Septentrio has announced the start of shipments of its all-new multi-frequency PolaRx5 reference receiver to UNAVCO. This follows the 2015 announcement by UNAVCO that Septentrio had been selected at the Geodesy Advancing Geosciences EarthScope (GAGE) Facility Preferred Vendor for next-generation GNSS reference station products.

“At UNAVCO, we are excited about the selection of the PolaRx5 for enhancement of the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory, the international standard for geodetic networks,” says M. Meghan Miller, president of UNAVCO. “We will work with Septentrio to modernize UNAVCO GPS networks, and explore the science innovation and broader applications that are possible in the rapidly evolving GNSS era.”

The PolaRx5 incorporates Septentrio’s most advanced multi-frequency GNSS engine, with support for all major satellite signals including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou, as well as the regional QZSS and IRNSS satellite systems. As noted in the UNAVCO GNSS Receiver Preferred Vendor RFP Evaluation Report, Septentrio consistently ranks high in many areas of measurement quality and interference mitigation of the instruments tested. Moreover, the PolaRx5 offers among the lowest power consumption of multi-constellation, multi-frequency GNSS reference receivers, operating on less than 2 Watts when receiving GPS and GLONASS satellite signals.

UNAVCO is a non-profit university-governed consortium that facilitates geosciences research and education using geodesy. UNAVCO operates the GAGE Facility for the National Science Foundation with additional core support from NASA. The GAGE Facility includes more than 2,000 continuously operating GPS/GNSS reference stations around the world. UNAVCO-supported networks include EarthScope’s Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), the Continuously Operating Caribbean GPS Observational Network (COCONet), the Trans-Boundary Land and Atmosphere Long-Term Observational and Collaboration Network (TLALOCNet) and the Polar Earth Observational Network (POLENet).

Septentrio’s close cooperation with UNAVCO continues a tradition of partnering with leading scientific institutions and agencies that require high-performance GNSS technology in challenging environments. Septentrio partners include the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

“These deliveries mark a huge step in the modernization program for UNAVCO and UNAVCO partner networks around the globe,” says Neil Vancans, vice president of Septentrio Americas. “The use of new satellite technology will be the foundation for greater understanding of our planet. The entire Septentrio team is proud to be a part of this pivotal program.”

About Septentrio

Septentrio designs, manufactures and sells high-precision, multi-frequency, multi-constellation GPS/GNSS equipment, which is used in demanding applications in a variety of industries including marine, construction, agriculture, survey and mapping, GIS and UAVs. Septentrio receivers deliver GNSS positions scalable to cm-level, and perform under heavy scintillation or jamming. Septentrio receivers are available as OEM boards, housed receivers and smart antennas.