Frontier Precision
offers a variety of technical support services. Here, you will find an answer to
frequently asked questions. If you are looking to us for support or if we
did not answer your question, call our Technical Support Hotline at
(888)797-4774, open Monday through Friday 8am - 5pm CST or e-mail
Kory
Thurnau, or Technical Support Specialist.
Topics
Total Station Level Run
1.) Set up the
total station and hit Survey and then select Station Setup.
2.) Enter the
station name. The controller will tell you that the point does not exist,
leave the northing,
easting, and elevation “?”.
3.) You then
need to enter the backsight number and staff height. You will have to enter
an azimuth to the
backsight...use any azimuth you like, it doesn’t
matter. Measure and record the shot.
4.) After
Station setup is completed go to Survey/Station elevation, and enter in your
instrument height.
Accept. Key In the foresight point (benchmark). Leave
the northing and easting “?”, and enter in the
appropriate elevation for the bench. Accept. Enter in
the target height and measure. Once measured
the collector will show you the results. Results.
Store. Your station is now reestablished base on your
benchmark.
5.) Survey
measure topo. Sight and measure a point. The controller will show you the
horizontal angle,
vertical angle, and slope distance. To the left of
these is an arrow that you can change the result menu.
Arrow over till you see the northing, easting, and
elevation. You will notice the northing and easting is
“?”, but the elevation is displayed. Record and store.
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About Cables
Companies need their
cables to last and stand up under a wide variety of extreme situations. Here
at Frontier Precision, we custom-build cables for our clients based upon
their own specifications. Our customers benefit from this service because
they not only receive a quality product, but the cost is well below
factory-produced cables.
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Getting Radio Modems Reprogrammed
Frontier Precision
can program your Trimmark II radios to match your licensed frequencies as
well as add and remove frequencies. This includes your base and rover
radios. In addition, we can make any or all channels "polite" to minimize
interference with voice users. Cost for this service is $100 per radio. Call
first to set an appointment.
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Survey
Controller Tip
In Survey Controller 11.21 users can now load
dxf files and turn layers on and off for easier viewing in the map screen.
Export a dxf from your CAD software in dxf 2000 format (2000 format works
best). Next connect your data collector to active sync, and open Trimble
data transfer utility on your PC. Highlight the Send tab, and click Add.
Browse to where the dxf was saved, select it, and open. Click on transfer
all. Once it is successfully transferred, open or create the job you wish to
link the dxf with in Survey Controller. Click on the background files box in
job properties, and select the dxf you just exported. by clicking on the "+"
you can view and turn layers on and off as you see it. If later in the job
you wish to switch layers, go back to Files/Properties of Current
Job/Background Files and select or deselect the desired layers. This feature
greatly reduces the amount of clutter when viewing background information in
the map screen.
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TSCe
or ACU Controller Tip
If you are currently using a TSCe or ACU
Controller with version 10.20 firmware you may have noticed the unit
operating a lot slower since you have done the upgrade to 10.2. This is
caused by Windows moving the memory to critically low levels which obviously
then lows the operating system in the controller down. To remedy this
situation - you will need to open the Windows start menu - making sure not
to shut down Survey Controller, then open the Settings/Control Panel.
Double-click on the System Memory tab and adjust the memory back to
"Allocated 5000" on the storage side (left hand side). You now can go back
to the Survey Controller menu and continue operation. Note that each time
you exit to Windows and Open up Survey Controller the memory will be
re-adjusted to the low level again requiring you to re-do this procedure to
alleviate the slow performance of the operating system.
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Windows Mobile 2005 Operating
System
Users of the Windows Mobile 2005 Operating
System may experience slow running programs or applications loading slowly.
This Operating System is on the TSC2 and the 2005 Geo Explorer Series. This
is because when the device is in suspend mode, turned off, it will by
default try and sync every 15 minutes. To resolve this issue please follow
the following steps:
1- On the handheld, select Start/Programs/Active Sync
2- Select Menu/Add Server Source and then enter "test" into the server
address field
3- Select Next and then enter "test" into each of the 3 fields
4- Select Next and then clear: Contacts, Calendar, E-mail, and Tasks Data
Options
5- Select Finish
6- Select Menu/Schedule
7- Change both of the Sync during values to manual and then select ok
8- Select Menu/Options and then delete the Exchange Server you just created
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Trimble Survey
Controller
For this Tech Tip, we want to explain a
couple of common messages that come up in Trimble Survey Controller.
One is, "Initialization Lost Due to High RMS," and the other, "New Base
Station Detected."
"Initialization Lost Due to high RMS" - First off, RMS is the measure
of multipath, which is when we get multiple signals from the same satellite.
Multipath is cause by obstructions such as tree canopy, buildings, and other
structures. Second, initialization occurs when the system solves the integer
ambiguity, which is the partial wave length from a satellite signal. This
brings us from one to two meter accuracy to cm accuracy. Initialization
reliability is directly related to the measure of multipath, RMS, in the
receiver's current environment. If you lose Initialization Due to High RMS
then it is possible that you've lost your initialization due to High RMS or
Multipath. Be sure to check a measurement that was performed during previous
initializations. After you have re-gained your init. Please not that the
points that were shot during the initialization (init that was lost due to
high RMS), will be flagged inside Trimble Geomatics Office, as High RMS
points. Again, this is a warning message to the user that these points are
suspect.
"New Base Station Detected" - We use baseline solutions and
initializations to get cm level results with GPS. To receive this baseline
information we use radios to transmit the base's positional information.
Government Agencies generally get licensed to use 1 or 2 channels while
private firms generally are licensed to use a common list of 13. Because
private parties have the same frequencies of a lot of time they are running
on the same channel. If you are working near someone else transmitting on
the same channel your radio link reliability will suffer. Basically both
parties are stomping on each others signal. A lot of times Survey Controller
will give you the "New Base Station Detected" message. It's receiving 2
different data packets and it doesn't know which to choose. It asks you if
you want to use the new one, and generally you are forced to end survey. At
this point the best fix is to change the frequency at the base and rover.
Once you change to a clear channel you will not have any issues. The us of
the Station Index option in your Survey Styles is a good way to know if
there are other bases transmitting on the frequency as your base. When you
start a rover survey it will build a base list and show you which are
available and how reliable they are.
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Updating
the Firmware Receiver
We are asked many
times what maintenance needs to be done on the Trimble receivers. There
really is none. They do not need to be cleaned and calibrated like your
mechanical total stations. Occasionally Trimble does, however, come out
with new Firmware. Firmware helps fix bugs in the receiver’s operating
system, enhances communication with satellites and Bluetooth data
collectors, and, in GNSS receivers, allows them to listen to other
satellite constellations. Below is a link to the latest FW for the
5700, 5800, R7, R8, and R8 GNSS:
http://www.trimble.com/trimbler8gnss_ts.asp?Nav=Collection-21462
1.
Download the proper
Firmware Version from Trimble’s Web site
2. Once the Firmware is downloaded “run” the executable
3. The WinFlash Program will now be installed or updated if already installed
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to load
5. Once finished loading the WinFlash Program connect the 5700/R7 or 5800/R8/R8 GNSS via the
download cable to Port 2/supply power to Port 3 (5700/R7)
6. On the PC or Laptop select Start/Programs/WinFlash/select the 5700/R7 or 5800/R8/GNSS and the
proper com being used on your PC.
7. If a
password
is needed, select Option Upgrade/Next/Enter the 24 digit Password/Next/Finish
8. WinFlash will now establish communication with the receiver and update the expiration date
9. Once this is done select Menu/GPS Software Upgrade/Next/Firmware Version 2.28 or 3.20/Next/Finish
10. The Receiver Firmware will now be upgraded
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PDOP - What is it?
What Does Poor PDOP Mean?
PDOP defined: Positional
Dilution of Precision
It is the measure of the geometrical strength of the GPS satellite
configuration.
What it does for you:
We think of this as being much like a resection with your total station.
If your satellites (SV's) are all clustered together or in a straight
line you may get a poor PDOP message. This means you are getting
resection or, in other words, position. To get the most accurate shot of
the field you want this value to be as low as possible. The default cut
off in Survey Controller is 6.0.
Special Notes: Because of PDOP, it is not necessarily
better to have more SV's, as the additional SV's can cause a bad
resection.
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