my name is Bram van Overbeeke and I am a permaculture designer. Permaculture is a design science that aims to supply all of the needs of humanity in a way that benefits the environment in which we live. One of my big passions is landscape design and earthworks. In preparing for the design of the place we just moved to I researched having a RTK GPS map done. It was with great enthusiasm that I found out it is now possible to get an RTK system for very little money! I am already adept at sketchup, and have some knowledge of GPS systems and landscape design. But I don’t know your platform very well and the reading the forums is making my head spin
So I thought I would put my thoughts into a few questions and hope you have the answers I am looking for.
As far as I understand I would need to use a two part system of Base and Rover to map a piece of land accurately. Is this correct? Or is a single Reach RS+ unit enough? I don’t need centimeter accuracy, maybe 10cm is plenty.
Will I be able to mix an image of google maps onto the map that gets exported? A Phantom or other drone is a bit out of reach right now and not really needed for basic site design.
Can I find previous markers again using the app? Lets say I have previously marked a certain place as a tree planting spot, will I be able to give the tool to someone else and tell them to go find it? Geocaching comes to mind.
I hope to manipulate the map in Sketchup and then move the design out into the real world. Lets say I have designed a pond and want to mark out where it should be placed on the ground. Will I be able to find my computer generated GPS references out in the real world? Will I be able to dig and check as I go if the depth of the pond is correct?
I could probably come up with about 200 more questions, but lets just keep it to four right now
I’m very excited about finding your amazing product. Can’t wait to find out more!
A1. You can use atleast 1 Reach RS+ provided you have access to Ntrip casters(correction provider) in your place. Otherwise, you need a pair of Reach RS+ ( 1base and 1 rover) to achieve centimer- decimeter accuracy. 1 Stand alone (single solution) Reach RS is accurate at meter level.
Yes, you can always find a good satellite imagery for Geo-referencing of your site.
if you have Pair of Rs+ or you have 1 RS+ with access to Ntrip provider, you can always find or stakeout the spot you previously marked.
Yes. Once you have marked your area and determine its actual position you can manipulate your sketch up and work on real world coordinates.
At such a low cost for what you get, it’s just SMART to get 2. BASE & ROVER. You’ll be happy you did.
Also, you’ve made the best decision going with Emlid. Yes, the absolute best, is to go with the likes of Trimbe, Leica, Topcon etc etc, but that’s if you have lots of ca$h to BURN. Don’t get me wrong, those definitely have it’s place and typically required depending on the industry and application when lots of money is to be made anyways to cover those.
Yes, I am quite convinced that if I designed 50 properties a year I would be much better served with something by Trimble. But for now I will be very happy with the Emlid equipment. I looked into other RTK GPS systems that have been crowdfunded and Emlid not only has the best product, it has the best price and an active community!
Is there an option to see the system in action somewhere in Europe? Greece preferably? Or maybe some videos of the app and how it is used?
Over the weekend I spent some hours crunching some numbers for real-life usage. It gives a good sense of how accurate the system is !
Regarding interface, then it is very intuitive and easy to get into. Of course there’s some lingo and concepts that a new user need to understand, but that is universal.
I want to add that if you decide to work with one Reach unit getting corrections from NTRIP caster, make sure the distance to it doesn’t exceed 10 km. If it’s located further, the accuracy might reduce. In that case, it’s better to use the local base.
