Cloudbase FAQ — One-Pager
Cloudbase FAQ — One-Pager
How it works, what you need, what it costs. November 2026.
Cloudbase Cellular RTK — Your Farm. Your Network. The three questions every farmer asks us. Call or text 765-490-1824 — a farmer answers.
1. How does Cloudbase work?
RTK guidance needs a correction signal beamed to your tractor. Radio RTK sends it from a tower (and drops out behind trees and hills). John Deere SF-RTK rents it from a satellite. Cloudbase sends corrections over the same 4G cell network your phone uses — no line-of-sight, no tower fees. The modem mounts by your receiver, connects with one plug, and streams corrections for sub-inch accuracy that repeats year after year.
- Step 1 — Modem plugs into your existing RTK-ready receiver
- Step 2 — Corrections arrive over 4G: free state CORS, a paid correction service, or the Cloudbase RTK Network
- Step 3 — Sub-inch lines, repeatable year after year, any color machine
2. What do I need to run it on my farm?
- An RTK-ready receiver you probably already own — StarFire 3000/6000/7000/7500, or any brand (Case IH, Trimble, Raven, Ag Leader) with the Universal modem.
- Cell coverage on your ground — we check it free before you spend a dime.
- A data SIM — add ours ($79/yr, 250 MB a month, installed before it ships) or use your own carrier's.
- A correction source — the free State CORS Network, or the Cloudbase RTK Network. You subscribe to the network, not to a single base, and it connects each machine to the closest base station automatically. Not covered yet? Host a base station for $0.
- Possibly one license — some StarFire 3000/6000 models need a John Deere mRTK license; we verify with your serial number, free.
3. How much does it cost?
| Your situation | What you need | Upfront | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good free State CORS Network coverage, happy to self-support | Cloudbase modem (we configure it for the State CORS Network) | $2,000/machine | $0 to Cloudbase · SIM $79 or your own |
| Inside Cloudbase Network coverage | Cloudbase modem + RTK Correction Subscription | $2,000/machine | $699/receiver · SIM $79 or your own |
| Receiver not RTK-ready yet | Cloudbase modem + RTK activation | $2,000 + activation (quoted from your serial) | $699/receiver on the network |
| Mixed / non-Deere fleet | Cloudbase Universal modem | $2,000/machine | $699/receiver on the network |
| Not covered yet — host a base station on your farm | Cloudbase base station (supplied by Cloudbase, installed by us) + modems | $0 base + $2,000/modem | $699/receiver |
The Cloudbase RTK Correction Subscription covers the corrections, your own monitoring portal, 24/7 network monitoring, and first-line support from us. On the free State CORS Network, the modem runs without it.
Five years of subscription, per machine: Cloudbase on the network ~$3,900 ($699 + $79 SIM a year) · John Deere SF-RTK ~$7,500 · Radio RTK network ~$10,000. One-time hardware: a $2,000 Cloudbase modem on the StarFire 3000, 6000, 7000 or 7500 you already own, against about $4,300 for a new receiver if you run a 3000 or 6000 and want SF-RTK.
Not sure which row is you? Call or text 765-490-1824 — a farmer answers, not a phone tree. 6 months farm-tested in central Indiana · 60-day money-back guarantee · local installs · host a base station.
Ag Innovation LLC is an independent dealer, not affiliated with Deere & Company. John Deere, StarFire, and SF-RTK are trademarks of Deere & Company. Coverage depends on local cellular service. Pricing as of November 2026.
