How can I improve the connection of my tool to my prism or targets?

What is "predictive search?"

The HCL software allows you to determine how many seconds you would like the PLT head unit to continue to follow your speed and direction of movement, even it you were to lose connection to the prism. This is known as "predictive search." Go to Settings > General Settings > "Predictive Search".

For instance, if you move behind a column or construction site equipment, the PLT will assume that you have kept moving and attempt to reconnect to your prism once you reappear within its line of sight.

What should my predictive search settings be placed at?

It is recommended that the predictive search setting stay at 1 second ("1s"). If there are long stretches you believe you will be walking/moving out of sight with the tool, a longer predictive search setting could be helpful. It is safe to change your predictive search settings to find the right setting for your work.

It is also possible to turn predictive search completely off if you find that to be more applicable or practical.

What are angle sector settings for prism and target searching?

Within Settings >General Settings, you will see under the "Prism/Target" section the ability to change the horizontal (HA) or the vertical (VA) angle sectors. This setting tells the tool how many degrees both horizontally and vertically you would like it to rotate to search for a prism or target when you believe you are within line of sight.

Generally speaking, keep the angle sectors as low as possible, but also practical. You want the search area wide enough to find the targets you are pointing at, while not too wide that the search process is longer than needed.

Do I need to us the "Auto Lock on Foils" option?

Please note that the "Auto Lock of Foils" option is only for PLT 400 users. This is not available for PLT 300 tools.

The "Auto Lock on Foils" function under Settings > General Settings simply asks if you prefer the tool to auto lock to the center of your foil targets, such as your POA 101. If you have this turned "on," the tool will automatically lock on to your foils when it is within line of sight and within range.

Note - for the POA 101, the auto-lock ability is approximately 30m. Beyond that distance, you will need to manually use the camera function to target the center of your foil. The setting of auto lock turned "off" means that you prefer to manually target the center of your reflective foil targets each time.

In addition, if you notice that for some reason, the camera is struggling to auto lock on the center of the reflective targets (because the target is partially hidden, or is on a circular structure like a cylindrical column), turning off auto lock would be beneficial, as you can center the telescope on the target yourself.

Changing this auto lock setting will not affect how you auto lock on prisms. This is an option only for reflective foil targets.

Is there a recommended vertical angle range I should be in when using prisms and targets?

Yes - there is a "recommended incident angle" for target locking. Limit the maximum vertical angle to 25°. While it is possible to lock onto a target at a 45° vertical angle, maintaining the center point of your targets and prisms is much more consistent when limiting your maximum vertical angle to 25°.