I have gotten a bunch of email asking about Leon's setup, might as well reprint one of my replies here. I don't want to speak for Leon, but since I was there, this is kind of a first person report.
Shelby: Leon is using that exact device:
It took him less than 5 minutes to get it setup and pointed in the correct direction using the blinking LED's on the top of the 'fold up panel'. Then he connects an app on his android phone to it and puts it online. It makes a 'OPEN' Wi-Fi connection which he then connects his TSC3 to.
NOTE: There appear to be newer devices that don't need to be pointed, see [ https://www.globalstar.com/products/voice-and-data/sat-fi2 ?ÿ] JohnH says that they are not that expensive for limited data and they have voice too.
Then Leon connects iG8 receiver to the Utah Network (TURN) as a Rover with his TSC3 running demo copy of SurvCE connected by Wi-Fi to modem and Bluetooth to iG8; this is the 'Data Collector Internet' connection option. It is the same configuration every time, so it just connects with a few clicks.
The iG8 (which is running as a Rover) gets a FIX (immediately). Then he stores a 60-second average as a point (so now he has a SPC coordinate and the underlying Lat/Lon/Ellipsoid height). Since he is at a random location (no hub I think) he uses HI=0.0. Next he disconnects and turns off the sat modem, having only used two minutes worth of data. (Leon told me that he had used it for hours one day and burned through > $100 worth of data.)
Next Leon sets the iG8 as a Base broadcasting RTCM3.2 via UHF and sets the base position using the stored point. Again, just a few button presses.
Now exit SurvCE, start Access. R10 is already good to go because the survey style is already set to UHF matching the base so survey starts immediately. Access mentions that the base position has changed, I think Leon uses the broadcast position which makes a new RTCM3 point in the current job.
If he is in difficult location for radio propagation he sets up a 35 watt repeater. The repeater only connects to a battery so it can be anywhere that can listen directly to the base. It might have already been setup across the canyon for example.
His R10 is completely different animal with a local base than network connection. Leon comments on it every time we talk. More SV's, more signals, shorter baseline, very small HRMS, quicker solutions and expect that elevations will be more stable.
So this works, Leon is surveying with known coordinates on his first visit. He has better corrections. It apparently will work anywhere the Utah Network has reasonable coverage without the need for cell service (which is not great around Fairview except on the tops of moutains).?ÿHowever I would warn that there are a lot of moving parts in this setup. A lot. Leon is one of the smartest surveyors in Utah and his patience and 'stick to it-ness' is beyond normal too. To be honest, I would have expected a young kid to figure this out--not a couple of ...hmmf...'older' guys. It would be simpler with a Trimble base too because two pieces of software would not be required, but the iG8?ÿ saves $.
I know that Leon was out yesterday and I think he is out today too. It will be interesting to hear his comments after running with it for a few weeks. Also, I will be interested in finding out what the data bill is next month.
In a few years, I suspect there will be data everywhere on the planet and tight GNSS networks too. This will seem like the dark ages.
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