I know this is just a repeat of many different posts over the year or so, but I thought I,d try. Hopefully this will help a few and further enlighten me also. QUESTION (and some of my input) ? What are your normal day to day field proceedures with the PM3 static, stop and go, RTK?

I'll start with the last - after reading many posts and trying several methods the seemingly best-easiest-fastest setup I use in RTK is initialize on unknown point, then localize on a known point, then check into another known point and again before shutting down (more checks in between if it's a larger project spanning longer times (I try to isolate any potential problem areas to a confined area instead of looking for them spread across the entire project. Seems to work predictable on construction sites and subdivisions, also new boundary with some established control.

Stop and go - Phils (very good and very thourough) answers and description may have provoked this post - I generally use a 5 second or less interval (the PM3 seems to only need longer intervals very often - I rationalize that a shorter interval may help if there is some kind of bad signal or interference introduced intermittently) with a 30 second or more stop. usually a 45-60 second stop. 30 sec or so for predictable open sky topo, 60 sec or more for exact intermediate points, more for major points.

Static seems most straight forward. I usually use the meters and go for about twice the distance I actually need. I never used to go less than 15 minutes, but when the sky is filled with sats I have used less time - down to ten minutes with some non critical points, but still longer with the most critical ones.

I,ve been very happy with the 900mhz one watt radios I configured and run on 12 volts. Field use is not restricted to real line of sight and I'm always working around or through lots of trees. I still have the Magellan radios, but I was aware that I may retire them to the robot or something.

After much experimenting with radios I eventually noticed that in the detailed specs many of the radios (including the one watt ones I currently use) say input usually 3 to 30 volts or so - including the Magellan radios (I don't remember the exact voltage range at this time and it's not relavant right now) BUT burried in the technical stuff of many of the non Magellan radios is a notation that below about 7 volts the output is limited to 0.5 watts - which leads me to wonder if the Magellan radios operate at 0.5 watts because of the convenience of running on the PM3 battery which is 3.7 volts.

One of these days I'll find someone more tech knowledgeable and-or try to run the magellan radios on the 12 volt (which the specs say they'll run on) batteries that I normally use - carefull rewiring at the radio would be necessary because I would not want to back feed 12 volts bact through the 3.7 volt connection - there are warnings against overvoltage and destruction to the PM3. Verifying the output or range would be something I would need to work on

to be continued.
Ken
Modified By Ken Wanagas on 8/8/2008 at 9:26 AM

We use RTK mostly, out method is the same as yours, if there is a better way I would sure like to hear it, anything that would make my job easier.

Dale
I like my PM3, best investment I ever made, now the software that runs it "thats another story" but i'm not going there.
Modified By DALE ADAMSON on 8/8/2008 at 8:41 PM

Static: Two PM3s as bases at the job site and one as rover on boundary and control points off-site; 20 minutes minimum or 4 times range for horizontal work or 10 times range for vertical work.

Stop&Go: Two PM3s as bases at the job site and one as rover; Initialize at a 20 minutes static, s&g with 20+ second shots and 100 second control points, then end at a 20 minute static.

My RTK is a Z-Max on RTN, have not settled on a good procedure yet.

after reading Jeff's post I can add that I usually have a PM3 base and also have a PM2 running for a second base somewhere close by for static or post processing stop and go or post process RTK.


Dale - I'm not completely sure if it's the software or that the processor is being overworked - I think it's running at 200mhz and just can't keep up with the volume of stuff going on - not that it matters when it has problems, but the hardware is probably running at 100 percent capacity most of the time so it doesn't take much to overload - ,

Ken
Modified By Ken Wanagas on 8/11/2008 at 6:39 PM