GSSI GS Series User manual

MN27-151 Rev A

Copyright © 2019 Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.
All rights reserved
including the right of reproduction
in whole or in part in any form
Published by Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.
40 Simon Street
Nashua, New Hampshire 03060-3075 USA
Printed in the United States
SIR, RADAN, UtilityScan and PaveScan RDM are registered trademarks
of Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. GS Series
200 HS Antenna
Limited Warranty, Limitations of Liability and
Restrictions
Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. hereinafter referred to as GSSI, warrants that for a period of
24 months from the delivery date to the original purchaser this product will be free from defects in
materials and workmanship. EXCEPT FOR THE FOREGOING LIMITED WARRANTY, GSSI
DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. GSSI's obligation is limited to
repairing or replacing parts or equipment which are returned to GSSI, transportation and insurance pre-
paid, without alteration or further damage, and which in GSSI's judgment, were defective or became
defective during normal use.
GSSI ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR INJURIES CAUSED BY PROPER OR IMPROPER OPERATION
OF ITS EQUIPMENT, WHETHER OR NOT DEFECTIVE.
Before returning any equipment to GSSI, a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be
obtained. Please call the GSSI Customer Service Manager who will assign an RMA number. Be sure to
have the serial number of the unit available
Regulatory Information
The use of GSSI antennas is governed by different regulatory agencies around the world. Specific antenna
models must be certified for legal operation in your country. Please read and understand the following
regulatory passages that pertain to your antenna. A listing of certified antennas by region can be found
www.geophysical.com/regulatoryinformation.htm.
Notice
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the
device.
Survey Wheels
All of GSSI’s antennas are designed to operate with survey wheels. Some antennas have built-in survey
wheels, including the 62000 Palm Antenna and the Mini-SIR. The series of concrete antennas, including
the 5100, 5101 and 52600, have survey wheels built in to their special carts, the 614 and 615. The larger
antennas, including the 3101D, 5103, 50400 and 5104 are used in the larger carts, the 623 and 643, which
have survey wheels built in to them. Various sizes of survey wheels can also be attached directly to these
antennas. This includes the 611, 620 and 622. For highway surveys we use the 630 Distance measuring
Instrument (DMI).

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. GS Series
200 HS Antenna

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. GS Series
200 HS Antenna
Table of Contents
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1
What Comes in the Box.............................................................................................. 1
A Note about HyperStacking Technology........................................................... 1
About this Manual........................................................................................................ 1
Hardware Assembly.....................................................................................................................2
Setting Up Your System for the First Time ......................................................................3
Interface and Menus.................................................................................................... 4
Configuring One-Time and Global Settings ....................................................... 4
Connecting to the Antenna....................................................................................... 5
Overview of Menu Items and their Functions.................................................................6
The Global/Project Menu Stack............................................................................... 6
The File Parameters Menu Stack............................................................................. 9
Control Bar ....................................................................................................................13
Status Bar.......................................................................................................................14
Setting Up for Data Collection ............................................................................................ 15
Collecting Data............................................................................................................................ 18
Playing Back Data ...................................................................................................................... 19
File Maintenance and Data Transfer................................................................................. 20
Appendix A: GPS......................................................................................................................... 22
Appendix B: File Formats........................................................................................................ 23
Appendix C: Loading the App on a Windows Tablet PC ........................................ 24
Appendix D: System Specifications................................................................................... 25

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. GS Series
200 HS Antenna

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. GS Series
200 HS Antenna
MN27-151 Rev A 1
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing one of GSSI’s GS (Geophysical Survey) Series lower frequency antennas. The
GS antennas represent the state-of-the-art for GPR applications that require the deepest possible
penetration while maintaining the fine resolution you’ve come to expect from GSSI mid and high
frequency systems. GS antennas incorporate GSSI’s HyperStacking®(HS) technology for blazingly fast
collection speed and high levels of noise immunity. The GS has been designed with real-life field
conditions in mind. This is a system that you can confidently take to the ends of the Earth and use in the
harshest environments. Here at GSSI we’re very proud of what we’ve created and even prouder that
you’ve decided to place your trust in us.
What Comes in the Box
•200 HS Antenna
•HS Module
•Lithium-ion Batteries (2)
•Dual Bay Battery Charger
•Tow Handle
•GS Series Manual
•Panasonic G1 Tablet (optional)
•SIR 4000 WiFi Module (optional)
A Note about HyperStacking Technology
The GPR data you see on the screen start as received pulses of electromagnetic energy that have reflected
off objects or interfaces in the ground. The reflected signals generate electrical charges in the receive
antenna element that are digitized by the antenna’s onboard sampler. They are then converted into digital
values and displayed as a colorized linescan profile or an oscilloscope trace. Traditional GPR systems
send out one pulse at a time and record one small piece of reflected information (a sample) from that one
pulse. It takes many samples to make a single scan and many scans to make a profile.
HyperStacking (HS for short) technology represents a generational leap in GPR. HS antennas record
many samples from a single pulse. This allows an HS antenna to record data at speeds up to an order of
magnitude faster than conventional systems. In practice, the HS antennas use that extra data to average, or
stack, individual samples. This helps to reduce the random noise present in the signal and results in
cleaner and deeper data.
An added benefit is that we randomize the timing of the transmit pulse. This is called “dithering” and
means that we automatically average out manmade noise from nearby radio transmitters. This patented
technique enables you to work more confidently in high-noise environments like urban areas or airports.
About this Manual
This document provides important information for operating the GS Series antenna and collecting,
reviewing, and transferring GPR data to a PC. It is available for free download at
www.geophysical.com. This manual is not necessarily a substitute for a full training class. Purchase of a
GS Series system includes complimentary access to GSSI’s regularly scheduled curriculum of
professionally led training classes. We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities for
instruction and networking with other professionals. Please visit www.geophysical.com or contact
[e-mail] for more details.

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. GS Series
200 HS Antenna
MN27-151 Rev A 2
Hardware Assembly
This section describes how to assemble your GS Series Antenna to prepare for a survey. Here we are
assuming a distance-based survey; if you are instead performing a time or point-based survey disregard
steps 3-5.
Unpack and prepare:
•200 HS
•Tow Handle
•HS Module
•1 Lithium-ion battery
•Model 620 SW (for distance-based only)
•A wrench (for distance-based only)
1Attach the HS Module to the top of your 200 HS
antenna. Snap the two levers (one on each side) to
secure it.
2Clip the Tow Handle to the front of the device. The front
is also where the battery port sits. There are four areas to
clip to – pick an orientation that works best for your site
to keep the antenna on the ground.
3Attach the Model 620 SW brackets to the back of the 200 HS. You will need a wrench to secure the
bolts properly.

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. GS Series
200 HS Antenna
MN27-151 Rev A 3
4Secure the 620SW to the brackets using the attached pins.
5Attach the 620SW cable to the 4-pin connection on the
HS Module
6Insert a battery into the battery port on the antenna.
7Press the power button on the HS Module.
8Wait for the power light to blink continuously before attempting
to connect on the Panasonic G1 Tablet or before powering on
your SIR 4000.
Setting Up Your System for the First Time
This section describes how to configure typical one-time settings such as language and units of
measurement, connect to the antenna via WiFi, and navigate the control software. For this section we are
assuming the use of a tablet computer. For use with the SIR-4000, please refer to the appropriate section
of the SIR-4000 manual.
1To begin, double tap the GS Series shortcut from the Windows desktop.
You will briefly see the application loading image before landing on the
Playback/Collect screen.
•The right side of the window will show a list of detected antennas which are
transmitting a WiFi signal.
•The left side of the window will show project folders.
•If this is the first time you are using the system, the only folder shown will be the factory default
one: COMMON.
Playback/Collect Navigating the Menu Items

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. GS Series
200 HS Antenna
MN27-151 Rev A 4
Interface and Menus
There are three groupings of control items that you will interact with: the Global Stack at the left,
the File Specific Stack at the right, and the Control Bar at the bottom.
•In order to maximize the visible data image, these are collapsed into the sides of the screen and
opened when needed.
•The Global Stack and the File Stack can be accessed by tapping the collapsed menu icon in the
top left and top right corners respectively.
•The Control Bar is always present although the available functions may vary depending on which
mode you are in. We’ll describe these in greater detail in the next section.
Interface with all menus open
Configuring One-Time and Global Settings
Typical one-time settings include language and units of measurement. Typical global settings include the
project folder where you will save individual profiles. These changes will need to be made before
connecting to the antenna.
If you have already clicked through to Collect or Playback, tap the Back arrow <in the lower left corner
to return to the Collect/Playback screen.
1Tap the Global/Project stack button at the top left. This will expand the portion of the
menu pertaining to settings which do not vary from file to file in a single project.
2Scroll to the Project section of the stack. You are looking for the Units and Language options.
3Tap the selected parameter to change. For example, if you wish to change the Units from imperial
to metric, tap the word Imperial. These settings will remain from session to session.