Best Practices to Connect an Emlid Reach RS2 Base to an Autel Evo II Pro Enterprise RTK Drone

[Malli35998]

I am not sure. I will have to check.

This is probably a lot to ask. Would there be anyway you can document the settings you normally use via screen captures? This way I can see the specific screen with setting. I am planning to go back out on Thursday (weather permitting) and reshoot again. I want to get the steps and settings correct. Thanks for considering.

 

[jmason702]

yes, I will as soon as I can sir

 

[Malli35998]

yes, I will as soon as I can sir

Thank you so much! Some of this stuff is a bit over my head but I am pretty good a following instructions. My old, dyslexic brain doesn't help either.

 

[Malli35998]

how do you like sim active? ( I never have used it) how do you feel it compares to PIX or DD? and is it cloud-based or CPU-based?

I started out with DD back in 2016-2017. I dabbled with Pix4D. I came across Correlator3D (C3D) and decided to give it a go. I have been using for the past 4 years. For my purposes, I like it a lot. It is fast, relatively easy to use, and has all/most of the functionality I need. Price is reasonable and support is responsive. I am not an expert but can get done what I need to with C3D.

 

[jmason702]

I started out with DD back in 2016-2017. I dabbled with Pix4D. I came across Correlator3D (C3D) and decided to give it a go. I have been using for the past 4 years. For my purposes, I like it a lot. It is fast, relatively easy to use, and has all/most of the functionality I need. Price is reasonable and support is responsive. I am not an expert but can get done what I need to with C3D.

is it cloud-based or not? and what is the cost, please?

 

[Malli35998]

I believe they have that option. I have a floating license and process locally on a high end desktop or a gaming laptop in the field. C3D takes full advantage of the GPU.

Desktop
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-Core Processor 3.70 GHz
Installed RAM 64.0 GB
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Graphics Card 8GB GDDR6X

 

[Malli35998]

I went back out yesterday and flew another test survey. Weather was overcast and windy but ok. The Base Mode I used was Average FIX. Operationally, the first part of the survey went fine. After a battery change I could not get a FIX position. I tried rebooting all components but no change. Still could not get a FIX position on either the RS2 receiver or Smart Controller. The best I could get was SINGLE. At that point, I stopped and packed up. I processed the data I did acquired (3/4 of survey). Processed fine. Still trying to figure out the correct procedure to convert the ellipsoid height model to an ortho height model in C3D.

 

[Malli35998]

Some position analysis comparing the Emlid Reach RS2 and the EOS Arrow Gold GNSS RTK receivers. Same NTRIP network and mount point. Data captured from periodic screen captures taken during a drone survey.

 

[jmason702]

how do you feel about the results comparing receivers?
Seems very very close

 

[jmason702]

how do you feel about the results comparing receivers?
Seems very very close

I went back out yesterday and flew another test survey. Weather was overcast and windy but ok. The Base Mode I used was Average FIX. Operationally, the first part of the survey went fine. After a battery change I could not get a FIX position. I tried rebooting all components but no change. Still could not get a FIX position on either the RS2 receiver or Smart Controller. The best I could get was SINGLE. At that point, I stopped and packed up. I processed the data I did acquired (3/4 of survey). Processed fine. Still trying to figure out the correct procedure to convert the ellipsoid height model to an ortho height model in C3D.

Are you using a hot spot for the internet? everything connected to the same hotspot?

 

[Malli35998]

Are you using a hot spot for the internet? everything connected to the same hotspot?

Using my iPad Pro as a hotspot. Yes, both RS2 and smart controller connected to the same hotspot.

 

[Malli35998]

Are you using a hot spot for the internet? everything connected to the same hotspot?

how do you feel about the results comparing receivers?
Seems very very close

I have used the EOS Arrow Gold for the past 4 years. Great receiver. Very solid and reliable. I have used to survey GCPs. Comparing the RS2 to the Arrow Gold gives me more confidence in the RS2.

 

[jmason702]

its very hard to beat the RS2, meaning the cost of it!

 

[Malli35998]

its very hard to beat the RS2, meaning the cost of it!

Agreed! I am still very interested in the steps you perform to setup the RS2 using Average FIX. I am still not 100% that I have all steps correct. Screen captures of each step would be great. The other issue I am struggling with is converting the DEM in ellipsoid height to ortho height. I am testing various options in C3D to try and get the workflow correct.

 

[jmason702]

I been busy like crazy all week, I can get the screenshots this weekend. in Drone deploy there are 2 ways, one. export the ortho in nad 88 6521,
two. calibrate the map. i can survey a point, and get the elevation and the on the map calibrate it to that elevation. not sure about sim active

 

[Malli35998]

I been busy like crazy all week, I can get the screenshots this weekend. in Drone deploy there are 2 ways, one. export the ortho in nad 88 6521,
two. calibrate the map. i can survey a point, and get the elevation and the on the map calibrate it to that elevation. not sure about sim active

Thanks so much! The colleague that owns the RS2 mentioned those features in DD. I will try and process data with a single GCP in C3D to see well that works. C3D has the ability to apply a Geoid Model. Still having trouble coming up with the correct answer.

 

[jmason702]

i got a free trial of sim active, what is the best auto way to produce an ortho map?

 

[Malli35998]

i got a free trial of sim active, what is the best auto way to produce an ortho map?

I normally use GCPs. It works great. I am trying to figure out how to produce an ortho map without GCPs. Attached is what they sent me yesterday. I believe this is a rough draft and not completely accurate. I plan to work with them until something works well.

 

[Malli35998]

I normally use GCPs. It works great. I am trying to figure out how to produce an ortho map without GCPs. Attached is what they sent me yesterday. I believe this is a rough draft and not completely accurate. I plan to work with them until something works well.

The great this is that I have a test dataset surveyed over the same area with GCPs as a known. This is what I am striving for with the RS2 and without using GCPs.

 

[Malli35998]

The great this is that I have a test dataset surveyed over the same area with GCPs as a known. This is what I am striving for with the RS2 and without using GCPs.

Please let me know if you are able to create an ortho map with C3D. I am still struggling.