I am running a Trimble Net R5 as a continuous GPS/GNSS unit and have had trouble with our Trimble TDL 450H radio. I have the unit running 24/7 and in the last 3 years have had to replace the TDL 450H twice.
Is there any other type of radio that could perform better or would having the NetR5 broadcast on a cell network be the best option?
This - Intuicom RTK Bridge
This will allow your rovers to connect to your Trimble Net R5 via cellular and radio.
I have some Intuicom radios running on some of my reference stations since 2006. I haven't needed to restart them ever...
Cell.
Is there a chance that the power supply on the radio is bad? I happen to know from personal experience that a battery that is nearly open (high impedance) with an undersized battery charger will eat those radios. They die when turned on and off 20 times a minute for a few hours.
Is the output power set to the highest power? We don't see much difference when they are set at 20 watts from 35.
Is the antenna in good condition? Check the little spring thingy on the NMO mount if there is one. Check the antenna cable too.
I have a dozen of them on CORS that have been running with few issues for years.
Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of issues, but all of the issues we have are connected to something that makes sense. Like bad chargers, bad supplies, bad antenna cables, bad antennas, bad antenna connectors, really-really hot ambient, bad serial cables...
It is always something.
And you should do both radio and direct IP (or NTRIP). Both is better than one or the other.
I just sent in my TDL450 to be repaired (luckily it is still under warranty but only by days). I noticed that it was shutting down and restarting with no reason at all. Tried a different battery with the same problem. Found that if I touched the power/data cable at the radio that it would turn off and back on. Seems like a bad solder/internal issues. Not sure. I do know but that I've had more issues with this unit than my old PacCrest that ran for years without an issue. Good luck.
Another great idea is to not have the radio broadcasting 247. I highly recommend putting them on a Timer. or better yet a Wifi Timer so you can turn it on remotely.
I have repaired a handful of the TDL450H radios over the past few years, and most of the issues have been one of two things:
1. They have been unplugged at the Lemo port while still powered, and this results in an arc that will cook multiple components of these units.
2. They are setup with inefficient protocol and baud rates that generate large amounts of heat. The units have a "thermal protection" built in, but they seem to deteriorate in performance after reaching this threshold of heat many times.
There does exist a mounting kit that has fans implemented for increased cooling. I have a few customers that operate this way at 35W without issue as long as they are operating at a reasonable configuration.
What radio protocol and baud settings are you utilizing?
