Digifarm VBN Review & Top RTK Correction Alternatives [2024]
One of the main challenges with industrial agriculture and farming is managing resources and maintaining optimal crop health on a large scale. This difficulty is largely due to varying soil conditions and climate changes.
Fortunately, precision farming service providers offer tailored solutions that utilize advanced technologies like GPS, IoT sensors, and data analytics to solve these agricultural challenges. Some service providers offer as much as centimeter-level accuracy—a game-changer for everyone in the agriculture, environmental, and land management industries.
Digifarm is one of these service providers–but how well does it perform?
This Digifarm review will examine its service offerings and outline some of the top alternatives to Digifarm so you can find the right precision farming solution.
What does DigiFarm do?
Digifarm provides RTK correction services for precision farming systems. It uses a virtual base network that models software-generated base stations for users to provide brand-specific RTK corrections. So, farmers can achieve high accuracy without needing to host their own base stations or build their own RTK.
What is DigiFarm VBN?
DigiFarm VBN is one of DigiFarm's solutions. It is a virtual base network type RTK correction service that uses software-generated base stations. DigiFarm VBN combines the base stations in DigiFarm’s network with server software to create virtual base stations that are assigned to users based on proximity. Due to its dense network of base stations, it has a short baseline distance and provides direct corrections to the GPS receiver.
How do DigiFarm RTK Corrections Work?
DigiFarm RTK corrections work with virtual base networks that provide precision positioning. It has a network of base stations that transmit data to central servers where the data is processed. To transmit the correction data, a cellular modem will have to be installed in the tractor cab and connected to the GPS receiver on the tractor.
Once this is done, a wireless connection can be established between the GPS receiver on the tractor and DigiFarm’s servers. So, when the GPS receiver sends its position to the servers, the server then creates a virtual base station close to the tractor that can deliver RTK corrections.
DigiFarm VBN Review
Here’s a quick review of DigiFarm’s RTK corrections service. We’ll cover the platform’s products and offerings, pricing details, and pros and cons.
DigiFarm Coverage
DigiFarm has coverage in the United States and some states in Canada and Mexico. It covers Alberta, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, and Colorado, among other provinces and states. You can find a coverage map on DigiFarm’s website.
DigiFarm VBN Subscriptions & Pricing
DigiFarm VBN has three subscription tiers: 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years. The 1 year plan is billed annually at $900 and automatically renews each year. However, users can still cancel their subscription for the next year when they receive their invoice.
The 3-year and 5-year plans are priced at $2430 and $3375, respectively. These plans also come with 10% and 25% discounts, respectively, and automatically renew after the initial period expires, but users can still cancel if they do not wish to renew their subscription.
- 1 year plan: $900
- 3 year plan: $2430
- 5 year plan: $3375
DigiFarm VBN Pros
We’ve highlighted some key benefits of Digifarm VBN, and they include:
- Offers a direct connection to the GPS receiver
- DigiFarm VBN delivers virtual base stations to users based on proximity
- Compatible with major brands of GPS receivers
DigiFarm VBN Cons
Despite some benefits, Digifarm VBN has several limitations, including:
- DigiFarm VBN has no free trial period so users will have to make financial commitment before they can experience its service
- Users also need to install additional equipment (cellular modem). This setup requirement can be a drawback for some users who would prefer to set up in five minutes or less
- Access to DigiFarm VBN RTK correction data requires a stable internet connection which can be a major issue for farmers in areas with poor internet coverage
Other DigiFarm Products & Offerings
DigiFarm has other products and offerings aside from VBN. They include: Elevate Slim and Beacon.
Elevate Slim
Elevate Slim is a roof-mounted modem for turnkey cellular connectivity coverage. Elevate Slim has a mag-mount design so it can be easily attached and detached without the need for permanent installation. It also has over-the-air firmware updates that are provided by DigiFarm and can be delivered during farming operations
Beacon
DigiFarm’s Beacon is a Bluetooth correction device and it comes in two different models: Beacon 3.0 and Beacon 4.0. The Beacon is used for wireless streaming of RTK data into GPS rovers or receivers. With the Beacon, users can establish a direct connection between their Bluetooth enabled tablet or other smart devices and their GPS/GNSS receiver.
Bottom Line on DigiFarm VBN
Although there are no independent reviews from DigiFarm VBN users online, the service appears to provide reliable RTK correction for farmers. However, it may require additional devices such as a cellular modem and a Bluetooth correction device, which can increase both the cost and setup time for obtaining a dependable RTK service.
Top DigiFarm VBN RTK Corrections Alternatives
Want to make the switch from DigiFarm? Or researching alternatives before making a decision? Here are some of the best options for truly accurate precision farming:
1. Point One Polaris
Best for: Real-time RTK corrections with unparalleled GNSS accuracy
Point One Polaris offers an unmatched solution for farmers and agricultural professionals seeking to refine their mapping precision. Its advanced RTK network gives it the accuracy and reliability essential for modern farm mapping.
Whether for detailed soil analysis, efficient path planning for autonomous equipment, or precise application of farm inputs, Point One’s technology ensures that your mapping data is accurate and actionable. You access cm-accurate positioning on your hardware–with lightning-fast convergence times of less than five seconds on the RTK network.
With Polaris, agricultural teams can:
- Access affordable and highly accurate RTK–even in remote areas
- Use drones equipped with RTK technology to streamline processes that once took days into a single flight, reducing inspection time to 30 minutes
- Stitch photos together for highly detailed maps of fields
- Inspect crops for disease prevention and plant health using drone-based photogrammetry
- Locate crop rows and land boundaries
- And much more.
Polaris ensures that farm maps are accurate and precise using a network of over 1,400 precisely located base stations. This reduces farmers' costs and time on their crops as they do not need to install expensive ground-based base stations or use costly legacy RTK networks.
Polaris, however, does more than provide RTK services for precision agriculture. It can be used for various location precision needs, including construction surveying, robotics, shared mobility, and delivery routing.
Features & offerings:
- Highest RTK network density in the U.S. for optimal coverage and reliability with 1,400 base stations
- Tracks all four major GNSS constellations—GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou
- ITRF2014 and NAD83 data for accurate global and local positioning
- Expandable RTK network for users who wish to increase their coverage and capabilities
- Compatible with dual-band receivers such as Bad Elf Flex, Carlson BRx7, DJI Mavic 3E, and Emlid RS2
Pricing:
- Standard: $125/mo; $1500/yr
- Enterprise customers can request a custom quote
With its network of accurately placed base stations, Point One Polaris exemplifies the best in RTK technology for precision agriculture. It provides farmers with detailed and reliable farm maps that serve as a foundation for additional agricultural activities.
Experience Polaris RTK with a free trial
2. SmartNet
Best for: Location tracking in automotive applications, precision agriculture, and autonomous vehicle navigation
SmartNet (HXGN SmartNet) is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) correction service that combines three forms of GNSS corrections: network RTK, RTK bridging, and precise point positioning (PPP) to deliver real-time correction data.
It also generates RTK corrections in three different ways: master-auxiliary corrections, individualized max (i-Max), and virtual reference stations (VRS). Despite these, SmartNet only works effectively with Leica Geosystems GS sensors. Accuracy is reduced with other sensors
Features & offerings:
- Correction services for delivering GNSS network correction to GNSS devices
- RINEX data services to access post-process measurement data as well as data on reference stations
- A mobile app for accessing real-time location and status information
- Combines network RTK, RTK bridging, and precise point positioning for providing correction services
Pricing: Unfortunately, pricing information is not available on SmartNet’s website.
3. NovAtel
Best for: Satellite-based correction services
NovAtel offers digital reality solutions for precision agriculture, defense, transportation, and marine applications. These solutions range from Inertial Navigation Systems that integrate NovAtel GNSS receivers with inertial measurement units (IMUs) to satellite-based GPS and GNSS correction services, including NovAtel Terrastar and the Oceanix correction service for marine operations.
Features & offerings:
- NovAtel Terrastar for transmitting correction data
- RTK From the Sky Technology for centimeter-level positioning without regional constraints
- NovAtel Correct for GNSS and GPS corrections
- Oceanix Correction Services for precision corrections for marine applications.
- Interactive Corrections Coverage Map that displays where corrections are available over L-Band
Pricing: Pricing information is not available on the website
4. Trimble Agriculture Suite
Best for: Virtual farm data management
Trimble offers commercial real-time kinematics products for GPS accuracy and increased productivity, which can be used for precision agricultural activities. One of its offerings is the Trimble RTX, an RTK correction service that delivers GNSS corrections to users over satellite or the internet.
Features & offerings:
- It has a miniaturized RTK hardware for portability and energy efficiency
- Satellite-delivered global positioning service
- RTK correction data is sent via L-band antenna or via the internet
- Access to RTK correction using CORS network with Trimble VRS Now
- GNSS CORS network management software
Pricing: Trimble solutions are only purchased via authorized dealers
Choose the Best DigiFarm Alternative for Precision Agriculture
Agtech solutions like DigiFarm VBN can help farmers leverage RTK corrections data for more precise farming operations. But setting up the DigiFarm VBN can be tasking and expensive as users have to subscribe for a year or more and still buy additional equipment.
An alternative to using DigiFarm VBN would be to use legacy RTK solutions—but even this can be a significant additional cost for farmers—and building your own RTK certainly isn’t worth it because of the high set-up and maintenance costs, and technical complexities.
Fortunately, Polaris from Point One, the best DigiFarm alternative, is affordable, requires minimal setup, and offers user-friendly interfaces for precision farming–even in remote areas. It’s also the only real-time kinematic service that is transparent about the locations of all its base stations, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
With one of the largest RTK network coverage, Polaris by Point One gives farmers centimeter accuracy to map farm boundaries precisely, monitor crop health, and manage irrigation systems.
Whether you’re a small-scale farmer or managing large agricultural operations, Polaris is the best RTK solution for precision mapping and efficient resource management.
