The complexities of tractor purchasing and operation are growing daily it would seem, as manufacturers and third-party suppliers offer ever more sophisticated electronics to go with tractors and machinery.
There is something of an arms race going on between the major names in the business and while we might reasonably assume that it is all for the benefit of an efficient agricultural system, it can be difficult to keep up at times.
PTx Trimble, 85% owned by AGCO, is the latest to add to the mix with news of a significant upgrade to its premier auto-guidance system, which is now the NAV-960, having displaced its predecessor, the NAV-900.
Brazilian launch for Nav-960
The news was released at the Agrishow in San Paulo, Brazil and it is shown fitted to a Brazilian-made Valtra tractor.
PTx Trimble claims that the new technology improves positioning accuracy and delivers greater computing power to handle present and future field operations.
It is said to offer both internal and external enhancements to improve positioning and accuracy for a variety of tasks across any size farming operation.
It has a new cast aluminium base which is built to withstand the tough farming environments, including excessive heat, freezing cold, driving rain, persistent dust and vibration.
The additional processing power of the upgraded CPU ensures compatibility and readiness for fieldwork today, and into the future.
Reading the heavens
Other new features in this latest receiver include an enhanced GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) engine to track more satellites than ever before, and with over 100 satnav satellites plus regional and augmentation satellites up there, it has a wide choice.
Within the firmware there are Trimple ProPoint and IonoGuard which are said to improve accuracy and protect against signal disturbance within the Ionosphere caused by solar events and scintillation.
At the heart of the receiver lies a quad core processor providing faster calculations and improved data delivery speeds which, when coupled with onboard Wi-Fi and bluetooth, will make the NAV-960 easier to support for service teams.
As part of the company’s commitment to its retrofit-first, mixed-fleet strategy, the NAV-960 is fully compatible with all GFX series displays including the GFX-350, -1060 and -1260 models.
