user's guide for Victor-LS?

wanconm

Member
This is a easy one I hope. In Javad publications there is NOT a user's guide for the Victor-LS. What do I use as a guide?
 

wanconm

Member
Thanks for your response. I'm trying to learn how to collect and stake out with the Victor-LS for the first time and it is very frustrating. Yes, I'm using the Triumph-LS manual BUT unfortunately it is wrong often enough that I can't make this thing work. For example the manual setting of the base point. And although I eventually entered the base point manually, I can't make the system use it in my reference frame, WGS-84/UTM zone 17N. I can find that reference frame, I can input manually the base, I can save it, I can specify it for All Projects, but next thing I know, my project is using WGS84(itrf2008) and completely different coordinates. I've been using the TR-2 in static mode and now that I know it, I like it. I'm sure that IF I ever get this thing figured out, I will like it. But for now, it seems crazy obtuse.
 

wanconm

Member
For example, I go Setup...Edit...Operating Mode=RTK Base...Base Position--enter position...I select coordinate system WGS84/utm zone 17N...I enter my base coordinates....THEN it gives me Base Reference Frame and just five limited choices the closet of which is WGS84(itrf2008)...then rtk corrections=triumph2 external radio...then Region=I have no idea so I put all...then hz..again no idea so I use the first one(default) ...then output power=no idea..I go with the default...uhf protocol=default=javad....protocol = default...then next and it seems to freeze but eventually moves on....transmit format=default=rtk-rtcm 3.0....transmit=1 sec...record gnss date=yeah, why not....then record storage=internal memory because there have been messages suggesting it can find the sd card although it is there...all satellites....record each sec....afrm=?+default=none....ftp upload=default=no...and back to setup menu...home...base/rover..."tap here to switch to uhf mode and set parameters or recall profile...sure?...I guess so...then uhf config=external radio is not paired with receiver and not a clue where to go to pair it....anyway=not fun!
 

wanconm

Member
so I found out that on the first of the collect screens I can select the coordinate system. Also I'm not sure what I did, but now I can collect data pts....I'll do three pts and then try to go back and find them using stake out...the problem is that it is not clear in my mind how I got it to this point which makes repeating the process different
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
You should be using Base Rover Setup to start the base. Have you tried this yet? It is explained in the Quick Start Guide for the Triump-LS.
 

wanconm

Member
I collected some points and did a test stake out locating those same points. During collect the variation seemed large, as much as a meter, and during stakeout the errors were 1 to 2 meters. Then on the guide window of stakeout I noted that it said it was in standalone which explains the large errors. Not sure how that got that way. Earlier I had put it at float for the test which may have covered the collect but not the stakeout. Anyway, next try will be at "fixed" AND I will keep an eye out for some indication of which I am in. I noted in the quick start manual their screens indicate FIX or other in the upper left corner. I'm hoping my version will do the same and I will look for it. I did have blue tooth connected and radio connected to the rover and plenty of satellites 8+5 give or take so there is no reason for it to be in standalone. User error I am hoping. What do people use for a 12V battery? My radio is the 4 watt HPT404BT. I'm thinking a motorcycle battery is light and should do the trick. I don't want to be lugging a car battery, that's for sure. I would like to set it to .2 second data periods because if I understand correctly that will yield precision more quickly. True?
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
You need to set the Position Accuracy to accept "Only RTK solutions in Fixed mode". See pages 42 - 52 in the latest Quick Start Guide for instructions on collecting points and setting up the Action Profile.

The battery needs to be a 12 V deep cycle battery such as the one sold by Javad: http://www.javad.com/dynamic/Shop/Product/1563
A engine starting battery (auto, motorcycle, lawn mower, etc) is not designed for deep cycles and will have a short service life if used to power the radio.

Data Upsampling is now prefered over 5 Hz data broadcast rates. See page 41 in the Quick Start Guide.
 

Shawn Billings

Shawn Billings
5PLS
Also, even though the accuracy setting is set to Fixed Only, during times that the solution is Float, CDF or Standalone, you will still see a position on the screen and you will still see directions in Stake Out to the Target point or line. These directions and coordinates may have an accuracy no better than a few feet or meters. The desired accuracy is for epochs included in the average once the user presses Start. In Stake Out, particularly in difficult environments, it is extremely important to use the Start button to initiate a shot, as this begins the quality control processes that prevent users from using a coordinate that is not correct.

There are several videos available on the Javad website that you may wish to watch.
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
As an additional note, EVEN if it says fixed, but it is getting POOR (Read intermittent) radio, and has FEW fixed solutions, those are UN reliable.
There is a whole philosophy related to this, which includes using the VERIFY function, to be SURE of your data.

N
 

wanconm

Member
I can't get it to work after hours of trying. I must be doing something wrong but what?? I have a HPT404-BT external radio...if I go Setup button,edit,OperatingMode=RTK Rover (I'm guessing they mean select this to set up Rover and come back and do base separately???),position accuracy=float (because I get nothing at fixed and little at float, only get constant point with standalone, I'm guessing it is because my radio has never connected correctly, inspite of the fact that power on, bt=on, rec=solid and tx=blinking), start, stop, wgs84-itrf, THEN rtk corrections=???, if I put TR-2 Ext Radio then next=Ext radio is not connected to tr-2 receiver!, how do I connect it???, only"ok" which takes you back to rtk corrections??? so is it rtk correct=internal uhf?? if I do that then i can go on through the menu to record storage=??internal memory or sd card or dongle, i'm guessing sd card because one is installed but internal memory should work also,no?, then some more stuff that I leave at the default, then do I go back and setup the base, I guess yes or is that setting up the data collector/Victor to work with the base?...base=from list or I enter position or even auto positioning, ref base=wgs84itrf, rtk corrections=same as I put before which was internal uhf because tr-2 ext radio came to a dead end but maybe it wouldn't if I knew how to connect it?, a series of defaults, transmit=rtk-rtcm 3.0, period=1 (I heard it is better at .2 but I just want to get the thing working at any speed for now), sd card, more defaults and back, then with radio appearing to work, bluetooth connected, go to base rover setup, connect bluetooth device?? to rover, to base, to both, I do both, this time rover first, it says can't connect to ext radio, freezes a while, and eventually moves to the base-rover setup screen now showing the rover as victor ls pp281 receiver which is correct, but to the right of the bluetooth icon is "connect" and below incoming antenna is ok and outgoing = no and between the two it says no connection, so i hit connect again and it shows base as tr2 276 which is correct, and now as never before the word between the two antennas is "receiving", is that the radio???, i go to collect, hit start and ....nothing, antenna icon says ok100%, no data, no indication of fixed, float or standalone, nothing, but it shows satellite icon and 0+4 even though both base and rover have sat=green(8or more), both base and rover have blue light bluetooth, the radio has tx=blinking, rec=solid, bt=blue, power on, the circle/triangle icon is green on the base and red on the rover and I thought that referred to fixed, float or standalone so it seems they should be the same, no idea why they aren't, if I guess that I need to update one receiver with the config of the other, then my only option is from base because to base is greyed out, so I do and now the rover circle con triangle light is also green and I go back to collect, note "point description" has a red line through a icon upper left and the box says uhf, not the collect screen shows sat icon=0+13, seems odd, and start followed by no data points collected, sat icon changes from 0+13 to 0+0 and back again, all with both receivers showing green(8or more), and the circle w/triangle on rover turns red again, so i figure I will try again to go to tr2 ext radio, first base=tr2 ext radio and this time, unlike before, it doesn't tell it is not connected, no deadend, so.. defaults incl uhf protocol=javad, and no further changes, now to rover , tr2=ext radio yields ext radio not connected to tr2 receiver, perhaps that is correct because it is connect to the base but it is a deadend so I change to internal uhf, collect again=nothing, back to base/rover setup, all looks good including receiving and then it changes, loses the base, loses receiving, greys from and to base and start base, I can connect and I'm back to receiving and 2 oks, and it shows the base in right square, oddly in the left square it says bse id:0, from base is available and the circle with triangle light still red, so I update rover with base config again, no change...still can't collect, sat icon=0+14 or 1+14, how can that be if both receivers show green???, try the manual again I guess.....very frustrating
 

wanconm

Member
I further note that I set the base to ext radio, then for the rover it hit a deadend with ext radio so I put it to internal radio and unbeknownst to me it changed the base, it seems that the base must be ext radio, how about just doing the base, then to base/rover setup, tap to switch to uhf, no further change, still can't collect and it's set for standalone
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
I believe the procedure should be as follows:
  1. Connect the rover receiver to the Victor-LS (System>Connection Setup>Receiver Connection>External receiver>Connect using Bluetooth>select rover receiver>Connect)
  2. Open Base Rover Setup and connect to Base (Base/Rover>Connect>select base receiver>Connect)
  3. Configure the radio parameters by tapping on the radio parameters box on the left side of the screen (see the Quick Start Guide)
  4. If the radio has not been paired to the base yet this will need to be done and you will receive a message that a radio was not found). You should be able to use the pair through Bluetooth option.
  5. Exit the radio parameters screen and press To Base to send the parameters to the base
  6. Enter the Base position by tapping on the box on the right (see Quick Start Guide)
  7. Press Start Base and then Disconnect after the radio begins broadcasting
I will try to put together a more detailed pdf with these instructions soon.
 

wanconm

Member
so the quick setup show a general group and other page which does not appear in Victor LS, apparently the parameters have been rearranged, under advanced setting I noted that GPS and Glonass were unchecked and I wonder how that could possibly be, I certainly never unselected gps o glonass, but now with them checked I show sat icon = 10+5, and guess what, standalone data yes, float data=no collect, standalone yes, float no, but the circle w/ triangle light show yellow which I think means float, also above on the collect, 2nd box to the left of OK/green it show STN, isn't that where is shows fix/float/standalone, stn can mean standalone but I have it in float so ?,
There's a auto positioning feature for the base, you can select various burn times, I assume longer is better, my question is when does this auto positioning occur because I see no evidence or indication of it occurring when I put longer times that would be very noticable.
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
so the quick setup show a general group and other page which does not appear in Victor LS, apparently the parameters have been rearranged, under advanced setting I noted that GPS and Glonass were unchecked and I wonder how that could possibly be, I certainly never unselected gps o glonass, but now with them checked I show sat icon = 10+5, and guess what, standalone data yes, float data=no collect, standalone yes, float no, but the circle w/ triangle light show yellow which I think means float, also above on the collect, 2nd box to the left of OK/green it show STN, isn't that where is shows fix/float/standalone, stn can mean standalone but I have it in float so ?,
There's a auto positioning feature for the base, you can select various burn times, I assume longer is better, my question is when does this auto positioning occur because I see no evidence or indication of it occurring when I put longer times that would be very noticable.

Using Setup to start the base is an old and obsolete method to configure the base. Please try Base Rover Setup to start the base as I described above.
 

wanconm

Member
  1. Connect the rover receiver to the Victor-LS (System>Connection Setup>Receiver Connection>External receiver>Connect using Bluetooth>select rover receiver>Connect)
  2. Open Base Rover Setup and connect to Base (Base/Rover>Connect>select base receiver>Connect)
  3. Configure the radio parameters by tapping on the radio parameters box on the left side of the screen (see the Quick Start Guide)
  4. If the radio has not been paired to the base yet this will need to be done and you will receive a message that a radio was not found). You should be able to use the pair through Bluetooth option.
  5. Exit the radio parameters screen and press To Base to send the parameters to the base
  6. Enter the Base position by tapping on the box on the right (see Quick Start Guide)
  7. Press Start Base and then Disconnect after the radio begins broadcasting
Did all these. Base/rover setup screen all looks good. ok rec, receiving, ok tx, all letters in yellow indicating match between base and rover, rover correct, base correct, power output at 1000/30, 2D delta varies but is it ok over a meter? I'm assuming so. I'm using auto positioning , can that prevent taking of data points, still only takes points for standalone, with float a few points every now and then, collect screen looks good too, the little red bar over the base icon, center bottom is not there, sat icon shows 9+10, transmission correction rate usually at 1hz, i set it for 1 hz because it said a FW update was necessary for the 5Hz beast mode and I just want to get basic operation at this time, the number above the correction transmission rate is <1 to 3 or so meters , sometimes shows FLT and sometime STN, ok green and 100% broadcast....and still I cannot collect anything in float or fixed. Can the rover be too close to the base? I'm doing this in my living room? also I note that the rover position light(circle/triangle) shows float while the base shows fixed inspite of the to base and from base transmissions. I note also that I have 13+ free GB of internal memory and 7+GB of SD card memory. I noticed it says on the same screen accept: cm level even though I had it set for sub-meter/float level??? Lots of hours lost...if this ever works, I hope to recover them in faster data collection and especially stake out. Using post-processing and adjust for stakeout is a pain.
 

Adam

Well-Known Member
5PLS
If you are in your living room I would be surprised to see a fix. Where is the base?
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
It sounds like the base was successful started now. The red bar in the receiving icon indicates the rover is to close to the radio. The rover can be overpowered by radio if they are too close together and the broadcast power is high. As Adam said, the units need to be outside to get a fix. The base ideally needs to have a clear view of the sky as much as possible.
 

wanconm

Member
I think that for unfathomable reason my external antenna hpt404bt is considered internal. Does that seem right?
you say Press Start Base and then Disconnect after the radio begins broadcasting, disconnect disconnects ALL bluetooth connections and the radio connection and it seems like the idea would be to disconnect just the bluetooth connection between Victor-LS and the base, just guessing
 

wanconm

Member
what I meant to say was there wasn't a little red bar, left out the n't, so it should be good.
the base is about eight feet from the rover, the radio about five feet from the rover and ten feet from the base
 
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