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RTK Corrections Cost and Your Own Base Station

By Antonio Liska • October 24, 2025 • Updated October 6, 2026

An RTK correction subscription can get you working without installing a base. Your own base can reduce recurring caster costs and give you control over the source. The better choice depends on where you work and what you already own.

Compare the complete setup: receiver, corrections, internet access, and the time needed to keep it working.

When a subscription makes sense

A correction service is worth considering when you move between sites or want to work with one rover. Check coverage at your actual jobs, the supported correction format, and the reference frame your work requires.

RoboNet VRS lists two monthly options: 100H GIS at $14.99 and PRO at $40. That is $179.88 or $480 over twelve monthly payments, before the other costs of your field setup.

The plans have different usage and positioning specifications. Compare those details and confirm coverage before choosing; a higher price alone does not tell you which plan your job needs.

When your own base makes sense

A base is worth considering when you repeatedly work around the same area, already own suitable hardware, or want to control the correction source. It needs a stable installation, appropriate coordinates, power, and a way to reach the rovers.

For internet delivery, the base sends corrections to an NTRIP caster and each rover connects to that stream. RoboGNSS provides that hosted caster, with a free plan for one base and two simultaneous rover connections.

The free caster does not make the whole system free. Budget for the receiver and antenna, installation, connectivity, maintenance, and any work needed to establish or check the base position.

Put both options in the same budget

Cost or responsibility	Correction subscription	Your own base
Rover hardware	Required	Required
Base receiver and installation	Operated by the provider	Yours to supply and maintain
Recurring correction service fee	Depends on the plan	May be avoided within a free caster plan
Internet for NTRIP	Needed at the rover	Needed at the base and rover
Coverage checks	Check the provider’s service area	Check suitability of your base for each job
Base coordinates and maintenance	Provider’s responsibility	Your responsibility

To estimate payback, divide the extra cost of owning the base by the monthly costs it would actually save. Include its ongoing costs first. If those costs exceed the subscription saving, there is no financial break-even under those assumptions.

You may still prefer your own base for control or repeat work. Treat that as a practical benefit rather than a promised saving.

A worked comparison using current listed prices

Suppose RoboNet PRO meets your job’s requirements and you are comparing its $40 monthly fee with buying a $1,675 RoboDot Touch without the optional radio as your own base. Assume you already have the rover in either case.

Item	Arithmetic	Amount
Twelve monthly PRO payments	12 × $40	$480
Thirty-six monthly PRO payments	36 × $40	$1,440
Base receiver alone	One Touch without radio	$1,675
Receiver-only equivalent	$1,675 ÷ $40	About 42 months of payments

The 42-month figure is only a hardware-price comparison. It excludes installation, accessories, connectivity, maintenance, and the work of establishing the base position. It also assumes both approaches meet the same job requirements. A free caster plan removes a caster fee, not those costs.

If you already own a suitable base, the comparison changes: use only the extra costs needed to put it into service. If a subscription’s coverage or positioning specification does not suit your work, price alone cannot make it the right option. Check the current RoboNet plans and Touch price before budgeting.

Check public corrections before buying

A public reference network may offer a useful option where you work. Confirm that it provides real-time corrections, allows your intended use, and has suitable coverage; access to downloadable station observations is a different service.

Also check the reference frame. Two systems can both report precise positions while using different coordinate references, which matters when you combine their results.

Choose the path that fits your work

For a correction subscription, compare RoboNet VRS plans. For your own internet-connected base, see the RoboGNSS free plan.

Need the receiver as well? RoboDot Touch can work as a base or rover. Tell us where you work and what you already own, and we can help you choose a practical setup.