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1 February 2012

Topcon GRS-1 versus ProMark 200

I took a GRS-1 and ProMark 200 to a job on the M5 yesterday for a test. The reason for the test was a colleague had visited the area the day before and found mobile phone signal to be an issue. Both devices were using Vodafone and all I needed to do was capture x,y,z coordinates. I was using Digiterra software to allow us to capture additional attribute data if required. Should not be a problem but for the ProMark 200 it was a difficult day.

The PM200 struggled all day to maintain a signal. This resulted in us seeing errors of 10-12m at times. Obviously not what we wanted. In addition to this, the device seemed to get stuck in an auto-dial loop that resulted in the only option being to turn the unit off. Most annoying!

The GRS-1 performed outstanding all day and only once lost its signal which was a huge surprise given the other device problems. The GRS-1 even allowed me to still operate under bridges which again was a surprise.

Having sold both of these solutions over the last few years I would say the GRS-1 is worth the extra money. The major benefit is the device having Glonass but from yesterday's test, it also boasts a very strong modem for maintaining the all important OS-NET corrections. I have to say I was disappointed with the PM200 as I have previously said it was one of the best devices I had used. I am hoping for a firmware update soon to resolve the loss of connection issues.

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