Choice of product: Kit vs Surveyor (No-kit) - Functionality Sparkfun GNSS

Kits
1

We are looking for a device using RTK and have seen both the Sparkfun RTK Express (GPS-18442) and the Surveyor (GPS-18443).

We will be using the device to map historical sites (like burial grounds) where centimetre accuracy is necessary.

We already have experience using SW Maps Software in a pilot project with a borrowed RTK GNSS but now we want to purchase our own. In Germany we can easily access BKG Base Stations via a mobile Internet connection.

  1. Have we correctly understood that in this situation, the only hardware we would need would be the either the Express or Surveyor and an antenna?

  2. Are we correct that the only significant differences between the Express and Surveyor are:

a. Battery

b. Flash storage capacity

c. microSD Socket (on Surveyor)?

About the antenna:

  1. Can we attach the Helical Antenna SMA (GPS-23847) directly to either one of these devices, that is without a cable? If this is not possible, is there a type of (screw-on) extension we could purchase to then attach this antenna to the device?

Ordering:

  1. Can you ship to Germany?

Thank you in advance for your reply.

With my best regards,

Robert Danziger (Mannheim)

2

1 - yes, as long as the correction source is within ~10km (otherwise using a 2nd unit as a base is an option)

2

a yes, 300maH more

b yes

c no, both have SD slot

  1. yes; also https://www.sparkfun.com/products/22035

1 Yes

3

Thank you so much for the response.

Just for me to be sure: (Apologies: I am not an geo-engineer …)

Our real-use case with a device we have now only on loan – not a SparkFun product – is as follows. (We have employed this configuration already to collect data on one historical site.)

A mobile phone running SW Maps, (project template, etc.) configured:

Bluetooth GNSS: Sparkfun RTK or u-blox-RTK (both work)

NTRIP Connection: euiref-ip.net (to the Karlsruhe Germany station about 65km form here)

Note: In the middle of a city, we are getting accuracy at about 20mm.

…

In your reply you wrote, “as long as the correction source is within ca. 10km.”

==> Am I correct in assuming that the the “connection source” you refer to is the mobile phone (Bluetooth) running SWMaps (which is in this case not further than 3-5meters away)?

Thanks again.

Robert :slight_smile: