GNSS Field Support

Troubleshooting, Layout Help, and Site Calibrations

GNSS is one of the biggest productivity boosters on a job—until something goes sideways. One day your dozer is dead-on, the next day you’re chasing grade. The rover won’t fix, the base/radio keeps dropping, or your layout points look “close” but not right. That’s where TerraPrecision Solutions comes in.

We provide hands-on GNSS troubleshooting and field support for both machine control and rovers, plus layout assistance, site calibrations, and localizations so your crew can get back to work with confidence.

What We Help With (Machine Control + Rover)

Machine GNSS troubleshooting (dozer/grader/excavator)

Common issues we diagnose and correct:

  • Intermittent or poor GNSS positioning (float solutions, slow convergence, jumpy position)

  • Base/rover radio link problems (loss of corrections, range issues, interference)

  • Wrong design location due to coordinate system/datum mismatch

  • Antenna height / pole height / mounting problems affecting elevations

  • Incorrect project setup (units, geoid model, vertical datum, site settings)

  • “Looks right on screen, wrong in dirt” situations: quick field checks to isolate whether it’s calibration, control, model, or operator setup

Rover GNSS troubleshooting (layout-grade support)

We help crews who are:

  • Struggling to get fixed reliably (trees, buildings, multipath, weak sky view)

  • Seeing inconsistent checks (point-to-point doesn’t repeat)

  • Getting bad elevations (wrong geoid, wrong vertical settings, wrong antenna height)

  • Fighting corrections issues (VRS/Network RTK login, base setup, radio config)

  • Confused by site settings (grid vs ground, scale factors, localization choices)

Layout Help in the Field (Production-Focused)

Sometimes you don’t need a full survey crew on-site—you need someone to help your team get layout moving and verify they’re building the right thing.

We can assist with:

  • Setting and checking control (working from the control you’re provided)

  • Stakeout support for: building corners, pads, curb lines, utilities, offsets, slopes, subgrade limits

  • Quick verification shots (tie-ins, grades, boundaries of work, as-built checks)

  • Workflow coaching so your foreman and operators can repeat the process without babysitting

Note: We’re not replacing a licensed surveyor. We support your field operation and work from approved control and plans.

Site Calibrations & Localizations (Where Most “Mystery Errors” Start)

If GNSS is acting “weird,” the root cause is often the coordinate side—not the satellites.

Site Calibration (aka “Calibration”)

A site calibration is how your equipment and rover translate GNSS positions into your site’s working coordinates so everything matches the plans and control. A clean calibration means:

  • Your rover checks repeat

  • Machine control and rover agree with each other

  • Layout points land where they should—without “fudging”

We help with:

  • Building or repairing calibrations using provided control points

  • Checking residuals and identifying bad points/control issues

  • Verifying vertical setup (geoid model, benchmark handling, rod heights)

  • Documenting what was used so the job stays consistent through phases and crews

Localization (aka “Localization”)

Localizations are often used when you need to best-fit GNSS into an existing site coordinate framework, especially when:

  • The project has legacy control

  • Multiple crews/equipment are involved

  • The site is spread out and needs consistent results across the whole footprint

We help you choose the right approach, apply it cleanly, and keep it consistent so you don’t end up with “two truths” on one job.

How Our GNSS Support Works (Fast, Practical, No Fluff)

  1. Quick triage: what’s happening, when it started, what changed (new file, new control, new base, new phase)

  2. Field checks: verify known points, confirm heights/settings, isolate whether it’s calibration vs corrections vs hardware

  3. Fix + lock it in: correct settings, rebuild calibration/localization if needed, confirm with repeatable checks

  4. Hand-off: simple notes your crew can follow so the fix stays fixed

We can support on-site or remote, depending on the situation and what systems you’re running.

When to Call TerraPrecision

This service is a fit if:

  • Your crew is losing hours to GNSS issues and needs answers now

  • Machine control and rover don’t agree

  • Points don’t check, elevations are off, or layout won’t repeat

  • You need a solid site calibration/localization built (or rebuilt)

  • You want field layout support without dragging the job to a halt

Get Help in the Field

If you tell us what you’re running (machine system + rover setup), what corrections you’re using (base, VRS/network), and what’s “off,” we’ll help you diagnose it and get it working the right way—clean checks, consistent results, and production back on track.