Direct Bluetooth GNSS Connection to QField – ROVER NavX Compatibility

Ask the Community
1

Hi everyone,

I’m reaching out to the community for advice on connecting a ROVER NavX GNSS antenna (by Natuition) directly to QField via Bluetooth (BLE), without relying on a TCP relay or Android’s Mock Location feature.

  • Hardware: ROVER NavX GNSS antenna, Android 13 tablet.

  • Workflow: Using QField for centimeter-level field surveys, with RTK corrections from Centipede via Lefebure Ntrip Client.

  • Current Setup: I’m currently using a third-party app to relay NMEA data over TCP to QField, but I’d like to simplify the setup by connecting the antenna directly to QField via Bluetooth.

Questions:

  1. Is it possible to connect a GNSS antenna (like ROVER NavX) directly to QField via Bluetooth, without a TCP relay?

    • If yes, what are the recommended settings for BLE devices?

  2. Are there known limitations with specific GNSS brands (e.g., Natuition) or Android versions?

  3. Any tips for improving Bluetooth connection stability in QField?

I’ve already tried using a TCP relay, but I’d prefer a more streamlined solution. Any insights or experiences from the community would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!

2

Hello and welcome @lucie_luchet !

Have you checked this page of the documentation? It does not mention your specific brand and model, but gives pretty detailed information on the general capabilities of QField in regards to GNSS (internal and external). I recommend giving a throughout read, since it mentions how can you test what and if any data is getting received and how you might parse it.

That page includes a compatibility matrix, and at least Android simply states compatibility with Bluetooth, at least under certain standards that QField handles.

3

Hello,

To achieve accuracy in the range of a few centimeters using RTK, you need an NTRIP client to obtain the correction data and transmit it to the antenna. You mentioned wanting to use the Lefebure app. If your antenna has two separate Bluetooth channels, this is perfectly feasible. You can then use one channel to connect to the Lefebure app and the other to integrate the antenna directly into QField via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). We frequently use this method, for example, when connecting the Leica FLX100 smart antenna. If your antenna only has one Bluetooth channel, it’s not possible to connect it to both an NTRIP client and QField simultaneously via BLE. The Lefebure app currently doesn’t offer the option to output NMEA data to a TCP or UDP port.

We’ve developed a simple, small app called FeelGood GeoLink for Android specifically for these use cases. It’s currently available in the Google Play Store for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

If you’d like, you can test them. In which country do you work?