Reach RS2 GNSS Unit

[tari]

Hi all: 

I just came across this GNSS unit that was turning out to be significantly cheaper than the Trimble R2 unit. 

https://emlid.com/reachrs2/

I thought I check if anyone here has ever used this unit with a collector or any thoughts on this product over all. 

Thanks!

[PeterKnoop]

We've used a couple of their earlier RS+ models at our university for a several years. Overall pleased with them. They delivered the expected level of accuracy under various conditions, good battery life, robust in the hands of clumsy researchers, inexpensive compared to the competition, base-rover configuration works great when outside of the US, etc.

The downsides for us were: (1) only compatible with the Android version of Field Maps (we have a lot of iOS users), and (2) the user experience with getting them setup, configured, and ready-to-use (version 3 of the ReachView app is a definite improvement, however, it still is overly complicated and can lead to a lot of lost time in the field, even with very detailed instructions to follow.) 

Our GNSS selection criteria in Higher-Ed are perhaps weighted more towards ease-of-use (also implying ease-of-support) than other sectors, given our constantly changing user base with students graduating and so on. For us, devices like the Bad Elf Flex, though more expensive, have been much easier for folks to adapt to, but they lack the ability to pair into a Base-Rover configuration.

So we are still on the lookout for a "prefect" solution.

[fuxx0010]

Peter,

Any progress on the search for the “perfect” solution for your school? The experiences and thoughts you shared with the higher ed community have helped me a lot. Delighted to see your post here.

I am looking for replacement for our current Trimble Geo 7x/TerraSync and post-processing with Pathfinder Office setup. My dream set-up for students is Trimble DA2 receiver + Catalyst subscription + ArcGIS Field Maps, but Catalyst subscription is pricy for us at cm and dm levels, which are desired for certain applications. For faculty who do not have access to internet and cellular service in fields and would like to post process, I am hoping to migrate them to online correction services like OPUS (I am not thrilled about post-processing with Trimble TerraFlex and Positions because we have said good-bye to ArcMap). For this purpose I like the Emlid ReachView 3 app because it has raw data settings for the different on-line correction services (other vendors may have similar features in their collection apps, but Emlid did a good job in letting me find their tutorial on this topic), but their receiver cannot pair with iOS devices via Bluetooth, and we use iPads a lot.

I feel quite stuck. Any comments you have is appreciated. I have been a Trimble user, but am open to other brands.

Thank you!

[PeterKnoop]

@fuxx0010, we are still on the hunt for the "perfect" solution. I will note that the Bad Elf Flex now has a base-rover configuration. And, like their GNSS receivers, it is very easy for new users to learn how to configure and use the receivers and radios in base-rover mode, on both iOS and Android. You pay more, but new users need little support to get going. If your users regularly use the same equipment, however, then it may be practical for them to learn how to use a less expensive, but more complicated set up.

Subscription services, like with the Trimble Catalyst or Bad Elf Flex, are a nice option, if your equipment is going to spend a significant amount of the year un-used, or if you generally don't need cm-level accuracy. (And, of course, you are working in area where you can access the subscription.) It often seems to be the case that equipment purchased for individual projects sits on the shelf most of year.

If you are able to share equipment across users and projects, and some work in areas where you need base-rover capabilities, then you are likely going to find it more cost-effective to skip the subscriptions. Instead, get a regular cm-level, base-rover configuration to start with, like Bad Elf Flex Extremes, Reach RS2s, or a more traditional Trimble setup.

Post-processing solutions are great for many use cases as well, but don't work when you need to stake things out.

And, while it is easy to price equipment, it is more challenging to assign a value to users' time or time spent supporting users, particularly as they often come from different budget sources in academia.

I'm also a big fan of obtaining high-resolution imagery, perhaps created by drone mapping relying on access to cm-level accuracy at the start of project, or purchased from a vendor. Folks can then use that imagery in Field Maps on their devices for the remainder of project, and visually locate locate themselves with dm-level accuracy without any need for continued access to a high-accuracy receiver.

Not sure how helpful all those comments are. Those are the kinds of things I think about, but needs can vary so much!

[mykola]

Hi @tari ,

We have purchased one unit to test for our utility measurements. One thing to note is that it only works with Android if you want to use it with Collector. Bluetooth for iOS is not supported yet. Native app ReachView works on both via WiFi. I like the device and it is not that complicated to use. The accuracy is according to the manufacturer description (centimeter accuracy) which is more than enough for our projects. However, there is a significant downside which I haven´t figured out yet how to fix. I suspect this downside is not on the RS2 side though. 

I have tested RS2 with its native app, ReachView, and our local coordinate system (Iceland) as well as our local geoid model. The values are very accurate and in accordance to the values from the National Land Survey. However, when I did the test at the same locations with Arcgis Collector app, the altitude and ortho height were always varying. Sometimes up to 30 cm which is far from ideal. In both cases, I used same RTK correction via NTRIP. So my guess is that the problem might be in Collector but not in Reach RS2 because the native Reach app showed very good results. I expects the same behavior in FieldMaps as well. I haven´t tested it yet but it is next on my schedule. 

Would be nice to hear from you or someone else how successful the Reach integration is for others.

Cheers 

[tari]

Thanks all for the feedback. I think we might be sticking with R2 since its been around for longer, more support available but thanks for the feedback I may still keep this in mind for future. 

[MikeUnderwood]

ReachView3 is now on the AppStore, so Emlid is compatible with the big "i".

I know... replying to an old thread, but some info is out-of-date, in case this pops up as a search result.

[mykola]

This is the great news. We had a lot of problems because we couldn't use Emlid with iOS and our Android devices had issues with certificates when using ESRI apps. 

[tari]

Thanks for the update. Good to know.

[PeterKnoop]

@MikeUnderwood The ReachView 3 app, and earlier versions, have been in the iOS App Store for years. ReachView3 allows to to use an Emlid RS2 GNSS receiver with that specific app.

In the past that hasn't helped with sharing the receiver's location information with other apps, like ArcGIS Field Maps or Survey123. I would be glad to hear that has changed!

Have you had a chance to verify if you can now use an Emild RS2 with ArcGIS Field Maps?