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I am using QField for field data acquisition. Can QField connect to an external Bluetooth GPS?

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  • Hi @abbey, if any of these answers solved your issue, accepting the most according it as the right answer will help other's to finde help here, if they have the same issue.
    – Vincé
    Commented Aug 17, 2021 at 15:28

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If you want to use an external GNSS-Reciever on QField in your (Android?) mobile you need to connect your mobile (phone or tablet) to the GNSS using a separate app that provides a mock location to your device.

The app you should use depend on the GNSS brand and configuration. The official QField guide suggests, as for example between several options, Android NTRIP Client.

To use this you have to enable mock locations on your Android device: e.g. if you are using a Leica a good app is Leica Zeno Connect, while Stonex works with Cube Connector.

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    This is actually not necessary any more (unless you want to use a correction signal). See the comment below.
    – Vincé
    Commented Jul 30, 2021 at 7:25
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UPDATE: QField supports this native now - no mock location provider required

@Val P pointed out correctly a possible way. I have sucessfully used the NTRIP Client, too. Since QField 1.8.0 there's now a native support built into QField, i.e. you can connect to Buetooth-paired devices from within QField:

https://qfield.org/docs/fieldwork/gps.html <- explanation

https://github.com/opengisch/QField/releases/tag/v1.8.0 <- release notes

How to set it up:

in QField: Settings > Positioning > Positioning device in use: > Scan you can now select from a drop-down via Bluetooth connected devices.

Here's more informations on this: https://qfield.org/docs/prepare/gnss.html#gnss-variables

NOTE: I have not found information about the following things, which you can make use of via NTRIP-client and that do increase accuracy

  • Unsure if correction via SBAS, WAAS, EGNOS etc. is possible --> YES, see the comment below.
  • It is not documentet if RTK correction is integrated there, I guess not, otherwise it would be noted in the documentation + there should be a setting in QField. So if you want to use this, you still need to go for the solution using the mock-location feature. --> NO, see the comment below (unless it's already integrated into the RTK-antenna (e.g. reach rs2)).
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    SBAS correction configuration can be saved in SiRF or uBlox modules, so you can often set up SBAS corrections on a different platform and then move to the target system. For example, connect a uBlox-based Bluetooth GNSS to a Windows PC and run the uBlox uCenter application, configure SBAS, then save the configuration. When you connect to the receiver using QField, SBAS should be used. RTK needs to be fed to the receiver by your application or by some support application.
    – Trams
    Commented Jul 26, 2021 at 1:08
  • Thanks. I'll update my response.
    – Vincé
    Commented Jul 26, 2021 at 6:34
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    QField does not do any RTK correction. It will however work happily with any antenna that does already implement RTK correction.
    – Matthias Kuhn
    Commented Jul 26, 2021 at 7:04
  • Thanks @Matthias, I updated my comment. QField is making nice progess :)
    – Vincé
    Commented Jul 30, 2021 at 20:32
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    @Vincé to be precise, for many antennas RTK works also without mock location as they send this information through bluetooth/nmea (tested with e.g. reach rs2)
    – Matthias Kuhn
    Commented Aug 1, 2021 at 15:30

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