How to setup ZED-F9P RTK Base and Rover

Companion article: skyhorsetech.c...
Secondary video on setting up a permanent base: • Setup a ZED-F9P Base i...
Sky Horse Tech shows you the necessary steps when initially setting up your ZED-F9P base and/or rover GNSS receivers. Some of the topics include: configuring uBlox' u-Center, SparkFun's GPS-RTK2, bluetooth module, SNIP, RTK2Go, Mission Planner, 3DR radios, and several other important items.
Additional videos to follow where we will test our results for accuracy and make any necessary updates in u-Center.
Video contents:
00:17 Video Overview
03:03 Ublox' ZED-F9P Chip
04:04 SparkFun's GPS-RTK2 Board
05:39 Additional Resources
07:13 Base to Rover Ecosystem
10:16 Base and Rover Wiring Diagram
12:23 Sky Horse's Setup
14:43 u-Center Overview
17:13 u-Center Base Messages
18:07 u-Center Rover Messages
20:04 u-Center Ports and Rates
22:21 Base Communication to Laptop
23:29 What is SNIP? RTK2Go?
26:36 Sky Horse's SNIP/RTK2Go Setup
29:28 Sending RTK Corrections to Rover
30:45 Lefebure NTRIP Caster
33:06 NMEA messages from Rover Module
33:54 Mission Planner for Radio Config and RTK/NTRIP
35:53 Wrap Up
Materials list for rover and base (note we will receive a small pct of sales if you buy through Amazon links below, that will go directly back into future projects):
Rover module:
Survey pole: amzn.to/3iJELjm
V-mount adapter: amzn.to/32zREGR
V-mount male clip: amzn.to/3c4qZFg
Waterproof case with mounting plate (size optional): amzn.to/2RM51xH
Waterproof wire connectors: amzn.to/32z2mNU
Waterproof USB connector: amzn.to/33DORLY
Pole clamps for Blind Spot and phone bracket (get 2): amzn.to/35HThnP
Blind Spot Power Junkie port: amzn.to/3c4s3sE
Batteries for Blind Spot (w/charger): amzn.to/3iEjkQr
Phone bracket with 1/4" screw: amzn.to/3ktBBQT
SparkFun ZED-F9P SMA version*: amzn.to/3iFAc9p
*For non-SMA (older) version of F9P get U.fl to SMA connector: amzn.to/3hEOSVd
SparkFun Bluetooth module: amzn.to/3hDHiKj
Header kit for connecting wires to F9P: amzn.to/3iEK4R1
SparkFun 20x4 SerLCD - RGB Backlight (Qwiic): amzn.to/33Mc7cb
Qwiic Cable Kit: amzn.to/2SNfr0u
Wire for rover and base: amzn.to/3iER1kO
Harxon higher end GPS500 or GPS1000 antenna (see Harxon website or eBay)
- or use simple GNSS antenna for initial setup: amzn.to/3c6R5HV
Base module:
915 mHz SiK radio set for base module: amzn.to/35KRNcG *One half goes on base module and other half on base laptop to receive data
Optional 3m USB extension: amzn.to/35FotnT use on base laptop Sik Radio Antenna
SparkFun ZED-F9P SMA version*: amzn.to/3iFAc9p
*For non-SMA (older) version of F9P get U.fl to SMA connector: amzn.to/3hEOSVd
Waterproof case with mounting plate (size optional): amzn.to/2RM51xH
Waterproof wire connectors: amzn.to/32z2mNU
Waterproof USB connector: amzn.to/33DORLY
12V Solar Battery Box (2 watt): amzn.to/2RvBKXK
25 watt solar panel: amzn.to/3iIuJPi *We upgraded the box above to use the 25w panel
12V DC connectors: amzn.to/3kqbJ8A
12V DC to 5V DC adapter: amzn.to/2ZJO2QC
SparkFun 20x4 SerLCD - RGB Backlight (Qwiic): amzn.to/33Mc7cb
Qwiic Cable Kit: amzn.to/2SNfr0u
TNC Male to SMA Female connector: amzn.to/32DWlzi *If using Harxon antenna on base
Harxon higher end GPS500 or GPS1000 antenna (see Harxon website or eBay)
- or use simple GNSS antenna for initial setup: amzn.to/3c6R5HV
Depending on your base antenna setup you may need SMA extension wire: amzn.to/3c479tX

[@user-bx8xz3ow9b]

Thank you for giving me the knowledge of the details of various settings, it's a great job. I have done it now.

[@dallasdominguez2224]

Awesome vid man! Thank you for this wealth of knowledge. Im at UCSD rn and am on a racing team where we plan to implement this tech on an autonomous electric go Kart. Ive been learning all about the ZED and RTK tech these past couple weeks. I knew nothing before haha. This tech is crazy! Accurate positions down to the cm for $250 (I have the C099-F9P). Thanks for teaching about SNIP. This is my first time ever doing anything like this in my life so videos like this are invaluable!

[@SkyHorseTech]

That is an awesome project, let us know how it goes!!

[@jimbell4137]

How do you implement just a single station with the highest accuracy? Where can you get the corrections?

[@dgb5820]

Great video as I believe this is the best RTK on the marketplace. This is a so helpful please make more if possible.

[@xujames4301]

Pricewise, maybe it, but professional comparing, F9P has low fix rate

[@tonytschanz5642]

Thank you so much for making this great video. I am learning on how to accurately map hiking trails (a livelong goal and I have already spent hundreds of fun hours learning). I have an Ardusimple ZED-F9P and survey antenna and am planning to record and post-process the data to say decimeter accuracy so I don't have to correct the switchbacks after a hike.

[@SkyHorseTech]

Sounds like a very cool project, please let us know how it turns out!

[@haaz88]

exactly what i've been looking for! Well done, thx!

[@SkyHorseTech]

Thank you!

[@foxale08]

The message configuration was very helpful, thank you!

[@rolandogonzalez1374]

Great video, I really appreciate all the tips, especially the waterproof case idea!

[@khetimachineryindia]

Thanks for making this video

[@TimKaseyMythHealer]

You can increase your accuracy to the mm if you use a 3" square card. Set the GPS device exact GPS point at each of the four corners (if you ignore this you will create an error). Write down the GPS location of each corner, and then take the average of these values. (X1 - X2) / 2, (Y1 - Y 2)/2. I've not done the entire calculation, but this is enough to get you started.

[@user-gi6hl9yf5m]

can you specify the range of communication for the base and rover module

[@user-gi6hl9yf5m]

can you specify the range communication between the base and rover module

[@AA-gl1dr]

Excellent video! Thank you so much!

[@tryagain9737]

does it work without ntrip. just base and rover using lora ant.

[@SkyHorseTech]

Yes definitely. Your base radio would transmit out of UART1 port and send corrections to rover board's radio connected to either UART port. You'd just need to config the radios (we use Ardupilot to do this) so they are using same baud rate as you have the F9P boards set at.

[@AgrimData]

EXCELLENT VIDEO. I do all the step and i got fix but when i turn off the module it's configuration reset... what can i do to make it permanet?

[@SkyHorseTech]

K, you are half way there. Now you'll need to enter the coordinates (LLH, aka Long,Lat,Height) into the Fixed Mode settings and save to RAM, BBR and flash memory. If you didn't write down your coordinates before it reset you'll need to run Survey In again to get those. Here's a good guide for updating to Fixed Mode: drotek.gitbook.io/rtk-f9p-positioning-solutions/tutorials/setting-fixed-llh-or-ecef Thanks for watching!

[@ditohe]

The greatest success to you, there would be a way to know how to use the C099-F9P kit in a little box with BlueTooth and Radio, for the field with a stick, antenna, android phone, for precision terrain surveys, thank you very much in advance from the country of Ecuador...👍

[@carlgarcia2719]

Hi! In your video, you started with Fix Mode: TIME (not 3D). I tried this and only get to Fix Mode: TIME whenever I input the position of the base in TMODE3. What if I would like to have a moving base set-up? How will I get it to Fix Mode: TIME without inputting the position of the base? Thank you!

[@SkyHorseTech]

For setting up a moving base you'll set the Time (TMODE3) to disabled. You'll also need to change the output RTCM messages, making sure 4072 is enabled. See section 3.1.5.6 in uBlox ZED-F9P Integration Manual for addtl details. You can also upload the moving base config file (found in github.com/u-blox/ublox-C099_F9P-uCS/tree/master/zed-f9p) into your base F9P thru uCenter. This will ensure you have the correct RTCM msgs being sent in a moving base setup. Hope this helps-

[@aabdev]

What is the most suitable Wireless Real time data link technology for Real Time Kinematic corrections forwarding?

[@SkyHorseTech]

It depends on the distance between your base and rover. If you're talking a few hundred yards a 3DR/Sik radio is perfectly fine. If sending corrections longer distances out of that range you can hook up an ESP32 running an NTRIP server to push those corrections over wifi or 4G/LTE modem to something like RTK2Go where your rover can pull the corrections from. Sparkfun has a good tutorial on these options here: learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-build-a-diy-gnss-reference-station. If you need a little more range (to your wifi router) on your ESP32 get the ESP32 Thing with u.fl connection by Sparkfun, currently backordered, but that allows you to add an external antenna. You can add an external antenna on a regular ESP32 but involves cutting the internal antenna and soldering. Hope this helps.

[@TonyBurnUK]

Thanks for the video. Can I still achieve cm level accuracy without creating my own base station, but instead using a publicly available NTRIP caster?

[@SkyHorseTech]

Yes, pretty easy (and possibly free depending where you live) for PPK using nearby CORS station (www.ngs.noaa.gov/CORS_Map/ ). You'd then take your rover GNSS data (either stored on rover SD card or thru app on attached smart device) and combine with CORS base data in RTKLIB to generate accurate corrected coords. You can also create corrections with real time RTK but will usually need to pay for NTRIP network monthly fee. If doing a bunch of RTK already after building a ZED-F9P rover it's not much more trouble to also build F9P base and will be much cheaper in the long run.

[@joec7325]

I have a set of 915mhz sdr radios and wired up like your example. I had a hard time making them go into U-center. However, i got it to work by jumping or soldering the DSEL pads on the back which i believe makes it a spi port? not sure. Do you think there is any implications by using it like this and eventually sending corrections to SNIP and RTK2GO? thanks for you help and videos on this. Looking forward to some more step by step videos, yours are easy to follow. Thanks again, Joe

[@ernestg7466]

Espectacular, saludos.

[@SkyHorseTech]

Gracias!

[@juananguiano4844]

Good video, did you use a fixed point that you all ready knew? because in the "time mode" line I can't get the "time" result without put the exact coordinates in the time configuration. I'm using Youcors, I can connect my mount point and my client, no problem with that, but no corrections. Any suggestions?

[@SkyHorseTech]

Good question. In going back to our notes and method used we had pulled information from many sources, which that frustration led to this video really.This topic wasn't really well covered anywhere we found. Basically in u-center you'll want to go to TMODE3 (believe first 2 are for older uBlox GNSS). On initially setting up your base location you'll need to set to Survey-in in the dropdown. Select a duration and accuracy values. The recommendation is for several hours duration, however we eventually did it for 24 hours to really get a high accuracy. There are other options, for example near us the community college (WCCC) has pro surveyed GCP's. We could take our base on the survey tripod, place it over the marker, and enter those known coordinates in u-Center. Leave that there then take the rover to YOUR future base station and pull the cm accurate x/y/z, the base needs to be within 10km. Once you have the base Fix location you can change TMODE3 to use Fixed instead of Survey-in, just need to enter the x/y/z in same screen. There are other messages like HPPO* that show your absolute accuracy. That still needs to be ground truth'd using other CORS or NTRIP sites but is worth it. We will definitely add this info to a future video, honestly it could probably be an entire subject on its own. Thanks for your question!

[@YGueye1985]

thanks for the video would it be possible to connect a LTE 3G 4G module like SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield - SARA-R4? I have base at home with an ntrip server.

[@SkyHorseTech]

Looking at the hookup guide for that module it is compatible with the ZED-F9P over i2c/QWIIC. Just know you'll also need to add an arduino or RaPi board in the mix to facilitate communication thru that module. If you have the base at your home with Wi-Fi you can send corrections over internet to a mountpoint (SNIP/RTK2Go) and wouldn't need a separate 4G module. In the field your rover can pull in corrections over your 3G/4G phone (Lefebure), no need for extra module. Let us know if you go that route, good luck! learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/lte-cat-m1nb-iot-shield-hookup-guide?_ga=2.167732023.880023549.1586562965-2098561182.1573429471#hardware-overview

[@YGueye1985]

@@SkyHorseTech I can now receive RTCM3 by RTK2GO.COM on my mobile and send the data to ZED-F9P with Lefebure. the base station is a professional GNSS LEICA 1200. I have a fixed solution at more than 15km without any problem. but the NMEA GGA data sent by ZED are not very accurate, the elevations have a resolution of 10 cm. Does Lefebure accept UBX data? there are also NMEA ADV data which are accurate but F9P is not compatible. my mountpoint is GUEYESN

[@SkyHorseTech]

@@YGueye1985 Excellent that you were able to get that far along. You'll probably want to isolate where that offset is being generated. Are you able to create a RINEX file from your base module? The ECEF coordinates of the base should be in the Rinex header. If those base coords are off by 10cm you can focus on the base. Also, in your F9P rover are you reading them in to UART2? That port will automatically process the incoming RTCM data. Lefebure doesn't send UBX but there are other apps out there that will do that. You shouldn't necessarily need UBX to get ~3cm accuracy. Be sure your base is sending sufficient RTCM msgs otherwise it will never get to a true fix. Also, research the compatability of the Leica base and F9P rover (e.g. if they use the same datum like WGS84). Since we have both base and rover using F9P we bypass those compatability, communication issues. Good luck!

[@YGueye1985]

@@SkyHorseTech thank you for your response. Actually my I had no problem fixing the phase ambiguity, but the NMEA protocol that limits the GPGGA message to one digit after the decimal point for the altitude. I found the solution on U-CENTER by activating the "HIGHT PRECISION MODE".

[@SkyHorseTech]

@@YGueye1985 Ah yes, thank you for clarifying. I'm sure this will help others!

[@matthewkim5388]

Thank you so much for this video! Question though: how do I receive an RTK fix in u-center using the RTK Surveyor and a ZED-F9P module without NTRIP client? I also am utilizing the xbee s1 for the radio.

[@SkyHorseTech]

You would need another F9P module to act as the base station if you didn't want to (or couldn't) use NTRIP. You can setup the base in u-center to transmit the corrections then send those RTCM corrections to your rover UART2 where they are read in and processed automatically. If you didn't need real time corrections you can always perform PPK (post processing) with corrections from a free service like CORS here in the US. You'd use a free software like RTKLIB to blend your rover files and CORS downloaded file to get an accurate fix. Many say that PPK is actually better as far as accuracy and consistency as in RTK you may lose your base connection for a few seconds which potentially means drops in your solution accuracy. Thanks!

[@matthewkim5388]

@@SkyHorseTech thank you so much for replying! ok so what I'm hearing is that the SparkFun RTK Surveyor would not work and I need to use another ZED F9P module? With that, how do you set up the base station in u-center to transmit corrections? Also would I use UART2 instead of UART1 (because I believe you used UART1)? thank you again for all your help!

[@matthewkim5388]

@@SkyHorseTech is there any way I can message you offline? that might be easier?

[@SkyHorseTech]

@@matthewkim5388 it sounds like you are just getting familiar with u-center in general. If just starting you'd probably want to use pre-configured files to load onto your F9P thru u-center. Those config files are avlb at www.ardusimple.com/configuration-files/ where you can download the base file and use that to configure your F9P. As you become more familiar with the tool you'll be able to set messages and other settings like rates in u-center to maximize the potential. Definitely immerse yourself in the uBlox documentation on u-center, it's very thorough. Also spend half a day watching YT videos such as Roby and others that go through this process of setting up a base. In u-center you also configure what UART1 or UART2 are sending as output. UART2 reads in corrections automatically on the rover so you can use UART1 as output. Good luck!

[@matthewkim5388]

@@SkyHorseTech thank you so much that really helps! I love your videos!

[@skanderoueslati1059]

Thank you for the detailed video, What accuracy in cm did you get based on this setup? Thanks

[@maheshpatel2005]

Nice info

[@WA4OSH]

Is it possible to use a 915 MHz telemetry link to send correction data from your base to your rover?

[@awaazmatroko5972]

Hi i am a land survey from india, but find gnss and total station to expensive, added to customs imports, i was very interested in your video, need gnss and rtk based, mutiple device at various place at a time to centimetre accuracy...direct to pc or android tab etc?

[@stevenzembriski6761]

I want to survey the 6 corners of my 40 acre farm,could i use this to find my gps coordinates to match the county tax map coordinates? And would i need both the base and rover or could it be done with just the rover?

[@SkyHorseTech]

You would need to have the F9P rover on a drone platform to map the property then use a CORS (PPK) station or NTRIP account (RTK, $$$ for monthly subscription) without a base station. With both methods you can gain very close proximity to the county tax map to find those corners in post processing. Having a base feeding the rover real time corrections takes those needs away. Here in NJ the tax maps don't actually give lat/long coords but if your county does then it would work. The one caveat is this obviously wouldn't be a legal 'survey' unless you are a licensed surveyor but it can give you ease of mind knowing where your property lines are. In some cases it may be easier, lot less time, in the long run to have a surveyor come out and mark those points especially if you plan on building structures near or fences on those property lines.

[@stevenzembriski6761]

@@SkyHorseTech Thanks for the response. I have checked the tax map (NY) and they do not show any coords. I do have the deed which has a starting point which I am confident in and then gives N17 degrees 47 west 1680.7 feet then S67 degrees 5 minutes East 571.4 feet and so on for the complete property. I was hoping to get the corners with the footage and compass directions and hopefully with GPS input I do also have a Mavic Air 2 drone and have my part 107 lic. I have used GPS apps on my iPhone like onX and LandGlide but they seem to move around a lot and can be off by 20 to 30 feet. I know where the property lines are approximately but would like to be within a foot or so for horse fencing. the property is in Sullivan County NY.Just looking for a way to do it myself if possible, surveyor quoted a $6500 estimate.

[@project6799]

#sky Horse Tech First of all thankyou for ur vdo. sir, could you make vdo on the same toppic and show what differce in setup F9P and F9R or can you make vdo separate on F9R

[@SkyHorseTech]

You're welcome, thank you for your comment. We have the F9R on a short list of things to test. The F9R seems a better fit for UAS with the internal IMU and faster response rate (30hz vs 8hz on F9P). We're wrapping up the RTK on a drone boat USV project but will keep the F9R in mind for some of the next projects. Thanks again!

[@doslidnik1]

where are you input ip, port and login to recieve RTK?

[@SkyHorseTech]

If you're talking about receiving RTK corrections from a base module (another F9P, CORS or NTRIP) you can send those RTCM messages to the UART2 port (RX2) and the F9P rover module will process those automatically and create an RTK solution. Here is a good starting point in setting up your corrections lifecycle: learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/gps-rtk2-hookup-guide/all

[@BigPtace]

Hi great video! Do you know if you can modify the config in u center through the radio link only?

[@SkyHorseTech]

Thank you, it is possible to config over the radio. You'd have the computer/laptop with uCenter running connected by USB to one radio then your F9P connected to the other radio (e.g. SiK radio w/915mHz in U.S.). When you open up uCenter you'll connect to that USB port just as if you were connecting directly to the radio. Hope this helps-

[@BigPtace]

@@SkyHorseTech it’s exactly what I did. The radio is attached to the f9p uart 1. But I only get RTCM corrections when connected. I think i need to connect the radio usb to the f9p usb to make it work. But I need to give power to the f9p somewhere else.

[@cecilalfonsoarizaahumada8532]

Sky Horse Tech .This Rover setting is also applicable for working with NTRIP, or something needs to be changed in the input and output messages. Thanks for your attention.

[@SkyHorseTech]

When using NTRIP instead of your own base station, you would use the same setup on your rover. Instead of reading corrections from your base over SNIP you would be reading them over NTRIP. Depending on your NTRIP provider, you may need to tweak your rover to accept RTCM3 vs UBX/Raw or visa-versa but those settings can be adjusted on your rover through u-Center pretty easily. Thank you for your question, hope this helps!

[@cecilalfonsoarizaahumada8532]

@@SkyHorseTech Ok muchas gracias.

[@omerfaruksuer277]

Hi, First of all, great informative video. thanks for making it for us. I have a question. I am developing a system that will be mounted on a setup on the survey boat. I want to use the received coordinates to georeference my photos. Doıng some photogrammetry work for my thesis. I was trying to decide which u blox chıp and board should ı choose. I am from Germany and here we have a network called SAPOS and we receive corrections through that web. I am okay with up to decimeter level of accuracy. Would you suggest to use zedf9p 1 for heading of the boat one for georeferncing purposes ? thx

[@SkyHorseTech]

Hi there, thanks for your question. Definitely go with the F9P setup. If it is an unmanned survey boat using a flight controller (eg Pixhawk) you can use a Moving Baseline with two F9P's that will give you heading and exact location, no need for internal compass. See ardupilot.org/plane/docs/common-gps-for-yaw.html for a starting point but there are many helpful videos and posts out there with this setup. We're putting finishing touches on our boat with moving baseline and Pixhawk cube on a new platform. Hope to have video out there on that in the next few months. We have one of the F9P's output coords to pixhawk which uses it for RTK navigation but also forwards those coords via serial port to side scan sonar unit which tags that data precisely for post processing. Thanks again!

[@omerfaruksuer277]

@@SkyHorseTech im actually trying to finish my hydrography MS degree by submitting this thesis. I already informed my supervisor to purchase 2 of these C099-F9P application boards. We have mbes on our boat too. It's crewed. Since only 4 months left for me to submit I'll keep here updated after each valuable milestone :) thx again

[@SkyHorseTech]

@@omerfaruksuer277 very cool! Let us know how it goes!

[@jashking2665]

We are testing zed-f9p. But, the zed-f9p has an approximately 3 seconds delay in rover displaying the position data. Is it normal or do I need correction in setting? Thanks.

[@SkyHorseTech]

You usually shouldn't see that long of a delay. That can occur if you're using something like RTKLIB STR2STR program to parse live data and it's not configured correctly. Confirm first with F9P linked directly to u-Center via USB cable to check refresh rate and data is updating quickly. Also check your rates in u-Center for your messages are set correctly (1hz -10 hz). Definitely make sure you have turned off any/all messages (NMEA, RTCM3, etc) that you don't need otherwise the buffer can get overwhelmed. When the F9P is shipped often the default messages are all on but you won't need them all. Confirm your baud rate is set to 115200 bps, if you have it lower like 9600 bps delays can occur. Finally, make sure you have a decent GNSS antenna, where a cheap one can bottleneck your whole system. If anyone else has additional tips please add a comment here. Hope this helps!

[@jzephzkie]

basically this project wont work without internet connection. Im right?

[@SkyHorseTech]

If you have both the base and rover you don't need internet or cell service. You can use 3DR/Sik or LoRa radios to transmit corrections between the 2 within the range of the radio. If you only have a rover you'll need 3G/4G cell svc or internet/Wi-Fi to receive corrections from an NTRIP service to run a RTK mission. A 3rd option, with only a rover you can log your GNSS data (on phone or SD card, see our separate vid showing how) then generate a PPK solution using corrections from 3rd party, free CORS base station (U.S.) when you are back around internet svc, which would give you a solid result also, many ppl use this method. Recap: With only a rover you would need internet/cell svc for NTRIP RTK (real time) but could obtain PPK (post processing) using CORS base data. If you have base + rover no need for any internet/cell to obtain RTK and/or PPK.

[@aabdev]

​@@SkyHorseTechLoRa misses RTCM3 messages. FTK fixed mode becomes unstable. It needs more than 1kByte/s to forward the RTCM3 stream.

[@SkyHorseTech]

@@aabdev Thank you Aleksandr for the input, it's definitely appreciated. When we looked at this a few years ago vis-a-vis LoRa it was discussed on uBlox boards and sounded like it is possible as long as you break up the packets per RTCM msg to reduce the payload. Then you can reconstruct on the base side. We never tested that but you may be right. portal.u-blox.com/s/question/0D52p00009OYf76CAD/please-let-me-know-the-procedure-how-i-can-send-rtcm-message-from-base-to-rover-using-lora-packet

[@matthiaswochinger6730]

Have you been able to establish a stable data connection between the base station and Baselatop with the SiK radios? Or does the rover lose the fix as soon as a short data interruption of the correction signals occurs?

[@SkyHorseTech]

We haven't had a problem with our setup losing connections between the sik radios. We would leave it running 24/7 over SNIP and there you can see the drops being logged/displayed. That would happen about once per day for various reasons but would reconnect shortly after (~3 minutes). The main driver of steady signal is line of sight between the antennas. We put our interior antenna in a window facing the base antenna about 100 yards away and works well. You could upgrade to a RFD900 radio and could get further reach, they are programmed and used just like sik radios and can even have an RFD900 talking with sik radio.

[@aldoguarasci754]

Congratulations on the very useful tutorial. I ask you for advice: with a ZED-F9p in rover configuration, detecting more points I get a very quick fix but I see the points detected on the Google map of SW Maps, about one meter away from the real position. What am I doing wrong? A greeting Aldo Guarasci

[@SkyHorseTech]

Thank you Aldo. If you aren't using base corrections, either from another F9P, CORS or NTRIP station your accuracy will be diminished. If you have another F9P setup as a base station be sure to lock its coordinates in with a long survey (12 hours+) and run it thru a PPK solution using RTKLIB which will give you the exact coord which can then be entered in the base using uBlox's U-Center. RTKLIBexplorer has a few helpful posts about that for reference. Also keep in mind that Google Maps is not cm level accurate so your findings may be accurate and Google is not as accurate. One test you can perform with RTKLIB is take different surveys of the exact same point on different days and see if you are coming up with the same solution. If not, your accuracy is about as high as that delta. To recap, solid base corrections are needed either from a unit you have or from an external source (free CORS here in US for PPK or $ for RTK NTRIP service). If you'll be using your rover a bunch and need RTK your wallet will be better off in the long run by having your own F9P base. Thanks again!

[@dgb5820]

Ok that was alot of information but can you do a complete ZED-f9P setup from start to finish

[@SkyHorseTech]

Possibly in the future, however we're currently working on the next phase of implementing F9P in a Pixhawk/UAV system so are focusing on that. For setting up the ZED-F9P itself we would recommend viewing Roby's videos where he goes through the steps of setting them up from scratch. He uses the uBlox C099 board with ZED-F9P but the wiring and setup in u-Center is the same for all F9P's, regardless if from uBlox, Sparkfun, ArduSimple, Drotek, or others. Here's a great video by Roby showing how to set it up initially: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKHOhoujgpygqMU From our experience, the initial learning curve can be intimidating with F9P/u-Center however once you get started the methods and process become familiar quickly. There are other excellent videos out there regarding u-Center, that is where the majority of your time will be spent. The wiring is pretty straightforward, your time will really be spent in u-Center configuring the various settings/messages. As Roby notes in that video around 3 min. 23 sec., uBlox has .txt files that you can download (free) from their Github site to get the base and rover up and running, we would recommend using both of those for your first time setting one of these up as it will get you up to speed quicker. Note that those txt files (Base config and Rover config) can be used on any F9P board, not just the C099 version. Those files are for u-Center programming and are universal messages for all F9P boards. Good luck!

[@erenalgan6126]

Hi, I also use the zed f9p base rover system, but if I install the system in a new environment, the rover has 2 meters error due to the 2 meter error of base. How long do you take measurements for the base to verify its position. I want to use this system in different locations from day to day. Do you have any suggestions?

[@SkyHorseTech]

Yep it's a common situation. Survey-in will get you meh results depending how long you have it running. You may not want to sit there for 2 hours while it is running Survey-in. If you don't have a pre-defined survey marker that you can plant the base tripod over your best bet probably is to utilize a CORS station if you are in the US. Other countries have similar base GIS systems for free. With the CORS station data logged at same time you are gathering rover data, you would use the CORS as the base data and come up with a PPK solution in software such as RTKLIB (free). That will get you much more accurate results than a quick survey-in at a temp location. Also use the CORS method to nail down a permanent base antenna location if you decide to go that way ever. If you are moving about in various sites within 10-15 miles every day then setup your base in a permanent location and pipe your corrections over SNIP (free) and Lefebure NTRIP client app on phone connected to your rover (Bluetooth or USB). Check out our other videos where we show how to set that up. Thx for watching!

[@Aramich101]

do i absolutely need a base stattion? im looking in using RTK GPS for my final year engineering capstone project

[@SkyHorseTech]

For RTK (real time) you'll need corrections from somewhere. Your options are a base station or an NTRIP solution being received over radio or cellular. The NTRIP subscription will be monthly and will vary by region, some US states actually have free services. If doing adhoc missions sparingly you'll be better off having your own base station. Perhaps look into PPK (post processing) in US as there are many free CORS reference stations that can provide those corrections in post.

[@aabdev]

Thanks a lot for the tutorial. What is the maximum allowable distance between RTK base and RTK rover in case of a stable real time wireless data link between gadgets? Regards, АБ

[@SkyHorseTech]

The max distance should be around 15km or so. The problem with a longer baseline is your corrections from the base is receiving satellites that are different than the sats your rover is 'seeing'. You'll still get corrections but there will be degradation. Good question.

[@fsn8615]

Hi, congratulations on the video, have you ever done any tests with Carlson Survce software, or Fild genius?

[@SkyHorseTech]

We have not but if anyone out there has used one of those please comment with your experience. Thanks for watching!

[@cearah66]

Hello Goodnight. SurvCE from version 6.04 on, has support for ZED F9P. I have it installed on a data collector with windows mobile and it works very well linking via Bluetooth. I have not tested the wired link.

[@jzephzkie]

very nice.. can you help me build rtk base and rover

[@SkyHorseTech]

We aren't able to provide 1-on-1 instruction at this time however there are several excellent how-to videos out there that should get you started in the right direction. Check out Roby on KZbin along with the links in this Description section for addt'l guidance. Start simple by building a rover, using the wiring diagram in this video. Once you get that running, building a base is much the same. If/when you get stuck, Google or KZbin search your problem and usually someone else out there has run into the same exact problem and provided their solution. Good luck!!

[@jzephzkie]

thank you very much.

[@jzephzkie]

i would like to chat with you [e-mail]

[@marklefresne5416]

Is this able to product Legacy RTCM 2.3 or RTCM3.0(ex. 1008) messages for older GNSS units?

[@SkyHorseTech]

According to the uBlox Integration Manual for the ZED-F9P it unfortunately can only produce RTCM 3.3 and is not backward compatible with the older 2.* structure.

[@marklefresne5416]

@@SkyHorseTechOk, thank you for the prompt response and great video!

[@rahulmishra1417]

Can you please tell me that if we can send the RTCM data from F9P and use it in M8P receiver

[@SkyHorseTech]

You absolutely can have that setup, just understand the limitations on the M8P receiver. Even with the F9P inbound corrections you'll most likely receive mainly RTK-Float accuracy on the M8P where using an F9P as a receiver you would gain RTK-Fixed more readily. The accuracy of the F9P can get around 3cm while the M8P will be much larger than that. As long as you are ok with that, we say go for it. Thanks for watching!

[@cearah66]

Hello Sky, good morning. With what name do I get the USB adapter and the accessory to fix it to the box on Amazon? Please also indicate the accessory to fix the antenna adapter. It is that I am in Colombia and I do not know what name these components are known in the United States. Thank you so much for your patience.

[@SkyHorseTech]

Hello, we updated the Description section above with a complete materials list. The item you are looking for is the Blind Spot Power Junkie. You'll also need the battery(s) for that which is listed right below that, the NP-F550 batteries with charger. To attach the Blind Spot to the survey pole you'll use 'pole clamps' with 1/4" connector listed right above that. Not sure which antenna adapter you are referring to but believe we included all of the antenna items as well now. One thing to be aware of when purchasing the SMA or U.fl connectors is to get the correct combination of Male and Female wires as all of those antenna wires come in several configurations. If connecting to a male SMA connector you'll get a female connector wire, and visa-versa. Hope this helps!

[@cearah66]

@@SkyHorseTech Thanks champion

[@builditfixitrestoreit7523]

I am using ublox c94-m8p and it works very nice for 2 years now with my remote base and send correction via uhf on ublox c94-m8p but I just finished my baste with rtk2go caster and I get rtk fix only in 1 km range and it works very nice and I get rtkflot in over 65 km range but no rtk fix how can I make the rtk fix go for longer distance?

[@SkyHorseTech]

Over 65 kilometers and your base corrections won't be very useful. Just think of it like this, the satellites that are flying overhead 70 or 100 km away are not the same satellites flying overhead near you now. So those corrections are pretty much garbage if very far away.

[@builditfixitrestoreit7523]

@@SkyHorseTech yeah I know that but I do not get very stable rtk fix even if I am near to caster base I am getting sporadic rtx fix and when i move the rover goes back to rtk float

[@SkyHorseTech]

@@builditfixitrestoreit7523 Definitely check your antenna placement on the rover first, if it doesn't have a clear view of the sky getting a fix will be difficult. Next, check your rover module UBX-RXM-RTCM messages, if you are not receiving those from the base then you wont be able to get a fix. If your UHF radio is dropping a lot of those, same result (rate too high on base, too many msgs being sent for radio to keep up, etc). If you can see your base is sending UBX-RXM-RTCM but rover not receiving them then the problem will be in the radio transfer. Also, check your UBX-NAV-RELPOSNED messages to confirm your base location is identified. Also note the M8P is a single band GNSS compared to the F9P multi-band so your results may not be comparable in some cases.

[@luistoledo1402]

Buenas tardes me encantaría un video de cómo crear tu propio gnss rtk

[@SkyHorseTech]

Buenas noches, gracias por mirar. Para hacer su propio GNSS RTK, deberá tener un chip GNSS como el uBlox Zed-F9P. Echa un vistazo a nuestros otros videos que también ayudan. ¡Gracias!

[@seangove8285]

Hoping someone on here can give a fairly novice mapper some help with some details. I have flown some mapping missions, but these were mainly for people that wanted a more detailed view of their properties. I am running into requests now for greater accuracy. From what I undertstand, a handheld unit like Bad Elf GNSS Surveyor will get you within a meter, and higher end units, like their Flex will get you sub-centimeter, and the ZED-FP9 is a similar type of unit. Correct so far? My big questions are: - Is the value of the base unit so that you can place it at a known, absolute positioned point like a surveyors marker, and use that as a point of reference for the rover unit to connect to, and in turn get an even greater level of accuracy for setting GCPs? - Is the base unit required, or could you just use a unit to grab coordinates of each GCP you lay down? - I do a lot of work in fairly remote and hilly terrain. Quite often there is no cell phone reception, but can get GPS connection. What mechanism do the units use to communicate with one another, and what is the range between the base station and the rover? Isn"t terrain, line of site, and physical barriers going to impede connection?

[@SkyHorseTech]

Not familiar with Bad Elf but you are correct about the F9P. If you are just running mapping missions and don't need real time, immediate results (RTK) you can use post processing (PPK) which is much simpler. RTK requires your base and rover to have constant communication. PPK allows you to collect base and rover data independently of each other (at same time) and calc the corrections back at your office or home. Research/google topics such as RTK, PPK, RTKLIB, NTRIP (subscription RTK base corrections), CORS (free base PPK corrections in US). You'll get a better idea of the options avlb and the differences of each option. Hope this helps.

[@seangove8285]

@@SkyHorseTech Very helpful. Thank you.

[@jsarmientoc]

which is the list of all the components to be able to assemble one

[@SkyHorseTech]

In the Description section we have material lists broken out by Rover and Base. Depending on your need, some of those components are optional, such as the Blind Spot battery system where you could sub in a Lipo battery with 5v BEC or simply power by USB. Also optional is the Bluetooth module where you can use USB hardwired for data transmission. For either one you will need at a minimum a project case, ZED-F9P and GNSS antenna. With those components you can get a rover or base station operational in short order. Good luck!

[@hmb2a]

Thanks for your informative video. would you please let me know the wiring for the rover and base for pixhawk flight controller?

[@SkyHorseTech]

We haven't set up our rover module in the UAS/Pixhawk yet but it's on the short list. The Ardusimple ZED-F9P board has a dedicated JST port specifically for Pixhawk com (www.ardusimple.com/simplertk2b-hookup-guide/) which makes life easier. If you're using another board like SparkFun's F9P you can use UART1 directly to the Pixhawk (5V->5V, GND->GND, RX->TX, TX->RX). Be sure the Pixhawk has updated firmware as older versions didn't support F9P. You'll want to configure the rover to output UBX messages which Pixhawk will process (discuss.ardupilot.org/t/zed-f9p-with-pixhawk-1-possible/53016). Hope this helps!

[@hmb2a]

@@SkyHorseTech Thanks for your quick reply.I'll try.

[@user-oy4rm9kr4t]

Great! Does we need to set the GPS coordinate of the base station?

[@SkyHorseTech]

Yes, you can get the base coords using the Survey In method in U-Center or run a survey for 24 hours and get even better accuracy using PPK with a CORS base station. You would have your base station setup as a rover during that survey and the base would be CORS. Then when you get the exact coords of your rover (future base) through RTKLIB you plug those base coords into u-Center and switch your rover to a base.

[@user-oy4rm9kr4t]

@@SkyHorseTech Thanks for your elaborate explanation, though I can't understand it much. Supposed I go to survey an area and I don't know the GPS of the base, can I just put a base and then a rover and start surveying?

[@SkyHorseTech]

@@user-oy4rm9kr4t Thanks for watching. Your base will need to know the coordinates of it's exact position. This can be obtained using the Survey In method which is the easiest but not necessarily the most accurate as it takes 12-24 hours to get a more accurate position. Check out the uBlox documentation on performing a Survey In, it's fairly easy to set. Thanks again.

[@cecilalfonsoarizaahumada8532]

Hello friend, good night. Excellent video I keep asking things: What are the dimensions of the rover's box? What is the name of the system to secure the box to the survey post?

[@SkyHorseTech]

The box we used in the video was discontinued for that size but there are tons of different boxes in that size range, about 3.5" x 6". In a forthcoming video we show how we miniaturized the rover box down to ~ 2.5x3.5x1" with OLED display and data logger for implementation on UAS platform. The size of the box is flexible. For connecting the rover box to the survey pole we used a V-Mount system like this: www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07Y9JFM8X then we used a V-Mount male connector (www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00SMKIXJA ) which screws directly to the rover box permanently. We're still putting together a materials list and will post that here shortly. Thanks!

[@cecilalfonsoarizaahumada8532]

@@SkyHorseTech Thanks for uploading these tips.

[@johndecowski9352]

If there is a rtk2go base near me can I use that instead of needing my own base?

[@SkyHorseTech]

The list of publicly avlb RTK2Go stations can be found here with city, state, country: rtk2go.com:2101/SNIP::STATUS. Chances are there isn't one near you. Many here in the US without their own base use free CORS stations for post processing (PPK): www.ngs.noaa.gov/CORS/sort_sites.shtml. Many times PPK is preferred over RTK since you won't have potential for breaks in messages that occur in RTK real-time missions. Rtklibexplorer has bunch of posts on how to use RTKLIB for PPK with ZED-F9P, check those out. Basically you would use your rover F9P to log an RTCM .obs file. Next, go to CORS site for base near you, filter on time range you collected data file on rover, download the CORS base .nav and .obs files. Run RTKLIB with these 3 files (1 rover, 2 base) to acquire PPK solution. This is also how you can zero in on a permanent fixed base location when 1st setting up, using CORS as reference and corrections. Ideally you want the CORS station to be within 10-20 miles or so to get best results. Third option is to pay $ for monthly NTRIP base corrections for RTK or PPK. Google your state, some have a GIS department that provides free NTRIP services. Good luck!

[@cearah66]

Hello friend, excellent video. I need to know with what name I search amazon for the accessory to fix the "Blind Spot" to the survey post. Thank you very much for your attention.

[@SkyHorseTech]

We used a product on Amazon sold by Serounder with title of "Handlebar Mount, Adjustable Bike Motorbike Handlebar Clamp Bracket Holder Mount 1/4'' Screw for Action Camera/Gopro/DV" it was around $11. This has the 1/4" screw to mount the Blind Spot to. Hope this helps!

[@cearah66]

@@SkyHorseTech Ok, thank you very much for the information.

[@matthiaswochinger899]

Thanks for this great video. I have to C099 F9P boards and want to use one of them as a Rover and one as a fixed Base St on my roof. Do you know the approx. range of the sik radio in buildings? I want to send the corrections from the rooftop to my PC, which is two floors below. Does also a free option exist to send the corrections via cellular to my phone which is connected via bluetooth to the rover?

[@SkyHorseTech]

We have our base f9p setup outside about 100 yds from the indoor antenna on 2nd floor and it is very stable with regular sik radio at 915mhz (U.S. standard). Apparently you can get additional range and through more obstacles with European 433mhz standard. If you have base on a roof and your receiving antenna is anywhere near a window you should be fine. As for sending over phone check out the SNIP service mentioned in the video that will create your own free NTRIP caster. Your base f9p will send RTCM or raw ubx messages to their servers. You can then access those base corrections over your phone. On your phone download Lefebure NTRIP client, also free. Once you connect your phone to rover over Bluetooth the Lefebure app will pull in your base corrections from SNIP url and forward to your rover f9p. Best bet is to connect the Bluetooth module to the UART2 port if just using RTCM as the board will process corrections automatically on that port. If using ubx raw messages you'll need to use UART1 as UART2 only handles RTCM. Check out our other videos also that go over some of these addt'l points. Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@matthiaswochinger6730]

@@SkyHorseTech Thank you so much for your quick response. I have received my 433Mhz Radio Set today and configured it via MissionPlanner. They both have a solid green light so i assume they are communicating correctly. I did connect the RX and TX jumpers with the UART1 pins on my C099-F9P Board while i plugged my second 3DR antenna via USB to my base laptop. I set the UART1 settings exactly as shown in your video, but don't get any messages when i connect the COM port of the base antenna. Can you tell me which port you used to connect the radio antenna with your GNSS Receiver? Is it possible to visualize the incoming data stream or even configure the Base via U-Center with this setup? Via which tool did you log the correction data on your Base laptop? Looking forward to your reply. Thanks a lot Matthias

[@SkyHorseTech]

@@matthiaswochinger6730 You're almost there. First thing, make sure the TX on the F9P is connected to the RX on the antenna and same with F9P RX to antenna TX. When connecting the other antenna to your laptop you can use uBlox' u-Center for displaying the messages coming over the USB port. You'll see which port it connects to when you plug it into your laptop and the port# will appear in the u-Center dropdown. You should use u-Center in setting up your messages also. If you didn't enable the RTCM or UBX messages on UART1 it won't send anything there so check that to confirm. If just starting out use RTCM messages as its easiest. Enable those RTCM messages we shown in the video including 1005 so that u-Center can see the base info/position. Once the data flows you will see green bars in u-Center showing the strength of your base satellite connections and quantity of sats. Taking a step back, be sure your sik radios are on the same channel id (Net Id) or they won't be able to talk. Since you are seeing solid green it's probably not a problem but keep it in mind. The way we pair them is to use Mission Planner (free) and the sik/3DR radio page in that program to check your setup and update if needed. You'll also want to turn off Mavlink in the same sik radio setup page, you're just sending raw data. Many times these are shipped with Mavlink on for drone use but for this RTK purpose we don't want that on. Here's a helpful link for u-center and mission planner: ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-here-plus-gps.html Best guess is either the Rx/Tx situation (very common mistake) or the messages aren't enabled on UART1 (when setting up messages be sure to enable them to output on USB also so you can see the data in u-Center). Hope this helps-

[@matthiaswochinger6730]

@@SkyHorseTech Thank you very much for the detailed tips. The problem was probably an incorrectly set of the baudrate. I uploaded the latest firmware to both antennas via the 3DR Radio Config application and set the baudrates on both antennas to 115200. All UBX and NMEA messages are now displayed in U-center, which actually made me very happy. However, I cannot start a survey-in process in U-center with the radio link, even though the two antennas are next to each other. Do you have any idea what could be the reason for this? The satellite antenna has a strong signal and also the baudrates are all set to 115k.

[@SkyHorseTech]

@@matthiaswochinger6730 The best way to set these up is to first setup via USB in laptop directly to the F9P. Once it is working on over USB then transition over to radio link. You may not have your F9P setup as a base station. See the directions that Roby gives here: deepsouthrobotics.com/2019/06/03/the-taming-of-the-u-blox-zed-f9p/ where he uploads the base config file to the F9P. He uses the C099 like you but all are pretty much the same setup procedure (Sparkfun, Ardusimple, etc).

[@jsarmientoc]

podrían poner la traducción para los hispanos que nos gustaría aprender, ya que toda información relevante esta en ingles.

[@SkyHorseTech]

Gracias por su pregunta, comenzaremos a trabajar en la traducción de la documentación complementaria en nuestro sitio web para que se pueda leer en español. También buscaremos hacer nuestros videos con subtítulos en español para que más desarrolladores de nuestra comunidad puedan beneficiarse. Disculpas por la mala traducción.

[@wengliu2902]

helped me.

[@maximep597]

how far are u from a leica like gps accuracy wise ?

[@SkyHorseTech]

We're still testing absolute accuracy against surveyed GCP's but it is looking pretty good so far (

[@zarkaalymama6780]

هل يتم تشغيلها مع الكمبيوتر او المحمول

[@HDTopografia]

hello friend is this product sold? need programming code?

[@SkyHorseTech]

Hello, if just getting started with the F9P definitely check out the Sparkfun Hookup guide: learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/gps-rtk2-hookup-guide/all which will get you started down the right path. After that, check out Roby's videos (linked in the Description section) for next steps. Most of the code is present in the F9P when you get it. We then use uBlox's u-Center app to configure the input/output depending on our specific use case. Hopefully that will get you going in the right direction.

[@zarkaalymama6780]

هلا