diy CORS?

CORS are free, I assume you are referring to a Real Time Network.

Let's see, $2,000 can get you an L1/L2 receivers that will can get you OPUS-S or OPUS-RS positions. An RTK base will cost you a few more years subscriptions. Where exactly are you and what exactly are you using now?

Paul in PA

As Paul pointed out, it is free to download static data from most CORS, even the from real time networks. If what you really mean is an RTK network then the $2000 is well worth it if you utilize RTK much. Single base RTK is reliably good for about 15 Km (please don't flame me for my conservative precision values). RTK networks can produce reliable values at distances of 30 Km or greater. Lets say you purchase a cheap used receiver and set it up on your building, you are still limited to that 15 Km from the site of your CORS. I doubt you can acquire a modern receiver and antenna; build and place a suitable mount; and recover the cost of maintaining the system for less than a couple of years of subscription. If you are referring to single RTK base that you set up on site then you are looking at the cost of the receiver and radio; the cost of time required to set up the base daily; the cost of establishing control on the RTK base point; and the either the cost of a person to watch the base all day or the risk of having it walk off. I figure about 15 to 20 days setting up the base in a secure location with known control as the break even point. As a side note, it is hard to get 15 Km out of a UHF or spread spectrum radio and the annual cost for a cheap cellular data plan is about $425 a year.

Don't get me wrong, there is a place for single base RTK. Areas outside of NRTK overage; areas with bad or no cellular data availability; and for specific projects that require a little tighter precision than you can get from a network. As an example, we recently set up a static base in the middle of an 29 Km rail as-built project where I needed better vertical results than I feel I get from a NRTK solution and where I had access to a very secure site for my base station to sit for days on end.

I agree with John, hardly worth putting up your own. And $2000 seems cheap for a year subscription to a private VRS, I think one of ours is $3300 and the other is $3000, plus I am on a few free ones as well.

One thing you may be able to do is provide access to your base data to the VRS operator, some of them will give a free subscription for that, of course it has to be where it is useful, no use having a VRS CORS one mile away from another one.

I just paid $60/day per login for 2 logins on a private VRS for a week, no other way I could have done the project, so it cost me $600. Well worth it.

Of course it would be nice if the VRS operators all got together and offered roaming like the cell operators do, but that is probably wishful thinking

John Hamilton, post: 415785, member: 640 wrote:
Of course it would be nice if the VRS operators all got together and offered roaming like the cell operators do, but that is probably wishful thinking

That is what kills me about Trimble and Leica's systems. The basic subscriptions is good for a specific region. They do offer a national coverage for a significantly higher fee. It seems kind of funny since it really does not mater if you are using the system in Georgia or California.

Hi all

Yes, I meant RTN.

based in south australia. I agree that at present it is financially not worth it but I am being sick of the fact that you own less these days. It's becoming more the case that software are annual licenses and this extends to hardware. You buy the right to use something, for a finite set of time before the software prohibits it's use. This was the reason I moved away from trimble a few years ago, when tgo became all too hard to use and this wasn't even because of a license expiring, I assume it was more Trimble's greed in wanting me to pay again to do what I had already paid to do in lgo, all be it years before, but why should that matter. Whether it's a hassle and not yet financially viable, the technology must be avaliable to create your own cellular network? I can use a base and Rover via radio, naturally limited to the length of the baseline, can the same be done cellularly? I ask because my units are hiper sr... no radio, so it's either lr Bluetooth or cellular.

mattb, post: 415912, member: 8629 wrote: I can use a base and Rover via radio, naturally limited to the length of the baseline, can the same be done cellularly? I ask because my units are hiper sr... no radio, so it's either lr Bluetooth or cellular.

With a pair of Hiper SR and Magnet Field you can setup Magnet Relay using cell to cell service. The subscription is $345 per year. Not certain how it works or cost inyour area. Check with dealer. Or if you have a static IP at base, then no subscription from Topcon needed. You be paying your ISP for that.

Hey, gs, I'm in a CORS. Void....

mattb, post: 415912, member: 8629 wrote: Hi all

Yes, I meant RTN.

based in south australia. I agree that at present it is financially not worth it but I am being sick of the fact that you own less these days. It's becoming more the case that software are annual licenses and this extends to hardware. You buy the right to use something, for a finite set of time before the software prohibits it's use. This was the reason I moved away from trimble a few years ago, when tgo became all too hard to use and this wasn't even because of a license expiring, I assume it was more Trimble's greed in wanting me to pay again to do what I had already paid to do in lgo, all be it years before, but why should that matter. Whether it's a hassle and not yet financially viable, the technology must be avaliable to create your own cellular network? I can use a base and Rover via radio, naturally limited to the length of the baseline, can the same be done cellularly? I ask because my units are hiper sr... no radio, so it's either lr Bluetooth or cellular.

Probably lots of ways to do this, I opted for a plug and play Bridge-X from Intuicom, put that at your CORS site and host your own corrections on the internet, I use mine portable, but as long as you have internet at the base (wired or cellular) it works like "drilling" into any other RTN. Cost would be a GNSS receiver + the Bridge + internet costs (it would need a fixed IP). ANY dual frequency receiver should work, you could probably be out $10K or less these days for all brand new gear to do this. If you are working within single baseline distances of your CORS, it could be quite cost effective over ongoing RTN fees.

SHG

Shelby H. Griggs PLS, post: 416089, member: 335 wrote: ANY dual frequency receiver should work, you could probably be out $10K or less these days for all brand new gear to do this.

Javad Triumph-2 + GLONASS: $3500
Verizon MiFi: $150
Verizon fixed IP address: $500

You'd need a Verizon data plan. Since I already have Verizon service for my phone, the MiFi data only costs me $10 a month.

Jim Frame, post: 416102, member: 10 wrote: Javad Triumph-2 + GLONASS: $3500
Verizon MiFi: $150
Verizon fixed IP address: $500

You'd need a Verizon data plan. Since I already have Verizon service for my phone, the MiFi data only costs me $10 a month.

Hi Jim,
3 weeks ago I walked into the local Verizon store, with internet pricing in hand, bound and determined to get their $99 JetPack for the $49 sale price shown on the Internet. "Oh, we can do better than that, how does $9.99 sound?" Yes, $10 for for their newest unit! I had been connecting through my Iphone hotspot but in the cold weather, that battery didn't last as long as I needed. Not a problem with the JetPack as its battery is probably 4x the battery in the iphone. And yes, only $10 a month to use it on my existing Verizon plan.

Hi Jim and Dave

This has my interest. It may just be something lost in translation as it crosses the equator but what is a Verizon? Is this a service provider? If I have 2 gnss units, a data collector with WiFi and Bluetooth, a mifi and an Internet account, how do I get the magic to happen? Thanks.

Matt,

Yes, Verizon is a cellphone service provider in USA.

If you already have Topcon Magnet Field, then I suggest you try that with Magnet Relay. Relay is a service by Topcon that identifies your base IP address, and send the correction to another Topcon controller. Very easy to use. Here the USA it cost $345 per year.

The other ideas are great, may require extra cost for hardware, along with setup.

Jim Frame, post: 416102, member: 10 wrote: Javad Triumph-2 + GLONASS: $3500
Verizon MiFi: $150
Verizon fixed IP address: $500

You'd need a Verizon data plan. Since I already have Verizon service for my phone, the MiFi data only costs me $10 a month.

You'd actually have to activate RTK so the Triumph-2 would cost $5000. Free software is available to manage the receiver remotely via android or PC. Internal WiFi (standard) makes for nice mounting options.

Jim Frame, post: 416102, member: 10 wrote: Javad Triumph-2 + GLONASS: $3500
Verizon MiFi: $150
Verizon fixed IP address: $500

You'd need a Verizon data plan. Since I already have Verizon service for my phone, the MiFi data only costs me $10 a month.

It's another $1500 for RTK option on the Triumph 2 which is needed to do what you are asking.

Shawn Billings, post: 416253, member: 6521 wrote: You'd actually have to activate RTK so the Triumph-2 would cost $5000. Free software is available to manage the receiver remotely via android or PC. Internal WiFi (standard) makes for nice mounting options.

Jinx

Shawn Billings, post: 416253, member: 6521 wrote: You'd actually have to activate RTK so the Triumph-2 would cost $5000.

I want sure about that, but speculated that RTK would only be required for a rover. Still under $6k, though.