So, I am very new to both the Reach RS2 and GPS surveying in general. I am using the base/rover combination to collect data points to export into cad for site plan layout, looking for cm accuracy, relative to the base. here are a couple of questions that have surfaced.
When setting up the base i am choosing to set the coordinates by average single. Should the indicator light on the unit shine steady indicating a fixed solution? If not, does that indicate that it is not receiving sufficient satellite signal and won’t provide sufficient corrections to the rover to give it a fixed solution?
Should I be able to obtain a fix on a cloudy day? In a semi-wooded setting with no foliage?
Is it more important that the base be set with a clear sky view than the rover?
I am having some trouble getting my phone to connect by bluetooth. Is that connection only for storing collected data directly to your device?
Setting up the base this way is fine. A base unit provides corrections to a rover (or rovers), but doesn’t achieve a ‘fix’ for itself - so the base unit will specify a single solution on the Reachview Interface and through the indicator lights. This is normal. If you are only interested in relative position from rover to base than you are good to go. If you’ll need to revisit the same survey site again, set up a benchmark so that you can set your base in the same location each time and write down the coordinates that the single average gives you and put them in manually in the future. If you need absolute accuracy, that’s another beast and you’ll need to determine the base’s location via PPP, relative to a CORS (if nearby), or by traversing from an official benchmark in your region. To determine if your base is receiving enough satellite signal to send to the rover, use the status page on reachview. You are looking for a lot of satellites in view (note that your base will show this on the status page by ROVER) with a good (high) signal to noise ratio (SNR, 35+). Answering (3) at the same time: a clear sky view for the base is essential for getting good fixes on the rover in challenging situations. This ensures that the base is seeing all of the satellites that the rover can see. You can also increase the number of satellite systems tracked. I’ve found good success with my base over lora tracking GPS, GLO and GAL at 1 Hz, mask at 10 deg and SNR threshold at 35. Always remember to have your base save a log.
I’ve had success, but it really depends on the site, geometry of satellites at the time and your baseline. Sometimes it requires patience and creativity (eg offsetting a station to where you can get a fix). When you start up, start your rover near the base and see if it is obtaining a fix near the base with a clear sky view. Then you know there’s not a problem with your settings.
This is only for live streaming position output information (I think you can also input base corrections this way). You should use wifi for accessing reachview or downloading logs. RS2 can’t connect to iOS devices via BT at the moment.
Other thought, if your CAD can handle geographic datums and projections, then you are good to go (let it know that you are inputting WGS84 LLH if you are using the reachview app). If your cad can’t handle geographic datums and projections, you’ll need a separate software to convert it to your working datum or site units. For the free route, i’d recommend QGIS. I’m also using Field Genius for Android and it can output directly to dxf now, do local transformations and has built in datums and conversions if you want to get the data into CAD without additional processing.
Thanks for the response. It is good to have confirmation that I am on the right track.
I am currently using ReachView to collect data, convert the csv file from WGS84 to State Plane using earthpoint.us and then import to CAD. I then do the reverse if I need to do stakeout. It is a bit cumbersome, but for the moment it seems to be the most cost effective process. I am just starting out and need to keep my upfront costs reasonable until I know how much of this work I will be doing.
Thanks again for the response, I’m sure I’ll be back with more questions.
