What is the accuracy difference between Fixed and Float RTK?

Fixed RTK typically delivers ±8 mm horizontal and ±15 mm vertical accuracy. Float RTK carries ±300–1000 mm of positioning error depending on baseline length and atmospheric conditions.

Why does my RTK show Fixed but coordinates are still wrong?

Common causes are a datum mismatch (wrong coordinate system), an incorrect geoid model applied to elevation, or an antenna height entry error.

How do I know if multipath is affecting my survey?

Multipath typically shows as unstable repeated measurements — the same physical point measured three times gives results differing by 20–50 mm rather than the expected ±8 mm.

Can I survey during ionospheric storms?

RTK accuracy degrades during geomagnetic storms (Kp index above 5). For precision engineering or cadastral surveys, postpone sessions until the Kp index drops below 3.

What is the maximum reliable CORS baseline for centimetre accuracy?

Most CORS networks guarantee ±10–20 mm horizontal accuracy within 50 km of the nearest reference station. Beyond 70 km, deploy a self‑deployed base station within 15 km of the survey area.

GIS & Field Data Collection Equipment | APEKS GNSS

2026-06-03

GIS & Field Data Collection

210 g

APS1 Handheld Weight

1408ch

Full-Constellation Tracking

IP67

Dust and Waterproof Rating

Android

Open Platform

GIS and field data collection covers the widest range of applications in the survey industry — from utility asset inventory across a city to agricultural land demarcation across thousands of hectares. The common requirement is efficiency: large volumes of points, attributes, and photos collected by non-specialist field staff, feeding directly into GIS platforms without office re-processing. APEKS provides three purpose-built tools for this workflow: the APS1 ultra-lightweight handheld RTK, the TS8i Pro rugged Android tablet with built-in GNSS, and the CS5i Pro rugged data controller.

The Core Challenges in GIS & Field Data Collection

NON-SPECIALIST STAFF CANNOT OPERATE COMPLEX RTK EQUIPMENT

Symptom: GIS field teams — municipal inspectors, utility technicians, agricultural extension officers — are not trained surveyors. A full RTK rover with tribrach, tripod, base station, and field controller takes 20–30 minutes to set up and requires significant training. Field staff avoid using it, default to phone GPS at 5-metre accuracy, and the resulting GIS data is unusable for planning or asset management.

Cause: Professional RTK equipment is designed for surveyors. The setup complexity, antenna height measurement, coordinate system configuration, and NTRIP connection steps create a barrier for non-specialist users who need sub-metre to centimetre accuracy but not a full survey workflow.

Fix: The APS1 handheld RTK weighs 210g, connects to CORS via built-in 4G, and achieves Fixed RTK solution within seconds — the operator simply walks to the asset, points the device, and records. No tripod, no base station, no antenna height measurement. The Bluetooth-connected CS5i Pro controller runs ApekSurv with simplified GIS collection mode, allowing field staff to record position, attributes, and photos in a single tap workflow. Sub-metre to centimetre accuracy, accessible to any Android user.

LARGE AREA COVERAGE REQUIRES FAST, CONTINUOUS DATA CAPTURE

Symptom: A utility company needs to inventory 10,000 poles across a city. A municipality needs to map every road surface feature in a district. An agriculture department needs to demarcate 50,000 parcels across a province. Standard RTK rovers are fast for survey use, but field teams walking asset-by-asset across these scales face days of fieldwork that stretches into weeks.

Cause: Traditional RTK data collection requires the operator to stop, wait for Fixed solution, level the pole, and confirm each point individually. On high-volume GIS collection where accuracy tolerance is 0.1–0.5 metres rather than 8mm, this precision overhead is unnecessary and slows the team significantly.

Fix: APS1's 60° IMU allows continuous walking collection — the operator does not stop to level. The TS8i Pro tablet with built-in GNSS allows the operator to drive or walk a route while collecting asset positions continuously, reducing days of fieldwork to hours on linear infrastructure (roads, pipelines, power lines). ApekSurv supports configurable accuracy thresholds — operators can set a 0.1m or 0.3m threshold for GIS collection rather than waiting for the 8mm RTK Fixed ceiling.

DATA COMPATIBILITY WITH GIS PLATFORMS

Symptom: Field teams collect data using one device, then spend hours in the office converting formats, re-projecting coordinate systems, and manually importing into GIS software. Errors are introduced at each conversion step. Project managers cannot see field progress until the end of the day when the data is processed.

Cause: Many survey instruments output proprietary formats that require desktop software conversion before they can be imported into ArcGIS, QGIS, or other GIS platforms. Field data and office software are not connected in real time.

Fix: APEKS Android-based devices (TS8i Pro, CS5i Pro) run on open Android platform, allowing direct output to standard GIS formats (CSV, SHP, DXF, KMZ) from ApekSurv without desktop conversion. The TS8i Pro's 4G connectivity supports real-time data upload to cloud GIS platforms during field collection — project managers see incoming data as it is recorded.

APEKS Solution for GIS & Field Data Collection

Handheld rapid collection (APS1): APS1 connects to national CORS via built-in 4G for NTRIP RTK in under 30 seconds. 210g — lighter than most smartphones with a case. IP67 rated for rain, mud, and field conditions. 60° IMU for tilt-tolerant collection without pole levelling. 8+ hour battery for a full day of field operations without recharging. Outputs standard formats directly from the device. Ideal for utility asset mapping, land parcel demarcation, environmental boundary surveys, and cadastral support work where one operator covers large distances alone.

Tablet-based GIS collection (TS8i Pro): The TS8i Pro integrates a 1408-channel GNSS receiver directly into a rugged 8-inch Android 13 tablet — eliminating the separate controller and receiver setup entirely. The operator carries one device. Built-in 4G for NTRIP, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 5G option. 10-hour battery. IP67. Ideal for vehicle-mounted asset surveys, utility corridor inspection, and any workflow where a larger screen improves attribute data entry.

Controller-based workflow (CS5i Pro): For teams that need to pair a dedicated controller with a separate GNSS receiver for higher-accuracy work, the CS5i Pro runs full ApekSurv on a rugged Android controller. Pairs with any APEKS receiver via Bluetooth. Supports both GIS collection mode and full survey mode — the same controller works for casual GIS pickup and precision RTK stakeout on the same site.

Recommended Equipment for GIS & Field Data Collection

Instrument	Type	Key Specification	Best For
APS1 Handheld RTK	Handheld GNSS	1408ch, 60° IMU, 210g, IP67, 4G NTRIP, 8h battery	Rapid single-operator asset mapping, parcel demarcation, environmental boundary survey
TS8i Pro	Rugged GNSS Tablet	8" Android 13, built-in 1408ch GNSS, 4G, IP67, 10h battery	Vehicle-mounted corridor survey, utility inspection, large-screen attribute entry
CS5i Pro	Rugged Data Controller	Android 13, 5.7" screen, Bluetooth GNSS pairing, 4G, IP67, 12h battery	Paired controller for any APEKS receiver, GIS and survey workflow
AP20 / APS1 paired	RTK + Handheld combo	AP20 rover as correction source via UHF for remote areas without CORS	Remote area GIS where CORS is unavailable — AP20 base broadcasts to APS1 rover

All devices run ApekSurv on Android. Data exports directly to CSV, SHP, DXF, and KMZ — no desktop conversion required. Compatible with ArcGIS, QGIS, and major cloud GIS platforms.

SUB-METRE TO CENTIMETRE GIS. ONE-PERSON OPERATION.

APEKS handheld and tablet GNSS tools bring RTK accuracy to non-specialist field teams — lightweight, Android-based, CORS-connected, and compatible with all major GIS platforms.

View APEKS Controllers & Tablets →