Improvements of USCG RTK Positioning Performance Using External NOAA Tropospheric Corrections Integrated with a Multiple Reference Station Approach

P. Alves, Y.W. Ahn, J. Liu, G. Lachapelle, D. Wolfe, and A. Cleveland

Abstract:	Marine navigation has been revolutionized with the advent of the Global Positioning System (GPS), and the deployment of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Differential GPS (DGPS) Service. The reference station spacing of this network ranges from 30 to 500 km. The high level of correlated errors on measurements from long baselines can reduce the effectiveness of carrier phasebased positioning, especially when only one reference station is used. The first objective of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a multiple reference station approach on the USCG network. The GPS-Met Observing Systems Branch (GPS-Met) (2002) within the Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) develops and assesses techniques to measure atmospheric water vapor using ground-based GPS receivers. This includes a test bed for tropospheric corrections, located in the Northeastern United States. The second objective of this paper is to evaluate the improvement due to the use of external NOAA tropospheric corrections on the USCG network. This paper presents potential DGPS system enhancements and initiatives. Some are merely concepts at this time, while others are underway. The intent of this paper is to promote further investigations into each of these concepts and to propose new ideas for exploration. It is not intended to reflect USCG direction or policy. Use of company names, trademarks, or copywrited material is not an endorsement of any product or service.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2004 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 26 - 28, 2004 The Catamaran Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	689 - 698
Cite this article:	Alves, P., Ahn, Y.W., Liu, J., Lachapelle, G., Wolfe, D., Cleveland, A., "Improvements of USCG RTK Positioning Performance Using External NOAA Tropospheric Corrections Integrated with a Multiple Reference Station Approach," Proceedings of the 2004 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Diego, CA, January 2004, pp. 689-698.
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