I work for a trails non-profit and we use GPS a lot to record data on trails and plan new trails. Thanks Sparkfun for making some of these advanced GPS technologies more financially accessible. I’ve been using an old bad elf GPS pro for a long time, it works better than my phone GPS but not great. Recently met someone who has a facet, didn’t realize there were better options in my budget and have been trying to learn what my options are for getting better position data. We don’t usually need RTK level accuracy (but sometimes it would be useful) but would love the highest performance possible under thick canopy and other challenging GPS conditions (tall redwoods, deep canyons, etc.). Typically sub meter accuracy would be sufficient for most of our work but if I could collect a GPS track in the forest and not have it look like my 3 year old scribbled all over my map, and if I stood still and averaged data for awhile I could be pretty confident in my position within a couple of feet I would be happy.
I saw sparkfun has a new antenna that receives L5 band. My understanding is the L5 band improves performance under trees. Will the RTK surveyor/express be able to take advantage of that additional channel? Does the L-Band Facet use L5 signal, I see it has a different antenna? I’d prefer something in the facet enclosure that is integrated and has the bigger battery. Trying to figure out what my best option is.
Will the RTK surveyor/express be able to take advantage of that additional channel? Does the L-Band Facet use L5 signal, I see it has a different antenna?
Currently SparkFun does not have a receiver that is L5 capable (ok, there is a ZED-F9T variant but that’s not what you’re asking for). We will be offering an L1/L2/L5 capable RTK product line just as soon as u-blox can offer a tri-band capable GNSS receiver. There is no timeline from u-blox, so for now, consider the RTK line to be L1/L2.
@sparky glad to hear this! I admit to checking the ublox website every few months looking for info on an L1/L2/L5 chip from them.
L5 and support for the new L1C signal (not to be confused with L1C/A signal) would be the holy grail for a Sparkfun device! These new signals transmit at a higher power than the older signals.
The Galileo constellation is also implementing a free high-accuracy service (reportedly 20cm) which eventually might obviate the need for RTK or Atlas (eg) for a lot of users.
@DPscmts , I’ve done a lot of trail work in deep canopy, formerly with a Bad Elf Surveyor, and I hear what you’re saying. For existing established well-used trails, I’ve gotten good results for mapping with the Strava Heat Map, as it often provides an average of 100s of GPS tracks by trail users. In the past I’ve also gotten good single location coordinates by post-processing raw data logged by the Bad Elf Surveyor (a L1-only device with a ublox chip).
The Sparkfun devices are much more capable than the Bad Elf Surveyor. L1/L2, more features, frequent firmware upgrades, and better support. Bad Elf has a new product now, but the SparkFun Facets match my needs better and are at a great price point.
In challenging conditions, you might also consider using a pair of Facets in RTK configuration, with the base setup close to where you are working. Short baselines (eg 1000’ or less) from the base to rover can help improve accuracy in the woods. Getting the base in a little clearing helps. Working when the leaves are off the trees helps. Conifers are challenging year-round. Canyons and even hollows can be tough, as the sky view is diminished significantly.
I hear you about the canopy challenges. I’m currently under a time deadline to get a bit of work done before the trees leaf out here in the northeast US.