Where is the T-3 forum?

Charles Owens

Active Member
My T-3 (ordered 5/21) just got bumped again from 7/10 to 7/15. Did the stimulus offer help create some of this backlog?
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Well, I've waited a long time to buy a T-3, and it was finally shipped fed-ex 2 day.
The shipping label was made last Friday. I guess the box missed being picked up, on Friday. It got picked up on Tue, and went to Oakland CA. Then, it went to memphis on Wed. It was scanned there, in the early afternoon.
And, that's it. It's stalled out in Memphis. Fed Ex said it'd be here Thursday. Nope. I called them. They promised it Friday. Nope. Saturday now. I wonder.
Is fed ex having trouble all over?
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Well. FedEx called. They Wanted serial numbers, pics, or any identifying mechanism, as apparently the the shipping package has been lost/damaged/destroyed. So, I went to the Javad site, took screenshots of a T-3, and sent them to FedEx. My gear may be lost/stolen/damaged/destroyed, or just damaged enough to be unable to continue through their shipping devices.
I may have to start over.
This is kind of a bummer. I'm not familiar with loosing over 10k in equipment!
If I have to start over, how long til I could get another. (Just send me Charles Owens unit, and let him wait!) Ha ha
Seriously, surveyors are pretty resiliant, but take their gps, and they tend to get wraxed up.
Nate
Ps, it's not a Javad problem. It's a shipping problem. I know this. But, it could become a Javad problem, if it is totally lost.
 

Shawn Billings

Shawn Billings
5PLS
Nate,
I'll get in touch with the Javad office this morning and see what we need to do.

I hate to hear that happened.

Shawn
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
It finally arrived. I've tried to get it paired up with the 35 watt radio... I finally got out the old t2, got it going, then tried to unpaid them. No go.
Tried to pair with t3. No go.
I need a USB to 15 pin wire. I used to have one.... But not any more. I'll have to run to another surveyor who has one to pair it up.
But, I had it all set up under the trees in my yard, running on 1 watt internal. Seems pretty robust.
I'll get that radio going soon.
Thanks everybody.
Nate
 

Jim Campi

Active Member
Nate, I noticed from your invoice that the T3 runs at 20 hz. I thought the LS CPU was maxed at processing point data at 10 hz?

Is the T3 operating at a true 20 hz and how is that expected to work overall with your system? Will that cut the time per point in half if you had been using beast mode at 10 hz?

This alone would be a reason for me to upgrade. If it does 20, how about 100 hz???

One more question. I have the same system you had. LS and T2. Is it better to go LS and T3 first or upgrade to LS plus with T2 and then upgrade later to T3?
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Is it better to go LS and T3 first or upgrade to LS plus with T2 and then upgrade later to T3?
I asked Shawn Billings that same question. (Before buying the t3).
He said that he thought the best path was t3 first, then LS+.
I've thought it through, some. If you buy a t3, you will have more data at the LS, while working. But, not be able to utilize it fully. You will see about (they said) 1/2 the time per point, in challenging points, (any point that takes an LS 30 minutes is challenging!) So, that is cut to 15 minutes, via upgrading to a t3. This is compared with LS-t2-2 constelation-6 engine.
However, if I upgrade to the + first, then I've got the 4 barrel carb, but not enough fuel (data). This means she starves for data.
The route I'm going is T3 first. (Bigger boost per dollar)
Then the upgraded LS+ will work well.
As to the rest of your questions, I don't know. It's possible that the LS+ gets a speed upgrade too, but I am not sure.
How you been?
Ya know, we are gonna basicly have to set aside about 500 a month for new gear, no matter what. (Or 6000 a year)
In 3 yrs, we get our upgrade. (18k)
What I mean, is that about every 3 yrs, something good comes along...
:)
N
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
I noticed from your invoice that the T3 runs at 20 hz. I thought the LS CPU was maxed at processing point data at 10 hz?

This just means that the T3 has the options and ability to output corrections at 20 Hz. The GNSS chip in the LS can only process RTK corrections at 5 Hz so this is the limiting factor.
 

Jim Campi

Active Member
I was thinking 10. Thanks Matt. You sir are quite the encyclopediia (I mean this as a compliment).
The LS plus has a new processor?
I presume it processes point data at > or = 20?
Is T3 limited to 20 hz?
Plus and T3 use same processor?
 

Matt Johnson

Well-Known Member
5PLS
The LS plus has a new processor?
Yes it has a new GNSS chip. The processor that Linux uses is still the same.

I presume it processes point data at > or = 20?
It has a lot more power but the firmware has been optimized to process data from more signals and satellites rather than to process data at a faster rate.

Is T3 limited to 20 hz?
No, 100 Hz is the limit


Plus and T3 use same processor?
They both have the same GNSS chip that processes GNSS data.
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Just a heads up on the radio. If you are planning to use it with vhf radio, it may have to be paired via cable only. I was unsuccessful in unpairing from the old t2, and re-pairing it with the t3, to use a 35 watt radio with it. I’m borrowing a cable right now. I had one with my 4 watt radio, but could not find it.
Its a db 15 to usb wire.
I don’t know if other brand wires will work.
n
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
OK, about the CHARGER for the T-3. The one that came with the T-3 is a 24V 3.75 A Charger.

The ones that came with the T2, and the LS are 12v 5 A Chargers.
Are these chargers interchangeable?
Does it matter if you accidentally grab the wrong charger?
I'm just reading on the side of the chargers.
Thank you,
Nate
 

Shawn Billings

Shawn Billings
5PLS
External power input for Triumph-LS is 10-30v DC per data sheet
External power input for Triumph-2 is 10-16v DC per data sheet
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
Maiden voyage.
My radio seemed very hot during testing.
So I started checking. The lower metal rod of the 5/8 gain antenna had come loose from the little circular tube, that sits about in the middle of the antenna.
I spent til noon at the radio shop. They gave me another 5/8 gain antenna (just the rod portion). So I went to job and it was afternoon now. I set it all up. It's just like a t2, except you have to add a bluetooth antenna.
Well, I forgot to level the tribrach, and center it on the base nail. I'm monitoring the radio heat. Preoccupied.
Many of today's shots were out in the open. A couple were in the woods.
It seems much more robust. Less buckets. (My record number of buckets is some 120, with the t2!)
It was definitely more like a sports car, than a Winnebago!
We got overheated, no breeze. Very rocky soil. Driving pipe and rebar. And t posts.
We got back to base, and found the base was 0.04' off. We used compass and tape to analyze that. I'm going to want to assign that base coord, because I set up some control today. (When is the Javad team going to make it so I can do that, and still be able to SELECT rtk/RTPK?)
That is quite the bummer that it interferes with selection ability.
Well, we set up some control on site, and quit.
Overall, I'm guessing that I'll be getting faster data, due to increase signal count.
Right now, it looks like Shawn Billings was right. A 30 minute point, is about a 15 minute point. I will want an LS + (6k upgrade) to maximize my system. But the T3 is a definite improvement.
I'll give more reports later.
Nate
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
IMG_1831.jpg
 

Nate The Surveyor

Well-Known Member
I should mention that I ran the internal 1 watt radio, all day. Here's what happened:
T3 came late Monday via fed ex. I worked on it till I was frustrated, to get it paired to my 35 watt radio. (Via Bluetooth). Tuesday, I drove to hot springs, borrowed a USB-dB 15 pin cable from SB.
I then tried hard, to get it going, while in hot springs at the smoking pig. (Good barbq) No success. I shut it all down, and came home. Tried again. It all went well. (I think it just needed to be shut down, and re-started). Wednesday, I worked 1/2 a day. I did not charge it. Thursday, I worked all day, but only with the internal 1 watt radio. It had a low batt after all day.
Here are my questions:
1.) Is there a way to hook up the LS via Bluetooth, to the T3, and look at the battery levels, on a graph, like the internal battery in the LS?
2.) How waterproof is the T-3?
I'm notorious for wet adventures. It's NOT my fault. I just want to get done. Arkansas is known for hot humid days, and thundershowers popping up at odd times, when you are miles from the base, (maybe only a mile straight line, but 5 miles via road through gates, and the road systems) what about those antennas? How waterproof are those connections? I just know I'm going to need something to help me here.
3.) Can we put external power to the T-3, while its set up in the field, so it can handle long days, or if some idiot fails to charge it (me!) Will those wires mind getting wet?
4.) I'm trying to come up with a good and proper roof for it. I had all this worked out, (in my head) then I set up the T-3, with its antennas. I had not accounted for those antennas. It's grows in size, with antennas connected, and maybe external power connected.
5.) What about increased heat, in the external radio, due to longer duty cycles? Ie, 35 watts, hot sun, and all that energy?
I'm quite concerned about this. I'm working for now on a solution. My thoughts are a pvc tube, with a small fan, and a design to keep it dry.

Look, I have a great wife, 12 kids, 4 have left the nest, and more work than I can say Grace over. Equipment failures are devastating!
Being a responsible surveyor includes knowing these answers.
Thank you, and happy Friday to all.
Nate
 
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