[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1263},["ShallowReactive",2],{"knowledge-page-en-\u002Ftroubleshooting\u002Frtk-fix-dropping":3},{"article":4,"posts":480,"relatedPosts":481},{"id":5,"title":6,"author":7,"body":8,"category":465,"cover":466,"description":467,"extension":468,"meta":469,"navigation":470,"path":471,"publishedAt":472,"relatedArticles":473,"seo":476,"stem":477,"updatedAt":478,"__hash__":479},"knowledge_en\u002Fen\u002Ftroubleshooting\u002Frtk-fix-dropping.md","RTK Fix keeps dropping — how to fix it","Wilko",{"type":9,"value":10,"toc":453},"minimark",[11,16,20,49,53,98,102,146,150,195,203,207,236,240,272,276,315,319,446],[12,13,15],"h2",{"id":14},"identify-your-pattern-first","Identify your pattern first",[17,18,19],"p",{},"How Fix drops tells you a lot about the cause. Match your situation to one of these patterns before diving into fixes.",[21,22,24,29,33,37,41,45],"cards",{"additionalstyles":23},"mt-[60px]",[25,26],"cards-item",{"text":27,"title":28},"Fix is stable when standing still but drops every time you walk or drive. Especially when passing trees, buildings or under a canopy. → Obstruction or multipath","Drops when moving",[25,30],{"text":31,"title":32},"Fix holds for 2–5 minutes then drops to Float, then recovers. Repeating cycle even in open sky. → Unstable internet or NTRIP reconnects","Drops every few minutes",[25,34],{"text":35,"title":36},"Fix is fine on part of the site but consistently drops in certain zones — near a building, fence line or crop. → Local obstruction or multipath","Drops in specific areas",[25,38],{"text":39,"title":40},"Fix initialises and drops almost immediately, regardless of location. Float most of the time. → Long baseline, wrong mountpoint or receiver settings","Never holds longer than 30 sec",[25,42],{"text":43,"title":44},"Fix is stable in clear conditions but unstable on overcast days or after rain. May correlate with season. → Ionospheric activity or increased multipath from wet surfaces","Drops during cloudy or wet weather",[25,46],{"text":47,"title":48},"Fix is stable morning and evening but unstable around midday or at a predictable time. → Poor satellite geometry (PDOP window) or peak ionospheric activity","Drops at specific times of day",[12,50,52],{"id":51},"cause-1-physical-obstruction","Cause 1 — Physical obstruction",[54,55,60,63],"cause-card",{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":56,"icon":57,"level":58,"title":59},"Very common","icons\u002FTree.svg","5","Trees, buildings or terrain blocking satellite signals",[17,61,62],{},"When an obstruction passes between your antenna and satellites, signals drop. If enough satellites disappear simultaneously, carrier phase ambiguities can no longer be maintained and Fix drops to Float. This is the most common cause of Fix instability in field conditions.",[64,65,66,74,80,86,92],"ol",{},[67,68,69,73],"li",{},[70,71,72],"strong",{},"Walk with the antenna as high as possible."," A taller pole — 2.0 m instead of 1.5 m — improves line of sight above crops, fences and people.",[67,75,76,79],{},[70,77,78],{},"Hold the pole vertical."," Even a small tilt blocks part of the opposite sky. Use the bubble level or your receiver's tilt sensor.",[67,81,82,85],{},[70,83,84],{},"Reduce the elevation mask to 10°."," This admits more low-angle satellites. Do not go below 5°, because very low satellites add more noise than useful geometry.",[67,87,88,91],{},[70,89,90],{},"Enable all constellations."," GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou together give the receiver more alternatives when one part of the sky is blocked.",[67,93,94,97],{},[70,95,96],{},"Move the measurement position 2–3 metres."," If the point allows it, a small move can clear a local obstruction completely.",[12,99,101],{"id":100},"cause-2-multipath-interference","Cause 2 — Multipath interference",[54,103,108,111,114],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":104,"icon":105,"level":106,"title":107},"Common","icons\u002FBuilding.svg","4","Reflected signals from buildings, vehicles or water",[17,109,110],{},"Multipath occurs when satellite signals bounce off surfaces before reaching your antenna. The reflected signal arrives slightly later than the direct signal. Your receiver receives both, and the mixture corrupts the carrier phase measurement — causing Fix to degrade or drop.",[17,112,113],{},"Multipath is worst near large metal structures such as construction sites, silos and greenhouses, glass buildings, still water and wet horizontal surfaces after rain.",[64,115,116,122,128,134,140],{},[67,117,118,121],{},[70,119,120],{},"Move 5–10 metres away from reflective surfaces."," Distance is the most effective multipath fix.",[67,123,124,127],{},[70,125,126],{},"Raise the elevation mask to 15° or 20° near buildings."," This removes low-angle signals that are most likely to reflect.",[67,129,130,133],{},[70,131,132],{},"Use a receiver with multipath mitigation."," Trimble Maxwell, NovAtel STROBE and Septentrio AIM+ are designed to reject reflected signals.",[67,135,136,139],{},[70,137,138],{},"Avoid measuring immediately after rain."," Wet roads, roofs and fields reflect more strongly. Wait 30–60 minutes when possible.",[67,141,142,145],{},[70,143,144],{},"Wait for cranes or vehicles to leave the reflection zone."," Moving metal objects cause rapidly changing multipath that is particularly difficult to filter.",[12,147,149],{"id":148},"cause-3-unstable-internet-connection","Cause 3 — Unstable internet connection",[54,151,154,157],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":104,"icon":152,"level":106,"title":153},"icons\u002FData.svg","NTRIP stream interrupted by data connection drops",[17,155,156],{},"When the NTRIP correction stream is interrupted — even for a few seconds — your receiver loses the reference data it needs to maintain carrier phase lock. If the gap is long enough, Fix drops to Float and the receiver must re-initialise. This is especially common in areas with variable mobile data coverage.",[64,158,159,165,171,177,183,189],{},[67,160,161,164],{},[70,162,163],{},"Check signal strength."," Watch whether the mobile connection changes from 4G to 3G or Edge at the moment Fix drops.",[67,166,167,170],{},[70,168,169],{},"Switch to a dedicated hotspot."," A separate hotspot often maintains a more stable connection than phone tethering.",[67,172,173,176],{},[70,174,175],{},"Switch carrier."," Coverage varies significantly between networks, especially in rural areas.",[67,178,179,182],{},[70,180,181],{},"Force 4G only."," Prevent the modem from repeatedly switching between network types.",[67,184,185,188],{},[70,186,187],{},"Enable auto-reconnect."," Make sure the NTRIP client reconnects automatically after a brief interruption.",[67,190,191,194],{},[70,192,193],{},"Check bytes per second."," A healthy stream is usually a steady 500–2,000 bytes\u002Fsec. Drops to zero confirm an internet or NTRIP interruption.",[196,197,200],"card",{"additionalstyles":23,"color":198,"title":199},"primary","How long does reconnection take?",[17,201,202],{},"When NTRIP disconnects and reconnects, most receivers re-achieve Fix within 10–30 seconds if the satellite geometry is good and the baseline is short. A brief interruption is recoverable. If your receiver takes 2–5 minutes to get Fix again after every drop, the baseline or environment is also a contributing factor.",[12,204,206],{"id":205},"cause-4-long-baseline","Cause 4 — Long baseline",[54,208,213,216],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":209,"icon":210,"level":211,"title":212},"Moderate","icons\u002FRuler.svg","3","Too far from the nearest reference station",[17,214,215],{},"At longer baselines the ionosphere and troposphere introduce differential errors that make carrier phase ambiguity resolution harder to maintain. Fix is more fragile — small signal disturbances that would not matter at a 5 km baseline cause Fix to drop at 40 km.",[64,217,218,224,230],{},[67,219,220,223],{},[70,221,222],{},"Switch to a VRS mountpoint."," A virtual reference station gives an effective baseline of only 1–2 km. This is the most effective fix.",[67,225,226,229],{},[70,227,228],{},"Check the physical station distance."," If the nearest station is 50 km or more away and VRS is available, switch to VRS.",[67,231,232,235],{},[70,233,234],{},"Enable multiple constellations."," More satellites give the RTK engine enough redundancy to maintain Fix over a longer baseline.",[12,237,239],{"id":238},"cause-5-high-pdop-or-poor-satellite-geometry","Cause 5 — High PDOP or poor satellite geometry",[54,241,244,247],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":209,"icon":242,"level":211,"title":243},"icons\u002FSpace_satellite.svg","Satellites clustered in one part of the sky",[17,245,246],{},"Even with a good NTRIP connection and short baseline, Fix can drop if the satellite geometry is poor — PDOP above 4–5. Satellite geometry changes continuously throughout the day. A 20-minute window of poor geometry can cause Fix to drop repeatedly even though everything else is fine.",[64,248,249,255,260,266],{},[67,250,251,254],{},[70,252,253],{},"Check PDOP in your field software."," Look for the satellite quality or PDOP display. If PDOP is above 4, consider waiting for the geometry window to pass — typically 15–30 minutes.",[67,256,257,259],{},[70,258,90],{}," Adding GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou distributes satellites across more sky positions, dramatically improving PDOP.",[67,261,262,265],{},[70,263,264],{},"Use a satellite prediction app."," Apps such as GNSS View or Geo++ RINEX Logger show predicted PDOP values for your location throughout the day. Plan work sessions around the best geometry windows.",[67,267,268,271],{},[70,269,270],{},"Lower the elevation mask slightly."," Allowing 10° satellites instead of 15° adds more satellites at varied positions, often improving PDOP by 0.5–1.0 in open sky.",[12,273,275],{"id":274},"cause-6-receiver-settings","Cause 6 — Receiver settings",[54,277,282,285],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":278,"icon":279,"level":280,"title":281},"Less common but impactful","icons\u002FCog.svg","2","Suboptimal GNSS or RTK configuration",[17,283,284],{},"Default receiver settings are conservative. In challenging environments — near buildings, under trees or with long baselines — tweaking specific settings can dramatically improve Fix stability.",[64,286,287,297,303,309],{},[67,288,289,292,293,296],{},[70,290,291],{},"Switch from continuous to fix-and-hold ambiguity mode."," Continuous re-initialisation mode drops Fix at the slightest ambiguity uncertainty. Fix-and-hold maintains Fix through brief disturbances. In Emlid Flow: ",[70,294,295],{},"Settings → GNSS → Ambiguity resolution → Fix-and-hold",".",[67,298,299,302],{},[70,300,301],{},"Enable all satellite constellations."," GPS alone gives 8–12 satellites. Adding GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou gives 30–50 or more. More satellites means more redundancy and a more stable Fix.",[67,304,305,308],{},[70,306,307],{},"Reduce the update rate."," Running at 10 Hz or 20 Hz in a challenging environment processes more data but also amplifies noise. Dropping to 5 Hz or 1 Hz gives the RTK engine more time per epoch and can improve stability.",[67,310,311,314],{},[70,312,313],{},"Check the minimum satellite count."," Some field software rejects Fix if fewer than five satellites are tracked. In challenging environments, lowering this threshold to four prevents unnecessary drops when one satellite briefly disappears.",[12,316,318],{"id":317},"recommended-settings-for-fix-stability","Recommended settings for Fix stability",[320,321,322,338],"table",{},[323,324,325],"thead",{},[326,327,328,332,335],"tr",{},[329,330,331],"th",{},"Setting",[329,333,334],{},"Recommended value",[329,336,337],{},"Why",[339,340,341,355,368,381,394,407,420,433],"tbody",{},[326,342,343,349,352],{},[344,345,346],"td",{},[70,347,348],{},"Constellations",[344,350,351],{},"GPS + GLONASS + Galileo + BeiDou",[344,353,354],{},"Maximum satellite count, best geometry",[326,356,357,362,365],{},[344,358,359],{},[70,360,361],{},"Elevation mask",[344,363,364],{},"10–15°",[344,366,367],{},"10° in open sky, 15° near buildings",[326,369,370,375,378],{},[344,371,372],{},[70,373,374],{},"Ambiguity resolution",[344,376,377],{},"Fix-and-hold (Emlid \u002F RTKLIB)",[344,379,380],{},"Maintains Fix through brief disturbances",[326,382,383,388,391],{},[344,384,385],{},[70,386,387],{},"Update rate",[344,389,390],{},"1–5 Hz for survey, 10 Hz for machine guidance",[344,392,393],{},"Lower rate = more stable Fix in challenging areas",[326,395,396,401,404],{},[344,397,398],{},[70,399,400],{},"PDOP mask",[344,402,403],{},"6.0 (do not lower below 4.0)",[344,405,406],{},"Reject poor geometry but allow marginal conditions",[326,408,409,414,417],{},[344,410,411],{},[70,412,413],{},"SNR mask",[344,415,416],{},"35 dBHz",[344,418,419],{},"Filter very noisy signals without losing too many satellites",[326,421,422,427,430],{},[344,423,424],{},[70,425,426],{},"NTRIP auto-reconnect",[344,428,429],{},"Enabled",[344,431,432],{},"Recover from brief internet drops automatically",[326,434,435,440,443],{},[344,436,437],{},[70,438,439],{},"Mountpoint",[344,441,442],{},"VRS if available",[344,444,445],{},"Eliminate baseline as a Fix stability factor",[196,447,450],{"additionalstyles":23,"color":448,"title":449},"green","Still dropping after trying all of the above?",[17,451,452],{},"Describe your exact situation to the AI at the top of this page — your device, the drop pattern, your environment and what you have already tried. Specific symptoms point to specific causes that this general guide cannot cover.",{"title":454,"searchDepth":455,"depth":455,"links":456},"",2,[457,458,459,460,461,462,463,464],{"id":14,"depth":455,"text":15},{"id":51,"depth":455,"text":52},{"id":100,"depth":455,"text":101},{"id":148,"depth":455,"text":149},{"id":205,"depth":455,"text":206},{"id":238,"depth":455,"text":239},{"id":274,"depth":455,"text":275},{"id":317,"depth":455,"text":318},"troubleshooting","Troubleshooting\u002FWebP\u002Frtk-fix-keeps-dropping-how-to-fix-it.webp","Dropping from Fix to Float and back repeatedly is one of the most disruptive RTK problems in the field. The cause is almost always one of six things — and each has a specific fix. Work through this guide to find yours.","md",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Ftroubleshooting\u002Frtk-fix-dropping","2026-07-24",[474,475],"\u002Fen\u002Ftroubleshooting\u002Fstuck-on-float","\u002Fen\u002Flearn\u002Ffloat-vs-fix",{"title":6,"description":467},"en\u002Ftroubleshooting\u002Frtk-fix-dropping",null,"hA7kZSikz5lpN-MYfKa0BX_BQNafwztmpgGfiRgbzAU",[],[482,896],{"id":483,"title":484,"author":7,"body":485,"category":465,"cover":889,"description":890,"extension":468,"meta":891,"navigation":470,"path":474,"publishedAt":472,"relatedArticles":892,"seo":893,"stem":894,"updatedAt":478,"__hash__":895},"knowledge_en\u002Fen\u002Ftroubleshooting\u002Fstuck-on-float.md","Why am I stuck on Float and not reaching Fix?",{"type":9,"value":486,"toc":879},[487,493,497,500,532,536,572,576,608,612,644,648,676,680,714,718,750,754,757,873],[196,488,490],{"additionalstyles":23,"color":198,"title":489},"Float is normal for the first 10–60 seconds",[17,491,492],{},"Float is always the step before Fix. In good conditions — open sky, nearby reference station and stable corrections — Float lasts 10–60 seconds. If it lasts longer than 3 minutes without reaching Fix, something specific is preventing ambiguity resolution. This page helps you find what.",[12,494,496],{"id":495},"two-minute-checklist","Two-minute checklist",[17,498,499],{},"Run through these before diving into the causes. They resolve most cases immediately.",[196,501,503],{"additionalstyles":23,"color":448,"title":502},"Quick Float diagnostic",[504,505,506,509,512,520,523,526,529],"ul",{},[67,507,508],{},"Are you outside with a clear sky view? Float indoors or under trees is expected.",[67,510,511],{},"Is the NTRIP connection active with a stable bytes-per-second value above zero?",[67,513,514,515,519],{},"For DJI drones, are you using the MSM5 mountpoint ",[516,517,518],"code",{},"RTCM3_NL_MSM5","?",[67,521,522],{},"Are you seeing at least 15 satellites with good SNR?",[67,524,525],{},"Is PDOP below 4?",[67,527,528],{},"Have you been stationary for at least 60 seconds?",[67,530,531],{},"Are GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou all enabled?",[12,533,535],{"id":534},"cause-1-wrong-mountpoint","Cause 1 — Wrong mountpoint",[54,537,541,544,547],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":538,"icon":539,"level":58,"title":540},"Very common for DJI users","icons\u002FSatellite.svg","MSM4 mountpoint used with a DJI drone",[17,542,543],{},"This is the single most common cause of persistent Float on DJI drones. DJI's RTK processing engine requires Doppler observations to resolve integer ambiguities. Doppler is included in MSM5 and MSM7 but not in MSM4. When a DJI drone connects to an MSM4 mountpoint, corrections flow normally and the connection appears successful — but Fix never arrives because the Doppler data needed for DJI's initialisation is absent.",[17,545,546],{},"The symptom is unmistakable: NTRIP connected, bytes flowing, stable Float for many minutes, never converging to Fix regardless of sky conditions.",[64,548,549,562,565],{},[67,550,551,552,555,556,559,560,296],{},"In DJI Pilot, go to ",[70,553,554],{},"RTK Settings → Custom Network RTK",". Change the mountpoint from ",[516,557,558],{},"RTCM3_NL"," to ",[516,561,518],{},[67,563,564],{},"Disconnect and reconnect. DJI should reach Fix within 60 seconds in open sky.",[67,566,567,568,571],{},"For long-baseline DJI flights, use ",[516,569,570],{},"RTCM3_NL_VRS"," instead. The short effective baseline improves Fix stability.",[12,573,575],{"id":574},"cause-2-corrections-not-reaching-the-receiver","Cause 2 — Corrections not reaching the receiver",[54,577,579,582],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":104,"icon":152,"level":106,"title":578},"NTRIP stream connected but delivering no useful data",[17,580,581],{},"There are two subtle ways corrections can appear to flow but not actually help the receiver: the stream contains no corrections for the satellites your receiver tracks, or the connection drops and reconnects repeatedly. Every dropout resets the ambiguity-resolution timer to zero.",[64,583,584,590,596,602],{},[67,585,586,589],{},[70,587,588],{},"Verify bytes per second is non-zero and stable."," The counter should show a steady 500–2,000 bytes\u002Fsec. If it repeatedly falls to zero, fix the internet connection first.",[67,591,592,595],{},[70,593,594],{},"Check the RTCM message types."," You need at minimum MSM4 messages such as 1074, 1084, 1094 and 1124, or equivalent. Legacy-only 1004\u002F1012 data may not match the receiver.",[67,597,598,601],{},[70,599,600],{},"Check VRS GGA transmission."," If you use a VRS mountpoint without GGA enabled, the server may stream nothing. Enable GGA and reconnect.",[67,603,604,607],{},[70,605,606],{},"Try a dedicated hotspot."," Phone tethering can be less stable. A dedicated hotspot often resolves Float caused by repeated stream interruptions.",[12,609,611],{"id":610},"cause-3-environment-and-obstructions","Cause 3 — Environment and obstructions",[54,613,615,618],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":56,"icon":57,"level":58,"title":614},"Obstructions or multipath blocking ambiguity resolution",[17,616,617],{},"Ambiguity resolution requires sustained, clean carrier-phase measurements from multiple satellites simultaneously. Trees, buildings, vehicles and terrain can block or reflect signals and interrupt the continuous tracking required for Fix. Even partial canopy can scatter L1\u002FL2 signals enough to keep a receiver in Float.",[64,619,620,626,632,638],{},[67,621,622,625],{},[70,623,624],{},"Move to the most open spot available."," Even five metres can make a significant difference. The antenna needs a clean hemisphere of sky above 10–15°.",[67,627,628,631],{},[70,629,630],{},"Stand still."," Movement during initialisation compounds the problem. Stop walking or driving and wait at least 60 seconds.",[67,633,634,637],{},[70,635,636],{},"Lower the elevation mask to 10°."," Where supported, a lower mask allows useful low-angle satellites to improve geometry.",[67,639,640,643],{},[70,641,642],{},"Move away from metal structures."," Metal roofs, silos, greenhouse frames and vehicles create strong multipath. Keep at least ten metres away.",[12,645,647],{"id":646},"cause-4-baseline-too-long","Cause 4 — Baseline too long",[54,649,651,654],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":209,"icon":210,"level":211,"title":650},"More than 30 km from the nearest reference station",[17,652,653],{},"At long baselines, ionospheric and tropospheric errors at the reference station and rover diverge. Corrections from the distant station no longer describe the atmosphere at your location accurately enough for the receiver to resolve integer ambiguities with confidence.",[64,655,656,664,670],{},[67,657,658,661,662,296],{},[70,659,660],{},"Switch to the VRS mountpoint."," VRS generates a virtual reference station around 1–2 km from you. Enable GGA and connect to ",[516,663,570],{},[67,665,666,669],{},[70,667,668],{},"Check the sourcetable distance."," If the nearest physical station is more than 25 km away, VRS is normally the better choice.",[67,671,672,675],{},[70,673,674],{},"Use a dual-frequency receiver."," Single-frequency receivers are usually limited to baselines of around 10 km before ionospheric errors prevent Fix.",[12,677,679],{"id":678},"cause-5-ionospheric-disturbance","Cause 5 — Ionospheric disturbance",[54,681,685,688],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":682,"icon":683,"level":280,"title":684},"Periodic — peaks during solar maximum","icons\u002FSun.svg","High solar activity disrupting carrier-phase signals",[17,686,687],{},"The ionosphere delays satellite signals by an amount that varies with solar activity. During geomagnetic storms and solar maximum periods, these delays can change rapidly. This can stop ambiguity resolution even with short baselines and good sky conditions.",[64,689,690,696,702,708],{},[67,691,692,695],{},[70,693,694],{},"Work early morning or evening."," Ionospheric activity is typically lowest during the first two hours after sunrise and later in the evening.",[67,697,698,701],{},[70,699,700],{},"Switch to VRS."," Network-wide ionospheric modelling partially compensates for elevated ionospheric noise.",[67,703,704,707],{},[70,705,706],{},"Check space weather."," A Kp index above 5 often causes RTK problems. Postponing work until the storm passes may be the only reliable option.",[67,709,710,713],{},[70,711,712],{},"Use a triple-frequency receiver."," L5 signals are more robust to ionospheric noise than L1\u002FL2 and can maintain Fix in more difficult conditions.",[12,715,717],{"id":716},"cause-6-receiver-or-software-settings","Cause 6 — Receiver or software settings",[54,719,722,725],{"additionalstyles":23,"frequency":720,"icon":279,"level":280,"title":721},"Less common but easy to fix","Conservative defaults preventing ambiguity resolution",[17,723,724],{},"Default receiver settings are designed to be safe across a wide range of conditions. In challenging environments, those defaults can be too conservative and prevent Fix even when it would be achievable with a small adjustment.",[64,726,727,733,738,744],{},[67,728,729,732],{},[70,730,731],{},"Switch ambiguity resolution to Fix-and-hold."," In Emlid or RTKLIB, this maintains a resolved integer solution through brief disturbances instead of re-initialising continuously.",[67,734,735,737],{},[70,736,90],{}," GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou together provide much more redundancy than GPS alone.",[67,739,740,743],{},[70,741,742],{},"Reduce update rate to 1–5 Hz."," In a weak environment, reducing the rate gives the RTK engine more averaging time per epoch.",[67,745,746,749],{},[70,747,748],{},"Set the minimum elevation mask to 10°."," Higher masks can exclude useful satellites and weaken satellite geometry.",[12,751,753],{"id":752},"device-specific-fixes","Device-specific fixes",[17,755,756],{},"Select your device for targeted advice:",[758,759,762,791,818,843,858],"device-tabs",{"additionalstyles":23,"default-tab":760,"items":761},"Emlid","Emlid|DJI|Trimble|SW Maps|u-blox \u002F DIY",[763,764,765,779,788],"device-tab",{"name":760},[17,766,767,770,771,774,775,778],{},[70,768,769],{},"Most effective fix for Emlid stuck on Float:"," go to ",[70,772,773],{},"Settings → GNSS settings → Ambiguity resolution"," and change from Continuous to ",[70,776,777],{},"Fix-and-hold",". This single setting resolves persistent Float in challenging environments for many Emlid users.",[17,780,781,782,784,785,296],{},"Also verify that all constellations are enabled, the elevation mask is 10–15° and NTRIP bytes\u002Fsec is above zero. For a long baseline, switch to ",[516,783,570],{}," and enable ",[70,786,787],{},"Send GGA to caster",[17,789,790],{},"Firmware updates can reset GNSS settings to their defaults. Re-check constellation and ambiguity settings after every update.",[763,792,794,806,809,815],{"name":793},"DJI",[17,795,796,799,800,802,803,805],{},[70,797,798],{},"DJI stuck on Float is almost always MSM4 instead of MSM5."," Change the mountpoint to ",[516,801,518],{}," in DJI Pilot under ",[70,804,554],{},", then disconnect and reconnect.",[17,807,808],{},"If you already use MSM5, make sure the drone is outdoors with GPS lock before connecting. DJI may not send GGA indoors, which can prevent the server from streaming corrections.",[17,810,811,812,814],{},"For long-baseline flights beyond 30 km, try ",[516,813,570],{},". DJI handles VRS well and the shorter effective baseline improves Fix stability.",[17,816,817],{},"On the DJI M300 and Matrice 350, also check that the RTK antenna is firmly seated and its cable is undamaged.",[763,819,821,831,837,840],{"name":820},"Trimble",[17,822,823,826,827,830],{},[70,824,825],{},"For Trimble stuck on Float",", first verify that the data link is active under ",[70,828,829],{},"Instrument → Receiver Status → Data Link",". The bytes counter must be incrementing.",[17,832,833,834,836],{},"For long-baseline work, switch to ",[516,835,570],{},". Trimble Access sends GGA automatically when NTRIP is active.",[17,838,839],{},"If Float persists in good conditions, check PDOP in the receiver status. Trimble's default PDOP mask is 6.0; above this value, Fix is suppressed by design.",[17,841,842],{},"The Trimble R10 works correctly with MSM4. If an R10 remains on Float, investigate the environment or baseline rather than the mountpoint format.",[763,844,846,852,855],{"name":845},"SW Maps",[17,847,848,851],{},[70,849,850],{},"SW Maps stuck on Float usually means the external receiver is the bottleneck."," SW Maps displays the solution supplied by the connected receiver.",[17,853,854],{},"Check the receiver's status in its own app. If the receiver shows Fix while SW Maps still shows Float, disconnect and reconnect the Bluetooth link to refresh the NMEA solution.",[17,856,857],{},"A smartphone's internal single-frequency GNSS chip rarely reaches Fix. For centimetre accuracy, connect a multi-band external receiver.",[763,859,861,867,870],{"name":860},"u-blox \u002F DIY",[17,862,863,866],{},[70,864,865],{},"A u-blox ZED-F9P normally reaches Fix reliably within a 10–30 km baseline."," Beyond that, ionospheric decorrelation can prevent Fix without VRS.",[17,868,869],{},"In RTKLIB-based software, select Fix-and-hold, enable all constellations and use a 10° elevation mask. In U-Center, verify that RTCM3 input is configured on the correct serial port.",[17,871,872],{},"A common DIY setup error is sending corrections to UART2 while the application expects data on UART1. Verify that the correction port matches the physical cabling.",[196,874,876],{"additionalstyles":23,"color":448,"title":875},"Still on Float after all of the above?",[17,877,878],{},"Describe the exact situation to the AI: your device, mountpoint, satellite count, PDOP, baseline distance, sky conditions and how long you have been waiting. The more specific you are, the more targeted the answer.",{"title":454,"searchDepth":455,"depth":455,"links":880},[881,882,883,884,885,886,887,888],{"id":495,"depth":455,"text":496},{"id":534,"depth":455,"text":535},{"id":574,"depth":455,"text":575},{"id":610,"depth":455,"text":611},{"id":646,"depth":455,"text":647},{"id":678,"depth":455,"text":679},{"id":716,"depth":455,"text":717},{"id":752,"depth":455,"text":753},"Troubleshooting\u002FWebP\u002Fwhy-am-i-stuck-on-float-and-not-reaching-fix.webp","Float that never becomes Fix is the most common RTK problem in the field. Most cases are caused by one of seven things — and most of them are resolved in under two minutes once you know which one it is. Work through this guide from the top.",{},[475],{"title":484,"description":890},"en\u002Ftroubleshooting\u002Fstuck-on-float","cZuzVDxMmVc2t9_jfIEzEmwmUVVTUPbWnughCbX8Y_Y",{"id":897,"title":898,"author":7,"body":899,"category":1254,"cover":1255,"description":1256,"extension":468,"meta":1257,"navigation":470,"path":475,"publishedAt":472,"relatedArticles":1258,"seo":1260,"stem":1261,"updatedAt":478,"__hash__":1262},"knowledge_en\u002Fen\u002Flearn\u002Ffloat-vs-fix.md","What is the difference between Float and Fix?",{"type":9,"value":900,"toc":1246},[901,905,955,959,962,965,968,1004,1007,1010,1014,1017,1056,1060,1191,1195,1198,1224,1228,1231,1234,1240],[12,902,904],{"id":903},"float-vs-fix-at-a-glance","Float vs Fix at a glance",[21,906,907,932],{"additionalstyles":23},[196,908,912],{"additionalstyles":909,"color":910,"title":911},"h-full","orange","Float — Accuracy: 10 cm–1 m horizontal",[504,913,914,917,920,923,926,929],{},[67,915,916],{},"Corrections received but not fully resolved",[67,918,919],{},"Ambiguities treated as real numbers, not integers",[67,921,922],{},"Position jumps of 10–50 cm are normal",[67,924,925],{},"Never adequate for precision survey",[67,927,928],{},"Often a stepping stone toward Fix",[67,930,931],{},"Can look like Fix on some displays",[196,933,935],{"additionalstyles":909,"color":448,"title":934},"Fix — Accuracy: 1–3 cm horizontal, 2–5 cm vertical",[504,936,937,940,943,946,949,952],{},[67,938,939],{},"Carrier phase ambiguities fully resolved to integers",[67,941,942],{},"Position is stable and repeatable",[67,944,945],{},"Centimetre accuracy maintained at speed",[67,947,948],{},"Required for precision survey and stakeout",[67,950,951],{},"Takes 10–60 seconds in good conditions",[67,953,954],{},"Shown in green on most field software",[12,956,958],{"id":957},"what-makes-fix-different-ambiguity-resolution","What makes Fix different — ambiguity resolution",[17,960,961],{},"To understand Float and Fix you need to understand one concept: carrier phase ambiguity. It is the reason RTK can achieve centimetre accuracy at all — and the reason Float cannot.",[17,963,964],{},"GNSS receivers measure position in two ways. The simpler method is pseudorange — measuring the travel time of a satellite signal to estimate distance. Pseudorange gives accuracy of 1–3 metres. The more precise method is carrier phase — measuring the phase of the satellite's radio wave at the receiver antenna. The carrier wave has a wavelength of about 19 cm (for GPS L1). By tracking how many whole wavelengths fit between the satellite and the receiver, and precisely measuring the fractional part, the receiver can measure distance to millimetre precision.",[17,966,967],{},"The problem: the receiver knows the fractional part of the carrier phase precisely, but it does not know how many whole wavelengths there are between it and the satellite. This unknown integer number is called the carrier phase ambiguity — or simply the integer ambiguity.",[969,970,974,991],"compare-table",{"additionalstyles":23,"items":971,"label":972,"winner":973},"Float|Fix","Float and Fix ambiguity comparison","Fix",[975,976,978,985],"compare-row",{"title":977},"Carrier phase ambiguity",[979,980,982],"compare-cell",{"status":981},"negative",[17,983,984],{},"The integer cycle count is still unknown and treated as a real-valued estimate.",[979,986,988],{"status":987},"positive",[17,989,990],{},"The integer cycle count has been confirmed as a specific whole number.",[975,992,994,999],{"title":993},"Position accuracy",[979,995,996],{"status":981},[17,997,998],{},"10 cm–1 m. The fractional phase is measured, but the unresolved cycle count limits accuracy.",[979,1000,1001],{"status":987},[17,1002,1003],{},"Centimetre precision. The resolved cycle count unlocks the precise fractional measurement.",[17,1005,1006],{},"Resolving the integer ambiguity is what RTK does. Using corrections from the reference station — which has its own precisely known position — the rover can cross-check its carrier phase measurements against the reference and mathematically determine the correct integer values. When the receiver is confident it has the right integers for all tracked satellites, it declares RTK Fixed.",[17,1008,1009],{},"Float means the receiver is still working on this. It has an estimate of the integers — good enough to give sub-metre accuracy — but not yet confident enough to fix them to specific integers. Float accuracy depends on how good the estimate is: anywhere from 10 cm to 1 m, with occasional larger jumps.",[12,1011,1013],{"id":1012},"the-full-solution-progression","The full solution progression",[17,1015,1016],{},"When you connect to an NTRIP service and power up in the field, your receiver moves through several solution types before reaching Fix.",[1018,1019,1020,1028,1035,1042,1049],"stepper",{"additionalstyles":23},[1021,1022,1025],"stepper-item",{"marker":1023,"title":1024},"—","No fix — Accuracy: none",[17,1026,1027],{},"The receiver has no satellite lock and no valid position. It is still acquiring signals. This usually takes 15–60 seconds after power-on outdoors.",[1021,1029,1032],{"marker":1030,"title":1031},"S","Single — Accuracy: 2–5 m",[17,1033,1034],{},"The receiver has satellite lock and a valid position, but no corrections are applied yet. It uses pseudorange only. This is the type of position reported by standard GPS apps on your phone.",[1021,1036,1039],{"marker":1037,"title":1038},"D","DGPS \u002F SBAS — Accuracy: 0.3–1 m",[17,1040,1041],{},"Differential corrections are applied, but only to pseudorange measurements. It is better than Single, but not accurate enough for precision work. This can appear briefly when NTRIP corrections first arrive.",[1021,1043,1046],{"marker":1044,"title":1045},"FL","Float — Accuracy: 10 cm–1 m",[17,1047,1048],{},"Carrier phase corrections are applied, but integer ambiguities are not yet resolved. The position is significantly better than Single but not precise enough for survey work. Float is often a transitional state lasting 10–60 seconds before Fix.",[1021,1050,1053],{"marker":1051,"title":1052},"FX","Fixed — Accuracy: 1–3 cm horizontal, 2–5 cm vertical",[17,1054,1055],{},"Integer ambiguities are resolved and full RTK accuracy is achieved. This is the solution type required for precision survey, stakeout, machine guidance and drone mapping with ground control points.",[12,1057,1059],{"id":1058},"which-solution-is-good-enough-for-what","Which solution is good enough for what",[969,1061,1064,1080,1098,1113,1129,1144,1160,1175],{"additionalstyles":23,"items":1062,"label":1063,"winner":973},"Single|Float|Fix","Suitable RTK solution per application",[975,1065,1067,1072,1076],{"title":1066},"Rough navigation — Finding a plot or general location",[979,1068,1069],{"status":987},[17,1070,1071],{},"Good enough",[979,1073,1074],{"status":987},[17,1075,1071],{},[979,1077,1078],{"status":987},[17,1079,1071],{},[975,1081,1083,1088,1093],{"title":1082},"Drone mapping — Direct georeferencing without GCPs",[979,1084,1085],{"status":981},[17,1086,1087],{},"No",[979,1089,1090],{"status":981},[17,1091,1092],{},"Marginal",[979,1094,1095],{"status":987},[17,1096,1097],{},"Required",[975,1099,1101,1105,1109],{"title":1100},"GCP collection for drone mapping",[979,1102,1103],{"status":981},[17,1104,1087],{},[979,1106,1107],{"status":981},[17,1108,1087],{},[979,1110,1111],{"status":987},[17,1112,1097],{},[975,1114,1116,1120,1124],{"title":1115},"Precision agriculture — Auto-steer with 2–5 cm row guidance",[979,1117,1118],{"status":981},[17,1119,1087],{},[979,1121,1122],{"status":981},[17,1123,1092],{},[979,1125,1126],{"status":987},[17,1127,1128],{},"Preferred",[975,1130,1132,1136,1140],{"title":1131},"Survey — Topographic surface mapping",[979,1133,1134],{"status":981},[17,1135,1087],{},[979,1137,1138],{"status":981},[17,1139,1087],{},[979,1141,1142],{"status":987},[17,1143,1097],{},[975,1145,1147,1151,1155],{"title":1146},"Survey — Cadastral or legal property boundaries",[979,1148,1149],{"status":981},[17,1150,1087],{},[979,1152,1153],{"status":981},[17,1154,1087],{},[979,1156,1157],{"status":987},[17,1158,1159],{},"Required + verification",[975,1161,1163,1167,1171],{"title":1162},"Stakeout to 1 cm",[979,1164,1165],{"status":981},[17,1166,1087],{},[979,1168,1169],{"status":981},[17,1170,1087],{},[979,1172,1173],{"status":987},[17,1174,1097],{},[975,1176,1178,1182,1187],{"title":1177},"Machine control — Earthworks",[979,1179,1180],{"status":981},[17,1181,1087],{},[979,1183,1184],{"status":987},[17,1185,1186],{},"Sometimes",[979,1188,1189],{"status":987},[17,1190,1097],{},[12,1192,1194],{"id":1193},"how-to-get-from-float-to-fix-faster","How to get from Float to Fix faster",[17,1196,1197],{},"Float is a transitional state. In good conditions it lasts 10–30 seconds. In challenging conditions it can persist indefinitely. These measures help most:",[21,1199,1200,1204,1208,1212,1216,1220],{"additionalstyles":23},[25,1201],{"text":1202,"title":1203},"Ambiguity resolution requires a strong, stable signal from many satellites simultaneously. Even partial canopy cover significantly slows initialisation.","Go outside with a clear sky view",[25,1205],{"text":1206,"title":1207},"The RTK engine converges faster when the antenna is stationary. Once Fixed, you can move normally. Collecting data while still in Float can delay Fix.","Stand still during initialisation",[25,1209],{"text":1210,"title":1211},"Shorter effective baselines make ambiguity resolution faster and more reliable. Beyond 20 km from a physical station, switch to VRS and enable GGA.","Use a VRS mountpoint",[25,1213],{"text":1214,"title":1215},"More satellites provide more measurement redundancy. Adding GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou can halve Float-to-Fix time compared with GPS-only.","Enable all satellite constellations",[25,1217],{"text":1218,"title":1219},"Verify that bytes per second is non-zero. A dropped and reconnected correction stream resets initialisation and can leave the receiver stuck on Float.","Check the NTRIP connection",[25,1221],{"text":1222,"title":1223},"Above 4, satellite geometry is poor and ambiguity resolution may not converge. Wait for the geometry window to improve, typically within 15–30 minutes.","Check PDOP",[12,1225,1227],{"id":1226},"false-fix-the-hidden-danger","False Fix — the hidden danger",[17,1229,1230],{},"The most dangerous scenario in RTK is a false Fix — the receiver declares Fixed but has resolved the ambiguities to the wrong integers. The position looks centimetre-precise and stable, but it is wrong by one or more carrier wavelengths (19 cm per L1 cycle).",[17,1232,1233],{},"False Fix produces errors of exactly one or more multiples of the carrier wavelength — 19 cm, 38 cm, 57 cm and so on. It is more common at long baselines, in high multipath environments and during solar storms when ionospheric noise is high.",[196,1235,1237],{"additionalstyles":23,"color":910,"title":1236},"How to detect a false Fix",[17,1238,1239],{},"Always verify on a known control point at the start of any precision survey. Set up over a point with published coordinates and compare your measured position with the known values. A discrepancy of exactly around 19 cm, 38 cm or 57 cm in any direction strongly indicates a false Fix. Disconnect, move to open sky, reconnect and re-initialise before continuing.",[196,1241,1243],{"additionalstyles":23,"color":198,"title":1242},"Fix quality indicator — ratio",[17,1244,1245],{},"Many receivers and field software applications report a Fix quality ratio alongside the solution type. A ratio above 3.0 indicates high confidence. A ratio between 1.5 and 3.0 means the Fix is tentative, so verify it on known points. A ratio below 1.5 may indicate that the receiver should not have declared Fix at all.",{"title":454,"searchDepth":455,"depth":455,"links":1247},[1248,1249,1250,1251,1252,1253],{"id":903,"depth":455,"text":904},{"id":957,"depth":455,"text":958},{"id":1012,"depth":455,"text":1013},{"id":1058,"depth":455,"text":1059},{"id":1193,"depth":455,"text":1194},{"id":1226,"depth":455,"text":1227},"learn","learn\u002Ffloat-vs-fix.webp","Float and Fix are the two RTK solution types. They look similar on a status screen — both show a position with corrections applied — but the accuracy difference between them is enormous. Fix is centimetres. Float is decimetres to metres. Never collect survey data at Float.",{},[1259],"\u002Fen\u002Flearn\u002Fwhat-is-ntrip",{"title":898,"description":1256},"en\u002Flearn\u002Ffloat-vs-fix","rVrcpStYIvAqW_8pcTB5DaAOMLXiCzzea9VNPOocA4Y",1787304715454]