The short version: mount it high, with open sky in every direction, away from walls, roofs, trees, glass and metal. Then do not move it, because moving it means re-mapping.
Do You Even Need One?
Not always. Many current mowers use network RTK, which gets satellite corrections over the internet, so there is no aerial in the garden. Navimow includes network RTK on several ranges, Husqvarna offers a cloud option in the UK, and Mammotion and Sunseeker sell network RTK models with no base station. You need a local station when network coverage is weak, or when your model requires one. Our navigation explainer covers the difference.
Placement Rules from the Manufacturers
Open Sky
Mammotion advises an open view of the sky roughly 45 degrees clear above nearby walls, roofs and trees. Imagine a cone opening upwards from the aerial at 45°: nothing should poke into it. Husqvarna asks for a clear sky view in all directions.
Height
Husqvarna says its EPOS reference station should be mounted at least 2 m high. A wall bracket or a pole on a shed corner often works.
Distance from Obstacles
- At least 5 m from large glass or metal surfaces, such as conservatories, greenhouses and metal sheds (Mammotion).
- Near tall trees, at least a tree's height away from them (Mammotion).
- Remember that the lawn itself also needs sky view: Husqvarna warns that tall buildings and dense trees with crowns wider than about 4 m can block signals over the mowing area.
Power
Most stations need power, either from the charging station or a mains adapter. Plan the cable route before you drill.
A Step-by-Step Approach
- Walk the garden and note the tallest obstacles: house, trees, fences, greenhouse.
- Shortlist two or three spots that meet the rules above. Higher and more central is usually better.
- Test before you drill. If your mower's app shows satellite signal quality during setup, try each spot and compare. Either way, follow the brand's own installation guide for your model.
- Fix it firmly. A station that moves in the wind, or gets knocked, causes positioning errors.
- Map the lawn only once the station is in its final position. See our setup guide.
Leave It in Place
Navimow advises leaving lawn-mounted RTK antenna bases where they are over winter, because moving the antenna means creating a new map. Husqvarna says its EPOS reference station is weatherproof enough to stay out all year. Mammotion's guidance is to bring ground-mounted RTK stations indoors only if temperatures fall below −20°C. Our winter storage guide covers the rest of the kit.