The question under the shipping thread about the FGCS testing piqued my curiosity (doesn't take much).
I was just wondering if Ashtech/Thalus has done much/any testing mixing the Locus system with the PM2 ? And the new Solutions 2.4. Especially since me and a coupla others have talked about adding them to our Locus System setups.
Since processor used a default for the phase center of the antennae (Locus) then the probability would be that any antennae location errors (really thinking vertical here) would tend to cancel. Now with Sol. 2.4, where an antennae type is entered and there is data for the phase center for the Locus, could error creep in when mixed with a PM2 that uses a different antennae setup ?
Just wondering out loud,
Jimbo
EDIT: I seem to remember a Javad site paper on the subject or maybe it was a thread on the general board. i think it discussed how the phase center location was hard to determine and that is where some error can easily be introduced if the parameters are wrong........but I could've dreamed it. :-}
Modified By James Webb on 8/31/2001 at 10:18 PM
Just a couple of things,
1. ProMark2 data processing requires Solutions 2.5 . If you buy a ProMark2 system you will be shipped 2.5. If you buy a single ProMark2, you will need to get a patch that will bring you up to 2.5. If you only use Locus, 2.4 is fine. We like to keep it simple :)
2. The Locus and PM2 data should mix just fine. Our beta sites have done some mixing for static work and in terms of data quality, they can't tell the difference between Locus and PM2.
3. The Locus does not actually have electrical phase center values associated with it. We use the next best thing, which is the physical offset to the surface of the antenna element. The PM2 will have actual electrical values as determined by NGS (coming soon). I haven't heard of any problems with applying the physical offsets when processing Locus with other antennas so there should't be a problem. Maybe someone else can offer additional input on the topic of mixing Locus data with data collected with other antennas?
Regards,
Rod Johnson
Ashtech Marketing
I did some mixing and matching on a little parking lot survey project over the last week or so. So far the project includes a Z-12, two ProMark2's, and one Locus.
I crunched the numbers with Ashtech Solutions 2.5 and I was sufficiently impressed to think it was something that anybody could do if they wanted to.
You can find numbers to use for an antenna type for ProMark2 elsewhere on this message board or send me an email at work at pstevenson@magellangps.com and I will send you instructions for what to fill in the blanks on the screen where you can define a new antenna type.