T,im you nailed it ! This is far better detail than even the Emlid website provided. I'm using a data only sim card from ATT utilizing the cheapest plan (2gb of data per month I believe)@ 5 bux a month and have never ran over the card limit. Making it a stand alone setup and totally goof proof.
Tim Can you share more information on the wi-fi router you show in the video and elaborate on the benefits of using one. I assume you are using a "jackery" type portable power pack as your electrical source. What are you using as your internet source? Your phone hot spot, a "verizon" type hot spot, or your emlid sim card in the RS2+? Thanks in advance.
Great video. Question on SIM card configuration. What service provider do you use on the internal SIM card of the Reach RS2? I have had trouble getting my SIM card configured correctly.
Hi Daniel, I use Tmobile but you would want to use the carrier that provides the best coverage in your work area. For some that may be ATT, other it could be a local carrier. Hope this helps. I did a newer video that shows the multiple ways to setup RTK using the Emlid Units. There are other brands of GNSS out there that allow this as well.
Hey Tim, I recently got my Part 107 certification and I'm aiming to become a drone map pilot for my survey company. I've already purchased a Phantom 4 RTK and now I'm considering either the Emlid RS2 or RS2+. Given that I'm on a budget, which one would you recommend? Thanks!
Nice job on getting the 107! The Phantom 4RTK was a nice drone. I hope you got a great deal on it. The Mavic 3E is the work horse that replaced it. If the P4P RTK is flying well it will do the job. So for a base unit, you would want the RS2+ so that you can put a SIM card in it. You can put SIM cards in there that cost $10 per month. The RS2 is very good but it only supports 2g cellular that is long gone here in the USA. If you found a good deal on an RS2, you could just strap a hotspot to your pole and use that for internet access. A new RS2+ is $2500 on DroneMappingTools.com . You really need to use a Base AND Rover setup for the drone mapping. Your GCP's need to be shot with the same base that your Drone is using for the flight. In other words, when you occupy a control point with the RS2+ base unit, you need to use a Rover to shoot all of your GCP's and Checkpoints and that rover will be using the Emlid RS2 Base as will the P4P RTK drone when it is flying. Now all data is tied to the same base point and you should end up with rock solid data. The RS3 has lean compensation but other than that, it is identical to the RS2+. You would also have the option of getting an RS2+ for your Base unit and then getting an Emlid RX for a Rover ($1995). The only thing worth noting is that the Emlid RX is RTK only. There is no log file to do PPK processing in the event you lose RTK or do not have RTK available at all (an area where there is no cell service). I hope this helps! Holler if you have any questions.
@@DroneMappingTools Thank you for your detailed information! I’ve been thinking a lot about my equipment and how to enhance my surveying capabilities. Upgrading to the Emlid RS2+ will definitely boost the quality of my work. Pairing the RS2+ with my Phantom 4 RTK should provide a solid foundation for mapping my survey sites. Although I can't get a second Emlid RS2+ or RS3 right now due to financial constraints, I can still establish GCP using my total station or an old R8 setup as a start. As a scanner survey tech, mastering survey mapping will be a huge advantage in my career. Eventually, I’d love to move into LIDAR technology. Your insights have been incredibly helpful as I plan my next steps, and hopefully, my employer will support my next upgrade.
@@carlhenri4767 @carlhenri4767 My pleasure! Using a TS to do gcp's and checkpoints is perfectly fine. As long as all of the points are tied to the same control, all is good. If using a TS, you can mount a prism under the RS2+ and then backsite to that control point to shoot gcp's and check points. If you have multple control points set for the job site, you can just backsite to anyone of those. However, if you only have one singe R8, the problem is that it would not be using the RS2+ base unit and the points you shoot on that R8 are from an outside RTK network, not your local "on site" network. Can you achieve good results with that? It is possible. But you really need to have your entire project tied to one base unit or at least tied to the same local "on site" control network (ie multiple benchmarks set around the job site).
For scenario 2 your base and drone (controller) dont need to be on the same wifi network, right? Your base had the sim card, was your controller connected to your phones mobile hotspot?
@Rogyn987 that is correct. For scenario #2, the RTK is being provided via internet so the RS2/RS3 and the RC Controller do not need to be on the same wifi. They both just need internet and to be setup properly for the Emlid Caster service ( caster.emlid.com/app/mountpoints ). Once you login to the free Caster service, it gives you the NTRIP details for the base and the rover/controller).
@@DroneMappingTools I have a question: what is the maximum distance that can be covered for a photogrammetric survey using NTRIP Caster and local NTRIP?
@@JomarP22 When using Emlid caster, that is internet based and you can actually be a long distance from your Emlid Base unit (ie 10-20 kilometers). This requires your Emlid Base to have an internet connection (ie SIM card or Wifi device) and your Rover / Drone must also have an internet connection. However just because you could be that far does not mean you should. The closer the base the better. Now for Local NTRIP, you must be connected directly to the Emlid Base Station by wifi. So you you are limited by the wifi distance. I have used a router in the past to get about 600 feet / 180 meters. If you do not use a router, then you are limited to about 30 feet / 10 meters. Hope that helps.
I'm thinking to buy rs3. Im a bit confused with the emlid operation. Does it always need Internet to be on to do the survey/mapping Or Internet needed just for setup to NTRIP and is it needed to be setup before each mission to NTRIP? It says you need to set up NTRIP for the emlid base first (which needs Internet connection) and then to rtk to Remote control. But is this every mission or just for the first time and then I won't need the Internet to use it?
Good morning. First off if you need an RS3, visit www.DroneMappingTools.com to get a great deal and help our YT channel. Now on to your question. You do NOT need internet service to survey with the RS2 (or any Emlid unit). There are MULTIPLE ways to use RTK when doing surveys with the RS3. One of the most convenient ways is when you do have internet access (either with SIM card in the device or by using a hotspot device). If you are using your RS3 as a Rover to shoot various points in a survey and you want to use NTRIP for RTK, then yes, you must have internet connection. If you are going to use your RS3 as a Rover and you do not have internet, then you can do your survey and then do PPK processing later in the office using Emlid Studio. If you are wanting to use your RS3 as a BASE for RTK with your Drone fight, then you can use NTRIP (via internet connection) OR you can connect your drone controller DIRECTLY to the RS3 (using the RS3 hotspot) and then you do what is called "Local NTRIP". When using Local NTRIP no internet connection is needed. Very nice feature.
Good afternoon. Considering the scenario 3, what can I do if I don't have a router? what would be the alternative for connecting the drone with the local ntrip? Tnx.
Hi @larissamarques5606. The only purpose in the router is to provide extended range for you to walk around why the drone is flying. If you do not have a router, you can actually connect your Mavic 3E (or M300) controller directly to the Emlid RS2 or RS3 unit and you can do the "local ntrip" RTK that way. I did not demonstrate connecting your RC Controller directly to the RS2/RS3 but it works very nicely!
@@DroneMappingTools I thought so. Thank you for your reply. I am looking on a way of replicate this, but I gave an old TPS T10 antenna which used SurvCE as the data collector software so I am not i can do this through there. I was wondering if you'd have any insight on it. Best regards
@amarques5606I assume this is the model you have? kdgeo.cl/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/T10_DS_EN_20160524_Rev2.pdf This supports NTRIP corrections. You may have a couple of options: 1. Use an online NTRIP Caster Service. Your TPS T10 would upload corrections (output) to the Caster Service and then your Mavic 3E controller would receive those corrections. You would have to use the specified username, password, port, etc for the base AND the rover. Emlid has a free caster service at Caster.Emlid.com . 2. The document suggest you can connect to the T10 as an "access point". So you must find out if the T10 supports "local ntrip"? Local NTRIP is simply a NTRIP caster service that is running directly on the GNSS receiver and you do not have to use an online service like Caster.Emlid.com. I know nothing about the T10 so you will have to do some digging and see if this is an option. If it is, you are set and you can setup the T10 using Local NTRIP just like users can with the Emlid units. 3. If neither of the above are possible, then you could do this with an Emlid M2 and Ardusimple Antenna. You can buy the M2 for $650 at www.DroneMappingTools.com. The antenna can be purchased from mouser.com for about $150
Hi nikouer, thanks for watching. The RS2 Rover is acting as a base for the drone. So it must be stationary before the flight and stay in the same location during the flight. You should also go into the BASE SETTINGS and set the RS2 Rover "base location". In this example you would use the "AVERAGE FIX" option and I would set the time to be 3-5 minutes. In this way, the RS2 Rover is tied directly to the RS2 Base which is setup over a known control point. Now your drone which is getting corrections from the RS2 Rover is still tied to the site control point. I hope that helps.
@@DroneMappingTools so actually its just a base where previously have compute its position from another base. Because i thought, using lora radio, it could act as a repeater for the corrections from the original base. Not as GPS base just as a correction repeater. It would be useful if you want to move aware from the base and always have a visual contact with the drone, especially if you are close to obstacles.
@@nikouer So in the case where you need to move above to see the drone, you can move about freely (within 30-60 meters) when you have a very powerful Wifi router. I can move about 30 meters away but to get any further I would need a better wifi router. It is best however, to set the ROVER up in a very good place to fly from. This example was using the scenario that your BASE was occupying a control point that was a very bad place to fly from. So then you would take the Rover and set it up in a very good place to fly from. But if you still needed to move about to see the drone, you would want to have a very good WiFi router that has very good range so you can continue to receive corrections as you move around. The only other option is to have cellular service and receive corrections using the Emlid Caster service which allows you to move anywhere you need to while flying.
@@nikouer But you can also move the Rover after each flight and just update the RS2 Rover (drone base) location each time using LoRa radio. You could just not move it during the flight.
TIM YOU ARE THE MAN, THE DRONE MAPPING MAN! Thank you for your comprehensive video!
Thank you John! I am glad it was helpful.
Thanks a LOT!! I've been trying to wrap my hed around RTK for a hot minute now.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for this video, Tim! It's very informative.
I have to thank you, I had very tough times linking RS2+ and M3E!
Great video. Been looking for how to do this setup for a while.
Thanks for watching! Glad to be of help.
T,im you nailed it ! This is far better detail than even the Emlid website provided. I'm using a data only sim card from ATT utilizing the cheapest plan (2gb of data per month I believe)@ 5 bux a month and have never ran over the card limit. Making it a stand alone setup and totally goof proof.
Tim
Can you share more information on the wi-fi router you show in the video and elaborate on the benefits of using one. I assume you are using a "jackery" type portable power pack as your electrical source. What are you using as your internet source? Your phone hot spot, a "verizon" type hot spot, or your emlid sim card in the RS2+? Thanks in advance.
Thank you for making this video Tim!
Great video. Question on SIM card configuration. What service provider do you use on the internal SIM card of the Reach RS2? I have had trouble getting my SIM card configured correctly.
To clarify, the unit in question is the RS2+.
Hi Daniel, I use Tmobile but you would want to use the carrier that provides the best coverage in your work area. For some that may be ATT, other it could be a local carrier. Hope this helps. I did a newer video that shows the multiple ways to setup RTK using the Emlid Units. There are other brands of GNSS out there that allow this as well.
Hey Tim, I recently got my Part 107 certification and I'm aiming to become a drone map pilot for my survey company. I've already purchased a Phantom 4 RTK and now I'm considering either the Emlid RS2 or RS2+. Given that I'm on a budget, which one would you recommend? Thanks!
Nice job on getting the 107! The Phantom 4RTK was a nice drone. I hope you got a great deal on it. The Mavic 3E is the work horse that replaced it. If the P4P RTK is flying well it will do the job. So for a base unit, you would want the RS2+ so that you can put a SIM card in it. You can put SIM cards in there that cost $10 per month. The RS2 is very good but it only supports 2g cellular that is long gone here in the USA. If you found a good deal on an RS2, you could just strap a hotspot to your pole and use that for internet access. A new RS2+ is $2500 on DroneMappingTools.com . You really need to use a Base AND Rover setup for the drone mapping. Your GCP's need to be shot with the same base that your Drone is using for the flight. In other words, when you occupy a control point with the RS2+ base unit, you need to use a Rover to shoot all of your GCP's and Checkpoints and that rover will be using the Emlid RS2 Base as will the P4P RTK drone when it is flying. Now all data is tied to the same base point and you should end up with rock solid data. The RS3 has lean compensation but other than that, it is identical to the RS2+. You would also have the option of getting an RS2+ for your Base unit and then getting an Emlid RX for a Rover ($1995). The only thing worth noting is that the Emlid RX is RTK only. There is no log file to do PPK processing in the event you lose RTK or do not have RTK available at all (an area where there is no cell service). I hope this helps! Holler if you have any questions.
@@DroneMappingTools
Thank you for your detailed information! I’ve been thinking a lot about my equipment and how to enhance my surveying capabilities. Upgrading to the Emlid RS2+ will definitely boost the quality of my work. Pairing the RS2+ with my Phantom 4 RTK should provide a solid foundation for mapping my survey sites. Although I can't get a second Emlid RS2+ or RS3 right now due to financial constraints, I can still establish GCP using my total station or an old R8 setup as a start.
As a scanner survey tech, mastering survey mapping will be a huge advantage in my career. Eventually, I’d love to move into LIDAR technology. Your insights have been incredibly helpful as I plan my next steps, and hopefully, my employer will support my next upgrade.
@@carlhenri4767 @carlhenri4767 My pleasure! Using a TS to do gcp's and checkpoints is perfectly fine. As long as all of the points are tied to the same control, all is good. If using a TS, you can mount a prism under the RS2+ and then backsite to that control point to shoot gcp's and check points. If you have multple control points set for the job site, you can just backsite to anyone of those. However, if you only have one singe R8, the problem is that it would not be using the RS2+ base unit and the points you shoot on that R8 are from an outside RTK network, not your local "on site" network. Can you achieve good results with that? It is possible. But you really need to have your entire project tied to one base unit or at least tied to the same local "on site" control network (ie multiple benchmarks set around the job site).
Nice work!
For scenario 2 your base and drone (controller) dont need to be on the same wifi network, right? Your base had the sim card, was your controller connected to your phones mobile hotspot?
@Rogyn987 that is correct. For scenario #2, the RTK is being provided via internet so the RS2/RS3 and the RC Controller do not need to be on the same wifi. They both just need internet and to be setup properly for the Emlid Caster service ( caster.emlid.com/app/mountpoints ). Once you login to the free Caster service, it gives you the NTRIP details for the base and the rover/controller).
@@DroneMappingTools I have a question: what is the maximum distance that can be covered for a photogrammetric survey using NTRIP Caster and local NTRIP?
@@JomarP22 When using Emlid caster, that is internet based and you can actually be a long distance from your Emlid Base unit (ie 10-20 kilometers). This requires your Emlid Base to have an internet connection (ie SIM card or Wifi device) and your Rover / Drone must also have an internet connection.
However just because you could be that far does not mean you should. The closer the base the better. Now for Local NTRIP, you must be connected directly to the Emlid Base Station by wifi. So you you are limited by the wifi distance. I have used a router in the past to get about 600 feet / 180 meters. If you do not use a router, then you are limited to about 30 feet / 10 meters. Hope that helps.
@@DroneMappingTools thank you so much
Thank you for these explanations
I've tried everything I've learned here and everything I can think of to connect my RS+ to the Emlid castor but it refuses to connect. Help 😅
I'm thinking to buy rs3. Im a bit confused with the emlid operation. Does it always need Internet to be on to do the survey/mapping
Or Internet needed just for setup to NTRIP and is it needed to be setup before each mission to NTRIP? It says you need to set up NTRIP for the emlid base first (which needs Internet connection) and then to rtk to Remote control. But is this every mission or just for the first time and then I won't need the Internet to use it?
Good morning. First off if you need an RS3, visit www.DroneMappingTools.com to get a great deal and help our YT channel. Now on to your question. You do NOT need internet service to survey with the RS2 (or any Emlid unit). There are MULTIPLE ways to use RTK when doing surveys with the RS3. One of the most convenient ways is when you do have internet access (either with SIM card in the device or by using a hotspot device). If you are using your RS3 as a Rover to shoot various points in a survey and you want to use NTRIP for RTK, then yes, you must have internet connection. If you are going to use your RS3 as a Rover and you do not have internet, then you can do your survey and then do PPK processing later in the office using Emlid Studio.
If you are wanting to use your RS3 as a BASE for RTK with your Drone fight, then you can use NTRIP (via internet connection) OR you can connect your drone controller DIRECTLY to the RS3 (using the RS3 hotspot) and then you do what is called "Local NTRIP". When using Local NTRIP no internet connection is needed. Very nice feature.
Good afternoon.
Considering the scenario 3, what can I do if I don't have a router? what would be the alternative for connecting the drone with the local ntrip?
Tnx.
Hi @larissamarques5606. The only purpose in the router is to provide extended range for you to walk around why the drone is flying. If you do not have a router, you can actually connect your Mavic 3E (or M300) controller directly to the Emlid RS2 or RS3 unit and you can do the "local ntrip" RTK that way. I did not demonstrate connecting your RC Controller directly to the RS2/RS3 but it works very nicely!
@@DroneMappingTools I thought so. Thank you for your reply.
I am looking on a way of replicate this, but I gave an old TPS T10 antenna which used SurvCE as the data collector software so I am not i can do this through there.
I was wondering if you'd have any insight on it.
Best regards
@amarques5606I assume this is the model you have? kdgeo.cl/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/T10_DS_EN_20160524_Rev2.pdf
This supports NTRIP corrections. You may have a couple of options:
1. Use an online NTRIP Caster Service. Your TPS T10 would upload corrections (output) to the Caster Service and then your Mavic 3E controller would receive those corrections. You would have to use the specified username, password, port, etc for the base AND the rover. Emlid has a free caster service at Caster.Emlid.com .
2. The document suggest you can connect to the T10 as an "access point". So you must find out if the T10 supports "local ntrip"? Local NTRIP is simply a NTRIP caster service that is running directly on the GNSS receiver and you do not have to use an online service like Caster.Emlid.com. I know nothing about the T10 so you will have to do some digging and see if this is an option. If it is, you are set and you can setup the T10 using Local NTRIP just like users can with the Emlid units.
3. If neither of the above are possible, then you could do this with an Emlid M2 and Ardusimple Antenna. You can buy the M2 for $650 at www.DroneMappingTools.com. The antenna can be purchased from mouser.com for about $150
In the last scenario, are you able to move the rover while the drone is flying or it should stay in a static position?
Hi nikouer, thanks for watching. The RS2 Rover is acting as a base for the drone. So it must be stationary before the flight and stay in the same location during the flight. You should also go into the BASE SETTINGS and set the RS2 Rover "base location". In this example you would use the "AVERAGE FIX" option and I would set the time to be 3-5 minutes. In this way, the RS2 Rover is tied directly to the RS2 Base which is setup over a known control point. Now your drone which is getting corrections from the RS2 Rover is still tied to the site control point. I hope that helps.
@@DroneMappingTools so actually its just a base where previously have compute its position from another base. Because i thought, using lora radio, it could act as a repeater for the corrections from the original base. Not as GPS base just as a correction repeater. It would be useful if you want to move aware from the base and always have a visual contact with the drone, especially if you are close to obstacles.
@@nikouer So in the case where you need to move above to see the drone, you can move about freely (within 30-60 meters) when you have a very powerful Wifi router. I can move about 30 meters away but to get any further I would need a better wifi router. It is best however, to set the ROVER up in a very good place to fly from. This example was using the scenario that your BASE was occupying a control point that was a very bad place to fly from. So then you would take the Rover and set it up in a very good place to fly from. But if you still needed to move about to see the drone, you would want to have a very good WiFi router that has very good range so you can continue to receive corrections as you move around. The only other option is to have cellular service and receive corrections using the Emlid Caster service which allows you to move anywhere you need to while flying.
@@nikouer But you can also move the Rover after each flight and just update the RS2 Rover (drone base) location each time using LoRa radio. You could just not move it during the flight.