The Bad Elf Flex App Spring Release

Smarter Accuracy. Simpler Workflow.

This spring, the Bad Elf app brings you major functional improvements.  You get simplified access to centimeter-level accuracy in the field with Instant Accuracy. Whether you just adopted the technology, have experience collecting field data, or have been charged with managing a fleet of devices, we just simplified your workload.

How will the update benefit you?

New to high-accuracy GPS?

Centimeter-level accuracy used to mean navigating unfamiliar networks, manual NTRIP settings, and constant app-switching. Bad Elf's RTK Marketplace and Instant Accuracy simplify and streamline your configuration. Find a network, sign up, connect, and start collecting in minutes.

Already using a Flex or Flex Mini?

The RTK Marketplace shows you the best available networks for your location and budget with connection parameters managed for you. The Bad Elf Flex app initiates and monitors your correction stream in the background. The moment something needs attention, it notifies you, so you never need to leave your field collection app.

Managing a team or fleet? 

Distribute NTRIP profiles across an entire fleet via QR code, URL, or MDM. No manual device-by-device entry required. Field crews connect via Bluetooth, open their field collection app, and corrections stream automatically in the background. When something goes wrong, notifications direct crews to resolve the problem.

Instant Accuracy: Engineering Magic

High-accuracy GNSS users often encounter the “two-app problem”: 

• Connect to a receiver over Bluetooth

• Open the GPS app

• Configure corrections

• Switch to the field collection app

• Hope nothing dropped

If something goes wrong, you switch back to the GPS app and troubleshoot!

With Instant Accuracy, the Bad Elf Flex app automatically connects to the corrections network in the background the moment your Flex or Flex Mini pairs over Bluetooth. There’s no configuration step or start/stop button. You go straight to your field collection app and start capturing high-precision data. That’s Engineering Magic®.

Getting connected only starts the job. Staying connected all day makes the real difference.  If an issue requires attention, a plain-language notification alerts the user. 

Each message tells you specifically what to do: 

• Connection Issues: The app identifies authentication failures and internet outages.

• Signal Quality Alerts: Signal health can drop due to too few satellites or poor geometry.

• RTK Fix Status: If the receiver loses its RTK fix or can't acquire one, you'll get a notification.

Your field crews have the information necessary to resolve issues on site without support calls. 

The RTK Marketplace: Corrections Made Simple

Your location, accuracy requirements, and budget drive the best network choice for your needs. The Bad Elf Flex app embeds the RTK Marketplace, a hub for you to discover and connect to GNSS correction services. We list commercial providers and public networks in one place with preconfigured settings to jumpstart your activities.

State Correction Networks

Bad Elf maintains an extensive list of public RTK correction sources across the USA. We’ve simplified the setup into three steps:

1. Discover: Browse available networks and view coverage maps.

2. Sign Up: Follow direct links to create your account.

3. Create Profile: Enter your credentials once and save your NTRIP profile with Bad Elf’s preconfigured settings for future automatic connection.

Featured Private Providers

Bad Elf partners with leading correction services to offer instant accuracy anywhere you have cellular service. Each provider offers a free trial, so evaluate before you commit.

• GEODNET: The GEODNET Network comprises thousands of triple-frequency, full-constellation GNSS reference stations installed globally. Achieving centimeter-accurate RTK-fix is made easy by GEODNET, with its continuously expanding coverage map. Includes a 30-day free trial.

• PointOne Polaris: 1–3 cm accuracy with instant fix times: Point One Navigation’s Polaris corrections network offers a dense reference network and advanced correction algorithms that provide horizontal and vertical accuracy within 1–3 cm, minimizing downtime and keeping crews productive in the field. Includes a 14-day free trial.

• Swift Navigation’s Skylark: Skylark's market-leading, cloud-based GNSS corrections service delivers reliable, centimeter-level accuracy without the hassle of a traditional setup. Skylark uses advanced atmospheric modeling to create a continuous, reliable model of the atmosphere, so you get consistent, accurate corrections over a much wider area, even in places where other services fall short. Includes a 180-day free trial.

Custom NTRIP Profiles: Use Any Network

Does your organization already have an RTK subscription? We now make managing and distributing custom NTRIP profiles much easier. The Bad Elf Flex app imports any NTRIP profile without requiring manual entry (and the typos that come with it):

URL

Share a web link to a profile. Tap to import instantly.

QR Code

Scan a QR code with the Flex app and import the profile.

MDM (Mobile Device Management)

IT administrators can push NTRIP profiles to entire fleets silently via MDM. No end-user interaction required. Field crews open the app and the profile is already there.

Even without a connected Bad Elf device, users can edit and test NTRIP profiles within the app to confirm correct configuration before heading into the field.

Supported Hardware

Bad Elf Flex® Extreme 

Bad Elf Flex democratizes GNSS and economizes field data collection. Our customers shared their desire for lower-cost GNSS solutions with full RTK rover workflow. Bad Elf Flex Extreme delivers 30–60 cm accuracy.  Connect to your favorite NTRIP corrections and Bad Elf Flex delivers results down to 1 cm horizontal accuracy, 2 cm vertical. Post-processing capable and base/rover-ready via UHF.

Bad Elf Flex Mini Extreme

The compact, versatile choice for GIS field data collection. The Bad Elf Flex Mini offers high accuracy and reliability for a variety of applications. This compact, rugged, and easy-to-use device adds long battery life and multiple connectivity options. The Flex Mini Extreme configuration supports RTK capabilities to achieve 1–2 cm accuracy, when supported by an Internet-based RTK correction source. 

Standard Bad Elf Flex Receivers

As always, all Bad Elf receivers support over-the-air firmware upgrades.  Please contact sales@bad-elf.com for more information.

Next Steps

Take advantage of the new features today:

1. Update the Bad Elf Flex app: Install or update the Bad Elf Flex app on the iOS App Store or Google Play store.

2. Upgrade your firmware: Open the Flex app after updating and install any pending firmware updates on your Flex or Flex Mini.

3. Sign up for an RTK network: Browse the RTK Marketplace and start a free trial with GEODNET, PointOne Polaris, or Swift Navigation’s Skylark. We also list state networks in the same menu.

4. Enable auto-reconnect: After connecting to a provider in the RTK Marketplace, enable auto-reconnect from the Corrections screen. The next time your Flex or Flex Mini pairs over Bluetooth, RTK corrections will start flowing automatically.

5. Share NTRIP profiles with your team: Administrators can generate a shareable URL or QR code for your organization’s NTRIP profile. Distribute them to field crews instantly with MDM.

Learn more. See out support article on the Bad Elf Flex App: Instant Accuracy