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Leica GS18 / GS16

The Leica GS18 T, GS16, and GS07 are professional survey-grade GNSS receivers by Leica Geosystems (Hexagon). The GS18 T is the flagship model featuring calibration-free tilt compensation — measure without leveling the pole. These receivers are configured through Leica Captivate software running on a CS20 or CS35 controller. The GS07 can also be configured via the Leica Captivate app on a smartphone.

Requirements

  • Leica GS18 T, GS16, or GS07 powered on with clear sky visibility

  • Leica Captivate on a CS20 or CS35 controller (or Captivate app for GS07)

  • Internet connection via phone hotspot over Bluetooth, USB tethering, or controller SIM card

  • RTKdata.com account with active RTK credentials (username starting with rtk and password from your RTK dashboard)

  • Survey pole with Leica adapter

Don't have an RTKdata.com account yet? Start 30-day Free Trial or View Pricing

Step-by-step setup

1

Set up internet connection

  1. On the CS20/CS35 controller, go to Settings → Connections → Internet connections.

  2. Tap New to create a new internet profile.

  3. Select Bluetooth (for phone hotspot) or USB (for USB tethering).

  4. If using Bluetooth, pair your phone with the controller first under Settings → Connections → Bluetooth.

  5. Enable your phone's mobile hotspot and confirm the controller shows "Internet connected."

The controller must have an active internet connection before RTK corrections will work. If you see "No internet," verify your phone's hotspot is active and Bluetooth is paired.

2

Create an RTK rover profile

  1. Go to Settings → RTK Rover → RTK Network profile.

  2. Tap New to create a new profile.

  3. Name it RTKdata.

  4. Set Network type to Direct IP or NTRIP.

3

Enter RTKdata.com NTRIP settings

Fill in the connection fields. Select the tab for your region:

  • Host (domain): rtk.rtkdata.com

  • Host (IP fallback): 13.56.117.10

  • Port: 2101

  • Username / Password: From RTK Credentials in the internal dashboard (not website login)

  • Mountpoint (ALL CAPS): AUTO

Type AUTO manually in all capital letters. Do not browse the mountpoint table — Leica Captivate may time out or return an empty list if the source table is large.

4

Configure GGA position sending

  1. In the RTK profile settings, ensure Send GGA position is set to On or Automatic.

  2. This sends your approximate position to RTKdata so the correct base station corrections are generated for your location.

5

Start the RTK survey

  1. Tap Survey → Start from the main menu.

  2. Select the RTKdata RTK profile you created.

  3. Captivate connects to the internet, then to the NTRIP caster.

  4. Watch the solution status in the status bar: Navigated → Float → Fixed.

  5. Once Fixed, you are ready to collect points, stake out, or run your survey workflow.

GS18 T tilt compensation

The GS18 T features calibration-free tilt compensation using an integrated IMU. Once RTK Fix is achieved, tilt compensation activates automatically — no initialization routine required. You can measure with the pole tilted up to 30 degrees. The controller displays a tilt icon and the compensated position in real time.

Vertical reference (heights)

Heights from RTKdata.com are ellipsoidal, not orthometric (mean sea level). Configure a geoid model in Leica Captivate under Settings → Coordinate system → Height mode if your project requires orthometric heights.

Troubleshooting

Problem
Cause
Fix

"No internet connection"

Phone hotspot not paired or inactive

Verify Bluetooth pairing between controller and phone. Restart the phone's hotspot.

Empty mountpoint list

Source table timeout or wrong host

Do not browse — type AUTO manually in all caps. Verify the host address is correct.

Wrong network type selected

"Network RTK" instead of Direct IP/NTRIP

Edit the RTK profile and change the network type. RTKdata is a standard NTRIP caster.

Stuck on Float

Poor sky conditions or far from base

Move to open sky. Check RTKdata base coverage at rtkdata.com.

Credentials rejected

Using website login instead of RTK credentials

Use the username (starting with rtk) and password from your RTK dashboard, not your website account.

Tips and tricks

  • Bluetooth internet is the most common setup — pair your phone once and it auto-reconnects on future surveys.

  • Save the RTK profile so your entire crew can load it on their controllers without re-entering settings.

  • GS07 users can configure NTRIP directly in the Leica Captivate app on Android, using the same settings above.

  • Check "Correction age" on the Captivate status bar. Values above 5 seconds indicate an unstable internet link.

  • For Leica iCON construction receivers, the same NTRIP settings apply — configure them in iCON field software.

  • Keep firmware updated via Leica myWorld to benefit from the latest constellation support and RTK improvements.

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