Merging low-cost receivers in a GNSS network of permanent stations

The number of low-cost receivers that are able to guarantee sub-metrical accuracy is increasing very fast. This fact motivated our research to investigate the behavior of the receivers when they are used into a Network of GNSS permanent stations. Three mass-market GPS receivers commonly employed in tourism and hiking were used, in a unconventional setting using a GNSS network: two of them were built in the Nineties and one is more recent. Besides, other more professional GIS receivers were tested, which have been present on market for the last few years. All of them were used for many tests performed both in real time way and in post-processing one. In order to carry out the tests, the experimental network of GNSS permanent stations in the Regione Piemonte (Italy) was used. Differential corrections from NTRIP servers and from direct RTCM streams were used during the real time experiments, whereas RINEX files from a single network station and a Virtual Reference Station were used as reference in post-processing tests. The data acquisitions were made on points with known coordinates which were adjusted in the IGS05 reference system. Furthermore, the data stored with the mentioned receivers were acquired under the same GPS satellite condition in order to allow a right comparison among each test. The goals of this research is to understand whether the use of low cost receiver in DGPS and in post-processing mode is possible for application fields where a metric (or less) accuracy is required, such as vehicle navigation or GIS surveys.