Evaluation of low-cost RTK GNSS receiver in motion under demanding conditions

•Field experiments on significantly different test routes with varying conditions.•Precise and high-end total station and GNSS receiver used for comparison.•Various antenna configurations of the tested low-cost GNSS receiver.•Thorough accuracy and statistical analysis of the conducted measurements.•Development of a suitable mounting system and a program for data processing. The capabilities of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are still increasing. This is due to their continuous development - new satellites are sent into space, new constellations are created, and they transmit new signals on previously unused frequencies. Receiving devices - receivers with antennas - are also improved. They are smaller, consume less power, calculate their position faster and better, and are also getting much cheaper and thus more accessible. The main objective of this paper was the evaluation of u-blox ZED-F9P, low-cost RTK (real time kinematic) GNSS receiver, which is relatively new in comparison to geodetic ones. The tests were conducted in motion, under demanding conditions, in conjunction with a low-cost patch antenna u-blox ANN-MB-00 and a Leica AS10 high-precision geodetic one. A total of three test runs were performed:·two short ones (approx. 900 m each) in which reference data was provided by a Leica MS50 robotic total station and the 360-degree prism, coaxially mounted with the tested antenna,·a long one (approx. 12 km long) in which positioning was simultaneously performed using a Leica GS18T high-end geodetic receiver.As a result, it is concluded that the low-cost GNSS receivers, in particular equipped with a geodetic-grade antenna, constitute a valuable alternative to the high-quality positioning receivers. Moreover, they might act even better in some situations, which are described in the article. Thanks to comprehensive tests, it is shown that the u-blox ZED-F9P receiver can be successfully used in all projects requiring positioning accuracy of approximately ± 2 cm.