GPS — General Industry Questions

Anyone having problems with their GPS. I don't have machine control in the grader, but they do have one in the dozer. Will work fine, then suddenly decides grade is a foot lower, or higher. Then the system will quit completely. This also goes for the hand held. They have a base at the office, but also a couple separate base and rover sets for out of town, and they become affected as well

Northern lights? Sunspots can play hob with gps as the signal is quite weak. How old is the system? Some newer are less sensitive to solar flares.

Dozer and hand held run of the base at our office but the have 2 base and rover units that were new last year and have the same issues. 2 other contractors in the area have been having the same issue. Been ongoing since April

We haven't had an issues with ours. (knocks on wood). We run Trimble if that makes a difference. The base station is located on the job.

No issues here so far (knocking on wood here too...).

Wow, might have to start doing it all the old fashion way?

Some interference from Shag Harbor?

Probably someone near you is running on the same frequency as you with a high wattage radio radio, it is more likely more with top con than Trimble. Which system are you using?

chidog said: Wow, might have to start doing it all the old fashion way? Click to expand... Not a chance. Can't keep butts in the A/C'd seats, much less hold a grade rod out in 100 degree heat with the same humidity.

smifwal said: Probably someone near you is running on the same frequency as you with a high wattage radio radio, it is more likely more with top con than Trimble. Which system are you using? Click to expand... I think the tractor is Trimble, but all the nerd sticks are different I know nothing about them. I say follow the curb and make it run to the manhole . They were down the other day. Tape measure curb to curb, divided by 2. Dug out the old Bosch shoot the gutter line minus 4 inches of asphalt. 3% crown We're locked out for now, electricians are on strike. General contractor says no one is to cross the line and any missed days will be added to the deadline

I am limited on my knowledge also, since I don't run gps. I have a 2D system with laser catchers on a couple of things. But my sales guy is a guru and a nerd so he likes to help. I sent him the thread and that was one of the possibilities, but not really enough information to really diagnose, Unfortunately

smifwal said: I am limited on my knowledge also, since I don't run gps. I have a 2D system with laser catchers on a couple of things. But my sales guy is a guru and a nerd so he likes to help. I sent him the thread and that was one of the possibilities, but not really enough information to really diagnose, Unfortunately Click to expand... They have a nerd on the case. I was just curious

cuttin edge said: They have a nerd on the case. I was just curious Click to expand... The grade control systems is one of those things that is a lifetime of learning and experience to really diagnose (always learning). I can do enough for the basics but situations like you are in I have to ask for help. And there is lots of back and forth using all the right words and being as detailed as possible when explaining what is going on and probably 10 things I wouldn't think to add or ask

Yeah good old bench marks, and grade stakes. And laser levels, that is all I got to use then. Oh and usually it was a one man show no helpers.

smifwal said: The grade control systems is one of those things that is a lifetime of learning and experience to really diagnose (always learning). I can do enough for the basics but situations like you are in I have to ask for help. And there is lots of back and forth using all the right words and being as detailed as possible when explaining what is going on and probably 10 things I wouldn't think to add or ask Click to expand... no interest in operating a machine with grade control. Plenty of 20 year olds here for that.

I love running grade control and working with the rovers but I'm glad I started grading with a sight level and grade stakes. I can't imagine trying to wrap my head around what the machine is needing to do to get to grade had I started on a machine with grade control. I work with young guys and they catch on to the technology quickly but when it goes down or there's a bust they're at a loss... We have an older guy that never ran machine control before starting with us and he picked it up quickly and loves it.

A seasoned operator that has a bubble in their butt and knows how to grade "old school" will love GPS. Takes the final grading frustration out - and I ain't talking about the operators ability, I'm talking about taking away the operators frustration with the one holding the grade rod.

CM1995 said: I'm talking about taking away the operators frustration with the one holding the grade rod. Click to expand... Exactly this. In addition to the time saved it is helping eliminate one of the reason laborers view grader and finish dozer operators as grouchy... Now if we can just get rid of all the telehandlers ...

AMBMike said: Now if we can just get rid of all the telehandlers ... Click to expand... No doubt. We have started to grade out the parking lot, proof roll it with the geotech and turn it over to the GC. If it gets destroyed by forklifts in the mean time it's a change order to us to put it back where it was and get it ready for base. 9 times out of 10 we'll grade out the parking lot then sparky, the plumber, gas co, irrigation, etc. will come in trenching all the underground. 90% of the time specs call for solid stone backfill in the trench and they have to haul the spoils off. 100% of the time they fill their trench with stone, haul about 1/2 the spoils off then smear the remaining 1/2 of the spoils over finish grade. Now since the parking lot was previously put to grade, proof rolled and turned over we'll get a change order to put it back on grade and haul the other trades spoils off. In the past we would get screwed by this and be stuck hauling other trades spoils off with no compensation. Not anymore.

Life got a lot more complicated for the dirt guys when every trade started using their own mini ex and skid steer