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How do I connect an Emlid Reach GNSS to the CEESCOPE™ or CEE ECHO™ over Bluetooth?

The CEESCOPE™ and CEE ECHO™ can take NMEA position data straight from an Emlid Reach receiver over Bluetooth, so you don’t need separate GNSS and echo sounder connections to the PC. On the Reach, stream GGA, VTG, GST and ZDA on Bluetooth and make it discoverable; on the echo sounder, set the GNSS source to BLUETOOTH, the link to BLUETOOTH_MASTER, and match the pairing passwords.

By CEE HydroSystems

Updated Oct 2026

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5 HzGGA and VTG rate

123456Emlid default pairing code

12345CEESCOPE™ default password

SolidLINK LED when connected

Why connect the GNSS over Bluetooth?

Emlid Reach receivers are popular low-cost GNSS receivers for standalone, network (NTRIP) RTK or base–rover positioning. Paired with the CEESCOPE™ or CEE ECHO™ over a direct Bluetooth link, they send selected NMEA position messages straight to the echo sounder.

No separate GNSS and echo sounder connections to an acquisition PC.
Position can be logged internally in the echo sounder, with time-tagged data.
Once configured, the devices stay paired and can be linked again quickly.

How do I set up the Emlid Reach?

Set-up varies between Emlid receivers. The example here uses the Reach RS+.

Connect your smartphone to the receiver’s own Wi-Fi hotspot (Reach xx:xx).
Connect the receiver to a local Wi-Fi network with internet access, so it can update its firmware automatically.
After the firmware update, you can manage the device settings.

Won’t join your Wi-Fi? The RS+ is 2.4 GHz only (no 5 GHz band). Put it close to the router, and if the password and network details are right, check the Wi-Fi is connecting at 2.4 GHz. If the receiver seems stuck at the connecting stage, power cycle the smartphone and reconnect.

The Emlid Reach will not connect to a third-party device or output position data until it has been configured as below.

Receiver and output settings

Select the corrections source, if any, under Correction input.
Turn off Base output and automatic Logging.
Under Settings, set Position streaming 1 to Bluetooth, then choose the NMEA messages and update rates for that port.

**Figure 1.** Emlid Reach receiver menu, with Correction input and Base output turned off.

NMEA message	Recommended rate
GGA	5 Hz
VTG	5 Hz
GST	1 Hz
ZDA	1 Hz

**Figure 2.** Position streaming 1 set to Bluetooth, with the NMEA messages and rates selected.

Make the Reach discoverable

Before it can pair with the echo sounder, go to Settings › Bluetooth, turn Discoverability on and enter the pairing code you want (default 123456, numbers only, up to 6 digits).

**Figure 3.** Turning on Bluetooth discoverability and setting the pairing code.

The Emlid Reach is now sending standard GNSS position messages on its Bluetooth port, ready to connect to the CEESCOPE™ (or a PC).

How do I pair it with the CEESCOPE™?

The screens shown are from a CEESCOPE™.

On the GNSS menu, set Source to BLUETOOTH. Bluetooth connections have no baud rate setting.
On the System menu, set Link Enable to BLUETOOTH_MASTER. The CEESCOPE™ Bluetooth port can send or receive data; master is for receiving data from an external GNSS.
Press EDIT next to Paired device to search for devices.
When the scan finishes, press EDIT to select the Reach, then ENTER to pair. The CEESCOPE™ confirms it is linked to the device.
Set the CEESCOPE™ BT Password to match the Reach pairing code, then press APPLY.
Press the LINK ENABLE button to connect.

**Figure 4.** GNSS menu with Source set to BLUETOOTH.

**Figure 5.** System menu: Link Enable set to BLUETOOTH_MASTER, then EDIT to search.

**Figure 6.** Scanning, selecting the Reach, pairing, and the confirmation message.

Match the passwords. The Emlid Reach default is 123456 and the CEESCOPE™ default is 12345. Either can be changed, but it’s easiest to change the CEESCOPE™ password.

**Figure 7.** Editing the BT Password to match the Reach.

**Figure 8.** Paired device and password set: press APPLY.

Once paired, the CEESCOPE™ connects automatically every time you press the LINK button. You don’t need to repeat the set-up for this receiver.

What does the LINK LED mean?

LINK LED	Meaning
Off	Link disabled. No data transfer.
Flashing	Bluetooth is ready and trying to connect.
Solid orange	Bluetooth is connected and data can transfer.

Flashing means no data. While the LINK LED is flashing there is no data transfer. Make sure it is solid before you go any further.

How do I know the position is coming in?

The CEESCOPE™ home screen shows the position with a BT code, meaning it’s coming over Bluetooth.

Quality shows 1 with SBAS? That’s expected. The Emlid Reach quality indicator stays at 1 even when SBAS corrections are received, because the GGA quality indicator isn’t updated for SBAS differential corrections.

If communication with the receiver fails, most likely because the devices are too far apart, a communications error appears. When the devices are back in range, the data reappears automatically.

**Figure 10.** Home screen with a Bluetooth (BT) position.

**Figure 11.** Communications error when the receiver is out of range.

To end the data link, press the LINK ENABLE button to turn the link off. To connect to the same receiver later, just turn the link back on. For RTK fix problems, see why won’t my CEESCOPE™ get an RTK fix?