How to search for Categories and or Key word search on the Seiler Mapping Support Blog — Revisting a topic from 1 year ago.

Occassionally I like to revisit older posts to add to that topic or remind users of important tools on this site.

2 Ways to Search for past Blog posts

Something that I have added to the “Categories” search is how many posts relate to that “Category” – see below

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GPS Almanac — what is this?

These 3 questions will be answered in this Blog Posting:

1. What is a GPS Almanac and what is its purpose?
2. How do I receive a more current GPS Almanac?
3. What other GPS resources are available?

Almanac: approximate orbit information and clock information for all satellites in the constellation.

• Almanac data is included in the “Nav – Navigation” message broadcast by each satellite.
• The receiver uses this data to determine which satellites it should track (which ones are “in view” and offer the best satellite geometry for the most accurate position fix).
• The almanac data is retained in your receiver’s memory to enable rapid satellite signal acquisition and to calculate satellites’ azimuths and elevations.
• If your GPS unit has not been turned on for several weeks, month’s or has been transported to a new region it may take longer to acquire satellites and update the GPS Almanac file.

If you start a data file in TerraSync or ArcPad with Trimble GPS Correct you should receive an updated GPS Almanac within 12.5 minutes but sometimes it may take up to 15-20 minutes.

You can refer to your TerraSync, GPS Correct or GPS Controller “Getting Started/User Guides” for more information about GPS Almanac.  You can download them at the Trimble website underneath your software category and under Documentation link.    Trimble Support and Training/ Support/“Support A-Z List”

• Click on the first letter of the name of the product and then search for your software:
• GPS Controller, GPS Correct and or TerraSync.  Once you click on the software name then click on “Documentation” to find the “Getting Stared/User Guides”.

If your GPS receiver is not working properly and you are in an open area and still are not receiving 4 or more satellites within 5 minutes you can try this. 

• Go to the Setup page and click on Options and click on Reset GPS Receiver.   This will only work if your GPS is on and receiving satellites.  This refreshes the receiver and cleans out any old GPS Almanac file.  Within 15-20 minutes while a data file is open you should receive an Almanac. 
• To check the Almanac date in Trimble TerraSync, Trimble GPS Correct or Trimble GPS Controller software click on Satellite Info and it should be in the lower left of the screen.  It may not always be today’s date but it will be within 3 days.  The Department of Defense doesn’t upload a new GPS Almanac everyday – only when needed to update information about a GPS satellite i.e. health changed, position change, decommissioned or a new satellite is now active and broadcasting.

Other GPS resources:

GPS 101 on Trimble’s website.

GPS - The First Global Satellite Navigation System   This is a PDF free version of the soft cover 151 page book published by Trimble in 2007.   Just some light reading material.  It’s one of the better GPS resources in a small book format that you can read for few minutes, put it down and come back when you need to look up another term or topic.  The book can also be found in paperback format found online.  It can also be downloaded from the website:  Coalition to Save Our GPS.

 

http://saveourgps.org/free-gps-books.aspx

TKN:  Trimble Knowledge Network  You can create your own username and password and check out the Learning Center and watch Trimble Mapping, Survey and Construction videos at this website.

From the Archives from 2002:  Trimble Mapping Systems – General Reference   This document explains basic GPS and has a good glossary.

*If you know of other GPS resources that you would like for me to share per this post please e-mail me at:  mapsupport@seilerinst.com

**Check back for Future posts that relate to the GPS Almanac topic that will cover using the “GPS Planning” software on your Mobile device, desktop computer and online resources.

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Light Squared topic will be on CSPAN – The show airs Saturday October 8th at 6:30 pm Eastern on C SPAN and Monday at 8 am and 8 pm Eastern on C SPAN 2.

 

 

Tune into C-SPAN tomorrow…

 

C-SPAN’s  The Communicators will  focus on LightSquared tomorrow, with interviews with Rep. Paul Broun of the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee; Jim Kirkland, founding member of the Coalition to Save our GPS; and Fred Schulte, senior reporter of iWatch News.

The show airs Saturday October 8th at 6:30 pm Eastern on C‑SPAN and Monday at 8 am and 8 pm Eastern on C‑SPAN 2.  .  More information can be found on C-SPAN’s website.

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The Seiler Chicagoland Base Station has been decommissioned as of July 5th 2011

The Seiler Chicagoland Base Station (Westmont, IL) has been decommissioned as of July 5th 2011.

It will no longer be recording GPS data for Post Processing.  It will be removed from the Trimble base list soon.

We are looking to replace this base station in the near future with a new base station somewhere in the Chicago area – stay tuned.

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Did you know you can search 2 ways for archived Seiler Mapping/GPS posts?

 There are 2 ways to search for archived posts on the Seiler Mapping/GPS Blog:

1. Select from Category:

2. Type in a “Search” per key word:

 

 

 

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Technical Tip from CartoPac Field Solutions

CartoPac Field Solutions Technical Tips GPS Point Averaging What it is and when to use it. What is Point Averaging? Point Averaging is an easy way to improve GPS positional accuracy in the field. Point averaging is the collection of a number of points taken over a given interval and their collective positions are averaged into a single point. Since a GPS updates your position every second and is subjected to many errors beyond your control, setting your mobile device to average mode will give you a significantly more accurate position. Set up point averaging on CartoPac™ Mobile To enable this feature, choose Options under the File tab on the main toolbar, then tap the Averaging tab under the GPS tab. From this menu, check Enable Averaging during Single Inserts/Moves. Then set the following: o The number of Samples or the number of GPS points that will be averaged. It is recommended that between 30 and 60 samples are taken when averaging. o The Sample Interval or the amount of time between samples. Recommended intervals are between 1and 2 seconds. o Remain still until point averaging is complete. Collecting a point without averaging. Collecting a point with averaging. When to use Averaging When you decide to use point averaging is a trade-off between efficiency and accuracy of your survey and also depends upon the task. Collecting more positions, generally, provides a more accurate solution; and as general rule of thumb, averaging is improved greatly when points are taken for greater than sixty seconds. After a couple minutes on most hand-held devices, the additional time spent collecting does not produce a proportionally more accurate point. Background Averaging Background Averaging is available in the 3.3 release of CartoPac™ Mobile. When background averaging is enabled, users will be able to enter data into the form while the GPS is averaging data. As soon as the GPS completes the averaging, the data on the form will be updated. You may close the form before averaging is completed. In this case the data form will be displayed again when the creation of the spatial feature is complete. Did you know? On-line support submissions are now available to clients. Click here to submit a support request and our technicians will contact you shortly! For helpful tips to make contacting tech support a little easier, please review this archived technical tip. For More Information On data collection techniques, please see our Knowledge Base under the Training & Support section at http://www.cartopac.com. For more information on our new release, please contact info.

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Trimble MGIS Software: Solution Center, Support FAQ’s, Support Notes, Downloads and Release Notes

One Stop Shopping for Trimble MGIS Software topics.  Check out the Solutions Center for archived documentation and mini overview videos.  The FAQ’s are worth a look just as much as the Support Notes and don’t forget the Downloads and Release Notes too:

• TerraSync
• GPS Pathfinder Office  
• GPS Correct
• GPS Analyst

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Technical Tip from CartoPac Field Solutions – Techniques for Collecting Accurate Data

CartoPac Field Solutions Technical Tips Techniques for Collecting Accurate DataImprove your data’s accuracy CartoPac™ Mobile supports the full range of accuracy requirements which helps to ensure that you are collecting accurate data in the field. Quick tips to help you maximize the accuracy of your GPS data Take your time when possible. Give the receiver some time to lock on the satellites and acquire a PDOP of 6 or lower. A GPS reading is taken when you tap the Create or Add button so be sure your receiver/antenna is directly over the asset you are mapping. Hold the receiver out and in front of you to avoid blocking satellites with your body. Pay special attention to the location of your GPS unit. Your receiver may not receive signals if you stand near any obstruction such as buildings, trees, or virtually anything that can block or alter the path of the radio signals. Use averaging when collecting point features. Averaging allows your GPS to take many measurements and then calculate an average position before saving the location to memory. What you see when you collect data with CartoPac™ MobileBy activating the GPS toolbar, you can learn more about: Leverage these displays to ensure maximum accuracy of the data you are collecting. Did you know?On-line support submissions are now available to clients. Click here to submit a support request and our technicians will contact you shortly! For helpful tips to make contacting tech support a little easier, please review this archived technical tip.

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Trimble MGIS Hardware – Documentation, User Guides, Resets and Won’t Turn ON Support Notes

Geo 6000 Series:

• Resets:  Geo 6000 Series Resets
• Technical Support, Documentation and User Guides: Geo 6000 Technical Support

Geo 2008 Series:

• Resets:  Geo 2008 Series Resets
• Won’t Turn On:  Geo 2008 Series Won’t Turn On
• Technical Support, Documentation and User Guides: Geo 2008/3000 Technical Support

Geo 2005 Series:

• Resets and Won’t Turn On:  Geo 2005 Series Resets and Won’t Turn On

Juno 3B/3D Series:

• Resets: Juno 3B/3D Resets
• Technical Support, Documentation and User Guides: Juno 3B/3D Technical Support

 

Juno SB/SC/SD Series:

• Resets:  Juno SB/SC/SD Series Resets
• Won’t Turn On:  Juno SB/SC/SD Series Won’t Turn On
• Technical Support, Documentation and User Guides: Juno SB/SC/SD Technical Support

Nomad 800/900 Series:

• Resets:  Nomad 800/900 Series Resets
• Won’t Turn On:  Nomad 800/900 Series Won’t Turn On
• Technical Support, Documentation and User Guides: Nomad Technical Support

Ranger WM5 and Windows Mobile 2003 Series:

• Resets:  Ranger WM5 Resets  and Ranger Windows Mobile 2003 Resets

Recon WM6, WM5, Windows Mobile 2003 and CE.Net Series:

• Resets: Recon WM6 Resets See Page 9,  Recon WM5 Resets See Page 11,  Recon Windows Mobile 2003 Resets  See Pages 8-10,  Recon CE.Net Resets  See Page 7.
• Technical Support, Documentation and User Guides: Recon Technical Support

Yuma Rugged tablet:

• Technical Support, Documentation and User Guides: Yuma Technical Support

 

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Setting Antenna Height and Type in TerraSync

The following screen shots show where to set up your internal or external Antenna Height and Type in TerraSync.

Start TerraSync and change the “Skyplot” menu screen to the “Setup” menu.  Select “Logging Settings” and click on the wrench symbol to the right of “Antenna Height”.  Now you change the height of your internal/external antenna and the type.  Depending on how you are positioning your antenna and what types of features you are collecting you may need to change your antenna height in the same file.  TerraSync allows you to select the antenna height per file or per feature.

 

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