Anyone using Trimble Positions yet? Pathfinder Office Frustrated

[MarkSmith4]

I'm in the market to switch from GPS Analyst to Trimble Positions.  Currently, I am using ArcPad 10.0 with a Trimble 6000 XH running GPS Correct along with ArcGIS 10.0.  Since Trimble GPS Analyst doesn't postprocess GNSS data collected with GPS Correct, I have to used Pathfinder Office (PFO) to postprocess the data.  I really would like to figure out my estimated accuracies but PFO can not provide these values.

Does Trimble Positions provide estimates accuracies?  Is the workflow the workflow the same as GPS Analyst?  Using ShapeCorrect in PFO is really clunky and does not allow me to edit positions like GPS Analyst.

Thanks for any insight.

Mark

[AlisonWalker]

Hi Mark,

Yes, Trimble Positions does provide estimated accuracy information.  We have been testing this software extensively with ArcPad, and it seems to be working well.  However, there are still some issues with GLONASS corrections from certain base stations the same way there was in GPS Analyst.  Is this the issue you were referring to and why you were using PFO instead?

Alison

[MarkSmith4]

Alison,

Thanks for responding back.  In talking with the local Trimble representative, GPS Analyst is unable to read the .NAV file embedded in the CORS file thus limiting the ability to achieve the higher postprocessed accuracy accompanied with the glonass data.  In order to achieve this higher accuracy, we have switched to Pathfinder Office to postprocess the .ssf and then use ShapeCorrect within Pathfinder Office.  While this method works, it is unable to provide an estimated accuracy.

Sounds like we might be going to Trimble Positions.  In doing a little research, it sounds like this software needs to be installed on your computer as well as the GPS unit.  Is this correct?

Mark

[jmmGeoToo]

Alison,

Thanks for responding back.  In talking with the local Trimble representative, GPS Analyst is unable to read the .NAV file embedded in the CORS file thus limiting the ability to achieve the higher postprocessed accuracy accompanied with the glonass data.  In order to achieve this higher accuracy, we have switched to Pathfinder Office to postprocess the .ssf and then use ShapeCorrect within Pathfinder Office.  While this method works, it is unable to provide an estimated accuracy.

Sounds like we might be going to Trimble Positions.  In doing a little research, it sounds like this software needs to be installed on your computer as well as the GPS unit.  Is this correct?

Mark

Mark...

The ArcPad workflow with Trimble Positions is analogous to that of GPS Analyst + GPS Correct.  The Trimble Positions Desktop add-in runs inside of ArcMap on the desktop and the Trimble Positions ArcPad extension runs inside of ArcPad on the field device.  On the field device, GPS Correct should be uninstalled before installing the Trimble Positions ArcPad extension.

Hope that helps,

Matt

[MarkSmith4]

Matt,

Thanks for answering that question.  I was finally able to attend a Positions workshop yesterday and learned more about the software.  It seems like the program is in it's infacy but a step in the right direction.

Mark