After a year getting up and running, I am trying to
decide which GPS/GNSS I should go for.
I started with an S6 and TSC3 with Survey Pro (now 5.4)
Since I already have the investment in Survey Pro, and I
really like the ability to hot swap GPS/GNSS to conventional
to bang out jobs, I am looking to stay with a unit that
works well with my existing system.
I have pondered getting SurvCE to run a used or incompatible brand GPS, but
after how things worked out this year, I am willing to drop some coin for a unit that will keep me moving without jumping between programs to go from GPS to optical.
Would anybody like to recommend or give their unbiased experience running
the Epoch 50 or PM 800? I will be trying to use the unit both as RTCM and with an older conventional base.
Perhaps someone reading knows how these two units differ in terms of performance
and price point.
I see the ProMark advertised for under 10K, but there appear to be quite a few
add-ons (L5, Galileo, etc) which would pump it up to the cost to that of a Trimble R6.
By the time L5 and Galileo can aid your work economically you will be buying your next receiver. Get enough to get the job done now, not years from now.
Paul in PA
In the United States, the ProMark 800 is sold only in an 'Ultimate Kit'. The part number is:
PN 990657-99; MSRP $10,995
Assuming you want UHF, you can add an ADL internal radio (they just screw in)
PN 802149-50; MSRP $1,490
So the MSRP is $12,485. I won't comment here on the street price, I think it is against the rules.
The -99 part includes:
GLONASS, L5 and GALILEO, GSM, FAST (20HZ) OUTPUT and Long Range RTK
options, out of the box. (Every single possible option actually.)
I agree that you won't get much benefit from L5 and Galileo today or next year. But there may be some benefit in a couple of years. And if the tracking is free, it is fun to watch these 'extra' SV's on the status plot. (A couple of weeks ago, I had a couple of Compass SV's and 2 Galileo birds in sight at the same time! It was so fun that I took a picture of it.
But I think that 'fun' might be the only advantage to the extra signals at this time. Don't get me wrong, I really do like fun, that is what keeps me going and fun alone might be worth the price of admission; especially if it is free.
The EPOCH 50 is around $12,450 MSRP. The internal radio in the EPOCH 50 is an ADL Tx/Rx. So you can use one head for the base, the other as rover for smaller jobs.
In our market here in the Mountain West, a 1 or 2 watt radio is not of much value outside of town. So we can provision a base rover pair using PM800's leaving the internal radio out of the base, applying the saved $1,490 towards a 35-watt external base radio. Most of the smaller jobs in Utah are well served by the Utah Network (TURN) so the base radio is typically only used in rural surveys, which typically are fairly large.
If you drop me a note offline or call, I will fill in the blanks from above.
Thanks,
Mark
What do you mean, fun?????? Buy a %&$&$# play station, if you want to get excited about a sky plot & other graphics!!!!! Man, oh-man.
Seriously, go for what work best with what you got. In your case, the Epoch seems to be more suited for you hot swapping plan.
Fun...no offense, partner.
