.dat file into TBC

Kent
I've only been using TBC a few days but I have been importing .DAT files and they display their respective point names on screen.
John

> I've only been using TBC a few days but I have been importing .DAT files and they display their respective point names on screen.

Do the .DAT files include stop-and-go kinematic data? Those are the files that are dropping point names. One more question, if I haven't exceeded my limit already, are you by any chance exporting vectors to Star*Net to combine with conventional observations? If so, where in the heck are the vector solutions hiding?

> Do the .DAT files include stop-and-go kinematic data? Those are the files that are dropping point names. One more question, if I haven't exceeded my limit already, are you by any chance exporting vectors to Star*Net to combine with conventional observations? If so, where in the heck are the vector solutions hiding?

Kent
My .dat files are static data and I'm not working in Star Net. I haven't gotten up to the point of doing an adjustment in TBC yet. Sorry I'm not more help. I think it is a case of the blind leading the bilnd.
John

> Sorry I'm not more help. I think it is a case of the blind leading the bilnd.

Not really. Both of us presumably are reasonably sophisticated users of survey-grade post-processed GPS. Well designed software doesn't need a manual for everything, so it is always a legitimate test of software to just look for what ought logically to be there.

Kent: I imported some .dat files from some 4600's like yours for a customer into TBC the other day.

The point numbers and antenna heights did not come into TBC when I imported the files.

However, what I do not know is if the files came from just the receiver, or if they came from a data collector.

As for where the vector data is stored, I would have to look.

> I imported some .dat files from some 4600's like yours for a customer into TBC the other day.
>
> The point numbers and antenna heights did not come into TBC when I imported the files.
>
> However, what I do not know is if the files came from just the receiver, or if they came from a data collector.

> As for where the vector data is stored, I would have to look.

Thanks, Tom, but if TBC is unable to import .dat files from 4000-series receivers, it doesn't really matter where the vector data is stored or in what format. For all practical purposes the software doesn't replace GPSurvey or (I assume) TGO.

I'm going to try downloading with the Trimble Data Transfer Utility before I consign TBC to the trash, though.

I installed TBC last night and brought some DAT files into a new project. The files came from a variety of Trimble hardware: 5800, R7, R8 and 4000SSi. All came in with station names as entered in the field. The later models included some unnamed stations, but these appear to represent data collected between power-on and station name entry.

I haven't figured out how to get my temporary license activated yet, so I can't process anything. My first attempt to enter the license key didn't seem to work, and subsequent attempts generated errors. I'll try tomorrow after a reboot.

I'm not finding the software very responsive. It's taking 4 or 5 seconds just to display the Properties of a selected item. This may be related to the license problem, so maybe it'll be snappier tomorrow.

> I installed TBC last night and brought some DAT files into a new project. The files came from a variety of Trimble hardware: 5800, R7, R8 and 4000SSi.

That's interesting. The 4000ssi DAT files I've tried to import so far have arrived without station names other than the receiver default name, but with antenna heights. The antenna height was entered into the receiver the field but the actual station name was entered later when the receiver was downloaded.

The 4600LS DAT files had station names entered into the receiver in the field via the survey controller, but did not show up on import into TBC.

I'm going to guess that possibly the station names reside in the TXT file with the same prefix as the DAT file and TBC doesn't know what to do with the former, so the station name and antenna height data in the TXT file is invisible to it.

> The antenna height was entered into the receiver the field but the actual station name was entered later when the receiver was downloaded.

That may be the difference: I always the enter station name in the field before closing the file. Are you sure the DAT file is getting the name on download? As I recall, Trimble download software creates up to 4 files: DAT, MET, NAV and TXT. Entering the station name during download may put the name into the TXT file instead of the DAT, so if the TXT didn't come over with the DAT, the name may have gotten lost.

Edit: Oops, looks like you've already figured that out.

> Edit: Oops, looks like you've already figured that out.

Odd though. In the case of the stop-and-go kinematic data, the station names and antenna heights were entered in the field and logged to the receiver. While only an SSK file shows up as being downloaded from the instrument, I suppose that the TXT file is generated from the SSK (or SSF file) when the DAT file is generated at download.

Jim
If you still have trouble getting TBC to accept your license code, send me an email and I'll send you the instructions my Trimble dealer sent me. I would include them here but I don't seem to be able to attach a file and I tried copy/paste but that didn't work well either.
John

I didn't see an email link in your profile, so I don't know how to send you email. I have a link in mine, so if you could send the instructions to me I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

Jim
Did the email I sent you work for you. If you didn't get the email let me know at johnminor@stuntzner.com

> Did the email I sent you work for you.

I got the email -- thanks very much -- but haven't had success with the license key yet. The steps you described were the same ones I tried yesterday (and again today), but what I get is this:

Not sure why this is happening. I have a request in to Trimble support for clarification.

Thanks.

Jim
If you downloaded TBC from Trimble's website you might need to get the actual DVD. I spent 4 hours downloading it then it turned out to be corrupted and I had to get the DVD. Working fine now.

.dat file from TBC into Star*Net

The Vectors are stored deep in the bowels of TBC. To bring vectors in from TBC in to StarNet, have the user export out a Trimble Data Exchange Format file (TDEF) from TBC. Now import that file in to StarNet.

> If you downloaded TBC from Trimble's website you might need to get the actual DVD. I spent 4 hours downloading it then it turned out to be corrupted and I had to get the DVD. Working fine now.

I did download it, apparently without issue, and the install seemed to go fine. However, I just spent about half an hour on the phone with a support tech who had me try a bunch of things related to the License Manager (uninstall this, reinstall that), but none of them worked. He's going to call back in the morning when the software engineers are around to give it another try. If that fails, he says he'll probably just overnight a dongle.

The application itself is a complicated son-of-a-gun, and the licensing control makes it even more so.

I long for the days of the standalone executable...

.dat file from TBC into Star*Net

> To bring vectors in from TBC in to StarNet, have the user export out a Trimble Data Exchange Format file (TDEF) from TBC. Now import that file in to StarNet.

Thanks, Tom. Unfortunately, it looks as if it will be some time before Trimble Business Center is able to process DAT files from my 4600LS and 4000ssi units. The point names that disappear on import into TBC evidently are just some creative programming in TBC.

It looks as if someone I know is going to be finding out just how good float solutions can get.

I for one thank you people for showing me just how massively lame Trimble support and software continue to be. Eventually when I finally get GPS it will be in the form of ABT - anything but Trimble.