Anyone actually using SurvCE or Field Genius with the RS2 recievers? In real world surveying, we need to easily transform to a local ground plane projection using orthometric elevations, geoid models, calibrating to predetermined ground control points, etc. with COGO ability for easy stakeout on the fly. I see that Reachview app is not capable of performing these complex tasks.
Having just purchased two RS2 units with an Android tablet running the Reachview app , I am tempted to purchase Field Genius to install on the tablet, thereby having all software on the tablet and eliminating the need for a survey grade data collector. We do have a very nice Carlson Surveyor2 data collector with SurvCE v6, but it wont run Reachview, so we would need both the tablet and data collector for real world field use. Most of the forum links I have clicked are dead, we may need to revive this topic.
We use FieldGenius for Android and it includes COGO.
can we get it for free?
No. There is no free software that has full survey functionality as it would be considered by a surveyor.
A real land surveyor! Are you able to localize easily to predetermined local plane control points with FieldGenius? Thank you for your time!
Yes, that is the primary reason we use FGA. Our field crews mostly use Topcon gear and localization is required for machine control. Our drone program is moving away from full localizations and just adjusting our elevations to match the construction site benchmarks but there are still occasions where the CAD is far enough from State Plane that we still have to.
I haven’t used SurvCE but does it have options for the GPS input? I would think there is a way to use an RS2 with it unless the manufacturer disables the ability to utilize 3rd party GPS. I know Trimble did this with some of their products.
At best I would think there is a generic NMEA receiver profile that can be configured. Carlson’s receivers are not all that dissimilar.
If he can connect via Bluetooth, I would think the generic NMEA would work with it. The GGA message tells the data collector the GPS quality (i.e. fixed solution)
I bought the tablet and Field Genius about a month ago. I haven’t had the time to really use it. The tablet seems heavy duty and we’ll made as is the mounting bracket I bought. I paid $1895 for tablet and FG. The pole bracket was $55, both bought from E38 Survey Solutions here in USA. Really good service from them as I also bought my 2 M2’s there also. I’m going to try and get it started this weekend.
SurvCE works with generic nmea option.
You have to enable bluetooth and pair the rs2 to the wm data collector.
It even works with old version of SurvCE 2.6x but in that case survCE can’t be configured to send the corrections so you have to configure the incoming corrections via reachview.
If you have already SurvCE 6 then you can configure it and see if it works. Check the antenna heights though!
I guess if you are fluent in SurvCE, go that route, but I and a lot here prefer FieldGenius. Just learned on it, and it’s “prettier” haha!!! Not as pretty as Trimble, Leica, Hilti software, but good enough.
From what I understand though, the Android version of FieldGenius is fairly new and still being built upon but has come a long way. I hear it doesn’t have Total Station support yet??? But working on now and hopefully this year ready??? So if you need Total Station capability, may need to look at the PC version of FieldGenius which you can run on Windows based rugged/non-rugged tablets etc.
Android route is much lighter and simpler overall for the equipment and the software. Better battery life etc. Lower cost Android equipment versus a power hungry Windows tablet that can get hotter. Both routes great though.
Just feed it NMEA from ReachView.
Yes, there is a generic NMEA option in the rover setup menu in SurvCE. Pretty sure I can get the two talking to each other. The Carlson unit is pretty big and bulky though, leaning towards FGA to keep our rover weight/ size down.
Here’s the pretty stuff. $$$$$$$
But FieldGenius gets close. ; )
I’m an old timer, about ready for retirement. My early years of surveying goes back to the pre-Total Station days (I owned one of the first EDM’s for my theodolite). I’ve witnessed a lot of changes in the surveying industry, and it was a no-brainer for me to make jump to a couple of Emlid RS2’s and I went with FieldGenius on my android tablet.
I highly recommend both Emlid & FieldGenius. They work well together.
Practically perfect, in every way
I’ve seen both Emlid & FieldGenius grow and evolve, just as you’d want them to. Emlid keeps getting better, as does FieldGenius.
I used to have a field crew of 3 to 5 people for some of the very difficult jobs, and it would take us days and days to complete these projects with my total stations. Now, I can complete most the work by myself, and it takes me fewer days. I’m 68 years old, I had a quadruple bypass, leg surgery, and I work exclusively in rugged, mountainous terrain. Emlid & FieldGenius make the jobs really enjoyable and much easier.
So, as to a real world recommendation: Emlid and FieldGenius does everything I need and more. Emlid & FieldGenius does it better, does it cheaper and they are extremely precise.
My son owns a Civil Engineering & Surveying firm in the midwest, and they have about 25 employees. After I told him about my excellent Emlid experience, they bought a couple of Emlid RS2’s and they are now the favorite GPS receivers of all his field crews. Yeah, he still jokes about his “BIG NAME” $20,000+ GPS receivers sitting on the shelf.
Tom
MicroSurvey will typically offer a 30 day trial of their field and office software.
FieldGenius for Windows free trial…limited to 30 points.
I also have the RS2 and FGA along with a Cedar CT 8 Android Tablet since May 2020,
Use it for construction Survey Layout, Topo’s, Asbuilts of piping, and now as of last week I can finally do Surface Models with live cuts and fills for checking my parking lot excavations.
I use the Oregon NTRIP system here in the Portland Oregon area.
It gets better with every new version they put out.
And compared to my Trimble GPS, so much light to pack around.