GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) – A Comprehensive Navigation Solution

Satellite navigation systems play a crucial role in precision farming, providing agricultural machinery with reliable coordinates for field operations. However, a common question arises: can a mobile GPS replace professional GNSS receivers, and how significant is the difference between them?

This comparison will help understand why GNSS navigation offers substantial advantages, even without RTK corrections. From signal stability to positioning accuracy, all these factors impact efficiency in the field, making the choice of navigation equipment critically important for the agricultural sector.

 

GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is a general term for all satellite navigation systems, including GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU), and BeiDou (China). Compared to mobile GPS, GNSS receivers used in agro-navigation offer significant advantages even without RTK corrections:

1. More Satellites → Higher Accuracy

  • GNSS devices can receive signals from multiple systems (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou) simultaneously.
  • This ensures access to a greater number of satellites at any given time.
  • More satellites = a more stable signal and better accuracy (30 to 50 cm in good conditions).
  • Smartphones mainly use only GPS and GLONASS, which limits their accuracy.

2. Greater Signal Stability and Reliability

  • GNSS receivers have superior antennas with high sensitivity, reducing noise interference and multipath errors (when signals reflect off objects).
  • Smartphones use compact antennas that may lose accuracy, especially in motion or near buildings.

3. Reduced Environmental Impact

  • GNSS receivers function effectively even in challenging environments (dense forests, hills, open fields) by utilizing signals from multiple systems.
  • Smartphones may lose accuracy in complex conditions due to fewer available satellites and weaker signal reception.

4. Minimal Dependence on Mobile Networks

  • GNSS navigation works without the internet, whereas smartphones may rely on A-GPS (Assisted GPS), which depends on mobile networks for faster navigation startup.
  • In cases of mobile network disruptions, smartphones may lose accuracy or even completely fail to determine location.
  • GNSS receivers continue to function independently of mobile signals.

Conclusion

Even without RTK corrections, professional GNSS receivers are significantly more accurate, stable, and reliable than smartphone GPS. This makes them ideal for agro-navigation, where fieldwork precision, mobile network independence, and signal stability are crucial.