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Using OnStation and Trimble GNSS Receiver

This article will be going over the usage of pairing a Trimble GNSS receiver with OnStation, which improves location accuracy in the field. This gives your team greater confidence in stationing, documentation, and decision-making during every phase of the project.

Why does this matter in the field? 

Using OnStation with a Trimble receiver helps with: 

  • Field inspections: know exactly what station you're at without second-guessing 
  • Documentation: tag notes, photos, and drops to precise locations for audit trails 
  • Issue resolution: confidently identify and report the exact location of problems 
  • Collaboration: everyone sees the same location data, based on real-world position

What you’ll need: 

To use a Trimble receiver with OnStation, make sure you have: 

  • The Trimble Mobile Manager app installed and connected on the same device you will be running the OnStation App
  • A Trimble GNSS receiver (e.g., R1, R2, R12) 
    • Click here to visit Trimble’s GNSS portfolio page to view all compatible devices. Our requirement for this integration is that it should work with any Trimble device that pairs with the Trimble Mobile Manager app.  So, the experience that the user has between Trimble and OnStation should be the same for any applicable GNSS receiver.
      • One thing to keep in mind is that the R-780 model 2 doesn't support iOS.
  • A mobile device with Bluetooth and location services enabled 
  • OnStation installed and updated to the latest version 
  • A correction service (e.g., SBAS, RTK, RTX) if high-accuracy positioning is required

You’ll know it’s working when: 

  • The GPS icon in OnStation shows updated accuracy values 
  • Your location on the plan sheet is stable and precise 
  • The station shown in OnStation aligns with your physical position on-site 

What changes when you use a Trimble receiver? 

When connected through the Trimble Mobile Manager (TMM) app, OnStation pulls real-time, high-precision GPS location from the receiver instead of relying on your phone or tablet’s internal GPS. 

With a connected receiver, you’ll see: 

  • Increased GPS accuracy – often within a few inches depending on correction service 
  • Reliable positioning on plansheets – your location aligns more precisely with stationing 
  • Accurate location tagging – notes, photos, and map drops are logged with confidence 
  • Consistent results in poor signal environments – Trimble receivers maintain accuracy better than phones

How OnStation uses the receiver data: 

Once your receiver is connected and location sharing is enabled in the Trimble Mobile Manager app: 

  • OnStation automatically switches to use the external GNSS signal 
  • The app displays your updated GPS accuracy in real-time 
  • Stationing, measurements, and dropped pins use the Trimble-derived coordinates 
  • No additional setup is required in OnStation 

OnStation reads GPS data from the system level — so once Trimble Mobile Manager is connected, you're good to go.