Tips on using Leica GPS

Topic
Setting up the System 1200 GPS for WAAS

Tip
From the main menu select 5 Configure... | 4 Interfaces...
Then with Real-Time highlighted, press the F3[EDIT] key.
With the R-Time Mode: set to Rover, press the SHIFT key and then press the F5[SBAS] key. Set the SBAS Tracking: field to WAAS and press the F1[CONT] key.
Highlight the R-Time Data: field, select WAAS as the format, and then press F1[CONT].
You should now be back in the Interfaces page. Press F1[CONT] to make the configuration active.

Topic
New Newsletters

Tip
Check at least once a month for new newsletters. There is a link on the Leica page of my site. Newsletters 48 and 49 complete the coding and linework newsletters, adding information to newsletters 39 and 40. Newsletter 50 about the DXF Export application available on the instruments should be ready now.

Topic
Jobs and files

Tip
Keep your files backed up. Use daily job files, don't keep adding points to the same job files in the instrument. When you import the data into LGO, it will duplicate any points with Control class when they are re-imported.

Have a separate control job, and each day create a new "measure" job such as jobnameDate. When this is imported into the ongoing project in LGO, there will be nothing to duplicate, and only the new data will be imported. This is much easier to manage.

When you import your data into LGO, back it up then. Don't put it in the LGO project directory. That has enough files in it already. Set up a separate place for your raw data files. For example,

Raw Data
----Project Name
--------Date 1
------------Base
------------Rover
--------Date 2
--------Date 3

Also, when you import data it is a good idea to create a field book report by clicking the icon in the lower-left corner of the assign dialog box and save it in the raw data directory. This is especially important for RTK jobs where a one-step transformation has been created in the field. All the information about the residuals, etc. are put into this field book report.

Finally, don't delete projects in LGO unless you want to delete the project folder and files also. If all you want to do is remove the project from the LGO list, unregister the project instead.

Topic
Different TPS setups shown on the same point.

Tip
When ever you set up your instrument, you should be careful not to leave the Station Coord: field at Retain Current, unless you really want that to happen, i.e you've just switched applications, but your setup has not changed. If you blow passed the setup without paying attention to this field, and only look at the Method: field, all your setups could be shown at the same point. This is not easy to fix so you don't want to do it. If you have done it once, you probably won't do it a second time.

TopicRoadRunner cut/fill templates

Tip
To be able to switch fairly quickly from a cut to a fill template, create a cut template as one layer, and a fill template as the other layer. Then, when you can't catch with the one, simply escape back and change the layer.

Topic
Setting up Intuicom radios for the System 900 GPS.

Tip
You cannot configure the Intuicom base radio at the base receiver. This needs to be done at the rover, and should only need to be done once. Label and connect the base Intuicom radio to the rover receiver. Set the channel to 14 for base operation, and then set the channel to the frequency pattern (0-9) you wish to use. Disconnect the radio from the rover and connect it to the base receiver. It is ready to use. Now, connect the rover radio to the rover receiver and set the channel to 15 for rover operation. Then set the channel to the same frequency pattern you selected for the base (0-9) and your ready to go.

Thanks to Tim Kerr for the tip.

Topic
National Readjustment - NAD83(NSRS2007)

Tip
Click the link below to find the latest information. Coordinates are available.

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/NationalReadjustment/

Topic
Got a new computer and want to move LGO and your coordinate systems, etc?

Topic
Read the document at the link below.

Transfering Computers

Topic
Using OPUS with less than 2 hours of data.

Tip
You can now use OPUS-RS with 15 minutes or more of data at the following beta site.

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/OPUS/OPUS-RS.html

Topic
NGS antenna phase center definitions

Tip
New Leica antennas have been added to the NGS list. Both for CORS postprocessing, and for OPUS use. To import the new list into LGO, get the text file from the NGS site, delete the existing NGS antennas in the Antennas management section, and import the new antennas. The ATX1230 is included, but not the ATX1230GG. The list is available here
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/ANTCAL/images/ant_info.html