Need a cell phone app for tracking field work?

[s219]

You can get high precision with an external antenna with Bluetooth that connects to your phone.

Comparing Bluetooth GPS Devices | Fulcrum

That is true, and I have tested devices with 20cm accuracy in conjunction with my iOS app. However, the response time is SLOOOOOW. It could take up to 10 minutes for the GPS hardware to lock in to position with 20cm accuracy. Generally, any of the sub-meter accuracy devices are going to be slow like this. For farming/row-cropping, it would never keep up with the speed of the tractor (even as slow as tractors go).

 

[pwright]

Half The ones from the site I listed had accuracy of 1cm to 60cm. How accurate do you need?
The phone is just for the mapping software. The GPS antenna transmits to your phone viable bluetooth.
You save cost in having the phone already. The GPS antenna is the important part.

Those aren't GPS antennas. They are complete separate GPS's that provide their data to other devices over bluetooth. Many of them also require other services to achieve the accuracy above that provided by phones. Read up on Differential GPS, RTCM and SBAS.

 

[boomer1025]

They make a dye to mix into the spray that marks the area that you just sprayed. I seen it at TSC

 

[Steave]

They make a dye to mix into the spray that marks the area that you just sprayed. I seen it at TSC

I know this doesn't have anything to do with apps the OP was looking for but my cousin uses this dye and it works. He uses a blue and it puts a temporary tint on the ground and you can see exactly where you've sprayed. You just pour it in at the prescribed amount on the bottle, it mixes with whatever you have in the tank and "paints" you a path. Quick, simple, and accurate. I believe you can get different colors also he uses blue.

 

[Steave]

My cousin sprays some odd shaped fields and some of them are small is one of the reasons he uses this tint. On a large parcel a foam marker would be more be economical.

 

[Steave]

Update on my above comments: Just talked to my cousin and using a dark brown fertilizer mix with the blue tint is hard to see on a hay field or pasture that has greened up already. I asked him about the different colors and he replied he didn't know of different colors. ? Have to do some research myself on this stuff.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Around the valley all the spray buggies use foam markers.

Smucker Manufacturing Farm Equipement

David

 

[farmer2009]

Oh. Spray dies bring bad memories. That **** is nasty. Dies the tank and all lines. We always used a pink or blue when we sprayed water sensitive paper for nozzle test. It works. When working on the sprayer several tanks later your hands and clothes would be pink. Roundup it the worst as it'll pull it out of the tank plastic. Liquid nitrogen would pull some out also. It'd take almost a year to get that die out.

Stick with a foam marker system. Or learn to judge distance off your last tracks. That's what I do but I've also sprayed several thousand acres with foam markets too.

Measure it out and add a sticker to the ROPS or somewhere. When that it lined up with your last tracks your X feet from them. You do have to allow for the roll of the land.

 

[farmerwanttobe]

thanks all for the great feedback. I'll keep looking for what is out there.

Steve

 

[RobS]

I have an app on my phone to record my bike rides. Just for grins, I used it the other day for brush-hogging our prairie. Here's what I got:



Looks like I missed a couple of spots but I didn't. As others have said, the accuracy isn't the best. I also have a Garmin computer that I use on the bike more than my phone. Maybe I'll try it next time to see if it's more accurate.