From Russia With ... Accuracy

Some of us who grew up distrusting anything Russian during the Cold War years can't help but feel at least a smidgen of suspicion about anything that emerges from that part of the world ... the threat of nuclear anihilation will do that to you. But in the case of the GLONASS GPS satellite system, there's a clear benefit to embracing what Russia has to offer.

GLONASS is the Russian equivalent to the United States' GPS system (GPS actually refers specifically to the American satellite array) and is accessible in the States using receivers that are designed to pick up their signal broadcast. Many receivers made today have the capability of receiving the GLONASS correction signal, but most older models do not ... you may also need to "unlock" the GLONASS capability with newer equipment.

Overall, more satellites mean more accuracy and potentially less signal downtime, so it's an important consideration when making a new equipment purchase. There's also the relatively small chance we'll have some problems with GPS satellites over the next couple of years (click here to view an interview with OmniSTAR's John Pointon), so GLONASS compatibility is a measure of insurance and peace of mind that you will appreciate in the heat of battle this season.

I bring this up this week after going through our CropLife magazine precision agriculture survey results and finding that 3 in 4 respondents either were not looking into GLONASS compatibility, or simply did not know what GLONASS is all about. Look into it, ask questions and make an informed decision.