RTK Troubleshooting
RTK Troubleshooting: An Easy Guide to Fixing Common RTK and NTRIP Issues
Whether you’re new to RTK or a veteran in the industry, it’s not uncommon to encounter hiccups in the field—and it’s really easy to assume there’s something wrong with the equipment. However, the truth is that your RTK receiver is rarely to blame when your GPS coordinates are inaccurate. There are a handful of common issues, all with easy fixes, that are important to check before investigating equipment malfunctions.
We pulled together this list of possibilities to investigate when you’re dealing with inaccurate reading.
How do you know your readings are inaccurate?
This may sound obvious, but it really is worth verifying the accuracy of whatever reference you’re using. If your coordinates were provided by someone else, you may want to verify their sources. For example, Google Earth coordinates are less precise than RTK readings. If you’re noticing discrepancies from Google Earth, that doesn’t necessarily mean your coordinates are off. Be sure to investigate your source material.
Do you have an RTK fix?
If you have an RTK fix, that means your receiver is receiving enough good-quality GNSS satellites to calculate an exact coordinate, giving you a high-precision reading.
However, an RTK fix can be difficult to achieve in some situations. If you’re working under heavy tree cover or in an area with poor signal coverage, your data collection may default to RTK float. This means that your receiver can’t connect to enough satellites to calculate accurate coordinates. RTK float can yield measurements that are off by decimeters to meters.
If you’re getting inaccurate readings, take a moment to ensure that you have an RTK fix.
What coordinate system are you using?
You might be comparing your reading against data from someone using a different coordinate system. For example, a coordinate system that uses feet will differ somewhat from a system that uses U.S. survey feet. It’s worth double-checking to ensure that you and your reference data are using the same units and coordinate system.
What’s your tilt compensation?
If your RTK receiver is mounted on a pole, it’s very important to manually enter the height of that pole into your receiver. Even a small difference can affect the tilt compensation calculations and the accuracy of the final data. Take a moment to ensure that you’ve entered the correct pole height into your receiver.
How far away is your reference station?
In general, you need to be within at least ten miles—ideally six or fewer—of a base station to ensure accurate GPS data. If you’re farther away than that, it may be time to consider a different RTK network with better coverage in your area. This is especially true if you’re using a budget network.
Still having trouble?
We can help.
Our technical team can help you figure out what’s giving you trouble. Whether you need new gear or a better RTK network, we’ll work with you to find a solution that meets your needs.