Hello everybody! I'm Jef, a newbie in this forum although I frequently read the conversations here and enjoyed the valuable information being shared by experienced surveyors. I am a Structural Engineer by profession but is also very much interested in land surveying, having had the satisfaction of working as a surveyor early in my career.
I recently purchased a Spectra Precision Epoch 50 GNSS package for a small surveying business I plan to start with my youngest brother (a Geodetic Engineer) back in my home country. The dealer here in our place is quite a nice fellow (since he gave me a really good offer) however, the technical support is, should I say, a bit insufficient. He released the units to me without configuring the internal radios, hence the two blue heads won't talk to each other. I informed them about the situation and their tech guy promptly offered to fix the problem. However, after 4 hours of waiting still the matter is not resolved. I finally ask if I can borrow the hardware lock for the ADLConf software so I could go home and configure the radios myself, they agreed and so I went home, read the manual, and started clicking on the software. It worked, apparently the problem was ADLConf should be ran on Windows XP, running it on Windows 7 causes it to not recognize the port where the Serial-to-USB cable is connected, hence it won't push thru with the installation.
Now back to the subject, I would like to ask assistance if what I configured is correct. Below are the configuration details of one receiver (typical on other one);
ADLCONF V3.04.2146 Nov 03, 2012 18:24:58
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Identification
Model Name: ADL Foundation
Firmware Version: 3.04.2281
Product Serial Number: 12075845
Backup Serial Number: Empty
Board Serial Number: 291480
Call Sign: (empty field)
Owner: (empty field)
Frequency Range: 430-470 MHz
Frequency Resolution: 25.000 kHz
Error Log
There are 0 Error logs stored in this radio
Radio Link
Current Channel: 01 TX 430.00000 MHz RX 430.00000 MHz BW 25.00000 kHz
CSMA: On
Link Rate 9600
Modulation Type: GMSK
Sensitivity: High (Rover)
RX LED: Signal received
Scramble Control: On
Forward Error Correction: On
Transmit Retries: 10
TX ACK Timeout: 10ms
Local Address: 0
Destination Address: 255
TX Delay: (not used)
TX Power Limit: 1W
TX Power Setting: 0.1W
Repeater Mode: Off
Auto Power Off Enabled: Off
Auo Power Off: (not used)
Auto Power Offset: (not used)
Serial Interface
Baud Rate: 38400
Soft Break Enabled: On
Protocol Mode: Transparent with EOT Timeout
EOT Timeout: 50ms
EOT Character: (not used)
Security Code: Off
Break to Command: Off
LCD backlight off: On
KeyPad Enabled: Off
System
Country Code: US/Canada
Frequency Table
Channel TX Frequency RX Frequency
01 430.000000 MHz 430.000000 MHz
02 430.500000 MHz 430.500000 MHz
03 440.000000 MHz 440.000000 MHz
04 440.500000 MHz 440.500000 MHz
05 450.000000 MHz 450.000000 MHz
06 450.500000 MHz 450.500000 MHz
07 460.000000 MHz 460.000000 MHz
08 460.500000 MHz 460.500000 MHz
09 470.000000 MHz 470.000000 MHz
Can somebody please advice if I am on the right track? I simply entered the frequencies from 430mhz to 470mhz with an interval of 0.50, I read that this should be licensed first but I am not sure if this is true in my home country (Philippines).
Any help will be much appreciated.
Best regards,
Jef
You are shooting in the dark - that is not smart!!
By randomly picking frequencies out of the air (no pun intended) without knowing if those frequencies are already being used by police, emergency responders, military, whatever, you could be putting others at great risk and exposing yourself to severe penalties, both civil and criminal.
Your National Telecommunications Commission has a Radio Regulations and Licensing Department. You need to be getting your answers from them instead of a surveying forum on the other side of the world.
Please do not do anything dumb that you will regret.
GB
You are shooting in the dark - that is not smart!!
Thanks for your reply, Glenn, but I don't think I am shooting anything in the dark. I know that radio frequencies should be licensed, I just don't know where to license it (at least here in Qatar). My dealer should be the first person to tell me, but unfortunately the guy doesn't know any better than I do. I tried speaking to a friend who works in another dealership here in Qatar, and guess what, he stared at me like the first time he has heard it. So I thought why not ask the experts in this forum...maybe someone who knows could guide me in the right direction.
You are right on the risks but perhaps just a little bit exaggerated, never heard of a surveyor who was held criminally liable for not licensing his GPS radio to test whether it is working in RTK mode, the worst they could probably do is confiscate your pricey equipment 😉
Well, since I am also a law-abiding citizen and I don't want to put anybody on any risk whether great or small, I decided not to test the equipment ever since I programmed it with those "out of the air" frequencies (which happened just last night). My idea was to learn how to configure the radios myself so that when somebody will be kind enough to share the correct information with me then it's going to be a whole lot easier exercise.
PS : on the US there is no doubt the FCC has clear and established rules regarding GPS broadcast radios, but the same cannot be necessarily true in other countries, specially developing ones;
1) Here in Qatar, two of my dealer friends who ironically sell GPS equipments on a regular basis gave me a blank stare when ask about radio licensing.
2) In the Philippines, perhaps the NTC is the right place to go, but still the information is quite vague as shown on this thread;
https://surveyorconnect.com/index.php?mode=thread&id=173939
Thanks,
Jef
You are shooting in the dark - that is not smart!!
is the issue base not communicating to rover?
I use these units, and occasionally need to reconfigure freq. on base+rovr when (I assume) the freq. is being stepped on.
I do it from SurveyPro software on the data controller (ranger/nomad/etc.)
You are shooting in the dark - that is not smart!!
Howdy,
Is this link any help?
http://www.ictqatar.qa/en/regulatory-authority/license-seekers/spectrum-allocation
Cheers,
DMM
running an XP shell in Windows 7 may solve your USB to COM communications problem. I forget what they call it but it's included in Windows 7, you just have to install it.
You are shooting in the dark - that is not smart!!
> is the issue base not communicating to rover?
Hi lanceboyle93101, thanks for your reply. Actually, I am yet to check if the base will communicate with the rover. My previous issue was that the units were delivered to me without preconfigured internal radios. I configured it myself using the ADLConf software from pacific crest, the problem is I only assumed the frequencies and using those without licensing maybe unsafe and illegal.
> I use these units, and occasionally need to reconfigure freq. on base+rovr when (I assume) the freq. is being stepped on.
> I do it from SurveyPro software on the data controller (ranger/nomad/etc.)
Hmmm, you mean you are just changing channels? or changing/adding new frequencies?
I'm a user of FieldGenius and SurvCE, im gonna use SurvCE on a Getac to control these units. I dropped SurveyPro from the package to keep the costs down B-)
Thanks again!
Jef
You are shooting in the dark - that is not smart!!
> Howdy,
>
> Is this link any help?
>
>
>> http://www.ictqatar.qa/en/regulatory-authority/license-seekers/spectrum-allocation
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> DMM
Hello GeeOddMike! wow thanks a lot for the link! I appreciate the effort you spent:good:
I'm gonna forward this to my dealer friends, I think they should also get the licenses for the GPS they are selling.
Have a good day 🙂
Jef
> running an XP shell in Windows 7 may solve your USB to COM communications problem. I forget what they call it but it's included in Windows 7, you just have to install it.
Hi Dave, thanks a lot for the reply. Yep I ran ADLConf under Windows XP and it went ok. If you are using a Windows 7 device and wanted to run a particular program under a different platform, simply right-click on the program shortcut, click "Properties", click the "Compatability" tab and select your OS on the "Run-as" drop down button.
The standard GPS download cable that came with my unit has a TNC or BNC connection on one end (it sticks to the GPS head) and a Serial connector on the other end. Nowadays, new laptops don't come with Serial connection anymore, so I needed to use a Serial-to-USB adaptor to connect it to my PC. That adaptor will create a virtual com port and this is where the problem lies with Windows 7, it cannot properly detect that virtual port. So I ran it in XP and it works! 😉
Thanks,
Jef
Install the drivers for the USB to serial adapt. in the "compatibility mode".
Jef221. That is one radio. Give me the printout of the other radio.
> Jef221. That is one radio. Give me the printout of the other radio.
Hi Phillip, thanks for the reply! Below are the details of the second unit. Thanks!
ADLCONF V3.04.2146 Nov 03, 2012 18:31:37
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Identification
Model Name: ADL Foundation
Firmware Version: 3.04.2281
Product Serial Number: 12075801
Backup Serial Number: Empty
Board Serial Number: 291553
Call Sign: (empty field)
Owner: (empty field)
Frequency Range: 430-470 MHz
Frequency Resolution: 25.000 kHz
Error Log
There are 0 Error logs stored in this radio
Radio Link
Current Channel: 01 TX 430.00000 MHz RX 430.00000 MHz BW 25.00000 kHz
CSMA: On
Link Rate 9600
Modulation Type: GMSK
Sensitivity: High (Rover)
RX LED: Signal received
Scramble Control: On
Forward Error Correction: On
Transmit Retries: 10
TX ACK Timeout: 10ms
Local Address: 0
Destination Address: 255
TX Delay: (not used)
TX Power Limit: 1W
TX Power Setting: 1W
Repeater Mode: Off
Auto Power Off Enabled: Off
Auo Power Off: (not used)
Auto Power Offset: (not used)
Serial Interface
Baud Rate: 38400
Soft Break Enabled: On
Protocol Mode: Transparent with EOT Timeout
EOT Timeout: 50ms
EOT Character: (not used)
Security Code: Off
Break to Command: Off
LCD backlight off: On
KeyPad Enabled: Off
System
Country Code: EU/ROW
Frequency Table
Channel TX Frequency RX Frequency
01 430.000000 MHz 430.000000 MHz
02 430.500000 MHz 430.500000 MHz
03 440.000000 MHz 440.000000 MHz
04 440.500000 MHz 440.500000 MHz
05 450.000000 MHz 450.000000 MHz
06 450.500000 MHz 450.500000 MHz
07 460.000000 MHz 460.000000 MHz
08 460.500000 MHz 460.500000 MHz
09 470.000000 MHz 470.000000 MHz
Only thing I see is one unit the TX power is set to 0.1W and should be set at 1W.
I don't think the Country code matters but I would set them to the same. US/Canada or EU/ROW.
If nothing happens you have an internal port/baud rate wrong that talks to radio board that is set in controller.
Make sure base is Transparent with EOT timeout TX and rover is Transparent with EOT timeout RX.
Everything else to me looks good.
> Only thing I see is one unit the TX power is set to 0.1W and should be set at 1W.
> I don't think the Country code matters but I would set them to the same. US/Canada or EU/ROW.
> If nothing happens you have an internal port/baud rate wrong that talks to radio board that is set in controller.
>
> Make sure base is Transparent with EOT timeout TX and rover is Transparent with EOT timeout RX.
>
> Everything else to me looks good.
Thanks for the review and corrections Phillip, I appreciate your help. My dealer informed me today that they applied and got the license for the first 5 frequencies on the list, so I may be able to test the equipment this coming weekend.
> Make sure base is Transparent with EOT timeout TX and rover is Transparent with EOT timeout RX.
Do I need to do the above on ADLConf software or on my data controller (im running SurvCE)? Epoch 50 is a Transceiver so I presume I can use either as a base or rover.
Thanks and kind regards,
Jef
