TIPS RTK in Action - Decker, MT

Figure 1 Catherine Dreesbach, Montana DEQ Reclamation Specialist, secures the RTK radio antenna to the mast.

TIPS Deploys Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS Equipment to State of Montana for GIS- Building

(Decker, MT) TIPS responded to customer requests for survey-caliber GPS by field-deploying a Topcon RTK system that allows Western Regional users to achieve centimeter positioning on minesites. TIPS stakeholders from Montana, New Mexico, and the Casper Field Office were trained on-the-job during the week of November 6th at the Decker and Spring Valley mines. During a typical Northern Plains weather week, the temperature plunged from the mid 70’s to the 30’s by the end of the training. The mine control points were mapped to georeference the minesite coordinate system to the Montana State Plane coordinate system used for the Montana DEQ GIS.

TIPS first tested this technology in the Region in the late 1990’s with Trimble equipment that was used mainly to perform topographic surveys and to provide ground control for aerial imagery. That equipment found a permanent home at the State of Virginia Division of Mined Land Reclamation

The new RTK units use the Russian GLONASS system of satellites to augment the US NAVSTAR satellites that we know as GPS. This extra satellite component is valuable for Northern US TIPS customers due to the orbital inclination of the GLONASS constellation.

TIPS is offering use of the RTK system to its Western Region customers after they attend a mandatory training session. To find out more about RTK in general, or the TIPS RTK system and how to get in on the training, contact Robert Welsh at rwelsh@osmre.gov or 303.844.1400 x 1478.