The previous section focused on the economic advantages of using a RTK Network as an alternative to setting up your own reference station.

This section focuses on evaluating three different Network RTK methods, MAX, i-MAX and Virtual Reference Station. There are significant differences between these methods and therefore different quality RTK solutions are achieved.

In the previous section we described the role of a Network RTK server – to collect satellite observations from many reference stations and send RTK corrections to the rover (Fig. 1).

A Network RTK Service Provider, who sells user subscriptions, manages the Network RTK server.

The Service Provider chooses the Network RTK method the server will use. Therefore, this choice will ultimately influence the quality of RTK solution that can be achieved at the rover.

This Section identifies MAX (as based on the only standard for network RTK, RTCM V3.1

Master Auxiliary Concept - MAC) as the best Network RTK method available in the market today and explains why a user should request MAX corrections from their Network RTK Service Provider.

The next Section will analyze real data to show that by combining MAX and SmartRTK (released in SmartWorx version 5.5 September 2007) a user has the best RTK solution available in the market.