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Agronavigator with RTK or a separate station: which is more profitable to buy?

Agronavigator with RTK or a separate station: which is more profitable to buy?

Why this issue is not as simple as it seems

When you try to search for information about RTK navigation, everyone writes about "centimetre accuracy" and "savings on overlaps". But why does no one say directly - how much it actually costs and which options make sense and when. Let's break it down specifically, with prices and calculations.

Option one: Ready-made navigation system with RTK

Let's take for example Nav-Agro RTK with an 8-inch tablet. The kit price is about UAH 40,000. What you get for this money:

An antenna that requires signals from GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou (seeing over 25 satellites)
Ability to work with accuracy up to 5 cm via RTK or 10-30 cm using the free signal
Tablet with parallel driving software
Data transmission via Bluetooth

Now about subscription costs. The same RTK correction signal from Kyivstar costs UAH 12,500 per year (there is a promotional price until the end of 2025, the regular price is UAH 17,700). If you have two tractors, that's UAH 25,000 annually.

Calculating for 5 years for two tractors:

Initial costs: UAH 80,000
Subscriptions: UAH 125,000
Total: UAH 205,000

Option two: Own base station

The price range here is serious. An RTK base station AgGPS 542 Trimble costs from UAH 195,000, Leica GeoAce - from UAH 250,000, and a top-end solution like Trimble can reach up to UAH 462,000. Plus, installation, setup, constant power supply, and internet in the fields are needed.

But there is a nuance - the station broadcasts the signal for free to all your equipment within a 10-15 km radius. No subscriptions needed, no dependence on mobile internet.

Calculation for the same farm (two tractors, 5 years):

Station (let's take an average one for UAH 250,000): UAH 250,000
RTK antennas for equipment: UAH 80,000
Maintenance: UAH 15,000
Total: UAH 345,000

See the difference? On a small farm, an own station does not pay off.

When the math changes

But if you have 1200 hectares and five tractors working in the field, the picture is different:

Option with subscriptions:

Initial costs: UAH 200,000 (5 kits)
Subscriptions over 5 years: UAH 312,500
Total: UAH 512,500

Option with own station:

Station: UAH 250,000
Antennas: UAH 200,000
Maintenance: UAH 15,000
Total: UAH 465,000

Here, there is already a saving of UAH 47,500 over 5 years, plus complete independence from operators.

What is often overlooked (but shouldn't be)

Mobile coverage. In many regions, internet in the fields is a problem. If 3G/4G reception is intermittent, a subscription won't help you. Then either an own station or working with the free signal with 10-30 cm accuracy.

Air raids. Most subscriptions stop working during blackouts. But antennas like Nav-Agro RTK and similar continue to work using the free signal, albeit with lower accuracy.

Scaling. You bought a navigation system, a year later you rented another tractor - just bought another kit. With a base station, the entry cost is high from the start.

Cooperation with neighbours. If three farms of 400 hectares each are located nearby, you can pool resources to buy one station. Its cost will be split three ways and become very profitable.

Intermediate options (that few know about)

There is another scenario - start with a navigation system with an RTK receiver that can work as a rover (receiver) or as a base. The same Nav-Agro RTK can be easily switched via the SmiLab config program.

Today you work with a subscription, in two years you bought a second such antenna, set up one as a base in the field, use the other as a rover. You spent UAH 80,000 on your own system instead of UAH 250,000 for a professional station. The range is smaller (2-5 km instead of 10-15 km), but for many farms this is sufficient.

Where else you can save

You don't necessarily have to take the tablet with the navigator. If you have your own Android tablet, you can buy only the Nav-Agro RTK antenna (without the tablet in the kit) and save UAH 3,000-5,000. The SmiLab Agro program is free, connection via Bluetooth.

When working with the free signal, accuracy of 10-30 cm is suitable for fertiliser application, spraying, sowing large-seeded crops. RTK accuracy up to 5 cm is critical for inter-row cultivation, foliar feeding, or sowing small-seeded crops.

Real payback figures

Farm 300 ha, 2 tractors:

Savings on overlaps: about 8-12% on fuel and pesticides
Real annual savings: UAH 25,000-35,000
Payback for navigation system with subscription: 3-4 years
Payback for own station: does not pay back

Farm 1000 ha, 5 tractors:

Annual savings: UAH 80,000-120,000
Payback for navigation systems: 2-3 years
Payback for own station: 4-5 years

Farm 2000+ ha, 8-10 machinery units:

Here, an own station pays back in 2-3 years and afterwards it's pure savings

Specific recommendations

Choose a navigator with built-in RTK if:

You have less than 700 ha
You operate 1-3 machinery units
You have stable mobile internet
Your budget is limited
You plan to gradually grow your fleet

Install your own station if:

You have more than 1000 ha under cultivation
Your fleet consists of 5+ units
Mobile coverage is poor
You can invest UAH 250,000+ upfront
There is a possibility of cooperation with neighbours

Compromise option: Start with two Nav-Agro RTK antennas. Work with a subscription. After a year or two, switch one to base mode, use it as a rover. If you need more coverage or more equipment - then consider a professional station.

Bottom line

The question is not about which is technologically better. Both options provide the same accuracy of up to 2-5 cm. The question boils down to the economics of your specific farm. Calculate not for one year, but for 3-5 years ahead, consider real expansion plans, and only then make a decision. And don't forget that you can combine approaches depending on the stage of your farm's development.