Topcon Hiper GA problem

Base operates in standalone solution as it does not receive any corrections and is unable to obtain differential solution.

What the Base Receiver does is simply output its observations converted to a specific format via the selected port, physical or virtual, in your case through transceiver.

It doesn't care at all if datalink works or not.

Positioning mode setting (Standalon, DGNSS, RTK Float, RTK Fixed) should not affect anything until there is also Standalone enabled in Solution Enable setting.

In theory, if you would turn off Standalone in Solution Enable setting for your base receiver, it could not send anything until it gets float mode.

Luckily, if you have everything configured correctly in your data collecting software, it will program your base and rover as needed.

According to you words, there is a datalink problem you should focus on.

Also, from my experience I can say that older Topcon devices refuse to obey randomly and users rather need to live with it.

As always, you can try to reload firmware and it may help.

Why your receiver forgets its settings? It has backup battery inside to maintain the stored information, all older receivers have it. It can be depleted so as soon as you turn your device off, all settings are gone and then restored to factory settings on next power up.

@daikini  Thanks for your answer. From what you are telling me it sounds like just a coincidence that my radio link starts working after I change the Positioning Mode to RTK.

I'll do more reading from the manual to see if my data collectors are configured correctly.

I agree that the base should be in the standalone setting.

Another thing you should try relates to the batteries. The units each have two kinds of batteries. The larger of the batteries is the one that runs the unit all day long. There is a smaller battery that keeps the settings. This smaller battery has a tendency of going bad. When this happens, the settings you make to the minter via the computer will revert back to the factory settings as soon as you turn off the unit.

 If you have one of these bad small batteries, you can work around it by applying your correct settings via computer in the morning, and keep your unit on all day until you are done your job.

   Chris

Using TRU try changing port "c" to output "rtcm3" correction on the base and input "rtcm3" on the rover.

@cerolli Thanks! I think I know the answer already, but do you know if the smaller battery is user-replaceable? I've replaced the main batteries in Topcon Hiper Lite's before but I'm guessing that the smaller battery is not that easy.

@antcrook Thanks! If the problem persists I'll give that a try. When I tried them yesterday they would not connect. I turned the base off and then restarted it and they worked. I still don't know why, but maybe it's not going to be as much of an issue as I thought.

@dennyb , I’ve not tried to replace the one I have that has failed, but I presume that Topcon hasn’t made the process user friendly. I have updated my Topcons with two Brx7’s, so I haven’t worried about replacing the little battery. Im sure it can be done, but precariously.

@dennyb , I’ve not tried to replace the one I have that has failed, but I presume that Topcon hasn’t made the process user friendly. I have updated my Topcons with two Brx7’s, so I haven’t worried about replacing the little battery. Im sure it can be done, but precariously.

Hello,

Do any of you, or do you know someone, who knows Where, (is it attached or soldered to the receiver board?? and what this small backup battery is (part number? or what it looks like, and How to replace it?? Or Who does repair on these hipers??

Thank You!

For anyone interested, this is the GPS board (not the power board or mother board), and the battery is soldered to it. It can be checked with a multimeter from underneath. If you want to check it, do it thoroughly and several times, touching different spots on the solder tabs to make sure that the battery is really dead. I have a Javad Legacy board on my desk, which is a pre-Topcon device, so it's like 20 years old now, and its battery is still fine.

The newer GPS/GNSS boards do not have such batteries.

DISCLAIMER:

I do not encourage anyone to disassemble or perform home repairs, as this may result in the destruction of your devices.

Is that battery actually soldered in place?  No holder is a horrible design.

@daikini Thanks! I've returned the Hiper GA receivers to the ebay seller because of this issue and because the radio range was even weaker that I was expecting. I have some old Hiper Lite Plus receivers that were unused for several years. The rover still works but the base will only pick up 2 or 3 satellites. I replaced the main batteries but I suspect that the small battery might be at least part of the problem. I've read that the small battery has something to do with the clock. If that is the case I guess it will need to be sent to a repair shop.

Look, there was GPS week rollover in the meantime, maybe you should try to upgrade the firmware first? Topcon released 3.5.p5 FW to handle this issue. After this you should leave the device outside for about half an hour so it could gather almanc and ephemeris.

@daikini  Thanks diakini - I haven't returned mine!!

Now that's what i call helping a fellow member in need. Thank You daikini for the photo and advice. 

180 degrees from the usual ' why don't you buy new stuff, and charge more,  or 'i had to struggle with mine and upgraded - you need to do the same'. 

'3.5p5 FW to handle this issue' ? - What issue, his not tracking sats, or the battery playing low?? Mine's  on 3.4p2 and gets approx 18 sats. Fixed Quality solutions. Pretty apprehensive about the fw update. (i need a push 🙂 )

Thank You!

3.5p5 firmware handles 2019 GPS week number rollover event.

https://www.topconpositioning.com/gpsrollover#

New GNSS receivers offer insane performance and, especially thanks to Android data collectors, there's so much higher culture of operation like immediate start, rich visualisations, really friendly interface and easy sharing methods. But it is also very cool to use obsolete devices as they evoke not only nostalgia feeling but also feeling of wonder. Every next generation of survey grade equipment is weaker in regards of longevity and more fragile because manufacturers discovered forced obsolescence in the meantime, a method to drain people more often. So let's appreciate and admire devices from the era when equipment was designed as if it was to serve the surveyor throughout his whole professional life.

@daikini Asbsolutely Poetic!

Insane performance, it's all i can do to keep up with the old regular performance 🙂 !  If it's got fixed solution before i can mount it on a tripod, get the data coll., and screw the gps rod together, i don't know if i'll see any of that. Now, tree cover, i see some potential there, but from memory i haven't had any issues with lack of precision lock since Glonass - 2006ish - thats almost 20 years. i'm not speaking of thick wooded boundary work, but sitework generally, in somewhat open conditions. Ya know, you can set the quality down to say 3 feet, instead of 0.03' and mark Clearing, and have the dozers open it up like they have to do anyway. What good did it do to mark it to the inch with 7 constellations. I think the equipment manufacturers and sales teams moreso, are in a race to sell the latest greatest, whether you need it or not. That appears to be true with Everything that generates a dollar. Including the services "We" provide. (Look we did this work for you with cutting edge equipment, we need $ to compensate...) 

'Feeling of wonder' ... yeah, wonder if it's goin power on.... lol

''thoughout his whole prof. life'  ...  let's hope his/her life and career are longer than that 10 year battery we're seeking truth about! kidding of course, and it Can be a (3) 15 year batteries, as long as it can be replaced.

Not sure i'm up on the Android thing. I haven't seen The major players in the GPS Engineering/Construction Industry embracing Android as yet.  What i see is Windows 10/11 os tablet/PC oriented. I haven't seen Bentley or Autodesk running on Android tablets (i may be living under a rock). Maybe i see what i want to see - I'm still not over Android replacing my Windows Phones - With, what 'Seems' to be an open source, freeware, OS for the masses. When i think Android, i see amazon firesticks, Google TV boxes, and Phones with every Joe/Judy thumbing their life away Playing on a phone -Or about to kill me, going home - Texting in My Lane of Traffic at 55mph.

I'm, just joining in on the conversation, and not taking punches at your statements, just throwing around thoughts, and i did mean what i said, and not in a Sarcastic way -

- Poetic.

Or Who does repair on these hipers?? 

I would send them to Deaton's Geo-tronix located between Nashville and Chattanooga. I've known Troy Deaton since his days at Hayes Instrument Co. They still work on Hipers and even my 20 year old Topcon robot.

I can not access any newer firmware to download.  Would someone be willing to send me the working 3.4, or 3.5 firmware to play with?  I have a few of the old receivers that quit working and I would like to see if I can resurrect them before I donate or sell them.  Right now they are simply paperweights.

Thanks much!

@toivo1037 

https://staging.rpls.com/community/gnss-geodesy/firmware-update/#post-613206