Overview

This section describes criteria to consider before installing new IGS CORS. They are compiled based on common practices determined by geodetic agencies in the last decades. Every GNSS station will have site-specific issues to resolve. The general principles for the location and design of a CORS include:

• Stability of the Antenna Reference Point (ARP),
• Signal quality and data completeness,
• Continuous and reliable power supply,
• Reliable communication with minimum latency,
• Infrastructure that resists the ambient environmental and security conditions.

It is recommended to identify the usability of a proposed GNSS station in advance by taking care of the following aspects:

• Significant signal obstructions,
• Potential multipath and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) sources,
• Access restrictions,
• Access to available power and communications,
• Cable length requirements,
• Human, pest and environmental site security issues,
• Potential changes to sky visibility from tree growth and development at sites nearby,
• Site foundation suitability (this may require additional geophysical or structural analysis).