RTCM3 streamed to the autopilot over a telemetry link will provide corrections to any connected GPS that is set up to receive them. In the case of an ArduPilot moving base config, only GPS1 will receive those, and then it will pass its own correction data on to GPS2 for heading calculation.
While some may find this to be a controversial statement, it actually doesn’t matter how long you survey in, so long as you use the exact same physical location and set of coordinates for each use. All corrected positioning is relative to that location, so a consistent setup will produce consistent results.
That said, if you want to set your base station up to provide RTCM3 to an upstream NTRIP site like RTK2Go (as many of us have), you should really use a literally surveyed location (as in by an actual surveyor with proper equipment) so that you are providing good data to those who may connect. Failing that, I aim for 0.02-0.05m displayed precision, which takes about a full 24 hours of survey-in time, but even then, it’s just an estimate, and it may not actually be as precise as it reports.
@Dean_Pierce welcome to the Ardupilot community. There is has been recent conversations this spring/summer on starting new mower builds over on the “Best Gear for Starting ArduPilot Mower” discussion blog that might me useful for someone just starting into this type of build. It takes a bit of learning and a lot of commitment to make these things happen. A mower is a fun project and if you have a lot of mowing, and they are very useful.
One of the most useful things for a new user to do is learn how to navigate the numerous conversation threads, and the extensive collection of information available on the Ardupilot website.
And one tid bit to keep in mind: Once you perform a survey-in to whatever level of precision you want, generally you would never want to do it again. Each time you perform a survey-in, the base is going to settle into a different lat-lon reading for itself. The physical points for any previously created waypoints will now be offset.
I just wanted to put a post out there to let people know that @Swebre2023 is hosting the MowStock 2024 this year in Louisiana and it is a great place to compare notes and to see some working autonomous mowers of many types.
Silage needs to be collected to be stored. It can be mowed and windrowed and then chopped into a silage wagon or truck and unloaded into a pile, silage pit, or bagged. Corn silage is cut and chopped into a truck. It would be awesome to have a mower work with a little trailer that could unload itself.
I don’t know of anyone specifically doing that, but it sounds possible. You’d need to devise a method of measuring the collected clippings by volume or weight. And when it exceeds some threshold, you offload and return to the last point of mowing/cutting.
All of that is possible via scripting and offboard sensing.
Hello . I am Attila from Hungary. I have been watching the events for quite some time and I would like to thank each participant individually. Everyone should be very proud of themselves, because what you have achieved here is brilliant. I would also like to build a similar machine, but the huge amount of information does not fit together in my head. Does anyone have a clean and transparent complete project description, hardware, software, parts, circuit diagrams, etc.? The rest in private.
I don’t know how to answer your post exactly, but in the spirit of trying to help, I will try. The DIY mowers are machines many of us have built to be fun projects as well as useful tools to mow large acreage in locations where it is safe to operate them. They are complex pieces of electro-mechanical hardware that generally require many months to build, and requires the builder to have many skill sets (which is what makes them fun and involves a lot of learning). These machines can be programmed via your laptop to go out and mow a defined complex area and then return back to base (much like a drone would do). In fact, they use the same onboard computer/navigational systems that a drone uses.
Every mower is built differently! A key component is the base mower. Some people build them from scratch and some people start out with a commercially built mower and convert them over. They can also be electric or gas, which makes for an infinite number of possibilities. People think differently and choose many different equipment options to put on these mowers based on cost, and experience. Every machine is as different as the people that build them.
Many of the questions you ask can be answered from reading the https://ardupilot.org/rover/index.html
The posts in this thread and a few others also have good information.
Dear Steve. Thank you very much for the answer and I must say you are absolutely right. I have read through many forums and related descriptions. However, they all agree, regardless of the basic machine, how the operating hardware and software are structured (ardupilot, arduino, h-bridge, gps cards, etc.), because in principle this is the point. I am also aware that a finished project works well after a lot of time, energy and failure. For starters, the control, hardware and software connections, of which it is not very easy to find a complete description (it may not be a coincidence) of what needs to be connected and configured. Although I am not a complete layman, I still get lost in the sea of information and cannot see through it in such a way that I dare to stand up for it. I know that I also have to put in the time, energy and learn a lot, and there is nothing wrong with that. I used to build a hobby cnc machine that still works. I have two types of 3d printers. I designed electric motor parts etc. in 3D. But the automatic GPS-controlled lawnmower is a different story. Thanks again for writing. I wish you good health . Best regards, Attila from Hungary.
Here is a basic interconnect diagram for the main components on my mower. It shows the connection of the main pieces. If I was starting from scratch now based in how things have evolved, I would probably be picking a different flight controller and different servos. My machine works fine but there are cheaper flight controllers like the Holybro Kakute H743-Wing out there that will give you the same capability for use on a mower. As far as servos go, there are just better servos out there. The servos are a whole big topic and driven largely by what base mower you are using.
