Troubleshooting & FAQ

Solve common connection issues, fix coordinate shifts, and resolve DJI specific warnings. This guide is distilled from thousands of real flight logs and support tickets.

The "First Aid" Checklist (Start Here)

Before diving deep, check these 4 common pitfalls. 90% of issues are solved here.

  1. Credentials: Are you using the Device Credentials from the Dashboard? (Do not use your website email/password).

  2. Mountpoint: Did you type AUTO in ALL CAPS? (It is case-sensitive. "auto" will fail).

  3. Open Sky: Is your drone/rover outdoors? (You cannot receive corrections indoors because you cannot send a GGA position).

  4. NMEA GGA: Is your device sending its position to us? (See Section 1 below).


1. Connection Issues: "Connected but no data"

Symptom: "Waiting for Base" / "No Corrections"

You are logged in ("Source Table" loads), but the correction data stream never starts. Throughput is 0 kb/s.

Solution: Enable NMEA GGA Transmission

The Cause: RTKdata uses intelligent Network RTK logic. To connect you to the correct Base Station (usually the nearest one) or calculate a Virtual Reference (VRS), the system needs to know where you are. If your device does not send its position (NMEA GGA message) to us, the caster cannot assign a base station, and you receive no data.

The Fix:

  1. Go Outside: Ensure your drone/rover has a "Single" or "Autonomous" GPS fix (at least 5-6 satellites).

  2. Check Settings:

    • DJI: Happens automatically once the drone has a fix. Do not test indoors.

    • Emlid/Rover: Look for "Send GGA to Ntrip Caster" or "Transmit NMEA". Turn it ON.

    • Lefebure/Apps: Enable "Transmit GGA" (Interval 5s or 10s).

  3. Reconnect: Once you have satellite lock, restart the NTRIP connection.

Symptom: "Invalid Password" / "Auth Failed"

The connection is rejected immediately.

Solution: Credential Check

The Cause: Usually a mix-up between the RTKdata.com website login and the specific NTRIP Device credentials.

The Fix:

  1. Go to your RTKdata Dashboard.

  2. Look for the box labeled "NTRIP Credentials".

  3. Copy the Username (often starts with u_...) and the Password.

  4. Watch out for: Empty spaces at the end when copying/pasting.

Symptom: Connection drops or times out

You connect, but it drops after a few seconds or fails to resolve the host.

Solution: IP Fallback & DNS

The Cause: Some older Android controllers or China-brand tablets have trouble resolving DNS domains (like eu.rtkdata.com) or block them via firewall.

The Fix: Use the direct IP Address instead of the hostname.

Region

Hostname (Try first)

IP Fallback (Try second)

Europe

eu.rtkdata.com

3.73.41.96

North America

rtk.rtkdata.com

13.56.117.10

Australia

aus.rtkdata.com

54.206.56.130

Port is always 2101.


2. Quality Issues: "Float" vs. "Fix"

Symptom: Stuck on "FLOAT" (Yellow)

You are receiving data, but accuracy is low (~20-50cm). Status never turns to "FIX".

Solution: Environment & Mountpoint

Check 1: The Environment (Multipath)

  • Are you near tall trees, metal buildings, or power lines?

  • Fix: Move 10-20 meters to a more open area. RTK requires a clear view of the sky (approx. 15° above horizon).

Check 2: Internet Stability (Latency)

  • RTK is time-sensitive. If your ping is >1 second, the rover cannot calculate a fix.

  • Fix: If using a phone hotspot, put the phone in your pocket (close to controller). Avoid 3G; use 4G/LTE.

Check 3: Mountpoint Configuration

  • Ensure you are using AUTO.

  • If you manually selected a single base station mountpoint that is >50km away, you will struggle to get a FIX. AUTO always picks the nearest base (< 30km).


3. Coordinate & Accuracy Shifts

Symptom: "My points are shifted by 50cm - 1 meter"

You have a FIX, but the points are consistently shifted compared to your local maps or previous survey.

Solution: Reference Frames (WGS84 vs. Local)

The Cause: Plate Tectonics.

  • RTKdata (via AUTO) sends coordinates in ITRF2014 / WGS84 (the global satellite system).

  • Your Map is likely in a local static datum (e.g., ETRS89 in Europe, NAD83 in USA, GDA2020 in Australia).

  • The difference between "where the continent was in 1989" and "where it is now" is the shift you see.

The Fix:

  1. Software Transformation (Recommended): Set your Rover/Drone software to input "WGS84" and output your local system (e.g., "NAD83 / State Plane"). The software handles the shift.

  2. Specific Mountpoint: If your software cannot transform, use a transformed mountpoint (if available):

    • EU: Try AUTO_ETRS89 (if supported).

    • US: Try AUTO_NAD83 (if supported).

    • Default recommendation is always AUTO + Software Transformation.

Symptom: "Steady ~4ft / 1.2m offset" (USA)

Common in the US.

Solution: US Survey Feet

The Cause: Confusion between "International Feet" and "US Survey Feet". The Fix: Check your controller project settings. Change the unit system to the one matching your control points (usually US Survey Feet for State Plane coordinates).


4. DJI Specific Warnings

🚁 DJI Terra: "Baseline exceeds limit by 15km"

You see this warning when processing data in DJI Terra, even if you had a FIX during flight.

Solution: Ignore or Reprocess

What it means: Terra is often complaining about the PPK base station selection, not your live flight. We have seen clean RTK FIX flights at 30km+ baselines.

What to do:

  1. If your photos have "RtkFlag: 50" (FIX) in the metadata, you can often ignore this warning.

  2. Rule of Thumb: Horizontal accuracy degrades approx. 1cm per 10km of baseline. If you are 30km away, you might have 3-4cm error instead of 1-2cm. For many agricultural/mapping tasks, this is acceptable.

  3. Fix: Reprocess using the exact base station coordinates or a closer RINEX file if absolute precision is critical.

🚜 Agras: "RTK Signal Weak" or connection conflict

Common on T40/T50/T30.

Solution: Disable D-RTK 2

The Cause: The Agras remote tries to find a D-RTK 2 Mobile Station by default. The Fix:

  1. Go to RTK Settings.

  2. Ensure D-RTK 2 Mobile Station is disconnected/unpaired.

  3. Select "Custom Network RTK" exclusively. You cannot use both at the same time.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I use one login for two drones at the same time?

A: No. Each concurrent connection requires its own license line. If you fly two drones simultaneously, you need a second subscription (Sub-Account). Using the same login twice will cause one drone to disconnect constantly.

Q: Do I need a Base Station on the ground?

A: No. RTKdata is a Network RTK service (NTRIP). We act as your virtual base station. You only need your drone/rover and an internet connection.

Q: What happens if I lose 4G/Internet during flight? A: The drone will drift from "FIX" to "FLOAT" to "SINGLE".

  • FIX: < 2cm accuracy.

  • FLOAT: ~20-50cm accuracy (lasts for 10-30 seconds after loss).

  • SINGLE: ~1-3m accuracy (Standard GPS).

  • Tip: For photogrammetry, if you lose FIX, the images taken during that time may need to be adjusted via Ground Control Points (GCPs).


Still stuck? Please email support with:

  1. A screenshot of your NTRIP settings.

  2. A photo of the "Satellite/RTK" status screen showing satellites.

📧 Contact Support

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