I have a couple questions about using antennae with the Triumph-3 & LS+

Dylan

New Member
We've been using the Triumph-3 and LS+ for a few months now. Previously we had been using the LS & Triumph-1M. While the new equipment outperforms the older models in many aspects we feel like the UHF radio performance is lacking. 2500' seems to be the max range for the T-3 on a 2 meter pole with the included external antenna (on both the T-3 and LS+). There's slide from July's workshop that illustrates what the RSSI value should be at the rover and ours is within tolerance, so I don't think anything is wrong there. We purchased the UHF Antenna, 5/8, 5dBd gain, NMO
& UHF Ant Cable TNC/NMO/Pole Mount, (12ft/3.6m) to use on the T-3 instead. At the same height it doesn't seem to be much of an improvement over the little one that came with it. If you add a few feet to it it helps, but it's not game-changing.

I was wondering if maybe we're doing something incorrectly. I wish I had the equipment in front of me to confirm everything, but I'll list what I think are the pertinent settings as best I can recollect. We got the 460-465MHz option for the aforementioned antenna. Screwed that onto the pole mount and attached it to the T-3 with a recommended adapter. The LS+/T-3 is set to use 462.something Mhz. I believe it's set to D8PSK, 1W, 12.5Khz, RTCM 3.2? (whichever one works with GPS, Glonass, Galileo, and Beidou, but nothing more - it's the option that says to use D8PSK when you go to select it). On the LS+ under UHF options it's set to use the external antenna. I don't know if there's an option to configure on the T-3, but I haven't been able to find it.

While on the subject of antennae I have another question. I was told not to have the UHF equipment on without an antenna connected or I could damage the equipment. Is this true for these devices? Does it matter if it's 1 watt? Could we switch between the little antenna and the big one on the LS+ on the fly? what about at the T-3? If not, is there a safe way to do this (maybe turn off UHF temporarily on the LS+? Also, say we're not using the LS+ for a half hour and want to just leave it on in the van. I feel like it's wasteful leaving it trying to do what it does while struggling so hard, is there an equivalent to "standby" or a toggle for satellite tracking?

And since I have the potential to have insightful people read this, one last question about the T-3. Granted I haven't done my due diligence by searching for the answer, but just quickly: is it possible to transmit connections from the T-3 to the LS+ over the internet using wifi at both ends? I know there's the option for a SIM card for both. Before we pursue that route we wanted to play around to see how effective this setup would be in some areas we work.

Thank you & happy friday.
 

Artur Petrosyan

Member
JAVAD GNSS
For radio modem communication it is important to have viewshed points, (I have attached simple instructions). Please use this instructions to observe your base and rover points. Please share us also the points information.
We don't recommend to switch antennas on fly. For T-3 there isn't option to configure external antenna.
 

Artur Petrosyan

Member
JAVAD GNSS
There was problem for attached word(.doc) document, I have attached pdf version
 

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avoidthelloyd

Active Member
We've been using the Triumph-3 and LS+ for a few months now. Previously we had been using the LS & Triumph-1M. While the new equipment outperforms the older models in many aspects we feel like the UHF radio performance is lacking. 2500' seems to be the max range for the T-3 on a 2 meter pole with the included external antenna (on both the T-3 and LS+). There's slide from July's workshop that illustrates what the RSSI value should be at the rover and ours is within tolerance, so I don't think anything is wrong there. We purchased the UHF Antenna, 5/8, 5dBd gain, NMO
& UHF Ant Cable TNC/NMO/Pole Mount, (12ft/3.6m) to use on the T-3 instead. At the same height it doesn't seem to be much of an improvement over the little one that came with it. If you add a few feet to it it helps, but it's not game-changing.

I was wondering if maybe we're doing something incorrectly. I wish I had the equipment in front of me to confirm everything, but I'll list what I think are the pertinent settings as best I can recollect. We got the 460-465MHz option for the aforementioned antenna. Screwed that onto the pole mount and attached it to the T-3 with a recommended adapter. The LS+/T-3 is set to use 462.something Mhz. I believe it's set to D8PSK, 1W, 12.5Khz, RTCM 3.2? (whichever one works with GPS, Glonass, Galileo, and Beidou, but nothing more - it's the option that says to use D8PSK when you go to select it). On the LS+ under UHF options it's set to use the external antenna. I don't know if there's an option to configure on the T-3, but I haven't been able to find it.

While on the subject of antennae I have another question. I was told not to have the UHF equipment on without an antenna connected or I could damage the equipment. Is this true for these devices? Does it matter if it's 1 watt? Could we switch between the little antenna and the big one on the LS+ on the fly? what about at the T-3? If not, is there a safe way to do this (maybe turn off UHF temporarily on the LS+? Also, say we're not using the LS+ for a half hour and want to just leave it on in the van. I feel like it's wasteful leaving it trying to do what it does while struggling so hard, is there an equivalent to "standby" or a toggle for satellite tracking?

And since I have the potential to have insightful people read this, one last question about the T-3. Granted I haven't done my due diligence by searching for the answer, but just quickly: is it possible to transmit connections from the T-3 to the LS+ over the internet using wifi at both ends? I know there's the option for a SIM card for both. Before we pursue that route we wanted to play around to see how effective this setup would be in some areas we work.

Thank you & happy friday.
Are you saying you are getting nearly half a mile on 1 Watt? I'd love that!
 

John Thompson

Well-Known Member
is it possible to transmit connections from the T-3 to the LS+ over the internet using wifi at both ends?
Yes if you have a static IP address at the base.
I was working this morning on getting this set up myself, and I can confirm that it works.

To configure the rover to receive corrections over WiFi, edit the General Group profile, click Next twice, Get Corrections Via Real Time Network (Next), edit the RTN APN (pencil icon), Name the profile or OK the existing name, then select Wireless LAN as the RTN Interface (Next), TCP Client (Next), enter the static ip address for Host Name and 8010 for TCP Port, (other fields are blank) (Next), and RTCM3 for Receive Format.

To configure the base to send corrections over WiFi, Click Base/Rover, Connect to base, click the large box on the left with corrections parameters, Format is RTCM 3.2 MSM3 Short at 1 second, click TCP Server Configuration. TCPO Correction Port is 8010, select WiFi, Use External IP and Port, Base External IP is your static IP address, TCP External Port is 8010. The Base Local IP needs to be the same as the DMZ IP address in the Jetpack Setup.

In the Base/Rover screen you should have two WiFi icons in the box below the Connect/Disconnect button.
 

Dylan

New Member
For radio modem communication it is important to have viewshed points, (I have attached simple instructions). Please use this instructions to observe your base and rover points. Please share us also the points information.
We don't recommend to switch antennas on fly. For T-3 there isn't option to configure external antenna.
Thank you for answering some of my questions. As Duane Frymire pointed out we overlooked the clearly stated recommendation on the included printout to use the antenna with a ground plane. We're going to have to try that first and setup a pair of points to test a little more scientifically.
You should be using a ground plane disk for that setup (on the pole). If you mount the antenna on the roof of your car or similar, then you don't need it. https://www.javad.com/dynamic/Shop/Product/1492

Attaching another option viewshed tool instructions using google earth.

Thank you for pointing out our blunder. I didn't get to look at the paper that came with it until after having used it a couple times, but it clearly states to read it first and using a ground plane disc (or a car/van roof) is required for proper use. And thanks for a second viewshed routine. That's definitely something I need explore.

Are you saying you are getting nearly half a mile on 1 Watt? I'd love that!

That's typically the furthest we can get under most conditions. Sometimes it's half that, once it's been around 3000 ft, but the base point was much higher than the work. Maybe we should consider ourselves blessed. The only experience I have with GNSS is the LS, LS+, 1M, and Triumph-3. My boss who has been using GNSS equipment as an LS longer than I've been alive feels the range might be lacking, so I'm just exploring what, if anything can be done about it.

Yes if you have a static IP address at the base.
I was working this morning on getting this set up myself, and I can confirm that it works.

To configure the rover to receive corrections over WiFi, edit the General Group profile, click Next twice, Get Corrections Via Real Time Network (Next), edit the RTN APN (pencil icon), Name the profile or OK the existing name, then select Wireless LAN as the RTN Interface (Next), TCP Client (Next), enter the static ip address for Host Name and 8010 for TCP Port, (other fields are blank) (Next), and RTCM3 for Receive Format.

To configure the base to send corrections over WiFi, Click Base/Rover, Connect to base, click the large box on the left with corrections parameters, Format is RTCM 3.2 MSM3 Short at 1 second, click TCP Server Configuration. TCPO Correction Port is 8010, select WiFi, Use External IP and Port, Base External IP is your static IP address, TCP External Port is 8010. The Base Local IP needs to be the same as the DMZ IP address in the Jetpack Setup.

In the Base/Rover screen you should have two WiFi icons in the box below the Connect/Disconnect button.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write up a walkthrough! You are no doubt saving me a lot of head-scratching. I'll get a chance to try setting this up on the ride out to the jobsite tomorrow. How do you like it?
 
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