Best alternative to RTK receiver rentals: LRTK is a high-precision positioning service available on an annual basis

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• What is RTK

• Reasons to rent an RTK receiver

• Challenges of RTK receiver rental

• What is LRTK

• Benefits of LRTK

• Comparison between RTK receiver rental and LRTK

• Simple surveying with LRTK

• Conclusion

• FAQ

Introduction

High-precision positioning is required in many situations, and RTK receivers play a key role. However, since RTK-capable positioning equipment is expensive to purchase, many people consider renting when they only need it for a short period. In fact, the high-precision positioning service "LRTK" has been attracting attention as a new alternative to renting RTK receivers. In this article, we outline the current situation and challenges of renting RTK receivers and explain why the high-precision positioning service LRTK, which can be used on a 1-year basis, is the optimal alternative.

What is RTK

RTK (Real Time Kinematic) is a technology for performing high-precision, real-time positioning using satellite positioning systems (such as GPS). Whereas standalone GPS positioning typically incurs errors of several meters, RTK can achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy (half-inch accuracy). The mechanism works by making observations with two receivers: a fixed base station (a receiver with a known, precise position) and a mobile-side rover (the receiver whose position is to be surveyed). The base station transmits the error information it obtains to the rover in real time, allowing position corrections. With this correction, position errors that were about 5-10 m (16.4-32.8 ft) when using a standalone receiver can be reduced to within a few centimeters (within a few inches).

RTK positioning enables vertical measurements that were difficult with conventional GPS, and allows highly precise positioning with virtually no positional offset. For example, RTK's high accuracy is indispensable for tasks such as accurately measuring elevation differences of land or placing stakes at construction sites in the positions specified by blueprints. Today RTK technology is utilized across a wide range of fields, including civil surveying, agriculture, and drone surveying, and at its core are high-precision GNSS receivers.

Reasons to Rent an RTK Receiver

RTK-capable GNSS receivers (the so-called RTK receivers) are very expensive, typically specialized equipment costing a few hundred thousand to several million yen. Therefore, in cases where high-precision positioning is required but not needed frequently enough to justify purchasing, it is often more economical to borrow equipment temporarily through rental. By renting an RTK receiver for short-term projects or trial use, you can reduce the initial investment and use high-precision positioning only for the period you need.

Another reason to use rentals is that they spare you the hassle of equipment management and maintenance. High-precision GNSS equipment requires regular firmware updates and calibration, but with rentals the rental provider manages these, so users don’t have to worry about complex upkeep. You can also use rentals as a trial before purchasing, testing usability and accuracy in actual field conditions before deciding whether to buy.

Challenges of RTK receiver rentals

On the other hand, renting RTK receivers also involves several issues and disadvantages. First, the accumulation of usage costs. Rental fees can become expensive depending on the number of days and the equipment configuration, and if you rent repeatedly the total cost can become significant. It is not uncommon for situations to arise where "you intended a short-term rental at first, but the work was extended and the rental period was prolonged, resulting in costs higher than originally expected." If you use RTK positioning several times a year, other options may be more cost-effective than paying rental fees each time.

Secondly, securing equipment and the hassle of procedures. The desired models may not be available to rent when needed, and bookings can fill up during busy periods. Coordinating schedules and handling pick-up and return procedures each time you rent also takes time and effort. There is also a risk that work could be delayed while waiting for a rental if an urgent on-site response becomes necessary.

Third, the difficulty of operating the equipment and setting up the environment. To fully utilize rented RTK equipment, knowledge of initial configuration and on-site installation/positioning methods is required. For example, if you rent a base station and a rover as a set, you need to install the base station in an appropriate location and set its coordinates as a known point. Alternatively, when using a network RTK service, you must configure Ntrip connection settings on the GNSS receiver and prepare a mobile communication environment (SIM card, pocket Wi‑Fi, etc.). For first-time users, learning these tasks during a short-term rental is a high hurdle, and there is a risk of reaching the return deadline without being able to fully exploit the equipment’s performance.

What is LRTK

A solution that solves these rental-use issues and makes it easier to use high-precision positioning over long periods is LRTK. LRTK (pronounced "El-Ar-Tee-Kay") is a high-precision GNSS positioning service provided by Refixia Inc., and by signing a contract on a 1-year basis you can perform high-precision RTK positioning using a dedicated compact positioning device and applications. A major feature is that centimeter-level positioning, which previously required specialized equipment, can be achieved with only a palm-sized receiver and a smartphone/tablet.

Specifically, it consists of a small RTK-capable GNSS receiver（LRTK device）that is attached to and used with a smartphone or tablet, and a dedicated app that handles its positioning data. The LRTK device connects to the mobile device via Bluetooth or Wi‑Fi, analyzes positioning signals from satellites with high precision, and transmits them to the app on the smartphone. On the app side, correction information is applied in real time and positioning results are displayed and saved, allowing users to proceed with surveying work while checking their current position and accuracy on the screen.

A major feature of LRTK is that it is a service-based model. Rather than purchasing hardware, you subscribe to a one-year license, allowing you to secure a high-precision positioning environment only for the period you need. During the contract period you can freely use LRTK devices and the app, so you can perform positioning whenever you like as if you owned your own RTK receiver. Unlike short-term rentals, it can be used continuously throughout the year, flexibly accommodating multiple projects and surveying needs that span seasons.

Benefits of LRTK

By leveraging LRTK, you can gain a variety of benefits that are not available with traditional RTK receiver rentals.

• High precision: LRTK supports RTK-based positioning and achieves accuracy of ±1-2 cm (±0.4-0.8 in) horizontally and about ±3 cm (±1.2 in) vertically. This level of precision can be obtained without installing a dedicated base station and is orders of magnitude more precise than typical standalone GPS positioning (errors of several meters). The acquired coordinates include not only latitude and longitude but also elevation information, so they can be used directly for land height measurements.

• Ease of use: It operates with a single smartphone and a compact receiver that fits in a pocket, so carrying and setup are extremely simple. No complicated wiring or fixed equipment installation is required, and you can start positioning as soon as you arrive on site. The dedicated app is designed with intuitive operation in mind, allowing one-touch positioning without difficult settings. Even users new to RTK can handle it after a short explanation, making it a user-friendly configuration.

• Portability: The LRTK device itself is lightweight at only a few hundred grams and compact at just a few centimeters thick (a few inches). For example, it is designed so that mounting it on a surveying pole (monopod) or a tablet will not be burdensome, so your load won’t be bulky even during long patrol surveys or positioning work in mountainous areas. Because the full set of equipment fits in a backpack, you can walk around the site, making it suitable for surveys in high or confined spaces that were difficult with conventional equipment.

• Immediate availability: Unlike conventional rental equipment that requires setup and adjustment each time, it offers responsiveness that lets you use it whenever needed. Since there is no need to install or remove a base station on site, the overall efficiency of surveying work is greatly improved. Even on time-pressed sites, you can take out your smartphone and complete high-precision positioning in a short time, enabling workflows such as performing point surveys between tasks.

• Flexibility with communication environments: LRTK supports Japan’s satellite-based augmentation service “Michibiki (QZSS) CLAS signal,” allowing it to receive correction information from satellites and maintain high-precision positioning even in areas outside mobile phone coverage. It can also use commercial network RTK services (Ntrip distribution) via a smartphone’s internet connection, so correction information can be obtained by the optimal method according to site conditions. This maintains stable positioning accuracy in a variety of environments, such as mountainous areas and urban building shadows.

• Cost efficiency: LRTK is offered as an annual subscription service, providing excellent cost performance when used repeatedly throughout the year. Once subscribed, it can be used without additional fees, so for example if you have surveying work several times a month, the total cost is often lower than renting equipment each time. Initial costs can also be significantly lower compared to purchasing equipment, which makes budgeting easier.

• Multi-purpose: LRTK not only measures current positions but also excels at data utilization and applied measurements. Using the dedicated app, plotting measurement points on a map and saving/sharing coordinate data is simple, and it can work with iPhone/iPad cameras and AR (augmented reality) functions to perform 3D point cloud scanning, or visualize target points on drawings at the site to support stakeout work. These functions allow it to serve as a comprehensive positioning solution that goes beyond a simple GNSS receiver.

Comparison of RTK Receiver Rentals and LRTK

Based on the above, let us compare traditional RTK receiver rentals with LRTK services. Summarizing the characteristics of each, they are as follows.

Rentals are convenient for short-term use, but they are not suitable for frequent use or ongoing projects. On the other hand, with LRTK you can use it at any time throughout the year and flexibly accommodate future additional surveying needs. It also removes the worry of "not having it on hand when you want to use it," which makes it well suited for sudden on-site responses.

Simplified Surveying with LRTK

By introducing LRTK, surveying work that previously relied on specialist contractors or heavy equipment can be carried out more easily in-house. For example, for relatively simple surveying tasks such as confirming site boundary points, measuring elevations, or calculating the area of agricultural plots, staff can perform them themselves using LRTK. With high-precision RTK positioning becoming so easy to use, small on-site measurement needs can now be addressed immediately.

Tasks that previously required hiring a surveying company or preparing expensive equipment can be completed in a short time with a smartphone in hand if you have LRTK. For example, LRTK’s accuracy and ease of use are powerful for applications such as as-built control in small-scale land development, leveling surveys of farmland, and recording conditions at disaster sites. Having an environment where you can measure immediately when you think "I want to measure" improves not only operational efficiency but also speeds up on-site decision-making.

LRTK can be used even by non-specialist surveyors, so it can broaden employees' skill sets and is expected to serve as a tool that promotes bringing simple surveying in-house. Of course, advanced tasks such as official control-point surveys require specialist knowledge, but for routine surveying work LRTK alone is sufficient. By making high-precision positioning more accessible, LRTK is significantly changing the way work is done on site.

Summary

RTK receiver rentals are one option for using high-precision positioning on an ad-hoc basis, but as usage frequency increases, cost and convenience issues become apparent. As a solution, LRTK has emerged as a new approach: a high-precision positioning service available through annual contracts that eliminates the hassles of renting while providing stable centimeter-level positioning.

By using LRTK, precise surveying becomes possible with just a smartphone—without relying on heavy, expensive equipment—dramatically improving on-site work efficiency and flexibility. The reassurance of being able to use it whenever needed creates more leeway in work planning and can reduce the setup coordination and waiting times associated with surveying. LRTK, which could be called the new standard for high-precision positioning, is an ideal alternative to renting RTK receivers. Take advantage of this service, which combines high accuracy and convenience, to achieve greater productivity and labor savings in your company's field operations.

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between RTK and conventional GPS positioning? A: Conventional standalone GPS positioning can have errors of several meters, but RTK can reduce errors to several centimeters by using correction information from a base station. In other words, RTK is a technology used when more precise position measurements are required. Another major difference is that RTK enables positioning in the vertical direction and measurements at multiple points without relative offsets.

Q: How accurate is LRTK? A: With LRTK, horizontal positioning accuracy is approximately ±1–2 cm (±0.4–0.8 in), and vertical accuracy is about ±3 cm (±1.2 in). In favorable conditions, even higher accuracy is possible, and by remaining stationary and averaging multiple measurements you can obtain stable millimeter-level results. This rivals the accuracy of Class 1 GNSS surveying instruments used for national land surveying.

Q: What do I need to use LRTK? A: Basically, LRTK can be used with only an LRTK receiver device and a compatible smartphone or tablet (iOS device). If you connect the LRTK device to a smartphone with the dedicated app installed via Bluetooth, etc., satellite positioning and reception of correction information will start. If you use Internet-based corrections, a network connection is required; however, if you operate using only satellite augmentation signals (CLAS), positioning is possible even when the smartphone is out of cellular coverage.

Q: What does "a service usable on a one-year basis" mean? A: LRTK is not a purchase-type product but a subscription-based (fixed-term contract) service. During the one-year contract period, you are free to use the LRTK device and app. Contracts can be renewed as needed, and if renewed you can continue using the service. For example, you can use it only for that one year, or you can contract each year if you use it annually—either way allows flexible operation.

Q: Are there cost advantages compared with renting? A: Yes — particularly if you use it multiple times throughout the year, LRTK is often more economical. With rentals you incur a fee each time you use them, whereas with LRTK there are no additional charges no matter how many times you use it within the contract period. Therefore, for sites where surveys are conducted several times a month, an LRTK contract will likely reduce total costs compared to repeatedly renting. Also, compared to purchasing equipment, the initial outlay is smaller, making it easier to adopt.

Q: Can it be used without specialized knowledge of GNSS or surveying? A: Yes. LRTK is equipped with a simple operation system and a user-friendly interface so that people without specialized knowledge can use it. By simply pressing the "Start Positioning" button in the dedicated app, high-precision positioning begins automatically, and the current positioning accuracy and the number of satellites can be checked on the screen. Even first-time users can learn the basic operations with a short training session or by referring to the manual, and many field personnel use it without problems.

Q: What kinds of applications is it suitable for? A: LRTK can be used not only for surveying in construction and civil engineering but also in agriculture (such as field parcel measurements), forestry (forest surveys), recording disaster scenes, and improving the accuracy of aerial surveys by drones, among many other uses. It excels at small-scale construction as-built verification, control-point surveying for map creation, land surveying, staking out positions for equipment installation, and any situation where high-precision positioning information is required. As long as GNSS signals can be received outdoors, it can basically be used at any site.

Q: Can it be used in mountainous areas or sites outside of mobile coverage? A: Yes, LRTK devices can receive the augmentation signals (CLAS) broadcast from the Michibiki satellites, so they can perform high-precision positioning standalone even in areas where mobile phone signals do not reach. However, in locations where GNSS satellite signals themselves cannot be received, such as deep forests or inside tunnels, positioning becomes difficult. This is the same as conventional GPS equipment. Conversely, if the sky is open and satellites are visible, you can obtain stable positioning accuracy across Japan without relying on communication infrastructure.

Q: How do I set up LRTK? A: Setting up LRTK requires a contract with Refixia, the provider. If you make an inquiry or submit an application, a full set of LRTK devices will be delivered to you after the contract procedures. Then, install the app on your smartphone and complete the initial setup, and you can start using it immediately. Detailed procedures and the support system for deployment are provided on the LRTK official website and at the support desk, so if you are interested, please contact them.