Hey gang,
So I've come to this site maybe a hundred times when I am looking for an answer to some sort of random problem, and to be honest this forum has answered quite a few questions for me just by reading previous posts! Let this be a long-deserved THANK YOU, SurveyorConnect! 🙂
~~But I am now at a loss. I can't find info on this anywhere, and I feel like this is the right place to ask it, so I registered up. Anyways, here it goes...
I have been running Microsurvey FieldGenius on a Trimble Recon for a few years now, with either a Leica TC307 or a Topcon GTS813A robot (newly purchased at 10 yrs old, +upgraded FG robotic license $$$). My meat and taters is mortgage surveys, plus my current status as geophysics graduate student and researcher at the local state university..
BUT, due to a new connection I have had a handful of hydrographic subcontracts in the last year or so. Just to get those done and keep everyone happy, I have been renting the sonar (hydrolite) and GPS equipment (leica), which leaves me a bit thirsty in the profit area... Some of the upcoming hydro jobs will be pretty small (think 100' wide canals), and I have been thinking I could do some with the robot, but can't figure out how. Fieldgenius, my current software, has no module for peripherals (or does it??) to go with Robot or GPS. Has anyone done anything similar with FieldGenius software?
As an option, Carlson SurvCE has a peripherals tab (with a preset for the same sonar unit, which is awesome!!), and support for auto measurement with roboticTS or GPS. BUT when I install and run the SurvCE 15 point demo it is useless on my recon, especially since all commands require a hard keyboard. Anyone run SurvCE on a recon?
I'm trying not to come out of pocket for a new DC or DC software if possible, there is already a LOT of cash tied up in equipment/software... Then again, rentals aren't cheap either. If you can't tell, I am a one man band who hires a drummer from time to time.. did I mention I am a grad student? :excruciating:
Anyone out there use FieldGenius 7 with a Bluetooth peripheral signal? I can't find it anywhere in the menus, manuals, or internet..
If nothing else, maybe for the smaller canal (stillwater, non-tidal) surveys, a submeter GPS, with an average of several water table elevation shots would work...
Sorry for the novel, but a thorough first post can answer most questions.. B-)
Anyone come across these kind of issues before? Thoughts/comments?
Cheers,
Will
Excellent first post. Welcome aboard. You will definitely get further down the road/canal. Good luck.
Depending of depth and density required, I would go with the robot set-up that works right now; just use rod extensions to a certain depth (6-7 metres) and then lead line the deeper soundings with a mushroom-type anchor.
Echosounders are great but on these small jobs, the good old method is cost effective.
Thanks brad, here's to hopin'! 🙂
-W
True,
Sometime what works now is what's best, even if it takes an extra couple hours!
This method has also crossed my mind.. My smallest hydro job this far is up around 2000 points though, which is kinda hefty... I do like working with that robot, I am just thinking about an 'auto store' type of situation for it..
Cheers,
W
In carlson theres a setting to turn on the virtual keyboard on touch screen units.
Reach out to Frank Willis, he is a beer legger and might have some decent advice.
http://www.willisengineering.com
Thanks for all of the ideas, guys. We are definitely on the right track here.
Just to provide a little closure, I'm still not sure what the best route will be, but adding SurvCE to the Data Collector might do the trick for automating the point measurement.. I need to spend some time acquainting myself with the demo version, and see if it is something I want to invest in for the long haul..
For the time being, I will maintain my low overhead and do what I can with what I've got. If I do decide to upgrade and make a move with this, I will post my experience here..
Thanks again for the help!
Cheers,
W
I run SurvCE on a Nomad, which which doesn't have a full keyboard, and it seems to work fine. What specifically are you having trouble with?
Hey PsuedoRanger,
In SurvCE, The virtual keyboard pops up when I go to enter in a command, so that appears to be working. My problem is I haven't figured out the commands yet. At this point you could say that I am kind of avoiding the painful learning curve of learning the new SurvCE software. I have never used SurvCE products before, and have been pretty content with the FieldGenius until now (no support for peripherals or autostore commands in the roboticTS module). Long story short, I just need to spend a some time with the equipment, the software, and the manual to figure it out.
It appears that once it is in the hands of a skilled operator, SurvCE will indeed do what I want it to do, which is autotrack and store points from the robot 'on the fly' while taking data from a depth sounder, much like an autostore setting on an RTK rover.
Does that sound like a reasonable task for the software to you?
W