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Carlson Brx7 Base and Rover Setup Reviews
i-ben-havin replied 2 years, 8 months ago 17 Members · 32 Replies
@hooks We recently demoed a BRx7 base and rover system and were impressed with it’s performance under canopy. However, I was curious what radio distance you consistently get from your base/rover setup? That is really the only hesitation we have about purchasing a unit. We have been typically getting a least 2 miles out of our Topcon systems with UHF radios of course depending on the terrain and other factors.
No base and rover reviews, but a rover on a network does pretty good under Georgia canopy. I started experimenting on my own property. With a robot, I ran a tight closed loop with cross ties adjusted with network least squares. Then ran through my points with the Brx7. On the corner under the thickest canopy, I never got it to fix. All the rest fixed quickly and were within about 0.06′ horizontally from the robot shots. The verticals had differences of about 0.20′ on average. I was really impressed with the horizonal checks. From my experience, if it says you’re fixed, you are fixed. The ones I’ve used in the past sometimes lied about being fixed or the quality of the fix.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to loseEnjoying the BRx7 base/rover with Carlson’s listen-listen system. Recently bought the Carlson, somewhat out of curiosity, although we needed one more base/rover setup to go with our current Leica GS18 base/rover units. Whether using base/rover or working with the Florida DOT FPRN network, my guys are starting to favor using the BRx7’s. We also use some Trimble gear with FPRN, including the r12, but the simplicity of SurvCE/SurvPC is becoming a winner.
I find the BRx7 just as accurate as Trimble r12.
I also like the fact that I can run Carlson on cheap Android or Windows platforms, or Windows Mobile/CE. I realize you can do the same with Trimble (I have the Android TDC600/Access on order, as well as using the TSC3, and a 12.3″ windows 10 tablet when I want to have a large view with aerial background), but at a somewhat greater expense…especially the annual maintenance fees that come with Trimble. Of course Leica requires you buy into their hardware to run Captivate, although I am experimenting running the GS18 on an android phone with Fieldgenius for Android.
I have found when comparing Fieldgenius to SurvCE/PC, that Carlson, for us, is a more mature less buggy application.
In my opinion Carlson has an outstanding software/hardware setup, and I will likely look to save money on future purchases instead of chasing the “best” with my checkbook.
Ars you sure captivate only runs on their hardware? I’m pretty sure the Leica sales guy I met mentioned wanting to try captivate on my Panasonic fz-m1 (since they still sell their own green version of the FZ-G1 and I believe used to sell the fz-m1 also) but we never bothered with that since I was trying out the ts16 with Fieldgenius on my FZ-M1 while he installed a CCP key so I could update my Leica 1200+ firmware.
I’m curious how Fieldgenius for Android works for you even though we’re unlikely to ever buy from them ever again.
@i-ben-havin Have you purchased or used an Android device yet for your data collector? If so, which device? We are currently using LT35 DCs, and they are slooooow. I am really wanting to get away from a Windows Mobile based DC.
Sorry I must have missed your last paragraph where you compared FG and Carlson. I’m not surprised after years of using the old Fieldgenius for Windows both on windows mobile DC’s and my fast windows 10 tablet running the latest version. It’s extremely glitchy on my Panasonic fz-m1 and another crews juniper Mesa 2.
I love my Leica 1200+ robot but the software is what’s holding me back. I kind of wish I could try Carlson surv PC on it but the boss will never go for another software as we already have Trimble, Fieldgenius and magnet field (I use magnet field on my Sokkia GPS only if I need to do a localization because Fieldgenius is most likely going to crash before I finish and make me start over – possibly costing me 30+ minutes wasted).
@hi-staker I wanted to get away from Windows Mobile based DC, and at the same time wanted the smallest thing I could run my field data collection and stake outs on. Been running Carlson Layout, and Fieldgenius on my Samsung cellphone, and getting use to it. I really love having the ability to stick the DC (ie cellphone) in my pocket as I walk down through the woods. Was planning to move Trimble Access (android version) to the cellphone too, but since learned Trimble requires it to be run on their hardware. So, I am waiting on the Trimble TDC600 I purchased and will install all three (Access/Layout/Fieldgenius) applications onto it. TDC600 will be a pocket full, but much smaller/lighter than what I have had to use in the past.
@350rocketmike You’re correct about a version of Captivate for Windows 10. Just assumed Leica required it to be installed on their branded hardware, but hopefully I was wrong in that assumption. In my opinion, Fieldgenius for Android is undergoing some birthing pains but will eventually become a stable application. The program seems to get hungup anytime you have to “cancel”, sometimes even having to close out and restart the program.
My worry is that they never had a reliable windows version (at least that I used over the years) except a really old version running on an old tracker extreme with a cable connected to a Leica TCR800. That one had very little issues, but since then with a couple different Sokkia SRX, a Sokkia iX and the Leica 1200, with many different data collectors including the Allegro MX, Carlson surveyor 2, Allegro 2, and now the Panasonic fz-m1, it’s always been a crash fest.
It also crashes frequently on the Mesa 2 with a Leica TS07 conventional and the Trimble TSC3 they used before that.
It sounds like most people are happy with Carlson with only a few people having negative experiences.
We are looking into purchasing a BRx7 base/rover setup after a recent demo. I was curious if you had any information/insight on the range you are getting out of the UHF radios. We currently run some of the newer Topcon units and are getting at least 2 miles consistently out of the internal UHF radios.
@i-ben-havin Thanks.
Sorry to say that I have never used the Carlson radios as we only use the internet based listen-listen option. Of course with listen-listen you are not limited by distance other than distance related error growth.
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