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Robotic Lawn Mower Installation: Wired Perimeter vs RTK GPS Setup

Last updated: May 19, 2026 | 12 min read

Key Takeaway

A wired (boundary loop) installation takes 4–8 hours for a typical residential lawn and works under tree cover. A wire-free RTK GPS installation takes 30–90 minutes once the base station is positioned, but requires sky view and adds a $200–500 base station to the bill. For lawns over 1,500 m² or with multiple zones, RTK GPS pays off; for small, tree-shaded lots, the wired install is more reliable.

Contents

Choose: Wired or Wire-Free

The decision is mostly about your tree cover and your lawn size.

Wired (perimeter loop) makes sense if

  • Mature tree canopy blocks satellite reception for most of the lawn
  • Lawn is under 1,000 m² (smaller installs go fast)
  • You want the cheapest reliable solution — wire mowers start at $600 (Worx Landroid M700+)
  • Lawn shape is simple, single zone, no obstacles to map separately

Wire-free (RTK GPS) makes sense if

  • Lawn has open sky for at least half of its area
  • Multiple separated zones (front, back, side strip)
  • Lawn larger than 1,500 m² — wire becomes a multi-day job
  • You expect to reshape garden beds or boundaries over time (re-edit the virtual fence in 2 minutes vs reburying wire)

Wired Perimeter Installation

Wired mowers (Worx Landroid, Husqvarna Automower 305/315, older models) follow a low-voltage signal loop buried 1–5 cm under the turf or pinned to the surface with U-pegs. The loop must:

  • Form a closed circuit returning to the dock
  • Stay at least 30 cm away from metal obstacles (rebar, fencing)
  • Cross itself only inside designated “island” loops around obstacles
  • Be at least 30–50 cm inside the actual lawn edge (the mower extends past the wire slightly when turning)

Step-by-step

  1. Plan the route on paper or with the manufacturer's app. Mark dock location, lawn edges, obstacles (trees, beds, ponds).
  2. Mow the lawn short. 25–30 mm height makes pegging the wire much easier.
  3. Lay the wire with U-pegs every 50–100 cm. Pegs sit flush; wire runs taut.
  4. Around obstacles: Run a parallel pair of wires (out and back, less than 1 cm apart) so the mower can drive across them but stops at the destination “island” loop.
  5. Connect to dock terminals. Polarity matters on some Husqvarna and Worx models — check the manual.
  6. Verify continuity. The dock LED should turn green. A red LED indicates a wire break or short.
  7. Run the first mow. The mower follows the wire once to record the boundary, then begins random or systematic cutting.

The wire integrates into the turf within 2–4 weeks of mowing and watering as grass grows over the surface pegs. After a season it's invisible.

RTK GPS Installation

RTK mowers (Segway Navimow, Husqvarna NERA EPOS, Mammotion LUBA, Ecovacs GOAT) use a reference station (sometimes called the “antenna” or “RTK base”) that broadcasts position corrections to the mower. The mower's own GNSS receiver applies the corrections and achieves 2–5 cm accuracy.

Step-by-step

  1. Find a mounting location for the base station. It needs clear sky view 30° above horizon in all directions. Roof eaves, garage wall, garden pole 3–5 m off the ground all work. Distance to lawn under 100 m.
  2. Mount with the supplied bracket. Run the cable to the dock and to a power outlet.
  3. Power on and wait for satellite fix. First fix takes 5–15 minutes (cold start).
  4. Pair the mower to your phone, then to the base station. Brand apps vary; the workflow is similar across manufacturers.
  5. Walk the boundary. Drive the mower in manual mode (joystick on the app) around the lawn edge. The mower records the boundary at 2–5 cm resolution.
  6. Add no-go islands and channels. Walk around each garden bed or obstacle and around any narrow path between zones.
  7. Confirm the map in the app. Done. Schedule mowing.

Antenna and Base Station Placement

Sky view is the single most important factor in RTK reliability.

  • Good: Roof ridge, top of a flagpole, garage gable, eave of an open carport.
  • Acceptable: Side of a wall on the south-facing or east-facing side, 3+ m off the ground, no trees within 5 m.
  • Poor: Under a tree canopy, between two tall buildings, next to a large metal roof.

Most premium installs use a pole-mount kit (sold by Segway and Mammotion for $40–90). A 3 m fiberglass pole anchored in concrete carries the base station above shrubs and small fences.

If your lawn has zones the antenna can't see (behind a building, deep under trees) you have three options: a second base station ($200–500), a cellular-corrected mower with no base needed (Ecovacs GOAT A2 uses Network RTK over cellular), or a fallback wire boundary for the affected zone.

Multi-Zone Setup

Most modern wire-free mowers handle 4–10 separate zones with channels between them. Channels are narrow lanes (typically 0.8–2 m wide) the mower drives through to reach another zone but does not mow.

  • Front and back yards separated by a driveway: define both as zones, the driveway as a no-mow channel.
  • Strip of lawn alongside the house: define as a small zone, the gate to it as a channel.
  • Some mowers (Husqvarna NERA EPOS) ship without the channel feature and instead require carrying the mower between zones.

Common Installation Errors

  • Wire too close to lawn edge. The mower body extends 5–10 cm past the wire during turns. If the wire is at the edge of the turf the mower cuts into the bed or driveway. Leave 30–50 cm.
  • Wire crossing under metal mesh fencing or rebar. Magnetic interference makes the mower lose the signal here.
  • RTK base under a tree. Even a small tree directly overhead drops fix quality to centimeter-meter range. Move the base.
  • Dock on a slope. The mower may slip during docking. Dock pads should be level within 2°.
  • No drainage under the dock. Standing water below the contacts corrodes them within a season. Place the dock on a paving slab with gravel beneath.

Tools Checklist

  • Rubber mallet (driving U-pegs)
  • Lawn edger or half-moon spade (for guide channels if you bury the wire)
  • Tape measure and chalk line (planning the route)
  • Wire stripper (for splices if needed)
  • Multimeter (continuity test)
  • For RTK: drill, masonry anchors or wood screws for the antenna bracket
  • Smartphone with manufacturer app installed

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