Thursday, May 29, 2008
If you want background imagery for a job and Google Earth has good imagery for the area you can pretty easily make it happen.
In Google Earth go to Tools > Options > 3D View and set the Show Lat/Long option to UTM. Center your targeted area and add a pushpin to each corner and the center of the image. Make the icon for the point a dot instead of the pin as your adding the markers by clicking the pin icon next to the name blank and choose the square or circle icon and set the scale to .5. Doing so will make the icons less obtrusive in the resulting image. Copy each point's coordinate on a scratch pad then go to File > Save > Save Image. Save the image and close Google Earth.
Open Topcon Tools, create a new job and edit the job configuration. In Coordinate Systems set the Projection to your UTM zone and set the Coordinate type to grid. Set the units to Meters. Click View > CAD and start adding the points. Once all the points are added change the projection to your state plane zone.
Go to View > Background images and click Add image. Navigate to and add the image from Google Earth. Zoom in to the first point and click Add point. Set the spatial point to the job point's name and hit OK. Repeat for the rest of the points. Once all points are added, hit calculate. Hit Finish, name and save the resulting .jpw file. Transfer both the .jpg and .jpw file to your data collector and add it to your job as an image.
Video coming soon.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Summer MAPS Convention (Mississippi Association of Professional Surveyors)
When: August 1, 2008
Where: Oxford Convention Center (click here for map)
Speaker: Joel Frost
Topic: IS, Imaging Station
Time: 1:30 PM (approx.)
Topcon Positioning Systems and Hayes Instrument Company will be discussing the latest in imaging and scanning technology. This session will include examples of projects using Topcon’s “IS” Imaging Station and Topcon’s GLS-1000 Laser Scanner. With imaging technology becoming more main stream in today’s survey business it is important for the Land Surveyor to understand the positive effects this technology will have on their profession and business.
Topics to be discussed:
What is imaging technology
How does it work
What can it do for my business
Work flow and processes
Hands on demonstrations
The class has a 280 seat maximum, so contact MAPS today to reserve a seat. By attending the class you will receive 3 pdh continuing education credits, and a meal. Click here for the MAPS website.
Summer MAPS Convention (Mississippi Association of Professional Surveyors)
When: August 1, 2008
Where: Oxford Convention Center (click here for map)
Speaker: Troy Deaton
Topic: Instrument Collimation
Time: 10:30 AM
Troy Deaton, with Hayes Instrument Company, will be at the Summer MAPS convention as a speaker. He will be demonstrating how to do a basic instrument collimation for yourself. He will cover the following:
- Optical plummet adjustment
- Level bubble adjustment
- Vertical zero point adjustments
- Double centering error
- Tilt sensor inspection and adjustments
- Prism constants
- EDM accuracy tips
For anyone who couldn't make it, and for anyone who is not in Mississippi, we will record Troy's performance and have it available at HayesHelp.tv
Also featured at the Mississippi show:
Joel Frost with Topcon will be speaking in depth on the new IS, Imaging Station. Click here for more info.
The fastest way to connect and download from a Topcon GPS receiver is via the USB port. However a step that often confounds users is the loading of the drivers. Before you even connect the GPS receiver, download the driver zip file from www.hayeshelp.com/downloads.
Extract the file to an easy to find spot on your computer. Next connect the receiver to the computer using the USB cable and turn the unit on.
In most cases a Windows notification bubble will pop up indicating a new device was discovered. The Add New Hardware Wizard should pop up. For the first receiver you install, select “Install from a specific device or location” and click next. Check the box for “Include this location in the search:” Then click browse. Find the folder where the files were extracted to and click ok. Then click next. Shortly a Windows message will pop up warning you that the driver is not signed. Click “continue anyway”. Once the drivers finish installing then click finish. For any other receivers you can now click install automatically to install the drivers.
To test your connection, run PC-CDU and see if USB shows in the Com port pull down.
Go forth and prosper.Thursday, April 24, 2008
Estimated Show Date: August 19th, 2008
Estimated time: 11:00 AM Central
Go to HayesHelp.tv when show begins
We have chosen - for our first live show - to cover the Topcon IS, Imaging Station. This innovative product has many new features that need further explanation. Though we can't come to everyone's backyard to give a hands-on demonstration, we can have everyone join us live- online to get a test-drive from the comfort of the office chair.
Please mark the date on your calendar and come back to join us. In the meantime read what Topcon has to say about their new product:
Topcon: IS, Imaging Station
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Cinderella Option automatically turns your receiver into a dual frequency GPS+GLONASS for 24 hours every other Tuesday starting at GPS midnight.
The Cinderella Option automatically allows your receiver to receive all available satellite signals for 24 hours every other Tuesday starting at GPS midnight. Any Euro 80 board based receiver will turn into a dual frequency GPS receiver and any Euro 112/160 based receiver will turn into a dual frequency GPS+GLONASS receiver.
Cinderella Option also enables you to participate in the Pay-Per-Use (PPU) program. With PPU program you can buy the minimum system (for example GPS L1) and then pay for other features and options (for example, RTK with GPS+GLONASS L1+L2) as you use them. The usage of features during the Cinderella days is not counted as PPU time and are free as part of the Cinderella Option.
At any time you can buy the features that you have rented and credit the remaining PPU time towards the purchase of the features.
With Cinderella Option (that includes PU/PPU program) you get the following benefits:
- You minimize the initial investment and will
have the most sophisticated hardware and software ready when you
need them. - You can test the features like L1+L2 and GPS+GLONASS
in your actual jobs and then buy them when you are convinced that
they are more cost effective than L1-only and they provide much
better results faster. - You never have to worry about the need for
another equipment whatever your survey jobs will end up to be.
The purchase price of any feature is the difference between the price of that feature and what you have already purchased. For example if you have already purchased a GPS L1 Legacy and LegAnt for $4,750 and you need to upgrade them to GPS L1+L2 that costs $9,500, you pay the price difference of $4,750. The same price difference will be the basis for PPU calculation if you decide to rent the L2 feature rather than buying it.
The daily cost of PPU is 1/120 of the purchase price of the feature.
The weekly cost of PPU is 1/30 of the purchase price of the feature.
The monthly cost of PPU is 1/10 of the purchase price of the feature.
We also charge $200 for each PPU/PU transaction order.
If you decide to upgrade your receiver within three months of purchase, we fully credit you the price that you paid for the Cinderella Option towards the purchase of upgrades.
And note that with all the above options, you are purchasing the superior technology of TPS and the advanced features that nobody else can offer.
We reserve the right to change, modify or terminate the PPU/PU program at any time.
Cinderella Days | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | January | February | March | April |
| 15, 29 | 12, 26 | 11, 25 | 8, 22 | |
| May | June | July | August | |
| 6, 20 | 3, 17 | 1, 15, 29 | 12, 26 | |
| September | October | November | December | |
| 9, 23 | 7, 21 | 4, 18 | 2, 16, 30 | |
Friday, April 11, 2008
Power the GPS receiver on and connect it to the computer’s serial port with the 9 pin RS232 cable connected to Port A on the receiver. Receivers that do not have built in power, like the Legacy, will need external power. The charger for the rover will be fine.
Double click the PC-CDU icon.
1. The Connection Parameters window will open.
2. Check the port settings, the Port will default to COM1 and Baud rate will be 115200. If need be, change the com port to match your system settings.
3. Click the connect button.
4. Click the Tools menu then click Receiver Options.
5. Click the Load button. This will open the Select options file window.
6. Click the dropdown arrow in the “Look in:” field and select the cd drive.
7. Double click the File that matches the number in File name:
8. The authorization file will load. You will see the option fields update.
9. You will now be prompted to Reset the receiver, click OK.
10. This should return you to the Connection Parameters window. Click Connect
11. A dialog will pop up saying The receiver has been reset. Click OK
12. You will be returned to the Option manager window where the Exp. date column will be updated with the new date if the files are temporary. If it is a permanent authorization the purchased column will have a yes beside the purchased options for your receiver. Note: there may still be an expiration date showing but as long as there is a yes in the Purchased column the option is permanent.
13. Click exit then click File then Disconnect.
14. Disconnect the cable from port A on the receiver and power the unit off.
Repeat the above steps for any additional receivers you have.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Sometimes it is necessary to trim time or satellites from a static log file. Follow these steps for
altering a log file.
1.Import the file into Topcon Tools. Open the time view by going to View > Ocupation View or clicking on the Occupation view button in the tool bar (Fig 1)
Fig 1
2. Click the plus sign beside the file name to expand to show the individual satellites. (Fig 2)
3. To disable all satellites for a block of time, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the box over all the satellites to encompass the section you want to disable. (Fig 3)
Fig 3
4. Right click on any color bar inside the box and click Disable (Fig 4) to ignore all data inside the boxed area.
Fig 4
5. To disable an entire satellite from the file, just right click on the satellite’s color bar and select disable.
6. If you are post-processing the data in Tools you are ready to add your other data files and process.
7. If you need the edited file in other software or you are going to upload to OPUS you must export the data as a RINEX file.
8. In the workbook area select the GPS Occupations tab and Right click on the file.
9. Select Export… (Fig 5)
Fig 5
10. Ensure that Disabled svs/epochs is checked, set the directory to save the file and click Save. (Fig 6)
Fig 6
