Manuals, downloads, and a person on the phone.

Fix quality bouncing between RTK and Float or GPS Fix usually traces to the GPS setup (sky view, base distance, corrections, or receiver power) — the app pauses automated control until RTK recovers, so grading stops until it clears. Check for a clear sky view with no obstructions around the antenna mount, confirm you are not too far from your base station, watch for cellular correction dropouts or latency, and, on an implement kit, check that the fuses are pushed in on the Ditch Assist power harness (it feeds the control module, which powers the GPS) and that the harness runs straight to the tractor battery with a solid connection. A loose radio or receiver board inside the antenna after rough ground can also cause it.

If GPS/GNSS information does not populate right after connecting, confirm the tablet is on the Ditch Assist control module Wi-Fi and not another network. Then check the receiver: it needs GGA and VTG NMEA messages enabled at 5 or 10 Hz, baud rate set to 38,400, and every other message turned off. The module's STATUS 2 LED blinks when it is receiving valid NMEA data — if it is not blinking, the module is not getting a signal. On a DB9 serial connection, a Tx/Rx pin swap on the GPS connector is a common fix. Ditch Assist Lite has no control module: check that the tablet is on the receiver's own Wi-Fi hotspot and that Mode is set to Ditch Assist Lite in Settings. The receiver's position output is on by default; if someone turned it off, Settings → Emlid Diagnostics in the app sets it back.

On implement kits and Ditch Assist Lite, re-check Blade Height in the Survey settings: the distance from the GPS antenna down to the cutting edge, entered before the survey. That number sets true ground elevation for everything graded afterward. Calibrate the benchmark with the cutting edge on the ground, and calibrate again if your RTK base is moved or restarted. Keep tilt constant from survey through grading on tilt-capable blades; changing it mid-job shifts the GPS height offset and throws off grade. On DIG, angle and link-length calibration needs to be redone any time a sensor, the GPS pendulum mount, or a pin is removed and reinstalled. With Ditch Assist Lite in Excavator mode there are no angle sensors, so grade reads correctly only when the stick and bucket are back in the same position each time.

Start with the basics: hydraulics in constant flow and not float, tractor flow turned up, no popped couplers, and no leaking fittings. Then check Min Valve DC and Max Valve DC under Settings → Controller in the app — set too low, the blade will not move at all; raise them in steps until it responds, and raise Raise/Lower Sensitivity for manual control. A closed-center valve on an open-center tractor will not work either — check with your dealer if that is the setup.