Base Shift Basics

Hi @mnmsurvey,

Sorry for the delay!

given an accurate, known point, is there any difference in accuracy between setting the base up on that point or setting the base elsewhere and base shifting off that point?

If you can’t set up the base at the known point, just place it nearby and do the base shift. It’ll give you accurate results. But the longer the radius from the calibration point is, the bigger the error can be. So placing the base directly above the known point is the best option.

would there ever be a need to use base shift when setting base up on a known point?

Usually, you don’t need a base shift when you use a known point to set up the base. The only rare case I can think of is if you need your base station to be in another datum. My colleague Svetlana described how the base shift could help here in this thread.