Version 6.06
Release Date: March 12, 2020
New Instruments Supported:
- Bathylogger Depth Sounder (Bluetooth Only)
- Carlson BRx7
- CHC i90*
- Geomax Z16
- Geomax Zoom10 TS
- Nikon XF/XS
- Satlab SL700
- Satlab SL900
- Spectra Precision SP85
- Stonex S700A*
- Stonex S850A*
- Stonex S900A_V2*
- Stonex S900N_V2*
*Outside of the United States only
?ÿ
Does it mean that Carlson is leaving his support for freedom to choose the hardware?
Without any specific knowledge to the contrary, I would interpret this to mean that the list adds to the list of supported instruments, rather than supplanting it.
You are right but I am pointing to a fact that after Hemisphere there are another five receivers supported but not in the US.
I was talking to a Stonex salesman (he also sells Carlson) and he was (only slightly) aggravated by this.?ÿ It is because the new Carlson receivers?ÿare those Stonex receivers, and they won't be able to sell them for the slight uptick in price if the others are available.
I expect this is the reason for the geofencing after the Hemisphere shakedown. Hemisphere now advertises FieldGenius far more prominently on their webpage and the majority of their recent videos are all about using FieldGenius.
It's all a bit silly, though, as Unistrong owns both Stonex and Hemisphere.
Don't forget, the dam is about to burst:
Landstar 7 (since CHCNAV was first on the above list)
https://www.chcnav.com/product-detail/landstar7
It's always getting better. Plus, there are quite a few other Android-based ones out there. Other examples are:
Apgols
(which also works well with Digpilot)
https://www.gl-instrumenter.no/?lang=en
EGStar
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.southgnss.egstar&hl=en_CA
Nuwa
https://www.tersus-gnss.com/product/nuwa
SurvX
Reach
https://docs.emlid.com/reach/common/reachview/
LandsMobile
https://www.southinstrument.com/product/details/pro_tid/1/id/176.html
Don't get me wrong--I think the support Carlson provides is easily worth the cost. However, if you're a one-man show operating on meagre funds running a simple "meat and potatoes" survey shop (ie. subdivisions, plans of condominium, boundary retracements, topographical surveys, etc.), the other options are/are almost starting to look "good enough."
Yes, history is repeating itself. I saw it start about five or six years ago when Trimble started distancing themselves from Carlson.
Hardware and software don't play nice, closed systems (husky, SDR33)
then trended towards open with original TDS SMI due to competition (interoperable equipment sold better)
Then trended towards "ecosystems" closed systems (system 1200, etc.)
then back again towards open with Carlson, microsurvey
now back closed again due to global competition (and need of "differentiatiors" to drive sales)
As with everything there is a coming vanishing of the "middle class" of equipment. We'll all either have Trimble or Leica stem to stern to make money on scale and take advantage of the "ecosystem", or the solo and smaller firms will increasingly use the (ever more justifiable) cheaper alternatives as we rely less and less on one-off data collectors and total stations.
