topic Re: Trimble Antenna advice/recommendation in Mobile GIS Questions

Trimble Antenna advice/recommendation

SteveCole — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 18:58:27 GMT

Shot in the dark but I'm hoping for some advice as I move forward with purchases. I'll be doing data collection in forests and under canopy. I have a GeoXh 6000 with the Floodlight option as my capture device and I'm electing to add an external antenna in order to avoid having my body potentially block any signal.

From what I have been able to gather, my choice comes down to the Tornado vs Zephyr Model 2 antenna. On paper, they seem to be identically spec'd: both are L1/L2 and SBAS capable. One person has already recommended the Zephyr Model 2 over the Tornado. Any thoughts?

Also- regarding the Zephyr Model 2...I will be buying used and I've seen two different model #s which I can't figure out why they both exist: 57970-00 vs 55970-00. I've seen many more 57970 so I'm assuming that was a later batch or...?

Thanks!

Steve

Re: Trimble Antenna advice/recommendation

AdrianWelsh — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 02:24:04 GMT

Hey Steve,

I haven't had the need to buy a product like this but I have worked with the guys at Anatum GeoMobile and they may be good people to contact about this:

https://www.agsgis.com

Since they deal with many different receivers and would likely know what would work best under canopy, etc.

Also, there is GeoMobile Innovations (I think the two companies work together):

http://www.geomobileinnovations.com

Re: Trimble Antenna advice/recommendation

SteveCole — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 15:19:14 GMT

Appreciate the input, Adrian. I've already reached out to a local distributor for input on this and they recommended one of the newer Tornado antennas (specifically the -20 model number over the -10 model) but that's going to be too rich for my blood since I'm trying to assemble a kit to support a personal "citizen science" project. Once I followed up with that point, he recommended the Zephyr Model 2 (57970-10) since apparently there was an issue with the older Tornado antennas (57972-00) that only picked up GPS satellites and not the additional GLONASS and other network satellites.

Re: Trimble Antenna advice/recommendation

JoelCusick1 — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 22:11:16 GMT

this is the best chart I've found. http://nebula.wsimg.com/e8b7663d4d9598a6acb573f396d3fce1?AccessKeyId=1C4FE78C9A137814041B&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

Zephyr 2 or Tornado2. Your device has Glonass, L1 and L2, so you need a commensurate antenna.

On your confusion with Zephry's. It is confusing. Some Zephrys, early models do have GLONASS capacity - just were not succintly identified in literature. Considerable discussion on the RPLS community forum regarding Zephrys.

Best way to test, collect a file connected to the antenna. Observe in PFO, the positions window, summary tab. you should see without antenna connected, GLONASS SATS. With antenna connected, should see even more. If you don't see GLONASS sats with an antenna connected, that antenna is not Multi-constellation.

Good luck.

Re: Trimble Antenna advice/recommendation

SteveCole — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 22:23:05 GMT

Thanks, Joel. I did find that table during my research and it was both very helpful and confusing at the same time. In the end, I bought a Zephyr Model 2 (57970-00) antenna and it has done well. My best data collection using it was 5-15cm post processed under ideal conditions (open sky) but I've also had some bad days of data acquisition under difficult conditions which just happens sometimes.

Thanks again for chiming in,

Steve