Basic Grading One of the obvious problems of relying on grade stakes is the difficulty of maintaining those stakes while operations are taking place. Stage 2 GPS technology solves this issue by putting the grade control information into the cab of machines operating on the working face. In addition to an RTK base station, the machines are equipped with an antenna that can receive GPS and RTK data, along with a cab-mounted user interface monitor that indicates the current grade, final topography and the locations of previously marked critical site assets. In addition, some Stage 2 systems may provide compactor operators with information relative to how many passes the machine has made over a given area.

If you are enhancing an existing Stage 1 system it eliminates the need for grade staking and re-staking. However, it does not allow for the collection or retrieval of any location data from the machine for later analysis.