NTRIP Sign Up, Mount Points, and Configuration

This article will show you the sign up process of the two most common types of NTRIP (Network Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol) services used by publicly available, state maintained networks: Pivot Network and Spidernet. Furthermore, we'll explain the differences between common types of mount points including Virtual Reference Station, and how to create an NTRIP Network profile in your Emlid account to easily access your corrections on your Reach receiver. You can use an Emlid Reach RS3, RS2+ or RX to receive RTK corrections from NTRIP over Bluetooth.

Pivot Network Sign Up  

There are a few different types of NTRIP networks. Two of the most common are Pivot networks and SpiderNet networks. For example, Ohio’s Department of Transportation operates a Pivot network. Signing up for their RTK service is as simple as filling out their account creation form and after processing you will receive your NTRIP credentials in your email.  

Spider Business Center 

In a contrasting example, New York uses a SpiderNet network. First you create an account with a username and password for the website itself as well as a username and password for your NTRIP credentials. The latter is what you will input into your Emlid Flow NTRIP profile. Once you receive a confirmation email for your SpiderNet account, login to the state’s website, click Shop, and the Subscribe to the Real Time Network corrections. Several states RTN services are free, but some may charge a fee for that subscription. If your yearly subscription has lapsed, navigate to your Subscriptions tab under Account Details, and click Renew. You can also access your User Profile to check or change your NTRIP username and password. You can also check your mount point compatibility in the RTN Ports/Mount Points tab. 

Explanation of Mount Points 

Emlid receivers need corrections in RTCM3 format. Not all mount points work the same and not all NTRIP networks have every type of mount point. Types of mount points: 

Single Baseline – Mount points with naming conventions like ‘near msm’ will select the nearest continuous operating reference station, or CORS, to your rover location and pass corrections from that station to your rover through the network.  

Virtual Reference Station (VRS) - This type of mount point uses position data from several CORS stations to create a virtual station on your work site that will be the base of your corrections.  

Individual – Master Auxiliary Corrections (iMAX) - When using this mount point, the NTRIP provider usually picks the CORS station nearest to your rover as the ‘master’ station which will send corrections to the provider’s processing center with the addition of other auxilliary CORS position data and compute improved correctional data for your rover tied to the master station.  

Master Auxillary Corrections (MAX) - Uses the same concept of using a ‘master’ CORS for corrections except all of the data is sent to the rover and corrections are processed by the rover.  

Creating an NTRIP profile for Emlid Flow 

Once you have your NTRIP credentials, you can create an NTRIP profile in Emlid Flow. Fill in your NTRIP credentials and select an appropriate mount point from the list. You can now select that profile whenever using NTRIP corrections.  

NTRIP corrections vary by state, you can view our compilation of instructions by state here . The Emlid Reach RS3, RS2+ or RX can receive NTRIP corrections over Bluetooth, while the larger receivers can utilize hotspots and SIM cards as well.