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Differential Carrier GPS (Survey)

  1. All carrier-phase tracking is differential, requiring both a reference and remote receiver tracking carrier phases at the same time.
  2. In order to correctly estimate the number of carrier wavelengths at the reference and remote receivers, they must be close enough to insure that the ionospheric delay difference is less than a carrier wavelength. This usually means that carrier-phase GPS measurements must be taken with a remote and reference station within about 30 kilometers of each other.
  3. Special software is required to process carrier-phase differential measurements. Newer techniques such as Real-Time-Kinematic (RTK) processing allow for centimeter relative positioning with a moving remote receiver.

Differential Carrier-Phase Positioning refer page

Common Mode Time Transfer

  1. When time information is transferred from one site to another, differential techniques can result in time transfers of around 10 ns over baselines as long as 2000 km.

Common-Mode Time Transfer
GPS Techniques and Project Costs

  1. Receiver costs vary depending on capabilities. Small civil SPS receivers can be purchased for under $200, some can accept differential corrections. Receivers that can store files for post-procesing with base station files cost more ($2000-5000). Receivers that can act as DGPS reference receivers (computing and providing correction data) and carrier phase tracking receivers (and two are often required) can cost many thousands of dollars ($5,000 to $40,000). Military PPS receivers may cost more or be difficult to obtain.
  2. Other costs include the cost of multiple receivers when needed, post-processing software, and the cost of specially trained personnel.
  3. Project tasks can often be categorized by required accuracies which will determine equipment cost.
  4. Low-cost, single-receiver SPS projects (100 meter accuracy)
  5. Medium-cost, differential SPS code Positioning (1-10 meter accuracy)
  6. High-cost, single-receiver PPS projects (20 meter accuracy)
  7. High-cost, differential carrier phase surveys (1 mm to 1 cm accuracy)

GPS Applications, Costs, and Signals