Have a fairly new base and receiver that I am having problems with range.
They are Champion Base and receivers with a 1w Satel internal radio. Advertised to communicate at 1 mile.
Im lucky to get 2500 ' in normal surveying conditions. Lately have been having problems getting 1000' in normal conditions ie planted pines, creek bottoms.
I feel like I need a higher watt radio. Tried an antenna that supposedly boosted the signal but was little or no help.?ÿ
My "dealer" has quoted in the $4k range for a 35w radio and antenna but I am skeptical. I have a very good friend in the radio business but he is unsure about the connections an/or programming the units to communicate with the radio. This is quite a bit but currently I have $20k in equipment that is not producing to its potential.?ÿ
Does anyone here care to share a little knowledge or suggestions
VHF/UHF to include 900Mhz are basically line of sight radios, more power and better antennas help, but you may be expecting too much depending on ground cover and terrain.
- CB radios would get you better range and are available in base and handheld models.
- I use Uniden waterproof models that claim 25mi range and am lucky to get half mile range.
- Sometimes cell phones can be the best type of communication if they are in a coverage area. If not CB radios will get you there.
I have similar setup to yours consisting of Leica GS16s with internal 1w Satel radios.?ÿ I also have a Satel SatelLine 4Pro 35w external radio. Under the correct conditions I can get over a mile with the internals.?ÿ But as Shelby pointed out, it is all about the line of site.?ÿ There is a reason commercial radio towers are so tall and built on prominent peaks.?ÿ To maximize the distance you get with the internal, get a high quality whip antenna and a mounting system to get it as high as possible.?ÿ It also helps to place you base at a high point looking down on your work area.
The nice thing about the external is using it as a repeater.?ÿ I set the base up at point well suited for GNSS and have its internal broadcast as the base.?ÿ Then find a point optimized radio broadcast and set up the external as a repeater.
Edit:
I'm not sure of your setup but if you have cellular coverage, might be an option.
As for the cost of the radio, that seems about correct depending on the other kit you need with it.
Can you elevate the Base antenna with an extension cable to > 15' or so? The increase in elevation might help.
Make sure the Base is set to 1-watt.
Make sure the Rover is set to 'High' sensitivity.
Use a handheld radio to insure that nobody is on the same frequency (turn it on, listen to your radio broadcast with the MONI button depressed. Then turn off your GPS Base, hopefully you don't continue to hear another distant base.
Those radios have several 'protocols' available. I think the native 'Satel / 3AS' protocol is best. 9600 baud probably will have the best range.
Additional ideas [ here]
