Third Generation Disto-X Progress

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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby LWB » Mar 27, 2014 12:25 pm

I bought screws at McMaster-Carr. Of course I usually found that I should have ordered a 1mm shorter or 1 mm longer screw than I actually ordered. Had to add two washers on one. I got 10 mm screws for the case, but the originals are slightly longer (and a different thread) but the machine screws seem to hold okay. I have a pretty extensive collection of M2 and M2.5 brass screws now. I have lots of them.

I am replacing internal screws as well - beyond what Beat advised. It made a difference on the A3.

Martin - I like your USB connector a lot better than the Sparkfun connector. Great idea. Just need to find one of those. How magnetic is the micro USB connector? Do they make any in brass? I've never seen one. I didn't test the Sparkfun version.

Are those 2 metal covers inside the Disto aluminum?
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby Martin Sluka » Mar 27, 2014 1:16 pm

LWB wrote:Martin - I like your USB connector a lot better than the Sparkfun connector. Great idea. Just need to find one of those. How magnetic is the micro USB connector? Do they make any in brass? I've never seen one. I didn't test the Sparkfun version.


You may use original, microUSB connector itself is really very small, but replace the contact plates by wires.

Are those 2 metal covers inside the Disto aluminum?


Which covers?
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby Martin Sluka » Mar 27, 2014 1:17 pm

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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby LWB » Mar 27, 2014 2:50 pm

Thanks for USB info Martin.

This is what I meant by the metal covers; are they aluminum? (apologies to Derek - I borrowed his photo).

Image
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby Martin Sluka » Mar 27, 2014 3:41 pm

LWB wrote:Thanks for USB info Martin.

This is what I meant by the metal covers; are they aluminum? (apologies to Derek - I borrowed his photo).

Image


It is laser module and last what I want is to change laser calibration. :/
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby Stevey » Mar 29, 2014 7:34 pm

What PDA's or pocket PC's are most recommended. Ive just order the DistoX but need some advice on the software end.
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby lleblanc » Apr 1, 2014 8:19 am

Stevey wrote:What PDA's or pocket PC's are most recommended. Ive just order the DistoX but need some advice on the software end.


If you want to use Auriga, a fine model is the Palm E2. Or any other model with Bluetooth. If you get a Palm Tungsten TX, try it before if you can, as the Bluetooth controller on some of them experiences problems with the very short (8 bytes) DistoX messages; although these are now doubled on the DistoX2, which seems to help.

Palm devices can be found cheap on eBay. Older devices may need a battery replacement (~10$).

The Aceeca PDA32 can be purchased brand new; be sure to pick the Bluetooth and IR options.
http://aceeca.com/store/index.php/handh ... pda32.html

Auriga can also be run on Android phones or tablets or Pocket PC PDAs thanks to the StyleTap emulator (14-day trial, 50$ after that).
http://www.styletap.com/

My website also offers a very intuitive standalone calibration app based on Beat Heeb's numerical routines.

I'll let PocketTopo users tell you what PDA model to pick for that program.
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby Extremeophile » Apr 1, 2014 2:27 pm

lleblanc wrote:
Stevey wrote:What PDA's or pocket PC's are most recommended. Ive just order the DistoX but need some advice on the software end.


If you want to use Auriga, a fine model is the Palm E2. Or any other model with Bluetooth.

For running Auriga I like the Palm T5. It has Bluetooth, decent battery life, a larger and higher resolution screen, and non-volatile flash memory (and lots of it).


I'll let PocketTopo users tell you what PDA model to pick for that program.

For PocketTopo I have the Dell Axim x51v. This has Bluetooth, a high resolution screen, and a user-replaceable battery with extended life option. I've heard this has better Bluetooth range than the HP iPaqs, but I can't confirm this.

For both the Palm and Dell PDAs I got a Rhio Skin aluminum case for protection in dry caves. For wet caves I got an Otterbox 1900.
I don't think the PDAs or cases have been manufactured for ~7-8 years, so most of your options will involve used gear, e.g. eBay. Despite the age of these used devices, all of the batteries seem to hold a charge well. I guess the Li-Po batteries in these devices have a pretty good life, and after-market replacements are still available as well.

You can also run PocketTopo on any Windows 8 tablet, or Auriga on any Android tablet if you buy the StyleTap Palm emulator. You'll want a tablet with an "active digitizer" if you intend to sketch with it.
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby Karstresort » Jun 1, 2014 10:28 am

I would like to obtain Beat's kit to build myself an X2 from a disto E7400x. The contact link for Beat Heeb on his "Paperless Cave Survey" website is not working for me. I tried copying the link to an email but it does bounces. Does anyone have good contact information for this? Or is there a problem with availability of boards? thanks.
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby lleblanc » Jun 8, 2014 8:03 pm

Karstresort wrote:I would like to obtain Beat's kit to build myself an X2 from a disto E7400x. The contact link for Beat Heeb on his "Paperless Cave Survey" website is not working for me. I tried copying the link to an email but it does bounces. Does anyone have good contact information for this? Or is there a problem with availability of boards? thanks.


Try heeb@speleo.ch
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby caver.adam » Jun 9, 2014 8:08 am

Has anyone seen how much the calibration changes when you replace the battery in the new disto? I'm curious how much of an effect it would have. I'm considering getting a Molex connector to add to the circuit for easy battery replacement in cave.
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby Martin Sluka » Jun 9, 2014 9:07 am

caver.adam wrote:Has anyone seen how much the calibration changes when you replace the battery in the new disto? I'm curious how much of an effect it would have. I'm considering getting a Molex connector to add to the circuit for easy battery replacement in cave.


There should be internal nonmagnetic LiPol battery which is not necessary to change. Just to charge.
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby lleblanc » Jun 9, 2014 9:09 am

caver.adam wrote:Has anyone seen how much the calibration changes when you replace the battery in the new disto? I'm curious how much of an effect it would have. I'm considering getting a Molex connector to add to the circuit for easy battery replacement in cave.


I don't have the new DistoX2, but I wouldn't rely on others' experience to decide whether recalibration is useless after changing a battery while underground.

You should at least repeat a shot (both foresight and backsight) you just took with the previous battery to determine whether you need to recalibrate. If you take backsights and use a pair of DistoX(2), you should check one unit against the other in a foresight-backsight agreement test. Remember recalibration is a 10'-operation, but fixing survey errors is a long and tedious process.
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby Extremeophile » Jun 9, 2014 9:16 am

caver.adam wrote:Has anyone seen how much the calibration changes when you replace the battery in the new disto? I'm curious how much of an effect it would have. I'm considering getting a Molex connector to add to the circuit for easy battery replacement in cave.

I'm assuming you're talking about AAA batteries. As Martin points out, most users are using the internally mounted LiPo rechargeable battery with good success. I have not found battery capacity to be a problem. Despite the fact that I'm not changing the battery, and it's non-magnetic, I am finding that I need to recalibrate about once a month. The clino calibration is still good, but the compass (magnetometer) readings start to drift such that the variation based on instrument orientation get to be greater than 1 degree, and FS/BS errors can therefore also get to be greater than 1 degree.

If you use AAA batteries, which are magnetic, then you should assume that a recalibration is definitely necessary every time they are replaced, as was the case with the 1st generation Disto-X.
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Re: Third Generation Disto-X Progress

Postby Extremeophile » Jun 9, 2014 9:23 am

I'm not sure how much you survey in any given trip, but I doubt you will need an in-cave replaceable battery. I would guess that this would not be necessary for 99+% of surveys. I did two days of survey this weekend for 94 stations. With front and back sights, some splays, some LRUDs, leaving the instrument on between measurements, etc., it is still showing 3 bars (i.e. full charge) on the battery indicator. I didn't bother charging it between survey days, but this would have been easy to do.
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