK GNSS receiver is their newest model and also uses the new Farlink protocol. The Farlink protocol let’s your South Galaxy G3 GPS receiver have a radio with a maximum range of 15 kilometers. Also the power consumption of your GNSS receiver is reduced by 60% with this protocol. 

The reason the South Galaxy G3 is on the bottom of the list is because it doens’t have a internet modem. So you can’t use the RTK GNSS receiver for autonomous driving which is a big part of the reason why GNSS receivers are used in the agricuture business. 

Thanks to the IP68 rating this RTK GPS receiver is protected from long time immersion to a depth of 1 meter and fully protected against blowing dust. The IMU tilt sensor let’s you tilt the GNSS receiver up to 60° which will make working with this device way smoother. 

With the new function ‘RTK Keep’ the South Galaxy G3 GNSS antenna is able to keep centimeter-level accuracy for a few minutes when the RTK correction is missing. 

You can ofcourse connect this GNSS receiver with an RTK VRS or CORS nework to get centimeter level accuracy but you can also connect the GPS receiver with another GPS receiver to setup a rover and base set to get your correction data from your own base station.

Here are some possible South Galaxy G3 setups

South Galaxy G3 Rover set

A standard RTK GPS set for mapping your terrain, staking out or collecting points.

Check options

South Galaxy G3 Rover and Base set

When you live in a remote area a second GPS receiver is needed to act as a base station for correction data. 

Check options

Things to consider when choosing an RTK GPS receiver for Agriculture purposes

 

1. Besides The GPS Antenna You Will Need Surveying Software As Well

With just a GNSS receiver you are not going to get far. Yes the GPS antenna provides you with the positioning data and the accuracy that you need but you’ll still need a place to process all of this. 

This is what land surveying software is for. Within the software you can attach data to your GPS positioning data. By uploading DTM (Digital Terrain Models) into your software you can stake out these points based on the positioning data your GPS system provides. 

The receivers listed above are all compatible with most of the GPS survey software packages so connecting should not be an issue. Now the questions remains, Which software package do I need? You can read the article below to find a good solution:

  • Software Help Guide – Top 5 software for land surveying

 

2. Internet connection and Radio

Since farming and agriculture mostly happens in rural areas the change you will have a stable internet connection is small. 

What does this mean for you? Well if you want to use a VRS RTK- or CORS network you might run into some issues. These networks send the correction data via the internet which means you won’t be able to receive any. 

For this reason most farmers will place their own base station which they can use. These base stations send the data via UHF radio which always works. So before making a decision on which RTK GPS receiver to buy, check if your area has stable internet and if there is an existing CORS network

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