Using the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station with Propeller

The DJI D-RTK 2 Mobile Station is a compatible solution for achieving high-accuracy geotagged images with the Phantom 4 RTK (P4R) drone. This article provides a detailed guide on utilizing the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station with Propeller. It's important to note that Propeller does not sell or produce this base station, so any questions should be directed to DJI.

Please read the User Guide that came with your base station. It is available for download on the DJI website.

Collecting Data

Base Station Setup

1. Choose a clear, open area free from obstructions, large bodies of water, and power lines. Make sure the base station is stable and level.

2. Centering the tripod over the known point is essential. Failing to do so will prevent successful data processing in Propeller.

• This step is crucial for scenarios involving repeated site flights, exporting data to other software requiring global accuracy, or importing designs into Propeller for comparison.
• Exception—If the flight is a one-off mission and there are no control points that we need to tie into, then we can use the approximate base location as the known point. In this case, there’s no need to set the base station up over a known point.

3. Power on the base station, and you should hear the fan running. Use Operating Mode 1 for the Phantom 4 RTK.

Link the base to the remote controller and the aircraft using the instructions on page 6 of the user guide.

Inputting the known point coordinates into GS RTK

1. Tap on "Fly."
2. Select the RTK icon in the top menu.
3. Once an RTK link is established, scroll to the bottom of the RTK menu and click "Advanced Settings."
4. Input the known point coordinates for the base station location.
5. Ensure the coordinates are in latitude/longitude and ellipsoid height, including the antenna height above the known point on the ground.

Inputting the known point coordinates into DJI Pilot 2

1. Go to Advanced Settings, then tap Adjust Coordinates.
2. Enter the coordinates of the known point for the base station location.
3. Click OK.
4. Continue your flight preparation.
5. Ensure the coordinates are in latitude/longitude and ellipsoid height, including the antenna height above the known point on the ground.

The input coordinates must differ by less than 5 (sometimes listed as 50) meters, or the input will not be valid.

When calculating the antenna height, add 141.9mm to the pole's length to obtain the phase center distance.

Uploading the Data

Please follow this workflow for high-accuracy geotagged photo datasets. 

When uploading the data, the image geotag vertical datum option must be set to ellipsoid height.

If you flew with a Phantom 4 RTK drone and the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station, you do not need to include the .BIN and .MRK files normally associated with Propeller PPK processing. If you include them without a PPK license, the upload will be blocked until the data files are removed.

If you have any questions about this workflow, please contact your Customer Success Engineer. For more information on the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station, refer to the DJI website FAQs.

I still can't do it!

We wrote these articles to equip you with everything you need to get the job done on your own, but we understand that sometimes this isn't sufficient.

If you're stuck, the Propeller hardware support team may be able to help. You can contact them by emailing hardwaresupport@propelleraero.com.au.