Sokkia GCX2 - holy tiny GNSS receiver!

Saw this last week in the Sokkia booth at the World of Concrete. I agree....it's bad@$$ and I am not the biggest Sokkia fan in the world. I wasn't able to pick up any information but just the look it has going is cool. I imagine it will be pushed over to the Topcon side pretty soon.

THAT is cool!!!

How well does it track?

Battery Life?

Does it ONLY work with Magnet software?

N

Memory Internal non-removable memory up to 8GB

What? Add an SD card slot and call me.

Nate,

I doubt many people have their hands on them yet. They are brand spanking new according to my dealer.

They are smaller than a 20oz soda bottle.

He seemed pretty impressed with it.

Jimmy

What good is an RTK system with a 300m working range limit? That would strike me as pretty much of a non-starter for surveying tracts more than a mile in extent since you'd need to have static or PPK capability to pre-survey a whole bunch of control points for the base to occupy and then shuttle the base from point to point.

I see the single base RTK use being suitable for site work.

I would use in static mode or as a network rover if a longer range is desired.

Low profile on those windy days though! 🙂

It may be just that I find myself growing more curmudgeonly by the day, but at first glance this strikes me as a solution in search of a problem.

> I would use in static mode or as a network rover if a longer range is desired.

Isn't the weak link then the post-processing software supplied with the unit if static and PPK solutions are going to be needed to survey project control for RTK base occupations? MAGNET hasn't exactly won glowing reviews from users.

There are a couple flavors of Magnet . Magnet field is the data collector software and it has some issues .

The Magnet Tools is just Topocn Tools re-branded , and is very solid for Static work .

NIckname - The Bullet

1300ft when used as a base

As a rover it appears to compete with all the rest, especially inside a network.

I found a New Zealand vendor that will give quote, lol.

Trig Instruments

I have had the unit in my hand and have seen it operate at the Georgia Surveyors Convention. Tracks and fixes well. The testing reports are solid that I am receiving from the manufacture.

It only runs on Magnet 3.0 at this point. Check out more information and video at http://www.geo-tronics.com/

http://shop.geo-tronics.com/Sokkia-GCx2-GNNS-RTK-RECEIVER-The-Bullet-w-CASE-GCx2GNSS.htm

The price point begins at $5255.00

Video of the SOKKIA GCX2 "THE BULLET"

I can't speak to the capabilities of Magnet since I have never used it. I have seen others post regarding their frustration though.

If one were collecting 2hr observations OPUS Projects would probably work well. I acknowledge that 2 hr observation times are hardly economical for most survey control on most survey jobs. I would hope there would be a utility to convert files to RINEX for inclusion in other post processing software.

The Sokkia GCX2 seems reminiscent of the Topcon Hiper SR.

> If one were collecting 2hr observations OPUS Projects would probably work well. I acknowledge that 2 hr observation times are hardly economical for most survey control on most survey jobs. I would hope there would be a utility to convert files to RINEX for inclusion in other post processing software.

Yes, it sounds as if the typical way to use that setup would be to survey static and (redundant) PPK vectors to a bunch of secondary control points from a base set up on some primary control point long enough to get a good quality OPUS solution. The RTK capability would just fill in at the short ranges from the secondary control.

The critical bit would be being able to generate the vectors with covariances and to import them into third-party survey adjustment software like, say, Star*Net.

When are these manufactures going to understand that some of us are outside cell coverage and need a 50 watt radio link?

I think they are aware of that need. I would advance the idea that more features = more money.

I believe that units with 50 watt radios can still be had, but not for $5255 or under (unless buying used equipment).

I can't imagine you would ever fill up 8GB of static data in a day or perhaps even in a week.

It's another tool for the tool box. We still make receivers that will utilize a 35 watt external radio for the guys that work where there isn't cell coverage. And for guys that work in more developed areas the GCX2 can utilize MAGNET Relay- a web based service that hosts and rebroadcasts the corrections from a static base.