CloudBase Cellular RTK — Farmer FAQ
Every question we've been asked about CloudBase Cellular RTK, answered straight. Can't find yours? Call or text 765-490-1824 — a farmer answers, not a phone tree.
RTK Basics
What is RTK, in plain English?
RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) is the highest level of GPS accuracy in agriculture. Your receiver alone gets you within several inches; RTK corrections tighten that to sub-inch — and the position is repeatable: the line you drive today is exactly where it'll be next month and next year.
How accurate is RTK vs. what I run now?
The free SF1 signal is rated around ±9″ pass-to-pass and drifts over time. RTK is roughly ±1″ (about 2.5 cm) and doesn't drift. That's the difference between “pretty straight” and strip-till, cover-crop interseeding, and planting on last fall's fertilizer band.
What's the difference between accuracy and repeatability?
Accuracy is how close to the true line you are this pass. Repeatability is whether the same AB line puts you in the same physical spot next season. Cheaper signals can look accurate within a day but drift week to week. RTK gives you both — this fall's strips are next spring's rows.
What's a base station? What's a rover?
The base is a fixed receiver on a known, surveyed point (a tower, a shop roof, a state site). The rover is the receiver on your moving machine — your StarFire is the rover. One base can serve many rovers at once.
NTRIP & InCORS, Explained Like a Neighbor Would
What is NTRIP?
It means sending RTK corrections over the internet instead of over a radio. Think of a radio station that broadcasts online: the base streams its corrections to an address, and your machine “tunes in” over a cell connection. Same corrections, same accuracy — delivered over the cell network your phone already uses.
Do I need to understand NTRIP to run CloudBase?
No. We configure the modem before it ships and support it after. You plug it in, turn the key, and farm. This FAQ exists because plenty of farmers want to understand what they're buying — not because you'll ever program anything.
What is InCORS, and is it really free?
InCORS is INDOT's statewide network of permanent base stations, and yes — Indiana provides the correction stream at no charge. It's surveyor-grade infrastructure your tax dollars already built. Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Kentucky run similar networks.
If InCORS is free, why do I need to buy anything?
Because your StarFire has no way to reach the internet — that's the missing link. The CloudBase modem is the bridge: it carries its own 4G connection, logs into a correction stream, and feeds your receiver. The modem is the hardware; where the corrections come from is your choice.
How CloudBase Works Day to Day
Does the modem need WiFi or my phone?
No. It has its own cellular SIM and data plan, included with your subscription. No separate cell bill, no pairing, nothing to log into from the cab.
How much data does it use?
Almost nothing — an RTK stream is a trickle of tiny packets, a fraction of one evening of Netflix. That's why the data can be built into the subscription.
What happens when I drive through a dead spot?
Your receiver doesn't panic — it coasts. John Deere StarFire receivers include RTK Extend, which holds full RTK accuracy when the correction signal drops — up to 14 days on a StarFire 6000, and 20+ days on a StarFire 7000 or 7500. A brief dip at a field edge or under a grain leg is nothing; the modem reconnects on its own long before RTK Extend ever runs down.
Do I have to do anything daily?
Turn the key. The modem powers with the machine, connects on its own, and your display shows RTK within a couple of minutes. No daily login, no app, no code to re-enter.
CloudBase vs. Radio RTK
How is CloudBase different from radio RTK?
Radio RTK sends corrections from a tower by line-of-sight — a hill, a woodlot, or distance drops the signal. CloudBase sends the same corrections through the cell network, which doesn't need to see you. No radio to mount, no tower rent, no dead zones behind the trees. The corrections are identical — only the delivery changed.
I already run radio RTK. Why switch?
Three reasons we hear most: the yearly network fee (often $1,000–$2,000 per machine around here), dropouts in rolling or wooded ground, and range limits on ground farther from the tower. With CloudBase you keep the accuracy, drop the line-of-sight problems, and after the hardware pays off you're at $499/yr — or $0 network rent on your own base. Your AB lines carry over.
Is cellular RTK as accurate as radio RTK?
Yes. Accuracy comes from the correction math, not the delivery method. A correction over the cell network is the same correction over a radio wave — sub-inch either way. What changes is reliability of delivery, and in terrain that blocks radio, cellular usually wins.
CloudBase vs. John Deere SF-RTK
How is CloudBase different from SF-RTK?
SF-RTK is John Deere's satellite-delivered RTK — you rent it per receiver, per year, forever. CloudBase is hardware you own that pulls corrections over cellular. Both hit RTK accuracy. The difference is the business model: SF-RTK is a lease with no equity; CloudBase is a purchase where the yearly cost drops to a fraction after year one — and hits zero network rent if you own a base.
What does each cost over 5 years, per machine?
| System | 5-year cost | At year 5 you own… |
|---|---|---|
| CloudBase | ~$4,000 ($2,000 modem + 4 × $499) | The hardware — with resale value |
| John Deere SF-RTK | ~$7,500 (≈$1,500/yr rental) | Nothing — stop paying, signal stops |
| Radio RTK network | ~$10,000 (radio + ≈$2,000/yr) | A radio tied to that network |
Typical central-Indiana figures as of August 2026; your dealer's rates may vary. Multiply by every machine you run and the gap widens fast.
CloudBase Base Stations
Do I need my own base station?
For the best accuracy and reliability we sell, yes — put your own CloudBase base station on your farm. It delivers the tightest sub-¼″ accuracy, the most reliable correction stream, and a 30-mile coverage radius from wherever you set it — enough to cover your whole operation (and often your neighbors') off one signal you own and control, with no annual network rent. We do offer lower-cost ways to get corrections — Indiana's free InCORS network, or our CloudBase network at $499/yr per modem — and they work well for a lot of farms. But they won't match the accuracy, reliability, and coverage of running on your own base. If RTK uptime matters to your operation, or you run more than a machine or two, the base station is the answer.
How far does one base reach?
Because delivery is cellular, there's no radio range limit — the practical limit is correction quality, which stays excellent out to roughly a 30-mile radius from the base. Big enough to cover most operations, including the ground you rent three townships over.
How many machines can run off one base?
Effectively as many as you'd realistically run — 20 to 30 connections is no problem. The base streams one correction; every modem within reach tunes in, whole fleet at once, every color of machine.
Can neighbors share my base? Could I charge them?
Yes and yes. Each neighbor needs their own modem, and you control who gets a login. Split a base with two or three neighbors and it pays for itself faster than the machines it guides — one base covers a 30-mile radius, which is a lot of farms. Ask us about the neighbor-network setup.
If I own a base, do I still pay a yearly fee?
The base station is a one-time $10,000 purchase — you own it outright, no network rent, ever. We set you up with your own monitoring website where you can watch your base station and every modem running on it. Each modem still carries its $499/yr license (we call you before it's up, so nothing lapses by surprise) — and running on your own base is what buys you that top-tier accuracy and reliability.
Buying, Switching & Support
What does CloudBase cost?
The modem is $2,000 per machine with the first year of corrections included, then $499/yr per modem. A base station is $10,000 installed, plus modems for each machine — and then no network rent. If your receiver needs an RTK activation or mRTK license, we quote that from your serial number before you commit, free.
Is there a contract?
No. The modem license is $499/yr, billed yearly, per modem — no multi-year commitment. We call you before your license is up to confirm you want to renew, so nothing lapses by surprise and you're never locked in.
What's an mRTK license, and do I need one?
Some StarFire 3000 and 6000 receivers need a one-time John Deere mRTK license to accept corrections from a modem. Whether yours needs it depends on its existing activations — which is exactly why we check every serial number before you order, free. No surprise unlocks after the box shows up.
Will my existing AB lines carry over?
Your lines live in your display, not in the correction signal, so they come with you. One honest note: switching correction sources can shift where those lines sit by a small, uniform amount, because different bases sit on slightly different surveyed points. It's a known, one-time offset — we'll help you re-tie your lines so your strips stay your strips.
What's the guarantee?
60-day money-back guarantee on the hardware. It ran six months on our own farm before we sold the first one; if it doesn't hold a line on yours, it comes back.
How do I get started?
Two free checks, zero commitment: text us (1) your farm's location for a cell-coverage check and (2) your receiver serial number(s) for a compatibility check. You'll get a straight answer on exactly what your setup needs and what it costs — and if CloudBase isn't the right fit for your ground, we'll tell you that too.
Call or text 765-490-1824 · Frankfort, Indiana · Shop CloudBase RTK
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 August 2026 and subject to change.