Champion HC3 Quick Start Manual

HC3 Ultimate Data Collector

Quick Start Guide

1. Appearance

Table of Contents

1.1. General Diagram...............................................

1.2. Keyboard...........................................................

1.3. LED....................................................................

2. Operating Instructions

2.1. Installing the TF Card/SIM Card/Battery...........

2.2. Charging............................................................

2.3. Turning the Collector On/Off............................

2.4. Connecting to a PC...........................................

2.5. Installing SurvCE................................................

2.6. GNSS Status......................................................

2.7. Camera..............................................................

2.8. 9 Pin Serial Port.................................................

2.9. Wireless Connection (Bluetooth/GPRS/WiFi)

2.9.1. Standard Bluetooth.............................

2.9.2. Long Range Bluetooth........................

2.9.3. WiFi.....................................................

2.9.4. GPRS/3G Data Connection.................

3
3
5

5
6
6
7
7
11
12
12

12
12
14
14

3. Useful Functions

3.1. Screen Response...............................................

3.2. Adjusting the Backlight.....................................

3.3. Removing Programs..........................................

3.4. Auto Power Off*................................................

3.5. Clean Boot.........................................................

3.6. PWConfig...........................................................

4. Accessories

4.1. Standard Accessories........................................

4.2. Optional Accessories........................................

1

14
14
15
15
15
15

16
16

5. Environmental Specifications......................................

17

6. Warranty Terms............................................................

7. Contact Information.....................................................

8. Appendix - Product Safety Warnings.........................

9. Getting Started

9.1. HC3 RTK GNSS Bluetooth Base & Rover with

Carlson SurvCE..................................................

9.2. HC3 RTK GNSS Network Rover with

Carlson SurvCE..................................................

9.3. HC3 RTK GNSS GSM Multi-Rover with

Carlson SurvCE..................................................

10. HC3 Specifications......................................................

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18
18

20

26

31
41

2

1. Appearance

1.1. General Diagram

Wristband
Hole

GNSS Antenna

Receiver

GNSS IN GNSS IN

LCM

Power/Charging

LED

Reset Key

Function Key

Direction Key

Keyboard

Power Key

MIC

COM 1 DB9

USB-B

Charging/Data Port

LRBT

Speaker

LOCK

Camera

Battery

Wristband
Hole

1.2. Keyboard

3

The yellow section is the system defaults, and the
functions of the 4 hotkeys are below:

F1: Start menu.
F2: Off.
F3: Camera.
F4: System main interface.

The other keyboard operation:

System defaults to the digital input method

System Default

,

.

Lowercase letters

Press (Shift)

Press Caps

Switch between / and -

*

#

Press (shift) again, it will be digital input
method

Capital letters

Switch between / and -

*

#

Press the Caps button again for lowercase
letters

4

1.3. LED

Operation Power off Charging Full of

Using

charge

Light
Status

Off Red light

on

Off Green

light on

2. Operating Instructions

2.1. Installing the TF Card/SIM Card/Battery

a) Turn the back cover screw to the open position

according to the instructions on the back cover, and
take off the back cover.

b) Insert the SIM card and TF card according to the
instructions in the battery cabin.

5

c) Insert the battery according to the instructions on the
battery label.

d) Close the back cover and turn the back cover screw

to the lock position.

2.2. Charging

a) The USB cable is used to charge the internal battery.
It will charge while the unit is connected to a
PC, or you can use the included wall adapter or
any 5 volt cigarette lighter USB charging port.

2.3. Turning the Collector On/Off

a) Make sure the battery has enough power, or connect
the HC3 to the AC adapter.
b) Press the power button for 3~5 seconds to turn on.
c) Press the power button for 3~5 seconds to power
off.

NOTE: Use the tip of the stylus to press the reset key to
restart the HC3 if necessary.

6

2.4. Connecting to a PC

a) Make sure WMDC (Windows Mobile Device Center)
has been installed in Vista/Win7/Win8/Win10 PC.
b) Connect the HC3 to a PC with the USB cable.
c) ActiveSync/WMDC will connect the HC3 and PC
automatically. The icon will appear in the tool
bar of the PC and also the ‘Synchronization
Setup Wizard’. Click ‘Cancel’ or
‘Connect without setting up your device’.
d) Click ‘Browse’ to check the files in the HC3 and then
transfer data between your PC and the HC3.

2.5. Installing SurvCE

a) Connect the HC3 to the USB port of a Windows
computer and wait for the Windows Mobile Device
Center to connect with the HC3.

7

b) Locate and run the SurvCE_Install.exe file to install
SurvCE.

c) Select the Next button and accept the default
components to be installed.

8

d) The installer will prompt you to install a program to
help it identify the HC3. Please OK this step and wait
for the program to complete its installation by
observing the screen on the HC3.

e) Once you click OK telling the installer that the above
software was installed, the SurvCE installation will
begin.

9

f) When the installer finishes creating the install file,
you will see the install program begin on the HC3.
When it completes, there will be a SurvCE icon on
the home screen.

10

2.6. GNSS Status

a) Go to \My Device\GNSSViewer and run
GNSSViewer.exe.
b) The HC3 supports COM3 and GNSS ports and its
Baud Rate is 9600. Choose a GPS Port and Baud
Rate by clicking Setup -> Port Setup as indicated
below.

c) Click ‘OK’.

11

2.7. Camera

a) Select ‘Start->Picture & Video’, select ‘Camera’ or
the camera icon to take photos.
b) Press the camera key (F3) to take photos.
c) Click screen and select ‘OK’ to exit.

2.8. 9 Pin Serial Port

The 9 Pin serial port is COM1. Transfer data between the
HC3 and other devices using the DB9 null modem serial
cable.

2.9. Wireless Connection (Bluetooth/GPRS/WiFi)

2.9.1. Standard Bluetooth

a) Select ‘Start->Settings->Connections->Wireless
Management’, click the icon to activate

the Bluetooth device.
b) Select ‘Start-> Settings-> Bluetooth’, click ‘Add new
device…’. Follow the tips shown on the screen
to finish the operation of pairing the other BT
Device.

2.9.2. Long Range Bluetooth (COM 2)

a) Select ‘Start’, click ‘BlueTooth Radio Manager’
b) Choose the mode of ‘DirectConn’, and press ‘Power
On’.
c) Select ‘Setup’ from the top of the screen and select
Baud Rate.

Continued on the next page

12

d) Select AutoConn to automatically reconnect on
startup.

e) Select ‘Manager’ from the top of the screen and
select ‘Search BT’.

f) After all BT devices have been found, select a device.
g) Click ‘Connect’ to pair with a BT device of your
choice. Your screen will display “Connect the
BT device successfully” after BT pairs successfully.

13

2.9.3. WiFi

a) Select ‘Start->Settings->Connections->WiFi’.
b) Click ‘Search for Networks’, select a network listed.
Follow the installation guide to input a password and
confirm the connection to WiFi.

2.9.4. GPRS/3G Data Connection

a) Make sure there’s an activated SIM card in the HC3.
b) Select ‘Start->Settings->Connections->Connections’.
c) Click ‘Add a new modem connection’.
d) Input connection name “SimCard”, select ‘Cellular
Line (GPRS)’, click ‘Next’.
e) Input ‘Access point name’, click ‘Next’.
f) Click ‘Finish’ and add new connection successfully.
g) Click ‘Manage existing connections’.
h) Click and hold on “SimCard” and select ‘Connect’.
i) If there is the identifier on the signal icon in the top
right corner, this indicates a successful connection.

3. Useful Functions

3.1. Screen Response

Select ‘Start-> Settings-> System-> Screen‘,
click the ‘Align Screen‘ icon and follow the
guide to align the screen.

3.2. Adjusting the Backlight

Select ‘Start-> Settings-> System-> Backlight’
to adjust backlighting according to the guide.

Continued on the next page

14

3.3. Removing Programs

Select ‘Start-> Settings-> System-> Remove
Programs‘. Select the programs you wish to
remove in the list and click ‘OK’ to remove.

3.4. Auto Power Off*

*NOTE: The device does not support the Auto Power Off

function, instead use Go-To-Sleep mode.

Select ‘Start-> Settings-> System-> Power->
Advanced’. Set the power off time in different
conditions. Backlight will be off according to
selected settings.

3.5. Clean Boot

*NOTE: The password is ‘1234’. Restoring factory settings

will clear the system configuration. Please be cautious.

Select ’Start-> Settings-> System-> Clean
Boot’ to restore factory default settings
according to the guide.

3.6. PWConfig

*NOTE: While on “Screen Off” mode, the device won’t

hibernate.

Select ‘Start-> Settings-> System-> pwconfig’.

15

4. Accessories

4.1. Standard Accessories

Item Name Description Quantity

1 DC Adapter 110 V/DC 5 V/1 A 1

2 USB Cable USB to B-TYPE USB cable 1

3 Serial Cable DB9 null modem serial cable 1

4 Li-ion Battery 3.7 V/6500 mAh 1

5 Strap Black, 180*12 mm 1

6 Stylus Black, 127 mm 1

7 Screen

Protection Film

8 User Guide Paper version 1

9 Antenna Long range Bluetooth antenna 1

57*76 mm, 3 H & screen
microfiber cloth

2

4.2. Optional Accessories

Item Name Description Quantity

1 TF Card Memory capacity: 8G 1

2 Mounting

Bracket and
Pole (Claw)
Clamp

3 External

Champion
AS1-FS GNSS
Antenna

4 External

Antenna Cable

5 2 Meter GNSS

Poll

6 Bipod Bipod for GNSS 2 m poll 1

HW-02 1

GPS: L1 C/A, L2E, L2C, L5
GLONASS: L1 C/A, L1P, L2
C/A, L2P
BeiDou: B1, B2, B3
SBAS: L1 C/A and QZSS L1
Galileo: E1, E5a, E5b
Gain: 40dB, TNC Connector

3’ Fischer to TNC male cable 1

Fixed height 2 m poll for
external antenna

1

1

16

5. Environmental Specifications

a) Operating temperature: -20 ºC ~ +60 ºC
b) Storage temperature: -30 ºC ~ +70 ºC
c) Drop: 1.2 M drop tested on all surfaces
d) Casing: Dustproof and resistant to heavy wind driven
rain per IP54 standard
e) Humidity: 5% ~ 95% (non-condensing)

6. Warranty Terms

The Champion HC3 series is guaranteed against defective
material and workmanship under normal use and
application consistent with this Guide. The equipment is
guaranteed for the period indicated on the warranty card
accompanying the product starting from the date that the
product was sold to the original purchaser by an Authorized
Champion Dealer.

During the warranty period, Champion will, at its option,
repair or replace this product at no additional charge.
Repair parts and replacement products will be furnished
on an exchange basis and will be either reconditioned or
new. This limited warranty does not include service to repair
damage to the product resulting from an accident, disaster,
misuses, abuse or modification of the product.

Warranty service may be obtained from an authorized
Champion warranty service dealer. If this product is
delivered by mail, purchaser agrees to insure the product
or assume the risk of loss or damage in transit, to prepay
shipping charges to the warranty service location and to
use the original shipping container or equivalent. A letter
should accompany the package furnishing a description of
the problem and/or defect.

The purchaser’s sole remedy shall be replacement as

17

provided above. In no event shall Champion be liable for
any damages or other claim including any claim for lost
profits, lost savings or other incidental or consequential
damages arising out of the use of, or inability to use, the
product.

NOTE: Please use the original factory parts.

7. Contact Information

Champion Instruments
Suite 104
4317 Park Drive
Norcross, GA 30093
Telephone: [phone]
Web: www.ChampionInstruments.com
Email: Offi[e-mail]

8. Appendix – Product Safety Warnings

Safety and Compliance Information

• Use responsibly – Read all instructions and safety
information before use to avoid injury.

Battery Safety

• Charge battery only in temperature ranging from
32 ºF to 140 ºF (0 ºC to 50 ºC)

• CAUTION: Danger of explosion if battery is
incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or
equivalent type of battery recommended by the
manufacturer.

• The maximum operating ambient temperature of
the switching power supply declared by the
manufacturer is 50 ºC.

• Dispose of used batteries according to battery
manufacturer’s instructions.

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WiFi Safety

• Turn WiFi off in areas where WiFi use is prohibited
or when it may cause interference or danger, such as
in airplanes while flying.

Care and Maintenance

The HC3 is an electronic product and should be treated
with care. To reduce the risk of fire, electronic shock, or
product damage take the following advice:

• Do not expose this device to rain, moisture, or any
type of liquid that corrodes electronic circuits. If your
device gets wet, immediately turn the power off.
Allow the device to dry completely before using it
again.

• Clean the display with a soft cloth and be careful not
to wipe the display with anything abrasive.

• Do not expose your device to extreme heat (60 ºC )
or cold (-20 ºC ). For example, do not leave it
in the trunk of your car in high heat conditions.

• Do not attempt to open the device other than as
instructed in this manual.

• Rough handling can break the internal circuitry.

• Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents, or
strong detergents to clean the device.

• Use only the recommended accessories.

CAUTION!

CONNECTION TO A USB INTERFACE MUST BE LIMITED

TO USB VERSION 2.0 OR HIGHER

CONNECTION TO “POWER USE” MODE IS

PROHIBITED.

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9. Getting Started

9.1. HC3 RTK GNSS Bluetooth Base & Rover with
Carlson SurvCE

Step 1

The left images are the Base HC3 and the right images are
the Rover HC3. Either unit can be a base or rover. Once the
two units are powered on, pick the Windows icon on the
lower left of the screen, and the Start menu icons will
appear.

Step 2

Pick the BlueTooth Radio Manager icon to pair the units.

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Step 3

Set the Baud Rate and PIN as shown.

Step 4

From the Manager tab, search for the unit to bond with and
press the Connect button. You will see “Connect the BT
device successfully!” after each unit connects.

21

Step 5

After creating a new job and selecting the coordinate
system and geoid separation file, select 2 GPS Base for the
base unit and 3 GPS Rover for the rover unit. Match the
settings below for each unit.

Step 6

22

Step 7

The antenna shown in this configuration is the Champion
AS1-FS full spectrum external antenna on a 2 meter prism
pole.

Step 8

Note that all baud rates have been set to 115200. Selecting
the green check mark on the base continues through the
normal Base Configuration. On the rover, it completes the
setup process and progresses to “RTK L1 Fixed” as shown
on the Monitor/Skyplot screen.

23

Step 9

Select the “Read From GPS” button to establish a known
base position.

Step 10

Average at least 10 positions.

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Step 11

Select “Yes” to complete the base setup. Expect a line of
site range of 3000’. Enjoy!

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9.2. HC3 RTK GNSS Network Rover with
Carlson SurvCE

Step 1

Connect the HC3 to the internet using either a GSM SIM
Card or a Wi-Fi hot spot. The picture below shows a WiFi
connection to the “eGPSGuest” network. Once you see the
name of the hotspot displayed on the screen, start Carlson
SurvCE and create a job with the correct coordinate system
and geoid separation file before configuring the rover. Next
select the Equip tab and then the GPS Rover button.

26

Step 2

Under the Current tab, make the selections shown.

Step 3

Under the Comms tab, make the selections shown.

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Step 4

The antenna shown in this configuration is the Champion
AS1-FS full spectrum external antenna on a 2 meter prism
pole.

Step 5

Under the RTK tab, make the selections shown. These
selections assume that you have a network account with a
corrections provider that provides a mount point for the
u-blox-M8P-2 receiver. If one is not available, you may use
another HC3 as a base and connect to it using long range
Bluetooth or a GSM sim card with a static IP address.

28

Step 6

Once corrections are being received under good
conditions, your HC3 will fix.

Only the following messages should be available through
the reference mount point.

1005 Stationary RTK reference station ARP
1074 GPS MSM4
1084 GLONASS MSM4
1124 BeiDou MSM4
1230 GLONASS code-phase biases

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Step 7

Step 8

Thank you for your HC3 purchase!

30

9.3. HC3 RTK GNSS GSM Multi-Rover with
Carlson SurvCE

Step 1

The left images are the Base HC3 and the right images are
the Rover HC3. Either unit can be a base or rover.
Base:
The GSM network on the base must be started from
Windows at this time but will be automatic after 5.06. Pick
the Windows icon on the lower left corner of the screen to
get to the start menu.
Rover:
Start SurvCE.

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Step 2

Base:
Pick the Settings icon.
Rover:
Select the Equip tab and then the GPS Rover button as
shown.

Step 3

Base:
Pick the Connections folder icon.
Rover:
Configure as shown.

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Step 4

Base:
Pick the connections icon to open the connection manager.
Rover:
Configure as shown.

Step 5

Base:
Select Manage existing connections.
Rover:
Configure as shown.

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Step 6

Base:
Press and hold the SimCard modem connection previously
configured to start the network connection.
Rover:
Configure as shown.

Step 7

Base:
Start SurvCE and begin the base configuration as shown.
Rover:
Configure as shown using the IP address of YOUR Base, not
the one displayed.

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Step 8

Base:
Configure as shown.
Rover:
Configure as shown and press the green check mark.

Step 9

Base:
Configure as shown.
Rover:
Be patient.

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Step 10

Base:
Configure as shown.
Rover:
Enjoy!

Step 11

Base:
Configure as shown.

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Step 12

Base:
Configure as shown.

Step 13

Base:
Configure as shown.

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Step 14

Base:
Please select “Read From GPS” for the initial
configuration.

Step 15

Base:
Configure as shown.

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Step 16

Base:
Configure as shown.

Step 17

Base:
Select No for the initial configuration.

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Step 18

Base:
The TCP/IP Server screen will be displayed when the base
is ready to broadcast corrections. Note that the number of
rovers connected is 0 until 1 or more HC3’s connect.

Step 19

Base:
Snapshot of an actual incoming connection showing 1 rover
connected. The IP Address shown on YOUR screen is the IP
Address you used to configure YOUR HC3’s in step 7. You
are now ready to configure your HC3 rover(s).

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10. HC3 Specifications

Overview

Processor 1 GHz

Storage 1GB (expandable to 33GB using a

MicroSD card)

RAM 512MB

Operation System Windows Embedded 6.5

Multi-Language

Keypad 27 numeric + programmable keys

Mic

Speaker

Display 3.7” sunlight readable with

Display Resolution 480 x 640

Camera 5 megapixel

Dimension 7.87”(W) x 3.78”(H) x 1.26”(D)

Weight 1.2 lbs with battery

Communications and Data Storage

Long Range Bluetooth HC3 Base to HC3 Rover: 3000 ft;

GSM/3G 3G

WiFi

USB Port Type B USB

Serial Port DB9 (RS232)

Voice

Power

DC Input DC 5 V, 1 A

Detachable Li-ion Battery 6500 mA, 3.7 V

Environmental Specifications

Operating Temperature -20 °C ~ +60 °C (-4 °F ~ 140 °F)

Storage Temperature -30 °C ~ +70 °C (-22 °F ~ +158 °F)

Limited Dust and Water IP54

Drop 1.2 m protection

ü

ü

ü

integrated touchscreen

HC3 to Zoom90: 3050 ft

ü

ü

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Parameter Specification

Receiver
Type

Time-To­First-Fix

1

Sensitivity

72 channel u-blox M8 engine
GPS L1C/A, GLONASS L1OF, BeiDou B1I

GPS &
GLONASS

GPS &
BeiDou

Cold Start 26 s 28 s 29 s

Hot Start 1 s 1 s 1 s

2

Reacquisition -160 dBm -160 dBm -160 dBm

GPS

Cold Start -148 dBm -148 dBm -148 dBm

Hot Start -157 dBm -157 dBm -157 dBm

Convergence

3

Time

Horizontal
Position

RTK 2 min

4

Standalone52.5 m CEP

3, 6

RTK

0.025 m + 1 ppm CEP

2 min

4

3.5 min

Accuracy

Table 1: NEO-M8P performance in different GNSS modes (default:
concurrent reception of GPS and GLONASS)

__________________________________

4

1

All satellites at -130 dBm

2

Demonstrated with a good external LNA

3

Depends on atmospheric conditions, baseline length, GNSS antenna,

multipath conditions, satellite visibility and geometry

4

Measured with 1 km baseline, patch antennas with ground planes;

GPS+BeiDou measured in Singapore

5

Circular Error Probability (CEP), 50%, 24 hours static, -130 dBm,

> 6 SVs

6

ppm limited to baselines up to 10 km

42