After watching my Yarbo snap one RTK antenna on a tree with about 3 minutes left of a 3.5 hour mow and then promptly turn around and break off the other side I thought why in the world are these not bendable / break away. After picking up the pieces I think I understand why they don’t bend… but why not put them on a magnetic pogo pin mount… like one of these:
At that point the only problem you would have is finding where it fell off…which to me seems like a better problem to have vs a destroyed antenna and solvable in a number of ways.. bright color antenna, a tether etc.
I’m probably going to try and rig up my own, but I would strongly recommend this, you could easily sell an upgrade kit too to just take off the current mount and put one of these on… unless there is some reason I’m not thinking of that would make this not work.
Just to add, I’m super impressed with everything so far aside from some small issues like this that I can correct by adding a no go zone… although I’m only part of the way getting things set up… and I now have to wait to get new antennas…
Sorry to hear about the antenna breakage, and thanks for sharing your suggestion. The idea of using a magnetic pogo pin mount is interesting, but unfortunately, this type of design can interfere with signal reception, which is why it’s not currently being considered.
We appreciate the feedback and are always looking at ways to improve. Let us know if you need help with anything while waiting for the replacement antennas.
As someone who has also broken the antennas my suggestion would be to make the mount out of a flexible material like tpu rather than rigid plastic like it is. The tpu can take the beating and protect the cable inside but be flexible enough that it would bend it caught on something without breaking.
I will probably design and 3d print the lower half of the taller antenna out of tpu but a factory option would be much preferred!
Having to swap the antennas between low and high between winter and summer will get old fast so having one option that can work for both would be way better.
I’d strongly suggest that the 2026 core treats the GPS and HALO mounts and connectors as consumables, including the male F connectors that are mounted to the chassis. Make it trivial to repair / replace when they shear, because every tree limb and pricker bush wants to eat them!
I don’t get the placement of the l antennas at all, look at the other mowers, Luba for example, no external antenna. I suggest to integrate them into the body. Especially that flimsy HaLow antenna… Or do Ar rollcage style frame from the front to the back that also funktions as a handle with internal antennas on the highest point.
They had to place the antennas high on the core and not flush because it’s a giant metal box and would act like a faraday cage and impede the signals. I agree the design is inconvenient and the suggestion Steve had about them being consumables is a great interim idea that many including myself have suggested. So, until they can come up with some type of flexible or virtually indestructible solution, I would very much like to see easy on and off antennas that have a clean breakaway.
