The 'Today's Job' thread

[Gunners]

I believe the 2d+ is what we want gents. As none of us ever really have proper drawings that could be made into a model to really make use of the 3D anyway. And I'm told its a new system we need if we want to upgrade to 2D+. But trust me, I will be giving you the low down on how I find it to use in 2D and hopefully 3D mode if I can get my fag packet sketch of the job I have lined up for it made into a model
Idig are helping me with this behind the scenes to make sure I can show it off properly as I want to be up to speed with all the new features.
Its going to be a busy couple of weeks trying to review the machine, the Rototilt and the Idig system - and actually get some bloody work done!

 

[JerryRtilt]

I believe the 2d+ is what we want gents. As none of us ever really have proper drawings that could be made into a model to really make use of the 3D anyway. And I'm told its a new system we need if we want to upgrade to 2D+. But trust me, I will be giving you the low down on how I find it to use in 2D and hopefully 3D mode if I can get my fag packet sketch of the job I have lined up for it made into a model
Idig are helping me with this behind the scenes to make sure I can show it off properly as I want to be up to speed with all the new features.
Its going to be a busy couple of weeks trying to review the machine, the Rototilt and the Idig system - and actually get some bloody work done!

The work you put into making these videos is appreciated I’m sure, at the end of the day it potentially benefits everyone, biggest challenge could be using a proper, red tiltrotator

 

[6feetdown]

I believe so. Think it was at Plantworks, then Scotplant, then went to her. They have fitted the extra counterweight now though probably knowing I would no doubt comment on it as its got the long dipper fitted. Has she done a video on it? I've not seen anything myself

Yeah she had the machine for a couple of weeks

 

[Furniss]

A whole different ball game when you start using those satellites, but some automatic way of recatching the lazer would be really useful although it doesn’t take long, just tends to interrupt the flow of things I find.

about the laser catch, like you say it's not a big job to catch the laser but deff spoils the flow and it's something else you need to think about.
When we get going in earnest after the ridiculously long french summer break we'll hopefully see a reduction in the amount of laser catches required due to the reduced machine moves but you still have to move if your trenching conventionally.
Do you have tilt sensors on your tilty @JerryRtilt ?

 

[JerryRtilt]

about the laser catch, like you say it's not a big job to catch the laser but deff spoils the flow and it's something else you need to think about.
When we get going in earnest after the ridiculously long french summer break we'll hopefully see a reduction in the amount of laser catches required due to the reduced machine moves but you still have to move if your trenching conventionally.
Do you have tilt sensors on your tilty @JerryRtilt ?

No haven’t found it necessary as yet

 

[CPS]

As Ollie pointed out, 2D Plus is the system which uses GNSS to determine the height on the machine. A really nice feature which does away with the Laser catch. It is only available with the new Connect system. Most of you will have the Touch 2D system. One thing to remember is that 2D plus or 3D won't work inside building, or under trees etc that well (anything that will block a satellite signal).
Another thing which I like the sound of is that the new Connect system will have a dynamic laser catch at some point I believe. Meaning that you won't need to wait the 3 secs and should be able to do it on the move

 

[Smiffy]

As Ollie pointed out, 2D Plus is the system which uses GNSS to determine the height on the machine. A really nice feature which does away with the Laser catch. It is only available with the new Connect system. Most of you will have the Touch 2D system. One thing to remember is that 2D plus or 3D won't work inside building, or under trees etc that well (anything that will block a satellite signal).
Another thing which I like the sound of is that the new Connect system will have a dynamic laser catch at some point I believe. Meaning that you won't need to wait the 3 secs and should be able to do it on the move

But gnss is only accurate to 100mm vertically. Can get slightly better with corrections subscription but normal subscription only seems to be about 40hrs a month. Can get better still with multiple base stations but at this point the money is getting ridiculous.

 

[Furniss]

But gnss is only accurate to 100mm vertically. Can get slightly better with corrections subscription but normal subscription only seems to be about 40hrs a month. Can get better still with multiple base stations but at this point the money is getting ridiculous.

100mm when you only move a few meters ?

 

[doobin]

You guys remember this job?

Well we reversed it today! She's sold up. Moved into rented, so no doubt we will have to move it AGAIN, and knowing my luck, it'll be a crane job next time

Easier because we had the full width ramp and electric winch this time, plus the Kubota with the amazing bi-speed turn to shunt it. Harder (much harder) as this trailer is 16' not 14'! Somehow we got it on, with assisance from the Tirfor winch when we went too far with the steering lock and to hold it back as she went over the breakover point (thank God for those trees)

Getting it out was insaneley tight. We had to winch it back into and across the garden as the kubota couldn't quite push it up the slight incline when loaded, then unhitched and repositioned the kubota to start getting it through the gateway (the post for which of course wouldn't pull out, we had to cut it off).Then unhitch and adjust the tractor angle two more times before getting it out to the road. Nasty tailswing on that trailer.

A nerve wracking crawl down the lane (mag mount gypo beacon on the roof and some snazzy battery mag light flashers on the sides) with the polesaw, cutting off all the branches that had grown back since we last did it.... Relief when we got to the main road and then Will following behind, on the radio constantly telling me to move to the middle of the road to avoid the stuff the council hasn't cut for years. A nasty blind turn off the main road (he went ahead and radioed when it was safe to take position on the offside for the left turn) and then we were at the new place, which luckily was a field. Only damage a slight dent in the chimney cowling.

Big digger I'd dropped there yesterday (cut the grass with the flail collector too) so we had a good idea of where the best level area was. Soon had a couple of holes set out, dug and filled level with a load of stone from yesterdays job that I'd saved, then swung the bolted together sleepers in with the grab and tapped them home. NivComp said both were within 10mm, so that'll do. Came off the trailer relatively easily, but we still had to head back to the yard, pick up the micro and some stuff to fix the mess back at the first house. Did a reasonable job (god, it's hard work taking out a post that you put in properly in the first place!!) although I had to channel my inner Rogue Trader (wasn't hard) and scribe a spare tile with a saw before breaking it (in three pieces, oops) and sticking it back on the pillar with Stixall. Never mind, the gaff is sold and it looks OK from below! The lads made a badgers arse of the gravelboard too but it was half five on a friday and the customer was over the moon, so off we fked (after a beer each and sharing a pack of crisps) back to the yard to throw things inside and call it a day.

All that graft (and I still got to put tools away tomorrow and empty the tipper) for £950 profit after paying the lads and materials. Should have charged more- who else could have done it?? About a day and half including mowing and putting the tools away tomorrow. Never mind, there'll be a third time.

 

[Smiffy]

100mm when you only move a few meters ?

100mm when your sat still long enough.
I did a lot of research into gnss for setting out. Essentially to get accurate gnss readings you need a base station or preferably multiple. And leave them static for long periods then use software to average out the location. From here you can compare the base stations to the mobile unit to increase accuracy of the mobile unit. I don't how this affects the idig in the real world though. Would be interesting to put a laser across and see how it comes out.
In the US they use a total station that feeds into the machine control for ultimate accuracy.

 

[V8Druid]

You guys remember this job?

View attachment 50458

Well we reversed it today! She's sold up. Moved into rented, so no doubt we will have to move it AGAIN, and knowing my luck, it'll be a crane job next time

Easier because we had the full width ramp and electric winch this time, plus the Kubota with the amazing bi-speed turn to shunt it. Harder (much harder) as this trailer is 16' not 14'! Somehow we got it on, with assisance from the Tirfor winch when we went too far with the steering lock and to hold it back as she went over the breakover point (thank God for those trees)

Getting it out was insaneley tight. We had to winch it back into and across the garden as the kubota couldn't quite push it up the slight incline when loaded, then unhitched and repositioned the kubota to start getting it through the gateway (the post for which of course wouldn't pull out, we had to cut it off).Then unhitch and adjust the tractor angle two more times before getting it out to the road. Nasty tailswing on that trailer.

A nerve wracking crawl down the lane (mag mount gypo beacon on the roof and some snazzy battery mag light flashers on the sides) with the polesaw, cutting off all the branches that had grown back since we last did it.... Relief when we got to the main road and then Will following behind, on the radio constantly telling me to move to the middle of the road to avoid the stuff the council hasn't cut for years. A nasty blind turn off the main road (he went ahead and radioed when it was safe to take position on the offside for the left turn) and then we were at the new place, which luckily was a field. Only damage a slight dent in the chimney cowling.

Big digger I'd dropped there yesterday (cut the grass with the flail collector too) so we had a good idea of where the best level area was. Soon had a couple of holes set out, dug and filled level with a load of stone from yesterdays job that I'd saved, then swung the bolted together sleepers in with the grab and tapped them home. NivComp said both were within 10mm, so that'll do. Came off the trailer relatively easily, but we still had to head back to the yard, pick up the micro and some stuff to fix the mess back at the first house. Did a reasonable job (god, it's hard work taking out a post that you put in properly in the first place!!) although I had to channel my inner Rogue Trader (wasn't hard) and scribe a spare tile with a saw before breaking it (in three pieces, oops) and sticking it back on the pillar with Stixall. Never mind, the gaff is sold and it looks OK from below! The lads made a badgers arse of the gravelboard too but it was half five on a friday and the customer was over the moon, so off we fked (after a beer each and sharing a pack of crisps) back to the yard to throw things inside and call it a day.

All that graft (and I still got to put tools away tomorrow and empty the tipper) for £950 profit after paying the lads and materials. Should have charged more- who else could have done it?? About a day and half including mowing and putting the tools away tomorrow. Never mind, there'll be a third time.

View attachment 50459View attachment 50460View attachment 50461View attachment 50462View attachment 50463View attachment 50464View attachment 50465View attachment 50466

could you not have dragged it out on its own wheels on some planks and load easier on the road ??

 

[Lancs Lad]

could you not have dragged it out on its own wheels on some planks and load easier on the road ??

From my comfy chair here it looks like the hut roof would have twatted the garage roof if it was at ground level...but my eyecrometer might be getting slightly out of calibration at this time on a Friday ....
Frig it was tight doob

 

[doobin]

could you not have dragged it out on its own wheels on some planks and load easier on the road ??

Possibly. Wasn’t really an option when installing it originally it as it had to go that way around, and I’d dare not push too hard (or at all) on the drawbar.

Therefore, I reasoned that as it went in OK that way, it was probably easiest to stick to what we knew when it came to getting it out!

Would still have been the same amount of graft removing stuff, still tight as a nuns arse getting it out and then blocking the road for half an hour loading and strapping.

At least you can be a bit ‘persuasive’ with it on a trailer. Much harder when you’ve got the wooden dolly to deal with too. And much easier to control on the downhill driveway.

 

[Furniss]

100mm when your sat still long enough.
I did a lot of research into gnss for setting out. Essentially to get accurate gnss readings you need a base station or preferably multiple. And leave them static for long periods then use software to average out the location. From here you can compare the base stations to the mobile unit to increase accuracy of the mobile unit. I don't how this affects the idig in the real world though. Would be interesting to put a laser across and see how it comes out.
In the US they use a total station that feeds into the machine control for ultimate accuracy.

Be interesting to hear @Gunners feedback on 2d+ ....it must be better than that as 100mm is unworkable when you spend half your days trenching a 2% or 1%

 

[6feetdown]

Be interesting to hear @Gunners feedback on 2d+ ....it must be better than that as 100mm is unworkable when you spend half your days trenching a 2% or 1%

Yeah sounds a big margin at that rate you'd be better doing it by eye

 

[CPS]

Be interesting to hear @Gunners feedback on 2d+ ....it must be better than that as 100mm is unworkable when you spend half your days trenching a 2% or 1%

We have achieved 10mm tolerance with 2D plus and 3D on our demo machine which I believe is good.
The GNSS uses RTK correction signals to achieve fine tolerances.

 

[Smiffy]

We have achieved 10mm tolerance with 2D plus and 3D on our demo machine which I believe is good.
The GNSS uses RTK correction signals to achieve fine tolerances.

You can achieve high levels but they aren't guaranteed. Even with the corrections they struggle with the vertical position. That's why on surveys they only survey in the soft with gnss then use the gnss to setup static points and transfer to a total station for more precise points.
The corrections can reliably get to within 10mm horrizontally. It's the vertical position that noone seems to guarantee. And it doesn't seem to matter how much money you spend,

 

[Giles]

what are you guys doing that requires that level of machine control?

Foundations and septic tanks? Driveways?

Most our drawings unless highway etc don’t have levels other than what suits the site

How do these systems go on on steep
Hills doing new road say 300mm dig where ground is up and down and very steep down hill as well?

 

[doobin]

FFS. I finally get around to buying in to iDig second hand at a sensible price and you guys are now talking about the next gen guided from space....

By the time I buy a tilt rotator you'll all be using robots with lasers.

 

[TiltyShaun]

FFS. I finally get around to buying in to iDig second hand at a sensible price and you guys are now talking about the next gen guided from space....

By the time I buy a tilt rotator you'll all be using robots with lasers.

Idig first version is good enough for most of us that just need level control. It is an aid not a complete answer to every problem.