Intro

• leica nova tm50 .5" imaging total station. purchased nov19
• see https://myworld.leica-geosystems.com  for info on our purchase. (needs login).
• us
  

Documentation:

    Software downloaded from myworld.leica geosystems.com 10dec19. There are older versions of this software on the leica usb stick software directory.

Tm50 doc download dec19:

• Quick guide  - viva Unleveled setup 5.0 (.pdf)   (usbStick doc   save version)
  
• This document explains the use and functions of the unleveled setup application. All aspects of storing and staking positions in coordinate systems not normal to gravity are explained
• User manual: Leica MS50/TS50/TM50 version 4.0 (.pdf)   ... (usbstick doc has v3.0)
• All instructions required in order to operate the product to a basic level. Product overview including technical data and safety instructions.
• Quick guide Leica MS50/TS50/TM50  version 3.0  (.pdf)  .. (usbStick doc has version 2.0)
• quick reference guide. Product overview including technical data and safety instructions.
• Technical reference manual leica nova series version 2.1 (.pdf)  (usbStick doc same version)
• Overall comprehension guide to the product and application functions,. Contains detailed descriptions of special software/hardware settings and software/hardware functions.
  
• Equipment list leica nova tps ms50,ts40,tm50  version 1.2.0 (.pdf)
• Find leica original accessories, additional equipment, software,apps, and much more (include reflectors).
• Leica Nova MS50 white paper (.pdf)
• we did not purchase this. It has more functionality but less accuracy.
• Leica viva/nova GeoCom imaging reference manual ver 5.51  (.pdf) (local access only).
• programming the tm50 over rs232 link
  

USB memory stick documentation.

    This came with the tm50 package on nov19.  It includes lots of leica doc beyond what we purchased.

    link to directory    (local only access)

Other documents

• TPS1200_GeoCom_manual (.pdf)  geocom ref manual version 1.1 (has ascii chars to control tm50 over rs232).
• flexline geocom manual (.pdf)   gecom ref manual version 1.3
  

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Measurements:

200708: theodolite elevation angles for various eyepieces
200129: signal strength from ao9 and platform

200708: theodolite elevation angles with various eyepieces

    The tm50 has a limited elevation angle range before you need to install a different eyepiece for large elevation angles.
When a new eyepiece is installed, there is a counterweight that needs to be installed on the front of the optics to balance the extra weight.
The eyepiece should probably not be changed once a measurement has started since changing it my move the theodolite a bit.

The picture shows the two additional eyepieces available for the tm50 (.png)

I used the 08may2004  sokia theodolite measurement of the secondary to get an idea of the elevation angles need when measuring the secondary from the theodolite stand on the edge of the dome.
    The plot shows the elevation angle of the theodolite for the 51  secondary targets that were used (.ps) (.pdf)

• I took the x,y,z sokia measured positions and computed the elevation angle (assuming the reference plane had the theodolite close to level).
• The points above 30deg can not be used with the standard eyepiece
• all of the points can be measured with the GOK6 (66deg) eyepiece
• If the GFZ3 eyepiece was used for the secondary then the height of the theodolite stand would need to be lowered so the operator was far enough above the eyepiece so they could see through it when measuring targets at 30deg elevation.

One of the benefits of the tm50 is the motor drive. You can position to a target before adjusting and measuring. When either of the extra eyepieces are installed there is a danger that the motor could move to a position where the eyepiece would hit the body of the theodolite.

processing: x101/survey/test/cmpthel.pro

200129/200206: signal strength from ao9 and platform

   
    We are contemplating using a p40/p50 to scan the primary dish surface. This will depend on the distance and the reflectivity of the surface.  We do not know the reflectivity of the surface (for the laser frequency used by the p40/50). An idea was to used the tm50 to measure the signal strength as a function of slope distance from ao9 and the platform . This would give us an idea of how fast the return signal falls off (and maybe even the reflectivity :).

 To measure the signal strength:

• On the tm50 :  main menu->instrument->setup->tps setting->meas mode and target-> push function key to bring up test -> then push test to start the signal strength measurement
• be sure you are on reflectorless measuring.

200129 from ao9 (center of the dish)

    On 29jan20  the tm50 was mounted on ao9. The signal strength was measured from the primary surface using reflectorless mode.  The tm50 was pointed around az=340 degrees and the elevation was changed from around 0 to 17 degrees (close to ao9 up to the edge of the reflector). The signal strength was recorded for each measurement.

• Top: signal strength (% as reported by tm50) vs slope distance from ao9.
• At 20 meters the signal strength was about 70%
• at 100 meters it was close to 1.5%
• at 150 meters it was .8-1%
• Bottom: signal strength vs angle to surface normal
• the angle to surface normal varied from 70 to 80 deg
• the larger the angle, the less gets reflected back (assuming specular reflection)
• The strongest signal occurred at the largest angle to the normal (closest to ao9).

200206  from the platform:

    On 06feb20 the tm50 was mounted on the platform on the outside stairwell  of the gregorian dome.
The dome was as za=11 degrees. The tm50 was about 9 meters from za=0, and 2.4 below the rolling surface of the dome.
The azimuth was pointing at az=90 deg (east). points were taken from the edge of the dish down to about za = 10 degrees.

    The plots show the tm50 signal strength from the platform (.ps) (.pdf)

• Top signal strength vs slope distance
• the value varied from 1 to 2%
• The red line shows the edge of the dish from the tm50 location
• the green line would be the distance to the edge of the dish if we were at za=0.
• bottom: signal strength vs za (tm50 za0.
• the edge of the dish is at za=32 deg
• To  compute the za  i took the elevation measured by the tm50 and forced the measurement of the edge of the dish to be 32 deg.
  

Summary:

• From ao9
• The signal strength went from 70% at 20 meters to around 1% at 150 meters.
• the two azimuth slices  had similar values
• From the platform
• the signal strength varied from 1 to 2 % at ranges 185 to 153 meters
  
• If we had been at za=0 then the distances would have gone 145 to 170 meters. 
• The 3x6 foot panels have backing ribs that run east west. We notice that when the tm50 was on the spot, the signal increased. This is probably because there we a solid surface below the perforated panels at those spots.
  

processing:x101/survey/200129/signalstr.pro, survey/20206/signalstr.pro

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