DIY Reach RS mounting system for agriculture

[bide]

@Simon_Allen recently shared some info on his DIY modular mouting system and I’ve reposted it here for better visiblity:

@Simon_Allen

Remembering we are talking cm accuracy not mm accuracy, here are some shots of my more agricultural solution.

The whole rig,

A section of 23mmx23mm (radio transparent) plastic stake with a nut set in the top.

A section of 25mm external diameter steel box section with a nut set in the bottom.

A piece of metal sheet with a hole drilled in it to replace the tribrach.

The plastic stake can be dropped into any piece of 25mm box section, so my permanent reference stations are, you guessed it, 25mm box section. I can just turn up on site and drop the Reach base station in. Some are bolted to the rooflin of buildings, some to structures, some longer sections just hammered into the ground. A cheap, but repeatable way to move precise positioning from the domain of the surveyor into the farmyard. The land owners like this, as my permanent infrastructure is clearly low cost, robust AND accurate. I think the phrase is 'fit for purpose.

copied from: https://community.emlid.com/t/getting-started/7732/16

[Simon_Allen]

And some other photos
Wing nut inserted into end of piece of plastic stake for tripod mount. If I did this again I would use a threaded sleeve, easier to get straight.

Threaded rod just screwed into drill hole (and glued) is the Reach fixture.

Up and go car roof rack bar mount for turning up and not needing to install a permanent reference. On the roof of the car this gives me 2.5m height, great Line of sight for LORA. If I am in range of a CORS and get fix then I can have pretty accurate absolute and relative positions.

Another section of 25x25mm box section screwed to a post as a permanent marker. Or a section hammered into the ground, or set in concrete…

There you go my full inventory. Altogether less than $20 + tripod. Of course for the rover I found a really nice camera monopod for $20 which was significantly less than a survey monopod and putting a level on it was just a small 3D print job.

If Reach is to make the RTK affordable, we cannot wrap around it all the expensive ‘extras’ of a conventional survey!