Catalog Pricing FAQ HoursDemo accessJordan Hale, PLS

Beginner’s Guide to RTK Base Stations: How Do I Set One Up and What Are They?

Bench-Mark Equipment and Supplies · 14 min · 0.25 CE hr

Completed

GPS/GNSSField Procedures

Site selection, unknown-point versus known-point occupation, averaging an autonomous position, and why localization with the rover is often safer than trusting a suspect monument.

Watch progress100%

Quiz unlocks at 80% watched, or when the player reports the video ended. Progress is saved to your account.

Loading YouTube player…

Module quiz

This module is complete. You may retake the quiz; hours are credited once per year.

1. Why does he move the base about 200 m to a more open location?

To get closer to a property cornerTo reduce sky obstruction, power-line noise, and other interference even if that point is not a known monumentBecause RTK only works within 50 m of the roverTo occupy the same point as yesterday’s total-station setup

2. What risk does he associate with occupying a “known” monument that may have been disturbed?

The rover will refuse to store pointsThe whole survey can be shifted with no easy field or office fix if those coordinates are wrongThe battery will drain fasterYou cannot use tilt compensation

3. What does he recommend instead of insisting the base sit on a known point?

Skip the base and use autonomous rover positionsOccupy an unknown but better site and localize with the rover on controlAlways average at least 4 hours before transmittingUse magnetic north as the project grid

4. What does he say about averaging more and more autonomous epochs on the base?

Accuracy improves linearly foreverAfter roughly 25–50 points you get little additional accuracy from an autonomous averageYou must average 1,000 epochs for legal surveysAveraging is illegal on public-land surveys

TraverseCE documents watch-verified module hours. Not a board-approved provider. Confirm acceptance with your state board.

Catalog Pricing FAQ