Valley Irrigation announces improvements to Valley GPS Guidance, providing growers with the latest advancements in competitive GPS corner technology.
Valley GPS Guidance now uses advanced power line carrier (PLC) technology to communicate RTK GPS correction signals. This technology improves the reliability of communication with the corner arm, eliminating the need for radios. Additionally, the built-in terrain compensation provides more accurate steering on steep terrain.
“GPS technology has changed the way people live, and agriculture is no different,” says Troy Long, Valley’s senior director of product management. “Valley engineers designed Valley GPS Guidance to provide RTK GPS accuracy using a custom-designed solution. This innovation is designed specifically for irrigation machines and will revolutionize the industry standard.”
This advanced guidance solution works much like automated steering and tractor guidance. It maneuvers the corner on a precise, predetermined guidance path. Built-in terrain compensation reduces over-steering on rolling terrain or high ridges, resulting in a straighter and more consistent wheel track for less crop damage. Valley GPS eliminates the need for radios, leveraging PLCs for greater dependability in communication. With direct connection to the control panel, Valley GPS Guidance can provide highly accurate pivot position for help with end guns, VRI and stop-in-slot. Valley GPS Guidance is compatible with all Valley control panels and corner models. It also easily retrofits onto an existing Valley corner with John Deere/NavCom or other solutions with multi- or single-frequency GPS guidance.
“These latest enhancements to Valley GPS Guidance are now available to growers on a global basis,” says Long. “In the fourth quarter of 2019, we plan to further enhance Valley GPS Guidance by releasing the second generation of the technology, which will provide a next-level, custom-designed digital antenna. These advancements demonstrate that Valley is the global leader in reliable irrigation technology, and we are looking forward to providing growers with a higher level of accuracy and efficiency to help them maximize their profits.”