The Truth about GPS+ and What Topcon’s competitors don’t want you to know…

Since Topcon purchased Javad Positioning Systems (JPS) in the summer of 2000, we have experienced tremendous growth in the GPS marketplace. The advanced GPS technology of JPS along with the strength of the Topcon organization and its distributors proved to be a winning combination. Our GPS sales grew rapidly, and it wasn’t long before our competitors began to feel our presence.

Our dealers and end users have raised many concerns regarding the misinformation being disseminated concerning the Topcon GPS System. Unfortunately, misinformation in the world of High Precision GPS receivers is nothing new. The complexity of the technology fuelled by the large dollars involved in GPS Sales, can often lead sales people to fabricate plausible stories to discredit their competition. Since most sales people have only basic knowledge of GPS Technology, it is often difficult to distinguish the facts from the fabrication. The story sounds good enough, so it gets repeated, and before you know it the false information takes on some air of credibility.

JUST THE FACTS…

The following information is designed to answer some of the common questions regarding our GPS+ technology, and help separate the facts from the common misconceptions that we have heard. We are confident that once you know the truth about our GPS+ products and the technology we use, you will understand why more people are choosing Topcon GPS+ products.

What is GPS+?

Our customers have noticed on our literature and advertising that Topcon uses the term GPS+, and many have inquired as to what that means. Simply put our technology uses the U.S. GPS system, and supplements this system with the Russian Glonass satellite positioning system. Topcon technology offers our customers something more than just GPS positioning, we offer GPS+ GLONASS (Dual Constellations). That’s why we call our GPS technology, GPS+.

Is GPS+ accurate?

Absolutely. Since our receivers utilise both GPS and Glonass systems each one can support the other. Our receivers include special programming that constantly checks the satellite system integrity. Since we are using the exact same U.S. GPS satellites as our competitors, our GPS-only receivers offer accuracy and performance equal to or better than their GPS-only systems. When you consider that we also have the ability to utilize another independent positioning technology, Glonass, we actually provide a higher level of performance than any of our competitors.

Why is GPS+ a better positioning solution than GPS only?

At Topcon, we developed GPS+ by taking the existing GPS system and making it better. Adding the Russian Glonass system to the U.S.GPS technology allows access to more usable satellites. Anyone who has used GPS can tell you that the more satellites you can track, the better your system can perform. They can also tell you of the hassle and frustration of not having enough satellites and having to wait for more. With Topcon’s GPS+ we give you more satellites to use, and less headache in the field!

Is GPS+ Reliable?

Once again you have to remember that we are using the same GPS satellite that our competitors use. The reliability of the U.S. Navstar GPS system is well documented. Our technology also uses the Russian Glonass satellites to supplement the U.S system. Unfortunately there are many of our competitors who lack the expertise to utilise this technology in their receivers so they attempt to discredit it. The fact of the matter is that the Glonass system has been extremely reliable for many years. Also, since our system does not rely on Glonass to operate. We continue to perform at least equal to our competitors using only the U.S GPS System.

Is GPS+ Current Technology?

The Topcon GPS+ technology is cutting edge! That’s probably why we are so far ahead of our competitors with our ability to utilise the Glonass System in conjunction with the U.S. GPS Technology. The Topcon GPS+ incorporates the most advanced GPS signal processing and interference reduction in the industry.

At its core is our Paradigm Chip featuring 40 universal super channels that can each track all signals of either single frequency GPS, dual frequency GPS or dual frequency GPS and GLONASS frequencies. Also, with 40 channels we can track up to 20 GPS+ satellites at once, more than any of our competitors! It incorporates our new innovation in signal processing, multipath mitigation and co-op tracking. Making Topcon GPS+ the best in the field for under-canopy and low signal strength reception.

Does GLONASS reduce vertical accuracy?

By using more satellites, we can only add to our performance and accuracy, not reduce it! The addition of more satellites gives a stronger and more redundant position solution than our competitors who are only using GPS. As we said before, ask anybody who knows GPS and they will agree, the more satellites, the better, and MORE ACCURATE!

Are the Russian Satellites the reason that the Topcon system works well in trees, and are their GPS-only receivers as good?

First of all it is the technology within our GPS engine, which allows us to perform so well in the trees, not the Glonass satellites. Also our Paradigm Chip featuring 40 universal super channels that can track all signals of either L1 or L2 GPS and GLONASS frequencies- and up to 20 GPS+ satellites at once provides superior performance. This advanced chip incorporates our new innovations in signal processing, multi-path mitigation and co-op tracking. Making Topcon GPS+ the best in the field for under-canopy and low signal strength reception. So since both our GPS + Glonass as well as our GPS only receivers utilize Paradigm Chip technology, we can simply outperform any other receiver made today. Glonass or no Glonass, we’d be happy to prove it!

Why does that Topcon stuff use the Russian satellites and not the U.S system?

We don’t, we use both! Our system is based primarily on utilizing the U.S. NAVSTAR GPS system, however some of our receiver models have the ability to also utilize the Russian Glonass satellite system.

We use the Glonass system in conjunction with the U.S NAVSTAR system to provide our user with the advantage of more reference satellites, and a more robust coordinate solution. Our competitors would like you to believe that we ONLY use the Glonass system, and that they use the much superior U.S. system.

Basically, the Glonass system gives us some extra satellites to help our system keep working at peak performance through the times of the day when U.S. satellite coverage is at a minimum. This is especially crucial when the job needs to get done, and you don’t have to wait for an additional satellite to come up.

We pride ourselves in our use of pioneering technology that uses the Glonass along with standard dual-frequency GPS. Its simple, we can, they can’t, and they hate it! Advantage Topcon!

Is it true that the Russian satellites are not reliable, and they can give you errors in the field?

This is absolutely not true. Our receivers are designed to monitor satellite constellation Integrity with a special algorithm called RAIM. In addition to this, the Glonass satellites are monitored by ground stations just as the Navstar satellites are. We guarantee that the position information you receive is reliable. If not we wouldn’t put your name on it.

We will happily prove the accuracy and performance of our GPS+ system in the field against any other GPS only receiver from our competitors

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