What RTK autosteer costs to run after you buy it
Farmers searching for cheap RTK autosteer usually get burned the same way: the kit was cheap and the fees were not. Here is every recurring cost that can show up with an RTK auto steer system, which ones exist on the FJD kits Deep Sand Tech sells, which ones do not, and the one setup that has no network fee at all. We do not publish prices on this site; call and we will quote you the kit and the running cost together, in writing.
Get a quote with the running cost included Call or Text (580) 394-0089Every fee that can show up, and which ones exist on an FJD kit
| Item | What it is | On an FJD kit from Deep Sand Tech |
|---|---|---|
| RTK correction | The signal that takes GPS from a few feet to about an inch. Comes from a network over cellular, your own base station over radio, or satellite correction. | Network plan: first year included in our quote, then a yearly renewal. Your own base: nothing per year. StarNav: a special receiver that does require a plan, for farms with no coverage. |
| RTK unlock on the receiver | The factory charges to turn RTK on in the receiver. Some dealers quote the kit without it and add it later. | Included in our kit quote. Ask for it on the written quote. |
| Cellular SIM | Only if the receiver reaches the RTK network over cellular. | A yearly SIM. None if you run your own base station. |
| Software subscription | Some brands charge yearly for the display software or for features like U-turn. | None. The display, maps, lines and U-turn are yours. |
| Dealer activation or unlock fees | Some brands charge to activate a kit on a second tractor or to move it. | None. You can buy extra parts to make your own swap kit and move one system between tractors. |
| Base station | A one-time purchase instead of a network plan. | Optional. One base serves every kit on the farm, no renewal after that. |
| Support | Some dealers bill for phone support after the first season. | Included. Phone and text 8 AM to 8 PM daily, remote login to your display, two-year warranty. |
Three ways to run RTK, and what each costs over time
Network RTK over cellular (most of our customers)
The receiver pulls corrections from the GEODNET network over a cellular SIM. Nothing to set up at the farm. First year included; after that a yearly network renewal and a yearly SIM. Best where cell coverage is decent and you run one or two tractors.
Your own base station over radio
A V1 portable base on a tripod or a post at the farm. Corrections go to every tractor in radio range. One purchase, then nothing per year, and no cell signal needed. Best for several tractors or thin coverage.
Satellite correction
StarNav corrects from satellites with no base and no cell signal. It is a special receiver that does require a plan, and it takes a few minutes to converge after power-up. Best for far-off fields with no coverage and no line of sight to a base.
Why not just run WAAS and pay nothing
You can, and this 8760 did. WAAS is free and it gets you to several inches, which is fine for sowing wheat and tillage. It drifts through the day, so the morning line and the afternoon line do not land on each other, and next year's pass will not land on this year's. For planting, strip-till, bedding and digging, that is the difference between autosteer paying for itself and not.
What RTK gets you for the fee
- About one inch pass-to-pass, repeatable, so you plant on last year's rows and dig on this year's.
- No drift through the day. The line at 6 PM is the line at 6 AM.
- Section and rate control that is actually on the right spot.
- Night and dust work with the same accuracy as daylight.
- Make, model and year of each tractor
- How many tractors will run RTK
- Your farm's location, so we check network coverage before we quote
- What you will run it on, so we size the display and sections
Common questions
Is there a subscription to keep the autosteer working?
No. The steering, the display software, the field maps and the guidance patterns are yours. If you never renew anything, the kit still steers on WAAS.
What do I pay every year, then?
If you run RTK off the GEODNET network, a yearly network RTK renewal after the first year, plus a cellular SIM so the receiver can reach the network. If you run your own base station, neither one. There is no software fee either way.
Is the first year of RTK included?
Our quotes include RTK already unlocked on the receiver and the first year of network corrections, so the system is at one inch the day it is installed. Ask us to confirm that on your written quote.
How do I run RTK with no yearly fee at all?
Buy a base station. The FJD V1 portable base sits on a tripod or a post at the farm and sends corrections over radio to the tractors in range. One base serves every kit on the farm. No network plan, no SIM, no renewal.
What is an RTK unlock code?
FJD receivers ship able to run RTK only once the RTK feature is turned on, which the factory charges for. We include it in the kit quote so you are not surprised by it later. Ask any dealer, of any brand, whether their price has RTK turned on.
Why does the cheap autosteer I saw online not list any fees?
Usually because it is not RTK. A WAAS-only system has no correction fee because WAAS is free, and it is accurate to several inches. That is fine for tillage and a poor fit for planting. Check whether the accuracy claim says RTK and whether a base station or network plan is mentioned anywhere.
What happens to my RTK if the cell signal is bad at my farm?
We check coverage at your farm before we quote. Where coverage is thin we set you up with a base station or with StarNav satellite correction instead of the network.
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