Hello all,
We're ready for a new GPS rover setup. It will be Trimble, that's what we use. It will be used. I can get into a 5800 with a data collector (TSC2) and some accessories for around $9k, or can spend another $4500 to go with the R8.
What do you think? $4,500 is a lot of Big Macs. . .
I've played with both and would go for the R8 myself, if anything it's newer and should be more shiny.
The R8 is also available with a radio so you can use it as a base, or at least you can add the firmware later if you want. Also the R8GNSS will talk to the Ruskie satellites.
Whereas the 5800 does not have those options.
If those aren't important features to you, I think I'd go with the 5800. The $4K may come in handy down the road. They were important to me 5 yrs ago so I bought the R8GNSS. Now I wish I had the $4K.
Those Russian birds will sometimes get you a position in marginal conditions where you won't with get one with GPS alone. You can't do a whole lot off traversing for $4000. Get the R8.
don't forget that you need a GLONASS capable base as well for aGLONASS rover to use those extra birds.
Also, you haven't told us anything about the mileage on these units, or if this particular R8 has the transmitter or not.
What flavor of R8 is this? Big difference between the R8, R8-2 and R8-3. To be able to use the Glonass constellation your base will need to be able to track them too. Can you rent them for a couple of days and see which one meets your needs?
> don't forget that you need a GLONASS capable base as well for a GLONASS rover to use those extra birds.
That's why I went first class. My business plan included another R8 within a year or so. Equipped with a radio so I could go commie with the Ruskies. But somebody pulled the plug on work, so I'm still working with my 4700 base, good old fashioned GPS, and still waiting to go commie.
Maybe after Nov 6.
I used the R6, worked for me.
After using GPS only for years I've recently been using GLONASS capable receivers and I'm pretty impressed by how much canopy it takes to block out an initialization.
> After using GPS only for years I've recently been using GLONASS capable receivers and I'm pretty impressed by how much canopy it takes to block out an initialization.
+1.
> Those Russian birds will sometimes get you a position in marginal conditions where you won't with get one with GPS alone. You can't do a whole lot off traversing for $4000. Get the R8.
>
> don't forget that you need a GLONASS capable base as well for aGLONASS rover to use those extra birds.
>
> Also, you haven't told us anything about the mileage on these units, or if this particular R8 has the transmitter or not.
The plan would be to never use it as a base. We have a continuously operating base, BUT, I don't know whether our base handles GLONASS or not. I need to check that out. . .
> What flavor of R8 is this? Big difference between the R8, R8-2 and R8-3.
It is a version 2, although I have no idea what that means vs a 1 or a 3.
R8-2's, depending on options (hook it up to GPS configurator to list) have the ability to receive L2C, L5 and Glonass signals. The R8-3 can track all the birds mentioned for the R8-2 and has the ability to track the Galileo constellation when/if that becomes available. The R8-3 also has a newer chip set that has 220 channels vs. 76 (IIRC) for the R8-2. As Mark has said, the addition of the Glonass birds allows you to work in areas that you would have had to break out the total station before.
Doug
Get a spectra Precision Epoch 50. Same thing, less money. Trimble company.
