Mark’s MobileMapper 100 / ProMark 100 / ProMark 200 NotesBy: Mark Silver, ms@igage.com, +1 801-412-0011 Updated: 27 August 2011 PricingMSRP prices for all receivers and accessories can be found on the Igage web store: Street prices vary from list price to -9% (sometimes 15% discounts are available), clicking the 'Add' button will display current street prices. Igage typically has representative street pricing for most devices. It pays to call to discus your application and ask for a complete system price (with a written quotation) which may be better than a-la-carte web pricing. Make sure you purchase spare batteries, you can not purchase them at the corner drugstore. We can make sure you get a complete, ready-to-survey system. Try to bundle all receiver options and software at the time of purchase as some items incur a penalty if purchased separately. External Links[
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Bottom LineI have billed the MobileMapper 100 receiver as ‘The Breakthrough in Handheld Accuracy’ and I believe this to be true. Previous handheld devices like the MMCX and competing products have had 1-meter accuracy CEP performance (~1.7 meters 1-sigma 2DRMS). The MM100 achieves ¼ meter 1-sigma 2DRMS performance in North America with SBAS/WAAS corrections using the internal antenna. (Performance in Europe with EGNOS is 1/2 meter.) For applications requiring centimeter accuracy, post-processing or RTK can be added to the MobileMapper 100 to achieve 1-cm results with the internal antenna. (Albeit with 1 - 4 minute fix times.) For applications requiring high-productivity centimeter accuracy you can add an external L1/L2 antenna and the dual-frequency option (ProMark 200) to enjoy 5 to 15-second fixes with 1-centimeter accuracy. Surveyors who have been using ProMark 2 and ProMark 3 receivers to achieve sub-centimeter results in Static and Stop-N-Go surveys can upgrade to the ProMark 100 with GLONASS and enjoy even better performance under canopy and in canyons with substantially shorter occupation times under all conditions. Scalability: MM100 -> PM100 -> PM200 The MobileMapper 100 receiver is the base hardware for a family of three ‘Kit’ configurations:
There is no difference between the hardware receivers for the MobileMapper 100 Kit, ProMark 100 Kit and ProMark 200 Kit other than loaded applications, accessories and the background image displayed on the receiver’s Today screen. GLONASS is optional on the MobileMapper 100 and the ProMark 100. GLONASS is included with the ProMark 200 receiver. Both the PM100 and PM200 can be used in Base / Rover UHF radio RTK configurations. PM200 Base Rover operation is quick and accurate. PM100 (L1 with or without GLONASS0 has longer time-to-fix, but accuracy is similar to L1/L2. (See the Base / Rover information later in this document.) MobileMapper 100The MobileMapper 100 is targeted at GIS and Mapping Grade users. Receivers are available from Igage Mapping Corporation with: no software (presumably for users with ArcPad site licenses or applications with another Windows Mobile application Ashtech MobileMapper Field program ESRI ArcPad bundled FAST Survey (Ashtech’s House Brand of Carlson SurvCE, more on this later…) Carlson SurvCE (Direct from Carlson) As in previous products, it may save hundreds of dollars to purchase the receiver with an application bundled:
Customers are cautioned to evaluate software needs prior to purchase as the bundled price can not be offered once equipment is delivered. Upgrading from MM100 to PM200 a-la-carteBecause the three receivers are exactly the same, it is possible to purchase the least expensive MobileMapper 100 and upgrade it with software options, external brackets, GPS antennas and cables to the exact same functionality of the ProMark 200. Of course, upgrading a MobileMapper 100 to a PM200 A-La-Carte is significantly more expensive than purchasing a kit:
ProMark 100The ProMark 100 is bundled with an external L1 antenna (ASH-660), a bracket and the MobileMapper Field application with the Post-Processing option for collecting Static and Stop-N-Go data. The PM100 is a step up from the existing ProMark 3 receiver (PM3 receivers are expected to be available until April 2012.) The primary, meaningful advantage is the rapid acquisition of position from a cold start—ProMark 3 receivers can take over five minutes in some circumstances, while the PM100 typically acquires a position within 20 seconds. The PM100 also has a much faster processor and more memory, however this won’t be much of an advantage for static and Stop & Go jobs. If the GLONASS option is included on the PM100, it will greatly enhance performance under moderate and heavy canopy. Unlike the ProMark 3 receivers which were bundled in pairs, the PM100 receivers are sold individually. A pair of PM100’s is $7,900 vs. $6,795 for a pair of PM3’s. Are they worth the extra cost? I think so. If you routinely work under moderate cover or in deep canyons, GLONASS will make a huge difference:
The PM100 also offers these advantages over PM3:
Dual-frequency can be added to a static only ProMark 100 receiver at the time of purchase by swapping antennas. This makes a very cost effective base that will generate RINEX for OPUS solutions. Again, you need to make this decision before you take delivery on your instruments. Using the PM100 with Existing PM3 ReceiversThe PM100 will fit right into an existing ProMark 3 or ProMark2 set. GLONASS will not provide any additional performance for post-processed jobs. If you are using PM2 receivers with Ashtech Solutions, you will have to upgrade to the latest version of GNSS Solutions. It is possible to configure a ProMark 100 to work in a ProMark 3 RTK environment. To use the PM100 as a base, you must purchase the RTK option (to enable RTCM 3 correction output) and find a compatible radio with the correct pogo-cable (Igage sells them.) Please call me directly if you want to do this, there are a couple of catches--I can save you some time. Upgrading from PM100 to PM200Potential ProMark 100 customers should carefully evaluate the cost of upgrading to L1/L2 operation, the L1 only ASH-660 antenna will need to be replaced with L1/L2 ASH-661 antenna, a $4,800 / pair upgrade! If you think you will ever upgrade a receiver to ProMark 200 Dual Frequency, I think it is best to purchase one ProMark 100 and one ProMark 200. (See the A-La-Carte table later in this document.) Having one L1/L2 receiver will allow you to collect dual frequency static data which can be submitted to OPUS. I want to warn you that the L1 and L1+GLONASS time to fix on the PM100 can be pretty long. And there are issues with robustness of holding fix after initial fix with L1 only. The problems of L1 only receivers are exasperated under light and moderate canopy and in urban environments. The PM200 on the other hand is extremely fast fixing and really holds fixes well. (Perhaps better than any other receiver that I have used.) I made a short video that shows the difference in time-to-fix for L1L2 vs. L1G1 [ Video ] Let's look at upgrading a PM100 to a L1 RTK receiver and to a L1/L2 PM200 (these prices are MSRP so the street price will be a bit lower): Upgrade PM100 to L1 (only) RTK, GSM, GLONASS and FAST:
Total for PM100 L1 RTK - GSM Rover: $7,485 so for an additional $2,465 you can have L1/L2 and fantastic dynamic performance.
Upgrade PM100 to PM200 L1/L2 RTK, GSM, GLONASS and FAST a-la-carte:
Total for PM100 L1 RTK - GSM Rover: $11,475 So there is a $1,525 penalty for purchasing a PM200 a-la-carte. PM100's are targeted to post-processed applications and real-time applications where the SBAS (WAAS) performance is adequate. ProMark 200The ProMark 200 includes all the possible options (even those that don’t work with each other—see L1-L1G1-L1L2 mode notes below) and FAST Survey for Internal GPS. The ProMark 200 is a great GSM/GPRS Network L1/L2 Rover. The Time-to-First-Fix is the best of any rover Ashtech has ever produced, accuracy appears identical to the ProMark 500 receiver. Cabled to an external antenna on a pole, the ProMark 200 is a lightweight and reasonably priced network rover. GIS users will be happy that the ProMark 200 Network Rover is 100% compatible with ArcPad 10! So you can connect to your local correction network, benefit from fast L1/L2 centimeter real-time accuracy and collect data in the industry standard ArcPad mobile product.
L1, L1G1, L1L2 ModesWe need to be clear about the L1, L2, G1 operational modes that the MM100, PM100 and PM200 can operate in: · G1 (GLONASS) tracking is not standard on MM100 and PM100, it requires purchasing a $1,000 to $1,250 software · L2 operation is not standard on MM100 and PM100, it requires purchasing a $1,995 option · L1/L2 operation is ONLY available with an EXTERNAL antenna · L1/G1 (L1 US + GLONASS L1) works great with the internal antenna · L1/G1 + L2 is not possible! It is not possible to use L2 and GLONASS at the same time. Again, let me repeat: None of these receivers (MM100,PM100,PM200) will track L1/L2 AND GLONASS. The family will only track GLONASS in L1-G1 mode! (You may need to read this section multiple times to understand this; it took me weeks to grasp the impact.) Time-To-First Fix: RTK Time-to-First-Fix with L1/L2 is very-very fast. RTK Time-to-First-Fix with L1/G1 is painfully slow. Fixes Under Canopy: L1/L2 RTK is very robust and will fix under moderate and even heavy cover. L1/G1 RTK won’t ever fix under moderate or heavy cover. Let me beat this dead horse one more time: This means you need to purchase L1/L2 (PM200) for real time RTK work, use the 661 external antenna and you won’t be using GLONASS because (again) these receivers won’t track L1/L2 AND GLONASS. ArcPad 10 on the MM100/PM100/PM200ArcPad 10 runs great on the MobileMapper 100. The faster (2X) processor, lots of static and flash memory and dedicated graphics processor make the MM100/PM100/PM200 a nice platform for ArcPad. You can make network connections (NTRIP, DIP or ...) from the GNSS Toolbox on the main screen of the receiver. So you can fully connect and have a fixed solution without running any software. To route NMEA strings to a virtual port (COM2), you just check the message types, the frequency and the set COM2. Then in ArcPad's GPS Settings you just choose COM2 and any baud rate. There is an auto-dial check box in GNSS Toolbox's setup. If checked, and if the receiver was connected to a network when turned off, the receiver will automatically reconnect when it is turned back on.
MobileMapper Field (and ArcPad) vs. ProMark FieldData collected in MobileMapper Field and ArcPad is post-processed in MobileMapper Office for MM6 / MM100 (MMO). MobileMapper Office provides single baseline processing with a drop-dead simple interface. Data collected in ProMark Field is processed in GNSS Solutions which provides for very short baseline processing against VRS solutions. This VRS approach dependably generates fixed vectors in situations where the nearest reference stations are a long way away. If you are going to be collecting high accuracy data in the middle of Montana, you will want to use ProMark Field. If you are lucky enough to be able to work in RTK mode with real-time corrections, then you won’t need to post-process and all data collection options will enjoy similar accuracies. FAST Survey on MobileMapper 100FAST Survey is the Ashtech ‘House Brand’ of Carlson SurvCE and is available in two flavors for the MobileMapper 100, ProMark 100, ProMark 200 family:
The first flavor (990645) runs the internal MM100/PM100/PM200 GPS only. The second flavor (990618) will run external GPS receivers. So it is currently possible to use the MobileMapper 100 receiver as a controller for an external device, just as it was possible to use the MMCX:
Unfortunately the price is $4,540; $1,790 more expensive than a MMCX terminal. I suspect that a combination product will be offered in the future as MMCX inventory is drawn down. There is an interesting upgrade possibility for existing MobileMapper CX FAST Survey users who are using the internal receiver for meter accurate applications. It is currently possible to transfer the FAST Survey license from your MMCX to a new MobileMapper 100 receiver (the old receiver must be destroyed and the transfer must be performed by an authorized Carlson / Ashtech dealer.) The benefit for existing MMCX/MMCE Internal GPS users would be the possibility of GLONASS (an option) and 5-times better accuracy using WAAS. Carlson SurvCE vs. FAST Survey on MobileMapper 100It is also possible to purchase SurvCE from Carlson and load it on a MobileMapper 100. FAST Survey and SurvCE are essentially exactly the same program, here is a breakdown on cost:
Clearly the best 'deal' is to purchase FAST Survey bundled with a MM100 (PN 990631-01). There are some subtle differences in the long term: FAST Survey is usually updated at the same time new software is released for PM500, PF500, PM100 and PM200. SurvCE updates are not timed to match Ashtech firmware releases. Occasionally SurvCE won’t immediately handle the latest Ashtech firmware updates. FAST Survey includes lifetime software updates at no charge. When Carlson updated SurvCE to version 2.0, there was a $295 to $495 cost associated to getting the 2.0 version. FT-1For data collector applications (think MobileMapper 100 with FAST Survey GPS running a ProMark 500 receiver) Ashtech also has the FT-1 field terminal. [ See FT1 ] The FT-1 is nearly identical to the Carlson Surveyor+ (the only difference is the cosmetic branding and FAST Survey software vs. Carlson SurvCE.) Pricing for the FT-1 should be nearly the same for the Carlson Surveyor+ with GPS only. (MSRP Surveyor+ $3,950; FT-1 $4,250 ask your dealer for a quote…) Check out my comments above “Carlson SurvCE vs. FAST Survey” for subtle long term differences. The Surveyor+ / FT-1 are fantastic data collectors. If you need to collect attributes with a ‘real’ keyboard they are a great solution. However, they don’t have internal GPS receivers like the MM100 / MMCX terminals the FT-1 is just a data collector, albeit with a really nice keyboard.
AccuracyReal-Time WAAS Corrected AccuracyThe MobileMapper 100 real-time SBAS performance with internal antenna is over five times more accurate than the MobileMapper CX with an external antenna in the North American WAAS covered area. The factory specifications cover world wide performance, I am told that the MM100’s performance in EGNOS is ½ meter. In the North American, WAAS covered service area, my tests (performed in Browns Park (North Eastern Utah) and in the Salt Lake City area) indicate that the MobileMapper 100, with GLONASS enabled, using the internal GPS antenna has a 1-sigma 2DRMS Horizontal error of 0.25 meters. (That is about 0.15 meters CEP.) My tests were ‘real-world’ tests performed by repeatedly occupying three adjacent control points, 15-second shots, over a 2½ hour period. Here are the results for the West control point in Browns Park:
Results for the three hubs are similar and are summarized below:
Post-Processed AccuracyPost-processed accuracy, with GLONASS enabled, internal GPS antenna, 1-sigma 2DRMS Horizontal error is less than 0.010 meters. Here is a sample set of occupations (GPS moved between two mounts). Time on point = 30 seconds, internal antenna, baseline to correction 7 km.
RTK AccuracyRTK accuracy, with a VRS base provided by The Utah Reference Network (TURN), internal GPS antenna, 1-sigma 2DRMS Horizontal error is less than 0.010 meters. Accuracy was the same for these modes: L1 US L1 US + GLONASS L1/L2 US However the Time-to-Fix in L1 US and L1 US + L1 GLONASS modes is 2 to 10 minutes. I doubt that L1G1 RTK operation is a viable solution for any real-world applications. With the 661 external antenna, L1/L2 Time-to-Fix is amazingly quick, typically 5 to 20 seconds. In 200 Fix – Store – Dump iterations under moderate and heavy canopy, I had no bad fixes (errors greater than 3 cm). The PM200 is a dependable production VRS rover. ProMark 100 Base Rover PairsOne of the most popular configurations for ProMark 3 receivers was the RTK upgrade with unlicensed UHF radios. It is possible to build similar systems with the PM100.
Any ProMark 100 may be used as a RTK Base broadcasting ATOM format corrections with no additional options. (You need to purchase the RTK option to enable RTCM3 and CMR protocols.) BASE
ROVER For an RTK rover, purchase a PM100 + FAST Survey + RTK Option:
Then add what ever radios you want to use. We (Igage) stock the same radios used on the PM3.RTK product with the appropriate Pogo cable (PN P1MBRP, MSRP $1,530.) So a PM100 Base / Rover pair with License Free radios will run ~$10,715. WiFiThe MobileMapper 100 family does not have embedded WiFi. You can insert an SDIO WiFi card for WiFi support however there is no way to seal the SD card slot as the card is longer than a regular SD card. There is talk of a new regular sized SD card being included with all receivers. I am using this card:
Spectec SDW-821 WiFi 802.11b/802.11g 54Mbps
SD SDIO Wireless LAN Network Card It actually works extremely well, you plug in the card and 15 seconds later it is shown in the ‘Connections’ window and is connected to a known access point. |
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