Reach to PC USB and a few comments

Hello,
Can anybody help me connect Reach to my laptop via USB? I would like my Windows based survey software to find my NMEA output through my USB. I was looking at Intramaps. http://roam-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
Also, I have Topcon Magnet Field software as well as and it looks like USB would be a better solution for me than the bluetooth connection.
I would like to use my laptop as a survey tool, data collector, and not just my android device.

I would also like to make some comments as an avid reader of each and every post.
I purchased Reach in spring of 2016 with absolutely no background in gps/gnss GIS etc. I have had to learn EVERYTHING from zero. Also practically no knowledge of electronics related to this. I had to Google terms like “flashing firmware”, “ssh”, “Serial connection,” “NTRIP,” “NMEA”, “GNSS.” Slowly, through reading and experimenting, I was able to gain one small step at a time. I ran into some frustrations, I’ll admit, but most times it was my lack of knowledge that hindered me from finding the solution.
Today, I am successfully using one Reach as a base station and the other as a rover and an Android device as data collector via bluetooth. I receive corrections via NTRIP with wireless mobile hotspot at base station or else via tcp on local network. I am more than happy with my high accuracy survey device that more than fits the needs for the non-legal surveying our firm does for site planning for construction projects.
So has the learning curve been steep? Well, sure it has. But it has been almost exclusively done on evenings and weekends. And I went from knowing nothing to feeling confident in the use I originally intended it for. To be honest, the hardest part is knowing when to stop. :smile: The next project is integrating it into my 3dr Solo drone. So far, I’ve been getting by using Reach to survey ground control points.
My decision to purchase Reach was greatly influenced by this forum, when I saw how active the guys from EMLID were in responding and in the community discussion. Hopefully I can give something back to this in terms of experience some time when I have a little more knowledge. So a big thanks to them and everyone who has helped me. Almost everything I’ve learned has come through the documents and reading the forum. The documentation might not be the greatest, but by careful reading and re-reading, there is a ton of information there. I can’t speak as a highly advanced user, but to someone who is looking into Reach for basic purposes like mine, don’t be afraid! Thanks to all and especially the guys from Emlid!
Also as an amateur linguist, I have to post one question specifically to Emlid.
Откуда у вас такое прекрасное знание английского языка? Это меня всегда удивляает. Или, это все через переводчика? Простите меня за такой личный вопрос.

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Hello Brent,

Virtual serial port over USB is something that is coming in the next firmware image update that is coming out in a few weeks. Right now you can use a uart to usb adapter as a workaround (FT232 and CP2104 are popular models).

Really appreciate your kind words! It is true that there is a learning curve with making highly accurate RTK measurements. There is constant work going on here to make it easier to get started with RTK.

Most of us handle all communications in English, so you kind of learn as you go :slight_smile: Thanks for the compliment! You seem to be quite successful in learning Russian :slight_smile:

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