Carlson Surveyors 2 and Leica TS 12

Which data collector are you using and how are you connecting?

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I know Leicas CS10 has a built in radio setup to be used with the TS12, and that Juniper released a help pdf to get the Allegro to connect to some of Leicas older TS series. If you're only connecting via bluetooth, that could be an issue, or its possible you're having radio issues.

I have the same setup. Long range Bluetooth is your problem and there is no solution other than purchasing a DC with a built-in radio.?ÿ

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@superiorryan I am using the Carlson Surveyor 2.?ÿ It uses long range Bluetooth but is terrible at keeping a connection.?ÿ We have several CS15 & TS12 setups and do not have an issue with them.?ÿ We trying a different setup to see if we could cut costs some but to no avail.?ÿ Running Carlson office software was a plus for getting the S2 but I am having buyers remorse now.?ÿ May just go back to the full Leica setup (CS20 & TS12) but just being held hostage by the short hairs from Leica is painful.

@murphy Since you have the same setup, how do you deal with the problem??ÿ Or do you just "deal" with the problem?

I just deal with it.

If it is a tight shot in dense vegetation, I usually have to remove the DC from the rod and place it on top of or close to the prism. Creek shots with a tall rod can be tricky without a helper.?ÿ

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How far are you when you lose connection? Also was this problem always there or has it just started.?ÿ

One trick you can try is on the radio handle, rotate the antenna upwards and wiggle the antenna until it pops out of the radio handle. Then make sure its not corroded and push the antenna back into the radio handle. you should here a "click" sound.?ÿ

@spotteddotdog Which version of SurvCE are you running? Is it 5.08.19?

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I'm going to PM you some instructions with download links so you can try updating to the latest version and give that a shot.

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@eric-kara?ÿ It did not just start, this has been a persistent problem since we received the equipment. I have been working with our vendor and Carlson?ÿ to resolve the problem.?ÿ Unfortunately, I am not at a point to be able to pull it out of service.?ÿ We just have to deal with it until I get a fix or replace the DC.?ÿ

The distance is not the problem.?ÿ I could be 25' away from it, walk behind a car with the prism is clear view of the instrument and loss communication.?ÿ It is problematic to have to "re-connect" with the instrument every time I drop in a hole or out of line-of-sight.

As for the radio handle, it is brand new.?ÿ

@superiorryan?ÿ I will have to verify the software version this evening when my crew gets back with the DC.?ÿ That sounds good, I certainly try anything at this point.?ÿ Thank you!

Another stupid question, but the unit is setup to communicate through the radio handle and not the Bluetooth port correct? It should be setup like below.

So I did a little digging, and if your handle is the RH15, the problem is going to solely come down to bluetooth. The cs10 and RH15 use bluetooth class 2 vs the Surveyor2's class 1.

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I think thats the main issue that you're finding. I keep seeing that the Allegro MX with internal modem is being suggested to use with the RH15/TS12 but I cant figure out if thats just the Allegro MX with bluetooth or with an actual 2.4Ghz radio. It seems the CS10 actually has a 2.4Ghz radio as well as the RH15 having one built in, which could also be the cause of the connection issues.

One good thing about the Surveyor 2 with LRB is the battery life. I could probably get three days out of one charge.?ÿ

@eric-kara?ÿ It sure is.?ÿ That was confirmed when I installed a new RH16.?ÿ Still having the same problem.

@murphy I agree 100%.?ÿ It definitely holds a charge, which is good since it doesn't have a battery port to replace the battery quickly.?ÿ I will say I really like the software but am not sold on the hardware.?ÿ?ÿ

Sorry to get in this discussion late, and I am sure that you have already checked this, but what OS are you running on the Surveyor 2?

The latest version is 1.8.9 [ Available here ]

There are not any known/disclosed bluetooth fixes in the last few updates, but there were known issues in early releases that have been addressed.

By chance, I am running an extensive range testing experiment tomorrow (Thursday) with CS2 and long range handles. I will take notes and report back.

@mark-silver?ÿ No worries, the problem definitely hasn't been resolved yet. Thank for the recommendation and I will check on the OS later today or in the morning.?ÿ I would like to see the results of your experiment.

Not that you want to buy more products, but a simple solution could be a Bluetooth bridge. This has solved many problems in difficult environments.

Intuicom makes an awesome device.?ÿ

http://www.intuicom.com/bluetooth-solutions/bluetooth-bridge

@eric-kara?ÿ Thank you for the suggestion and I will look into it further.?ÿ I am unfamiliar and ignorant with this type of equipment.?ÿ Could you possibly provide a quick synopsis on how it works, in layman terms??ÿ?ÿ

The Bluetooth bridge is a repeater. What this does is connect to the robot with a very strong and reliable Bluetooth radio. This radio can communicate with your robot up to 500m. Then your collector would Bluetooth to the bridge. This device is used often in high rise construction because of all the interference with other devices in the area.?ÿ?ÿ

I have the Carlson Surveyor+, predecessor to the Surveyor2.?ÿ It's built-in BT radio is useless for robotic work -- as I recall, the range was less than 100' when I tried it -- so I added a Parani BT radio with a 9dBi antenna in a small case attached to the underside of the Surveyor+.?ÿ That fixed the problem, and I've been using it this way for the last 3 years with no significant problems.

This morning I tried to take what seemed like a routine shot on a control point about 450' from the gun, and kept getting a "Lost Connection" message.?ÿ I'm accustomed to using this setup out to 1/4 mile or so, so I was very surprised by the dropped connection.?ÿ I'd walk about 50 toward the gun and get connected again, but every time I moved back to the control point the connection would drop.?ÿ The shot was along a corridor about 6 feet wide, with dense trees and brush on one side and a wrought iron fence on the other.?ÿ The control point was about 2' from the fence.?ÿ Out of frustration I tried reorienting the antenna (it's on a swivel) to point down instead of up, and that did the trick.?ÿ I'm wondering if that iron fence was attenuating the signal in a way that only affected the antenna when it was upright.?ÿ With no way to measure signal strength other than go no-go, I guess I'll never know for sure.