Set up your own RTK base

Do you even need one?

A base is a GPSGPSThe US satellite navigation system. People often use "GPS" to mean all satellite positioning.Full definition receiver that sits still on a known spot and sends fixes to your roverRoverThe receiver that moves around the job, like a survey pole or a drone. It uses the base's corrections to find its exact spot.Full definition. You need one when no network station is close enough or the network costs more than a base. NOAANOAANational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The US agency that includes NGS and runs the CORS network.Full definition's rule of thumb, used across this site, is to stay within about 12 miles of the station you use. Emlid says internet bases (NTRIPNTRIPThe standard way RTK corrections are sent over the internet. Think of it as internet radio for correction data.Full definition) should generally stay under 60 km (about 37 miles), and shorter is better.

Pick a path

Path A: Emlid Reach

Survey base

Base only. You still need a rover.

Drone base

Emlid says the RS4 drone kit works with RTK or PPKPPKPost-processed kinematic. Like RTK, but the corrections are applied after the job using recorded data, so no live link is needed.Full definition drones that take NTRIP correctionsCorrectionsLive info from a base station about how far off the satellite signals are, so your rover can cancel out the error.Full definition in RTCM3.

Steps (Emlid Flow app)

1. Set the tripod in an open spot with a clear view of the sky, away from power lines and radio towers. Level it carefully.
2. Connect to the base in Emlid Flow. Under GNSSGNSSGlobal Navigation Satellite System. The general name for GPS (USA) and the other satellite systems like GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou.Full definition settings pick all satellite systems.
3. Choose how corrections reach the rover. LoRa: base output = LoRa, pick a frequency allowed where you work. Emlid Caster: sign up free at caster.emlid.com, turn on a mount pointMount pointOne specific correction stream on a caster, like one channel on a radio. Each one comes from a certain station or network setup.Full definition and enter its address, portPortA number that tells your device which "door" on the caster server to use. For NTRIP it's often 2101.Full definition, password and mount point as the base's NTRIP output.
4. Under Base settings > Configure, pick how the base learns its spot. Average SINGLESingleNo corrections at all. Your position could be off by 10 feet or more.Full definition is fast, but the base only knows its spot roughly, so your points line up with each other but not with true map coordinates. Average FIXFixThe best RTK status. The receiver has finished its math and your position is good to about an inch.Full definition (the base listens to a network first) or manual entry over a known point gives true centimeter results.
5. Measure the antenna heightAntenna heightThe straight-up distance from the ground mark to the antenna's reference point. Getting it wrong shifts every height you measure.Full definition from the mark to the bottom of the receiver and enter it. Do not bump the base while it averages.
6. Set the rover to the same LoRa settings or the same Emlid Caster mount point, and use the same coordinate system as the base.

Path B: SparkFun RTK (u-blox / Quectel based)

DIY Postcard base

Bare board. Plain links, prices before tax and shipping.

RTK EVK fixed base

Comes with antenna, cable and power. Best bolted in one place.

Want one unit that can be a base today and a rover tomorrow? SparkFun also sells the RTK Facet ($739.95) and RTK Torch ($2,149.95). Both run the same RTK Everywhere firmware.

Steps (RTK Everywhere firmware)

1. Mount the antenna with a clear sky view. On a roof or pole for a fixed base, or on the tripod for a field base.
2. Open the Base menu. Pick Survey-In (takes about 60 seconds, less accurate) or Fixed (you type in the antenna's exact spot; much more accurate).
3. For a Fixed base, SparkFun suggests logging raw satellite data for a few hours and processing it with PPP to get the exact spot. NOAA's free OPUSOPUSOnline Positioning User Service. A free NOAA website: upload a GPS file and it emails back the precise position of that spot.Full definition service is another option (Emlid lists it too). Save it under Commonly Used Coordinates.
4. Turn on NTRIP Server. Enter your WiFi name and password, the caster (for example rtk2go.com, port 2101), your mount point and its password. The firmware can push to up to 4 casters at once.
5. Switch the unit to Base mode. It reconnects on its own if WiFi or the caster drops.
6. Flying a drone that wants a nearby WiFi base? Base Cast mode turns on base, caster, port 2101 and a WiFi hotspot at 192.168.4.1 in one step.

Path C: Share it free with RTK2go

1. Register your base first at rtk2go.com (it is free). They need a real email so they can tell you if your base stops working. You get a mount point and a password.
2. Point your base's NTRIP Server at rtk2go.com, port 2101, with that mount point and password.
3. On each rover, use caster rtk2go.com, port 2101, your mount point, your email as the user name and none as the password. If the rover can't type @, use -at- (and -d- for a dot).
4. Never post your base password. Rovers only need your email and none.

Another free option: Centipede RTK. You can also share your base on Centipede RTK, a free volunteer network that wants new hosts. Its docs walk you through RTKBase, free base software for a Raspberry Pi. Each base helps people within about 6 miles. How to host a Centipede base.

Prices, links and sources

Prices are list prices from the linked store pages, checked Oct 28, 2026, before tax and shipping. They change, so check before you buy. FindRTK has no affiliate links here. These are plain links and we earn nothing from them.

• RTK2go home page (free caster rules and login)Source
• SparkFun RTK Everywhere manual: Base menu (Survey-In, Fixed, NTRIP Server)Source
• Emlid: RTK setups overview (LoRa, Emlid Caster, 60 km NTRIP limit)Source
• Emlid: RTK over LoRa radio (Reach RS3)Source
• Emlid: RTK over Emlid NTRIP CasterSource
• Emlid: Averaging base position in FIXSource
• Emlid: Base setup contents (OPUS, AUSPOS, known points)Source
• Emlid Reach RS3 store pageSource
• Emlid Reach RS4 Drone Base Station Kit (RS4, tripod, tribrach, pole, case, antennas) store pageSource
• Emlid Seco aluminum tripod store pageSource
• SparkFun RTK Postcard (Quectel LG290P, WiFi/Bluetooth) store pageSource
• SparkFun L1/L2/L5 surveying antenna (SPK6618H) store pageSource
• SMA to TNC antenna cable, 10 m (about 33 ft) store pageSource
• SparkFun RTK EVK (cased receiver, surveying antenna, 10 m cable, power supply) store pageSource
• SparkFun RTK Facet store pageSource
• SparkFun RTK Torch store pageSource