Altus Announces Second-Generation GNSS RTK Rover

The Altus APS-NR2.

Altus Positioning Systems has introduced its new APS-NR2 RTK surveying receiver. The new product is being previewed at the 2014 Geo Business conference and exhibition in London May 28-29, and will be commercially available in July.

“The APS-NR2 provides a powerful combination of high GNSS RTK performance, light weight, low power consumption, versatile Quad-band modem, remote Web-based access and connectivity with Esri’s cloud-based platform,” said Neil Vancans, Altus president and CEO. “The result is a versatile product designed to enhance productivity and minimize downtime in the field for a wide range of surveying and geolocation jobs.”

The APS-NR2 is Altus’ second-generation RTK rover, building on the highly successful APS-3 product series. It features an easily accessible on-board web interface and integrated Wi-Fi for easy remote configuration and status monitoring, as well as Bluetooth for real-time data streaming, providing true cable-free operation. In parallel to RTK positioning, data can be recorded on a removable 2-GB SD memory card for post-processing.

The APS-NR2 is built around a low-power 132-channel GPS/GLONASS L1/L2/L2C SBAS receiver, which offers robust RTK performance, as well as DGPS capability. The internal 3.5G Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE cellular modem supports RTK network connectivity. Dual internal cellular antennae ensure a positive signal lock and minimize disruptions due to dropped calls.

The new Altus receiver comes with two Li-Ion batteries. It has a built-in USB battery charger, as well as a separate two-bay external charger. The batteries are hot-swappable, allowing uninterrupted productivity on the job.

With Altus’ open-architecture philosophy, the user has a choice of data collector software from Carlson SurvCE, MicroSurvey FIELDGenius or direct interface to Esri ArcGIS Online, as well as proprietary customer-developed software.

The APS-NR2 doesn’t sacrifice essential processing power or connectivity and still weighs only 0.7 kg (1.5 lbs). The compact receiver is just 69 mm (2.7 in) high and 167 mm (6.6 in) in diameter. The rugged unit is waterproof to IP67 and has an operating temperature range of -40 to +85°C.