- LH Agro has announced the launch of two new Topcon Agriculture manual guidance and autosteering receivers, the AGM-1 and AGS-2, as well as a new satellite and bridging correction service, Topnet Live, all of which improve the accuracy and repeatability of precision farming operations
“The ability to accurately position cultivation, seeding and spraying equipment underpins the entire concept of precision farming,” explains Richard Reed, LH Agro managing director, “with the reliability, accuracy and durability of products including satellite receivers, steering kits and control consoles playing a massive part in ensuring farming operations can be carried out quickly and efficiently along repeatable A-B lines. Topcon has therefore developed two new manual guidance and autosteering receivers along with a new signal correction service to improve it’s already highly accurate guidance systems.”
The new Topcon AGS-2 receiver allows up to four satellite constellations to be tracked simultaneously, thereby allowing for more stable GPS positioning, whilst at the same time delivering excellent steering performance from its built-in steer controller. The AGS-2 can track GPS, GLONAS, GALILEO and BEIDOU satellites, thereby ensuring accurate positioning no matter where you are farming.
The new Topcon AGM-1 receiver is the next generation of manual guidance receiver which replaces the existing Topcon SGR-1. The new model has been designed to be more durable than its predecessor whilst allowing additional features such as Topcon TruPass, which delivers more accurate and more stable pass-to-pass positioning in dynamic applications, to be used.
Both of the new receivers are smaller than their precursors, making them less noticeable when installed and less susceptible to accidental damage.
Along with the two new receivers, Topcon Agriculture has also released additional features including NavBridge which allows GPS signals to be approximated when coverage is interrupted by tree cover, and SkyBridge, a new signal bridging service which ensures machines being guided by the AGS-2 receiver on an RTK signal can continue to operate if the RTK signal is momentarily interrupted.
“The new Topnet Live suite of signal correction services allows users to benefit from an RTK guidance signal without the need to connect to a fixed base station,” Mr Reed continues. “This system enables growers to operate across a wider area without having to constantly change from one base station to the next, and without having to worry about signal losses.”
Topnet Live is a subscription-based service. Four levels of accuracy are available:
Realpoint – provides RTK accuracy (2cm or less) via a SIM-based mobile data system without the need for a fixed base station. Gives growers greater flexibility to use a highly accurate guidance system in areas where RTK bases are scarce. Initialisation and signal acquisition take seconds.
Starpoint Pro – provides users with 3-6cm guidance accuracy and uses satellite data meaning the service can be used globally. Initialisation time is 18 minutes or less.
Starpoint – offers correction of 50cm accuracy and uses satellite data meaning the service can be used globally. Initialisation time is five minutes or less.
Skybridge – offers connection accuracy of 2-4cm via an internet or radio signal and provides a satellite backup service. Initialisation takes seconds.
More information about the AGS-2, AGM-1, and Topnet Live and its various services is available from lh-agro.co.uk
