Low Cost RTK for Agricultural Applications

Michael Whitehead and John McClure

Abstract:	The recent removal of Selective Availability (SA) and the introduction of Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) such as the FAA's Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) have proven beneficial to GPS positioning in more ways than are immediately obvious, particularly with respect to single-frequency RTK positioning. Ambiguity resolution is now easier with WAAS-RTK (patent pending) which makes use of the extra GPS-like signals available from WAAS and its European counterpart, EGNOS. The time over which the GPS receiver can coast without receiving a differential correction message is now much longer due to the removal of SA. The single-frequency RTK system gains robustness and becomes a viable, low cost alternative to more expensive dual-frequency RTK systems. This paper provides some useful insight into RTK positioning in the absence of SA, using WAAS carrier phase. Results from static testing and some real-world applications to agriculture are presented.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001) September 11 - 14, 2001 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	1062 - 1070
Cite this article:	Whitehead, Michael, McClure, John, "Low Cost RTK for Agricultural Applications," Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001), Salt Lake City, UT, September 2001, pp. 1062-1070.
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