What is the difference between RTK and VRS in British Columbia?

RTK is the general technique of transmitting satellite corrections to a mobile receiver in seconds. VRS is a more advanced network-based approach that uses data from multiple reference stations to calculate a localized correction specifically for your coordinates. In BC's varied terrain, VRS is often preferred because it models and removes distance-dependent errors. It ensures your accuracy remains consistent regardless of your distance from a physical station.

Can I achieve centimetre accuracy without a private base station in BC?

Absolutely. By leveraging real-time positioning corrections BC professionals can reach centimetre-level precision using only a single rover and a network subscription. This removes the need to buy, transport, and secure a private base station. You simply receive the necessary data stream over the internet, allowing for more efficient field workflows and reduced equipment costs. It's a sophisticated upgrade that replaces the logistical headache of hardware ownership with a reliable data stream.

What hardware do I need to use real-time positioning corrections?

You require a GNSS receiver capable of processing NTRIP and RTCM 3.x data streams. Your data collector also requires a reliable cellular internet connection, either through an internal SIM card or a mobile hotspot. Because the network is hardware-agnostic, it works seamlessly with major brands like Leica, Trimble, and Topcon. This ensures your current equipment performs at its maximum potential without needing brand-specific correction services.

Does WizNET support all GNSS constellations like Galileo and BeiDou?

Yes, the network provides comprehensive multi-constellation support for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou. Utilizing all available constellations is the modern standard for BC surveyors. It doubles or triples your available satellite count, which significantly improves your ability to maintain a fixed solution in urban canyons or under dense forest canopy. This redundancy is essential for maintaining high-precision results in challenging Pacific Northwest environments.

How do I handle poor cellular coverage in remote BC areas when using a network?

For projects in remote regions, you can boost your link by using high-gain cellular antennas or portable satellite internet terminals. This hardware helps maintain the stable connection required for NTRIP data delivery. As BC's 5G and LTE infrastructure expands, the number of areas where you can't access real-time corrections continues to shrink. Most professional surveyors find that cellular coverage is now sufficient for the vast majority of project sites.

Is a network RTK subscription better than buying a second GNSS receiver?

A subscription is generally the more strategic choice for modern firms. It eliminates the high capital cost of a second receiver and the daily logistical burden of base station setup and security. You also benefit from the network's inherent redundancy. If one station goes offline, the system automatically draws data from others to keep you working, providing a level of reliability that a single private base cannot match.

What accuracy can I expect from real-time corrections in Vancouver or Victoria?

In major centres like Vancouver or Victoria, you can expect horizontal precision of 1-2 centimetres and vertical precision of 2-3 centimetres. Reliable real-time positioning corrections BC networks account for the specific atmospheric conditions of the coast. This ensures that your measurements remain stable even when working near large structures that might otherwise cause signal interference. You get the high-precision results required for engineering surveys without the instability of autonomous GPS.

How do I sign up for a WizNET VRS subscription in British Columbia?

Signing up is a straightforward process that begins by visiting the WizNET website to choose a subscription level that suits your project volume. After selecting a plan, you'll receive the necessary IP address, port, and login credentials. You can then enter these into your rover's software to start receiving professional-grade corrections immediately. This streamlined approach gets your crew into the field with centimetre-level precision in minimal time.

RTK Under Forest Canopy: Getting a Fix on Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is one of the hardest places in Canada to run RTK. Tall second-growth Douglas-fir, cedar and hemlock, steep slopes and long stretches of wet weather all work against a clean satellite signal. Yet much of the work here happens exactly in those conditions: forestry roads, cut blocks, utility corridors and residential lots full of big trees.

This guide explains why tree canopy makes RTK difficult and the field tactics that help you get, and keep, a reliable fix under trees with WizNET.

Key Takeaways

Canopy weakens and reflects satellite signals, so the receiver has fewer clean measurements to fix with.
Tracking GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou gives you more satellites to work with through gaps in the trees.
Small changes help: a taller pole, a few metres’ move to a gap, more time on the point, and planning around satellite geometry.
When GNSS cannot hold a fix, set control in the open and finish under canopy with a total station.
Always check a known point after working in heavy cover.

Why Trees Make RTK Hard

RTK needs clean carrier-phase measurements from many satellites at once. Under canopy, three things go wrong:

Attenuation: trunks, branches and needles weaken the signal. Wet foliage weakens it further, which is why the same spot can behave differently on a dry and a rainy day.
Blockage: large trees hide whole parts of the sky, leaving satellites bunched in a few gaps. Poor geometry makes the solution weak.
Multipath: signals bounce off trunks and the ground before reaching the antenna, adding errors that can stop a fix or, worse, produce a wrong one.

The result is a rover that takes longer to fix, drops to Float as you move, or reports a fix that does not check on a known point.

RTK under forest canopy on Vancouver Island: blocked and reflected signals versus a clear gap, with field tactics

Field Tactics That Work

Track every constellation

More satellites mean more chances that enough of them line up with gaps in the canopy. WizNET supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. Make sure all four are enabled on your receiver and that the elevation mask is not set higher than it needs to be.

Find the best spot, not the exact spot

Moving a few metres into a gap can turn Float into Fixed. If the point itself is under heavy cover, shoot nearby in the open and measure an offset, or use a receiver with tilt compensation to reach into the gap while the pole leans.

Raise the antenna

A taller pole lifts the antenna above understory brush and low branches, opening more of the sky. Remember to enter the correct antenna height.

Give it time

Under trees, a fix can take noticeably longer than in the open. Hold the pole still and level, and use longer averaging on critical points.

Plan around satellite geometry

Satellite positions change through the day. A spot that will not fix at 10 a.m. may fix easily an hour later. GNSS planning tools show when the most satellites will be above your site.

Watch the data connection

Forested valleys often have weak cell coverage. If the correction age keeps climbing, the problem is the connection, not the trees. Our guide on RTK Float vs Fixed has a full troubleshooting checklist.

When to Switch to a Total Station

Some spots will never give a reliable GNSS fix: deep in old-growth, against a cliff, or under dense second growth on a north slope. In those cases, the usual approach is a hybrid workflow:

Set two or more control points with RTK in nearby openings, where the fix is solid and checks well.
Set up a total station on those points.
Measure the points under canopy conventionally.

This keeps everything on the same coordinate system while using each tool where it works best.

Checking Your Results

Heavy multipath can occasionally produce a fix that is wrong. After working under canopy, and after any long loss of fix, re-observe a known point or re-shoot a point you measured earlier. If the two do not agree within your tolerance, re-initialize and measure again.

WizNET on Vancouver Island

WizNET has reference stations from Victoria up the east coast to Campbell River and out to the West Coast, as well as on the Sunshine Coast, in the Sea to Sky corridor, Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Merritt and the Okanagan. See the coverage map for station locations.

New to WizNET? Our setup guides for Emlid Reach and Topcon get you connected, and plans are available monthly or annually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can RTK work under forest canopy?

Often, yes, especially with all four constellations tracked and a little patience. Under very dense cover, a hybrid GNSS and total station workflow is more reliable.

Why is my fix worse when it rains?

Wet foliage weakens satellite signals more than dry foliage, so the receiver has less to work with.

Does a taller pole really help?

It can. Lifting the antenna above brush and low branches opens up more sky.

How do I know a fix under trees is right?

Check a known point or re-measure a point you shot earlier. If they agree within tolerance, the fix is good.