California Real Time Network (CRTN) Consortium members are those who contribute funds to recover the costs of operating CRTN. The general goals of the CRTN Consortium membership are to support and provide the following:

• Public Service: Member fees support free and open access to basic services for all users in California.
• Supporting the Maintenance of the California Spatial Reference System (CSRS): The CSRC is responsible for maintaining the CSRS. The changing positions of the stations are continuously updated and published for tectonic and seismic motions, and velocity models are maintained.
• Governance: CRTN Consortium members provide governance and oversight/management of the network.

CRTN Consortium Membership Tiers

• CRTN Consortium Members: contribute $20,000 annually, which provides simultaneous access to any 20 real-time CGPS sites 24/7. This membership has voting privileges on the CRTN Consortium, which oversees the development and management of the network. If a Consortium member needs more than 20 sites, they can add addition sites at $1000 each.
• Contributing Members: donate $1,000 annually, which provides access to a second NTRIP account for real-time access to RTCM 3 data (all users have free access to a single account). Additional access increases by $1,000 per account. Please note that contributing members do not participate in oversight/management of the network.
• Other Membership Options: The CRTN Consortium is willing to consider other membership options.

Donations for any amount are welcome. All donations are used towards operating and maintaining CRTN and our data services. If you or your organization would like to donate or contribute membership dues, please go to the following here:

CRTN FAQ

What are the advantages of using the CRTN network over a private subscriber network?

That’s a good question. Here are a few answers.

• A single user account is free, 24/7 for RTK surveying.
• Your RTK positions are currently based on CSRS Epoch 2017.50, which is a statewide geodetic reference frame.
• These RTK positions fulfill the requirements of the California Public Resources Codes8856(c)(e), 8857(c), and 8858(b) for GPS-derived geodetic coordinates and orthometric heights.
• CRTN uses only continuous GPS (CGPS) stations that are part of the California Spatial Reference Network (CSRN), and mostly built for high-accuracy, longevity, and geophysical stability.

Keep in mind that CRTN does not offer a network solution. Your positions are computed using standard RTK computations that your receiver supplies. You will need to make the decision on whether the base stations are close enough to your project for acceptable results. Also, GNSS data are currently available only from a subset of CRTN stations.

We suggest getting an account and testing your equipment with CRTN.

As a CRTN Consortium member, I need access to 26 data streams. How can I get this?

A CRTN Consortium member has access to any 20 real-time CGPS data streams. You can also contribute $1,000 annually for additional individual data streams. So, for 26 data streams, an annual contribution of $26,000 would give you access to any 26 real-time CGPS data streams.