COMPARISON OF RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE PRECISION OF OHIO’S WIDE AREA GPS NETWORK INCLUDING THE COMPARISON WITH ALTERNATIVE METHODS

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2005-08

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The Ohio State University

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Wide Area RTK (Real Time Kinematic) networks have proven successful in the modeling of errors that limit traditional RTK techniques. Although the technologies of existing Wide Area RTK networks are similar, each network exhibits unique characteristics based on local environmental variables. These local environmental variables consist of factors unique to the network design, such as reference station placement, distance between reference stations, local gravity anomalies and multipath at the reference stations. Ohio maintains 52 Continually Operating Reference Stations (CORS) that make up the basis for a Wide Area RTK network. This study is intended to show that the current Wide Area RTK network in Ohio is comparable in precision and accuracy to a post processed kinematic solution. To accomplish this task a rover was placed 140 meters away from a CORS station that lies within the Ohio network. The data was then collected and processed, revealing that the Wide Area RTK solution matched the alternative solution. This baseline distance was chosen carefully to form a base study for future experiments. The strength of the Wide Area RTK solution is to allow increased baseline length between the rover and the base station while maintaining centimeter level precision. The current site was chosen to examine how the effects of local rover environmental variables such as multipath affect the two solution types. The results of this test prove that both solution algorithms are affected by multipath in a similar manor. This test also points out key advantages and disadvantages of a Wide Area RTK solution. These results will allow future tests to be conducted on the Ohio network with increased confidence.

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Virtual Reference Station

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