Nate's wish 'n Want list, for the Radios:

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
I realize I'm an armchair general. That is, I'm not making any equipment, but I am sounding off, about what I want.
I want to be able to CHANGE CHANNELS and POWER levels at the BASE, without shutting down the base. This divides the GPS file into 2. This might be do-able with our current radio.
Also, I want to be able to do it via the 1 watt radio INSTALLED in the LS. Drive toward base, and get on a hill, point the GPS at base, (or add an external Yagi) And add a BUTTON to the Radio coms program, that is called "Change base Radio Config" Click that, and it gives you all the current settings. Change what you like. Power levels, Channels etc. Then, hit the SEND button. A packet is sent to base, that changes it all. Then, in 30" the base does it. The rover ALSO changes channels. It is now on the next channel, and power level. It will revert back, if you do not press STAY WITH NEW SETTINGS, in one minute. Stay with new settings, sends a second packet, telling the base that you are happy. (Happy Happy Happy) I like that show!
And, on the base radio fan... Well, somebody dropped the ball a little on that one! The FAN blows DOWN! Ya know, heat rises! IT should be blowing up, (or else we would have to invert it) then the cords come out at the wrong ends!
I know, These may not be TOP priority, but, you know, someday things will get updated, and when they do.... here are good ideas!
:) Thanks! I'm not bellyaching.

It is a RARE thing these days, to get listened to, by a equipment mfr!

I found an ear!

So, please don't think less of me. I'm contributing as best I can, to the Best GPS manufacturer out there!

While on the subject, will a smaller radio, (say a 4 watt one) function as a REPEATER in 5 hz?
Will it degrade the signal? Add latency?

We have got to know!


N
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
The current radios will only work as a repeater with 1 Hz corrections. They would need another channel so they could be used in duplex mode (simultaneously recieve on one frequency and transmit on a 2nd frequency). However, 2 radios could be used together as repeater with 5 Hz corrections . With a Bluetooth connection between them, one can recieve while the 2nd transmits.
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Matt, I'm thinking that my upgrade path in the future will include ANOTHER LS. This way, that LS (With 1 watt internal Radio) would broadcast to my present radio..... and my present radio would serve as a repeater... hmmm this aint gonna work...It would work if we had LONG RANGE bluetooth on the LS.... hmmm now we are talking possibility. If we had a long range bluetooth, on the base, that could broadcast 2000' or so. (Such monkey does exist) as it is on some of the robot rigs. Then, we could set the LS in the valley, open field. Then, go up on the hill, with tall radio antenna, to RE-broadcast the signal. This could work. What do you think? Does anybody make a Bluetooth repeater? Long range one?
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
I've been reading that LONG RANGE blue tooth is up and going for some GPS manufacturers.

What about "Bluetooth Repeaters".

Such as Parani SD 1000?

Here are some of the specs:


The Parani-SD1000 is a Class1 type of Bluetooth Serial Adapter that supports 100 meters of wireless transmit distance by default. The Parani-SD1000 has an extension option so that users can extend the transmit distance up to 1000 meters using optional antennas. It supports Bluetooth v2.0+EDR specification. Parani-SD1000 has two battery-pack options, standard and extended battery pack. By these options, Parani-SD1000’s portability is more enhanced. The Parani-SD1000 also supports up to 4 multiple simultaneous connections.

This would be cool. I wonder how much, if any DELAY this could, or would induce?

N
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Since we are back to 1hz, is there any work to be done, to make one function as a repeater? Or, will that work now?

If so, which model would be best?

I am thinking of making a repeater kit, for the ATV. One that can be set up very quickly, on a pole, and turned on...
I have 2 PDL 3500 radios.... That'd be great if they could work.
Thanks
Nate
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Now that 1 hz is back... then repeaters are, or will be back.
It looks like my long term setup will be:
ANOTHER 35 w radio.
With a ducky antenna, configured as a repeater.
With a smaller battery attached to the radio. (I can make one of these).
Anytime I need a repeater, Hang it on a fencepost, or a range pole, switch it on, and BANG! we are good!
Then, for the occasional Job, hook it to an EXTERNAL antenna, and BATTERY, and we now have 35w at base, and 35w at repeater.
This looks like the ideal system.
Please let me know, when this will be functional.
Thanks!
N
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Another question that comes to mind... What is the wave length of the LS, Radio RECIEVER Antenna?
I realize that most antennas are compromise antennas. That is, they are designed for a broad range, at the sacrifice of any specific narrow range.
However, my goals are to find the centroid of this range. Then, get a base antenna, and TRIM it, so that it too is at this specific frequency. And, then set the base radio to this frequency.
And, THEN to get an EXTERNAL radio antenna, for the LS, and TRIM it likewise.
I may wind of with 6 base antennas, that are TUNED and MATCHED with 6 ROVER antennas, that are all perfectly matched, to certain specific frequencies.
My goal is LONG RANGE FROM MY RADIOS.
A township is 6 miles, by 6 miles. 36 square miles, with hills, mountains, valleys, and creeks, and trees.
In an IDEAL world, I could consistently get 7 miles out of my gear, which means I can set up ANYWHERE within a mile of a given township, and resurvey the whole township, from ONE base. Now, I KNOW this is not likely going to happen, with present devices, off the shelf. HOWEVER if I can trim antennas, and get a FEMA mast.... Things can move in this direction.
Something like this:
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts...bR3JxpfQGGHvgH7HNxcour9uNd1wfqAMCwxoCS1_w_wcB
Or this:
I HAVE right now a 25 foot HIXON prism pole. This really gets the antenna up there, and fast.
I hope you are sentimental with my wanting RANGE out of my radio.
I have for the last 15 yrs been using a TOPCON Legacy E GPS system, (It's a yellow Javad, thank you!) Along with a Pac Crest 35 base radio, and a PDL 4500 rover radio. All set up with 1/2 wave length antenna. I have gotten 7 miles range out of it before. It penetrates quite well, with 25 mhz bandwidth.
I have BEEN lots of places, and gotten plenty of radio.
With the Javad, I LOST range. (Compared to this older modular GPS unit.)
Anyway, You can see what I want... I want all the range of this older unit, (distance and penetration of trees) as well as all the bells and whistles that the Javad LS has.
You can see my goals.
And, I'm looking for ways to "Get there from here".
Some of you simply DON'T see the need for all this range.... Ok, well, That's how it is in the REAL world of Arkansas Surveying!
Any kind of advice, suggestions, or methods to improve range.... I'm all "ears".

Thanks!

Nate
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
Another question that comes to mind... What is the wave length of the LS, Radio RECIEVER Antenna?

The data sheet show the UHF radio has 406-470MHz spectrum so the internal antenna be tuned to those frequencies. It doesn't list the max VSWR for the internal antenna but I doubt there would be that much variation in it to make it beneficial to use some specific frequency. Users need to use a frequency that they have a FCC license to use. In general you will get increased range with lower frequencies (longer wavelengths pass around obstacles better than shorter wavelengths) .
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Wellll it's a long story. But, I have learned that:
If you have a TX ant tuned for 450 mhz, then your RX ant should be tuned to the same.
In the case of the LS, we don't have an external antenna.
So... this means that whatever it can pick up the best, or whatever it is tuned for, we should accommodate this, at the base, since we can modify the TX ant.
So, Plan A is find out what the RX internal ant is tuned for, and mod the TX ant.

Plan B is to come up with a fairly permanent External ant, for the LS, that is perfectly tuned, to the TX at the base. And, if I change freq, then this leads to possessing several sets of antennas, to accommodate.
I am thinking of MAXING out my range, with the tools I have... then adding a repeater, but all the above will come in to play.

thanks

N
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
The "Base Transmitter to Repeater" option has been added in Base Rover Setup in an "Others" menu in the radio setup screen.

BASESETUP-MODEM-OTHERS_20161031-10.00.30.png


So to use a repeater this option would be need be checked and the repeater frequency, output power and modulation would need to be configured with ModemVU or JMT.
 
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Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Let me see if I get it. Get Cell Phone, with JMT (Javad Mobile Tools) Connect to the radio, and configure it, with Freq, Modulation, and Pwr. Send this config to the radio.
Go to LS, and check the above check box, and we are NOW using the repeater?
If so, it will be soon time to get another radio!!
N
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
Let me see if I get it. Get Cell Phone, with JMT (Javad Mobile Tools) Connect to the radio, and configure it, with Freq, Modulation, and Pwr. Send this config to the radio.
Go to LS, and check the above check box, and we are NOW using the repeater?
If so, it will be soon time to get another radio!!
N

Yes, but you could use ModemVU to configure the repeater radio.
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
OK, would you recommend that the repeater run on the SAME frequency, as the base, or a different Frequency, or is this still kinda new?

Some of the repeaters, I hear were configurable either way.... I never got a repeater, because my old Pac Crest radio, 35 watt, with 1/2 wave antenna, and Pac Crest PDL 4500 could sure reach out there well.
N
 

toivo1037

Active Member
Along these lines, I would like to try my 35w as a repeater too, but you never know if you want it hooked to the base, or as a repeater.

Would it be possible to add a option to the Javad Mobile App, so that it would connect to the radio, and you could choose from a number of presets? The preset would fully configure the radio for the desired operation. You could have one for repeater mode, or one for connecting to a base. If someone had a internet mobile bridge they could even configure that in too.
 
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