RTK gps on a budget (Quectel LC29HEA)

what baudrate on your NMEA type GPS?

Hi Austin,

460800

see: RTK gps on a budget (Quectel LC29HEA) - #146 by Rolf

Rolf

Lets go back to YGWYPF.

Hi Rolf,

I saw your post and wanted to ask about the differential data you’re using with NTRIP.

Which specific RTCM messages are you using for correction? Such as **1005,1042,1077,1087, 1097 and 1127?

How is your NTRIP client configured, and are you using a local base station or network RTK service for the corrections?

Thanks for sharing your insights!

Hi huacheng_ji,
I use a state NTRIP service whose reference stations are only a few kilometres away from my preferred flying area. For RTCM messages the MissionPlanner shows me 1074, 1032, 1094, 1084,1124,1025,1013, 1008,1033, 1023,1006, 1021, 1005,1042,1077,1087, 1097 and 1127.

Rolf

Rolf,Thank you!
I found that the speed information of this module is not very accurate, but the position is OK. I wonder if you can fly using only the position information

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interesting, I wonder how it will work with a rover using an alternative Y axis velocity source like wheel encoders.

The US Defense Department included chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies, Quectel Wireless and drone maker Autel Robotics, according to a document (Chinese firms allegedly aiding Beijing’s military) published on Monday.

For those that want the official section 1260H doc.

FYI DJI is already there anyhow.

In case anybody is interested, in which case I’ll provide further details, I currently have two LC29H EA boards (from Aliexpress) communicating with two custom PCBs that I designed each with an ESP32-C3 super mini talking to a NiceRF LLCC68 lora radio (operating at 915MHz). One set operates as a rover, the other as a base. The base, which configures its position using survey-in mode, sends RTK correction data via Lora to the rover. The rover achieves a stable RTK fixed solution almost immediately that the base starts sending sufficient correction packets (typically 2 to 4, 255 byte packets per second). No need for intermediate ntrip protocol, just the raw RTK data output from the base effectively relayed to the rover LC29H EA via Lora. Simple, although the firmware took a while to get right. Total cost in the end around NZ$320 (around US$185). Only a few ground trials so far. I’m currently preparing the setup for operating on an ardupilot drone (holybro Kakute H7 mini FC), also currently in construction. The base electronics/antenna is in a case on a tripod. Obviously until the drone is actually in the air this could still all turn to custard, but so far I have no reason to think it won’t work.

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@Yuri_Rage I am looking into putting together a LC29HEA based RTK Rover (to cart stuff around), and was wondering if you have any insight into whether or not you think this would be a good idea (given your experience in ground based autonomy using ardupilot). I think I’m aiming for a budget of ~£200, so would be using a raspberry pi 4 (flight controllers are damn expensive) with full control over the motors and running ardupilot, a fairly cheap imu and compass (gps would take priority over compass while moving ideally), a basic sonar crash avoidance, and the LC29HEA recieving rtcm from a local NTRIP (<20km away) through a laptop running mission planner with a telemetry radio transmitting and recieving from the rover. I have also seen alternative GPS modules like this one (https://www.ardusimple.com/product/simplegnss-pro/) which has dual band sub-metre precision for only around 50 bucks using a u-blox chip (making documentation and support for the build much easier), but was wondering whether you think I pick the LC29HEA or the NEO-F10N. This would be my first time doing something like this, but was wondering whether I should go for the precision (potentially able to go through pathways) or for the ease of setup given what you have seen so far in this thread. I’m contemplating 1: whether this is worth attempting. And 2: Whether this GPS chip would be up to the task. If I can get even a 10-20cm rtk on this chip, I’d be very impressed for £40.

Don’t. The LC29 is a finicky chip. DataGNSS has some inexpensive hardware that I haven’t yet tested, but it’s on my short list. It appears to be of better quality and better supported here.

@Yuri_Rage
No idea how I haven’t seen this brand so far.
Looking at the Nano chip, its recorded on the ardupilot docs pretty favourably, but it mentions it as the ‘Nano Helix’ and not the ‘Nano’, AND THEN clicking on the reference link for it from the wiki, you end up on a webpage that no longer exists, giving a 404 error on the DATAGNSS website. I don’t know exactly what is going on with this, but I can see that the Nano Helix appears to combine the Helix antenna they sell for $40, and the Nano chip (the one I am interested in) for $49. I’m planning ahead for this build, but you would reccommend going forward with their brand of GPS equipment? Their stats almost seem too good to be true for me. How on earth do you get 1-3cm rtk precision on a $59 all in one reciever package (DGM10-A01).
I did see a review from rtklibexplorer favourably reviewing a $1199 rtk surveying device from the company in 2018, but don’t see how the price of their recent equipment is achievable in any way. What makes this cheaper than something like an M8T chip, which alone is more expensive than the entire unit and only has a single band capability and doesn’t natively support rtk.

Used links:

https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-datagnss-nano-rcv-rtk.html

I appreciate the help

@datagnss has been active on this forum and can likely answer your questions directly. Maybe start a new topic and tag them in it.

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Hi,
We are coming…
We are a company with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Japan, focusing on GNSS RTK technology. We specialize in providing high-precision RTK solutions and have long been dedicated to the survey and mapping industry. The products you see on our website www.datagnss.com are our current flagship offerings, including Helix-type products like the NANO HRTK series and patch antenna types such as the GEM1305 or DGM10 series. Our products primarily support RTK and orientation functions, compatible with multiple other brands’ RTK product lines. Additionally, all our products support both base station and rover functionalities, as well as L1+L5 and L1+L2 frequencies. For further inquiries or ideas, feel free to email us at info@datagnss.com.

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