What is RTK and Why Does It Matter?
If you’ve ever used GPS on your phone or in your car, you know it’s pretty good—usually accurate to within about 10–30 feet. But what if you needed location accuracy down to a few centimeters (inches), and you needed it right now?
That’s exactly what RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) does. RTK is an advanced correction technology that uses a fixed “base station” to instantly remove the errors that affect normal GPS signals. The result is centimeter-level precision available in real time.
This kind of accuracy opens up powerful possibilities for everyday people and professionals alike:
- Farmers can guide tractors and sprayers with pinpoint precision (saving fuel, time, and chemicals)
- Surveyors, engineers, and construction crews can map and build faster and more accurately
- Drone pilots and researchers can create detailed maps and 3D models
- Anyone working with autonomous equipment, land management, or scientific data benefits from reliable, high-precision positioning
Our Free Public RTK Base Station
Starlight Studio has installed a permanent GNSS base station on the Shepherd University Farm just outside Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The station is part of the worldwide RTK2Go network and provides high-quality correction data 24/7 to anyone within range (typically 20–50 km / 12–30 miles, depending on terrain and antenna height).
Connection Details (ready to copy-paste into your GNSS software or receiver):
- NTRIP Caster Address: rtk2go.com
- Port: 2101
- Mountpoint: starlightRTK
- Username: Any valid email address (this is used by RTK2Go to send error reports if needed)
- Password: (leave blank — no password required)
That’s it! Once your compatible GNSS receiver or software (such as SW Maps, Emlid Flow, Trimble Access, Leica Captivate, or any NTRIP client) is configured with the information above, you should begin receiving RTK corrections and seeing dramatically improved accuracy.
If you use our RTK base station, let us know.