Carlson Surveyor+ GPS rover question

Now you have me curious. 2 bad experiences?

What were they?

I am thinking of the huge list of things that go wrong.

No particular order.

1.) Loss of radio, due to interference from cell tower.
2.) Loss of radio, due to 100 things.
3.) BAD localization, crazy scale factor.
4.) Failure to understand the equipment.
5.) GPS is not the BEST for elevations. Can be a serious source of error, even with EVERYTHING running right, IF you need 0.02' accuracy in elev.
6.) Set the base up by a metal barn, loaded with multipath.
There are so many things that can go wrong, that I practically recommend some sort of school, or serious education, for using them.

Nate

I never used the Carlson GPS, but we have several Surveyor+ data collectors. Those collectors are great. Rugged, big buttons, good software, etc.
We run ours with Javad Triumph 1's...about the same price as the Carlson GPS, which I have to believe is inferior to Javad.

My two bad experiences were:
First GRS-1 stopped tracking satellites completely after the second use.
Second unit would not get a fixed solution, and after non returned phone calls for support on a unit I had for only one week, I had to send it back as well. The network or the connection to it was not the problem, it was the unit itself.
Both were used as network rovers, and both were used systems.

Also interested in any views or experience with the new Topcon Hiper SR as a network rover.

any chance you were using these with a recon data collector?

MMM184 that is what I'd buy, if I were to buy another system.

N

No, the GRS-1 is a Topcon data collector with Topsurv 8.

I would prefer the Javad as well, but the price I got on a used Carlson is well below the Javad price with data collector.

I've had great results from mine.
Support from Carlson is excellent. More times than not I can call in the field and receive a call-back within an hour from John Gerber, Carlson GPS Specialist.
Support is also excellent from eGPS and Lonnie Sears but he is in Ga, Fl only I believe.
This was my 1st and only unit so I have no comparison tho.
GL

> I never used the Carlson GPS, but we have several Surveyor+ data collectors. Those collectors are great. Rugged, big buttons, good software, etc.
> We run ours with Javad Triumph 1's...about the same price as the Carlson GPS, which I have to believe is inferior to Javad.

With all due respect:
How can you come to such a conclusion? Say you've never used it and then say it's inferior. I have a Carlson receiver and it's money. I started a project with a Trimble R8 rover and finished it with the Carlson combo. I never had a problem with either and it seemed to me that Carlson never had a problem getting a fix. Carlson Support is pretty good, they get back to you promptly.

Ralph

ok now I know which unit you are talking about and I had really bad results with it too. I have a trimble r-8 which is rock solid and an epoch 35 which works great as well. never tried the carlson so i cant say but if I had a choice I would buy another trimble. They just work.

I agree with Paul above. John Gerber has helped me more than once.

Carlson Surveyor + GPS is a good little system. It works well as a network rover in our environment (NC). I have not had a chance to test it in extreme temperatures, but if it works as good as the Surveyors alone, it should be good to go.

My only problem is the lack of repair support. Who fixes them if they break?

Funny you should bring this up, our company just upgraded two Surveyor Plus data collectors to work with the Carlson GPS VPN antennas. We will be using Verizon as our provider, has very good local coverage. We demo'ed (and still rent) a Supervisor with this antenna with AT&T service, nothing but good things to say about both the collector and GPS.

I will say we had some multipath issues, but multipath is multipath is multipath, and if you are comfortable with a fix in heavy canopy, you deserve what you get. It is a GREAT tool, but a man's got to know his limitations.

I've used this for 3 years with good results. I also use GAC bluetooth radios to connect this to my Leica TCRP 1205.

One data collector - one set of data

> > I never used the Carlson GPS, but we have several Surveyor+ data collectors. Those collectors are great. Rugged, big buttons, good software, etc.
> > We run ours with Javad Triumph 1's...about the same price as the Carlson GPS, which I have to believe is inferior to Javad.
>
> With all due respect:
> How can you come to such a conclusion? Say you've never used it and then say it's inferior. I have a Carlson receiver and it's money. I started a project with a Trimble R8 rover and finished it with the Carlson combo. I never had a problem with either and it seemed to me that Carlson never had a problem getting a fix. Carlson Support is pretty good, they get back to you promptly.
>
> Ralph

Yeah, you're probably right. I don't know for sure. I was scheduled to demo the Carlson GPS when it first came out. My rep said the Carlson GPS had a few issues (at that time). I'm sure all the bugs are fixed by now.
I haven't used every brand of GPS receiver, but I have used quite a few. We also run Trimble R8-3's. I can say based on real world experience, the Javed seems more user friendly (paired with Carlson), and seems to obtain fix faster/better than the Trimble. I also much prefer the Carlson SurvCE software vs Trimble Access. Though that is just my personal real-world opinion vs Trimble.
Perhaps the Carlson GPS is equal to Javad GPS...I have my doubts, but like I said, I don't know for sure.

> I've had great results from mine.
> Support from Carlson is excellent. More times than not I can call in the field and receive a call-back within an hour from John Gerber, Carlson GPS Specialist.
> Support is also excellent from eGPS and Lonnie Sears but he is in Ga, Fl only I believe.
> This was my 1st and only unit so I have no comparison tho.
> GL

John Gerber is my hero- I love that guy. Not sure how much $ he makes, but its not enough.

>
> Yeah, you're probably right. I don't know for sure. I was scheduled to demo the Carlson GPS when it first came out. My rep said the Carlson GPS had a few issues (at that time). I'm sure all the bugs are fixed by now.
> I haven't used every brand of GPS receiver, but I have used quite a few. We also run Trimble R8-3's. I can say based on real world experience, the Javed seems more user friendly (paired with Carlson), and seems to obtain fix faster/better than the Trimble. I also much prefer the Carlson SurvCE software vs Trimble Access. Though that is just my personal real-world opinion vs Trimble.
> Perhaps the Carlson GPS is equal to Javad GPS...I have my doubts, but like I said, I don't know for sure.

I didn't mean any ill will in my statement. Simply, I come here to get some feedback from real world users of the products. Opening a Magazine and getting a review from someone who is beholden to a Manufacturer for advertising revenue isn't my idea of a thorough analysis. With the advent of the internet, you should now be able to get an unbiased opinion from real time users in real world field conditions under ideal and less than ideal conditions. That's the beauty of these types of forums, the ability to share experience. What happens often is that people share conjecture or they have a favorite brand they prefer and they sing its praises. The OP never really gets the information that they were originally seeking.
I've personally found that dealing with Trimble is regional and I'm in the wrong region.

Ralph