Connect and Manage GPS 

Uinta connects to a device's internal GPS receiver, an external GPS receiver, or location services to capture location data. You can adjust the location settings and apply correction services to increase the data's accuracy.

For a list of external GPS receivers supported by Uinta, email Juniper Systems at uintasoftware@junipersys.com.

Connect GPS in Uinta for Windows

The following sections describe how to connect to an internal or external GPS receiver with a Windows device. 

Connect to the Internal GPS

To connect the device's internal GPS receiver,

  1. Tap the GPS icon  in the upper-left corner of the title bar.

Or, from the menu, select Settings > GPS Connection.

  1. Select the internal GPS. 

 CAUTION: While Windows location services is listed as an option, we do not recommend using it as a valid GPS data collection source. Windows location services shows the position of the Wi-Fi access point (not the current position of the user). 

  1. Tap Connect.

    Uinta displays information about the receiver, including the accuracy, location, and position source.
  2. Tap  to close the box.

Connect to an External GPS Receiver

You can connect to an external GPS receiver through Bluetooth®, USB, or serial port. 

Pair to Bluetooth Receiver

To pair to an external GPS receiver,

  1. Power on the external GPS receiver.
  2. Enable Bluetooth on your Windows device.
  3. Pair the external GPS receiver to your Windows device.
  4. Open Uinta.
  5. Tap the GPS icon  in the upper-left corner of the title bar.

Or, from the menu, select Settings > GPS connection.

  1. In Location Source, select the external GPS receiver.
  2. Tap Connect.

Uinta displays information about the receiver, including the accuracy, correction source, fix quality, and battery charge level.

  1. Tap  to close the box.

Connect via USB

You can connect an external GPS receiver to a Windows device using a USB cable.

  1. If the PC or tablet is running Windows 10, turn off tablet mode.
  2. Power on the external GPS receiver.
  3. Plug the USB cable into your Windows device and the external GPS receiver.
  4. Open Uinta.
  5. Tap the GPS icon  in the upper-left corner of the title bar.

Or, from the menu, select Settings > GPS connection.

  1. In Location Source, select the USB serial device.
  2. Tap Connect.

Uinta displays information about the receiver, including the accuracy, correction source, fix quality, and battery charge level.

  1. Tap  to close the box.

Connect via Serial Port

Some external GPS receivers, such as the Geode, have a 9-pin RS-232C serial port. This allows the GPS receiver to be mounted to a piece of equipment while maintaining a constant connection for data and power. 

To connect a Windows device and an external GPS receiver with a straight-through serial cable,

  1. Power on the external GPS receiver.
  2. Plug the serial cable into your Windows device and the external GPS receiver.
  3. Open Uinta.
  4. Tap the GPS icon  in the upper-left corner of the title bar.

Or, from the menu, select Settings > GPS Connection.

  1. Select the USB serial port. 
  2. Tap Connect.

Uinta displays information about the receiver, including the accuracy, correction source, fix quality, and battery charge level.

  1. Tap  to close the box.

Connect GPS in Uinta for Android

The following sections describe how to connect to an internal or external GPS receiver with an Android device. 

Connect to Internal GPS or Location Services

To connect to the internal GPS receiver or location services,

  1. Open Uinta.
  2. From the menu, select Connect & manage GPS.
  3. Select Internal GPS or Location services.

Note: Android location services uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other sources to pinpoint a location, making it a valid data collection source. 

  1. Tap Connect.

Uinta displays information about the receiver, including the accuracy, location, and fix quality.

  1. Tap  to close the box.

Pair to an External GPS Receiver

To pair your Android device to an external GPS receiver,  

  1. Power on the external GPS receiver.
  2. Enable Bluetooth on your Android device.

For devices running Android 12 or earlier, enable Location.

  1. Open Uinta.
  2. From the menu, select Connect & Manage GPS.
  3. In Location Source, select the external GPS receiver.

Note: If the GPS receiver does not appear in the list of devices, ensure it is turned on and not paired with another device. 

  1. Tap Connect.
  2. Follow the prompts to finish pairing the Geode with your device.

Uinta displays information about the receiver, including the accuracy, correction source, fix quality, and battery charge level.

  1. Tap  to close the box.

Connect GPS in Uinta for iOS

The following sections describe how to connect to an internal or external receiver with an Apple iOS device.

Connect to Internal GPS or Location Services

To connect to the internal GPS receiver or location services,

  1. From the menu, select Connect & manage GPS.
  2. In Location Source, select Internal GPS or Location services.

Note: Apple location services uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other sources to pinpoint a location, making it a valid data collection source.

  1. Tap Connect.

Uinta displays information about the receiver, including the accuracy, satellites in fix, and fix quality.

  1. Tap  to close the box.

Connect to an External GPS Receiver

You can pair an iOS device to an external GPS receiver, such as Geode.

  1. Power on the external GPS receiver.
  2. Enable Bluetooth on the iOS device.
  3. Open Uinta.
  4. From the menu, select Connect & Manage GPS.
  5. In Location Source, select the external GPS receiver from the drop-down list.
    1. If the receiver doesn't appear in the list, tap Discover devices. Select the GPS receiver from the list and finish the pairing process. 
  6. Tap Connect.

Uinta displays information about the receiver, including the accuracy, correction source, fix quality, and battery charge level.

  1. Tap  to close the box.

Adjust Location Settings

Adjust the location settings to improve the accuracy of the GPS receiver.

  1. Open location settings.
    • Windows―From the menu, select Settings > Location settings. 
    • Android or iOS―From the menu, select Connect & manage GPS > Location settings. 
  2. Modify the location settings, as described in the table below.

Location-Related Settings
Parameter Default Value Description

Antenna Height

0 feet

Enter the height of your receiver mounted above the ground for greater accuracy.

Location Status Text

Accuracy (Estimated Horizontal Error)

Options are

  • Accuracy (estimated horizontal error)
  • Elevation
  • Accuracy (EHE) and Elevation (Ht)
  • Elevation + Vertical Accuracy
  • Current Coordinate

Location Accuracy Warnings

Disabled

Enable Enforce Location Accuracy to have Uinta warn you if the GPS accuracy exceeds the defined accuracy threshold. After the warning appears, you can choose whether to save the location that exceeds the accuracy threshold.

Geoid Settings

(Available only if connected to a Geode GNSS receiver.)

 varies

Select the Geoid from the list or tap  to install a Geoid. For instructions, see Manage Installed Geoids.
Coordinate Systems

Displayed Coordinate System*

World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84) Latitude/Longitude (4326)

Spatial reference identifier based on European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG) codes. Options are

  • WGS84 Latitude/Longitude (4326)
  • WGS84 UTM
  • Other

For instructions, see Select a Coordinate Reference System.
Coordinate Display Format Decimal degrees (DD.DDD) When the displayed coordinate system includes a variety of display options, this field appears. If there are no options available in the chosen coordinate system, this field does not display.
Geode Receiver Settings
Available only if connected to Geode GNSS receiver.
Update Rate 1 Hz Sets the message output rate through the active connection port

Correction Source

Auto

The available correction sources are determined by your Geode model. 

  • Auto—Geode chooses the correction source based on the current level of accuracy. The Auto setting gives less precise but more reliable corrections. If the signal is lost or unavailable, Geode will try the options in the following order: NTRIP, Atlas, GALHAS, SBAS, None.
  • Atlas—Geode uses corrections only from Atlas.
  • SBAS—Geode uses corrections only from SBAS.
  • NTRIP—Geode uses corrections only from NTRIP/RTK.
  • GALHAS—Geode uses corrections for Galileo High Accuracy service.
  • None—Geode does not use any corrections.

SBAS

Auto

Sets the SBAS satellite signal to use for an SBAS-corrected solution. Options are

  • Auto
  • EGNOS
  • GAGAN
  • MSAS
  • SDCM
  • SouthPAN
  • WAAS
  • None
NTRIP Settings
Available only if connected to Geode GNSS receiver.

NTRIP Profile

  

Select, add, or edit the NTRIP Profile you use. Use the drop-down arrow to select previously created profiles. Use the plus sign to create a new profile. Use the pencil to edit the profile. When creating a new profile, enter

  • A name for the profile
  • The address of your NTRIP caster
  • The port being used
  • Your username
  • Your password
  • Select Send GGA to Caster to send the GGA to your caster.
  • Choose to apply a spatial reference correction source when active (in the Coordinate Reference System ID box). Select a coordinate reference system from the drop-down list or tap the plus sign to add one.
  • Choose, add, or download your mount point.

For specific instructions on using NTRIP with Geode, see Use NTRIP with Geode and Using Uinta and Geode for RTK Correction in our knowledge base. 

NTRIP Connection

  

Tap Start NTRIP to begin an NTRIP connection.

NTRIP Diagnostic Log

  

Information about the NTRIP connection.

* The display projection is WGS84 Pseudo-Mercator/Web Mercator (EPSG 3857) which creates a smooth rendering of maps and map tiles. For display purposes, when fully zoomed out the map projection repeats to create a continuous scrolling map. 

Manage Installed Geoids

Note: Geoid settings are available only if you are using a Geode GNSS receiver.

To install and manage installed Geoids,

  1. Under Geoid Settings, tap . Uinta opens the Manage Installed Geoids screen.
  2. To narrow the list of available Geoids, filter by current location or search for a specific Geoid. 
  3. To install a Geoid, 
    • To use a Geoid saved on your device, tap Import from device. 
    • To use a Geoid from the list of online Geoids, select the Geoid and tap Download. Then, tap Download again to confirm.
  4. To delete a Geoid, select it from the list of downloaded or installed Geoids. Then, tap Delete.
  5. Close Manage Installed Geoids. 
  6. In Geoid Model, tap and select the Geoid from the list.
  7. Close Location Settings.

Additional information on spatial reference systems can be found in our knowledge base.

Select a Coordinate Reference System

WGS84 is the most common coordinate reference system. However, there are thousands of coordinate reference systems, and another coordinate reference system may fit your situation better.

To select a coordinate reference system other than WGS84,

  1. Tap Coordinate systems.
  2. In Displayed coordinate system, select Other.
  3. Tap  next to Coordinate Reference System ID.
  4. Select the coordinate reference system that you want to use.
    1. Narrow the list by applying a filter or searching by SRID or name.
  5. Tap the next button to apply the coordinate reference system.
  6. Tap Save changes.
  7. Tap  to return to location settings.

Monitor the GPS Receiver Accuracy

The GPS icon, located in the title bar in Windows or at the bottom of the screen in Android or iOS, shows the fix quality and the accuracy of the receiver.

 
Windows
Android or iOS

Tap the GPS icon to view additional details about the GPS receiver, including the accuracy, correction source, fix quality, and battery charge level. 

Understanding the GPS Icon Colors 

The color of the GPS icon is based on the fix quality. 

 

GPS Icon Colors
Fix Quality Additional Criteria

No GPS connection

  
Standard GPS fix Fix is two dimensional
Fix is three dimensional
Differential GPS (DGPS)  
Precise Positioning System (PPS)  
RTK and RTK Float  
Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)  

Dead reckoning, manual, or simulation

Color is based on GPS accuracy. (See table below.) If no accuracy can be determined, this color is used.

 

Invalid or unavailable

 

 

Color is based on GPS accuracy. (See table below.) If no accuracy can be determined, this color is used.

 
GPS Accuracy  
Estimated Horizontal Error (EHE)  

EHE is less than 1 meters

EHE is less than 3 meters

EHE is less than 5 meters
EHE is 5 meters or greater

 

Disconnect the GPS Receiver

To disconnect the GPS receiver,

  1. Tap the GPS icon, located in the title bar in Windows or at the bottom of the screen in Android or iOS. 
  2. Tap Disconnect.

Use Uinta to Auto-Configure Geode

If you are using Uinta and connect to a Geode GNSS receiver, you may be prompted to auto configure the Geode.

Auto Configure applies the following recommended settings for using the Geode with Uinta.

Settings
Configure Geode Category Auto Configure Settings
for GNS3		 Auto Configure Settings
for GNS2		 Notes
Active GNSS Constellations

GPS

Multi-GNSS

GPS

Multi-GNSS

  
NMEA

RD1

GGA

GNS

GSA

GST

GSV

RMC

RD1

GGA

GNS

GSA

GST

GSV

RMC

  
Update Rate 1 Hz 1 Hz  
Advanced Section
NMEA Precision 8 8  
Mask Angle 10 10  
Correction Source Auto N/A For more information, see Geode is not Seeing Satellites.
SBAS Auto Auto  
Receiver Mode

Mixed

Null NMEA

Mixed

Null NMEA

 Turn off Mixed to get the greatest accuracy. See Default and Recommended Settings for GEODE for more information.

Battery Status Sentence

 10 seconds 10 seconds