A reader wrote me about occupation times for RTK work, and it’s spurred a conversation I think will be interesting to you and perhaps a little controversial. It seems that most GPS/GNSS users have developed their own opinion based on their own experience.

This year will be the beginning of the battle between Trimble/Spectra and Topcon/Sokkia with Leica in the fray as well; the companies own 75 percent of the market between them. The other players in this market are going to have be creative in 2009 to remain competitive in the market.

Being December, it?s time for my look into next year. It?s become somewhat of a tradition for me and this year is no different. What does 2009 have in store for the GNSS user?

As much as GPS World’s 2008 GNSS Election was designed for entertainment value, the arguments from both parties are real world, and from people waist-deep in GNSS receiver and infrastructure development. In reality, nations around the world are pushing forth with both the Satellite Party and Signal Party initiatives.

When considering purchasing GPS/GNSS equipment, price isn’t the only thing. Local support is an important consideration for most buyers. It means technical support as well as sales support (spare parts, etc.). For some buyers who aren’t as technically savvy, it’s obviously even more important.

How do these codes affect the data gathered? And how is the new code going to differ? How will this affect L1-only receivers using base corrections and getting RTK accuracy? Would a receiver that could track L1, L2, L2C, and L5 obtain a worse fix on just L2C and L5 alone? This week I answer the questions I couldn’t get to in my previous webinar.

GNSS is one of the few industries I can think of that, even in a horrible global economy, is still going to experience growth over the next five years. We are fortunate indeed. A particularly bright spot is the robust agriculture market, where there is renewed growth in precision agriculture for GNSS, primarily in high-end RTK applications.

The height of the next solar cycle will occur in the 2011-2012 timeframe. That’s when the free electrons propagated in the Earth’s ionosphere will be the most dynamic and the most difficult to model – and when GNSS users need to be prepared.