FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Contents

• HP48 RAM Cards
• All HP48 Software
• HYDRATOOLS
• Student Cogo
• SiteStake
• Party Chief
• PC Software

HP48 RAM Cards

1. Are your RAM cards HP approved?

   All HP48 Programs

2. There is a little "2" in the top of my 48 display. What does it mean?
3. I'm having trouble transferring data to my computer. Whats wrong?
4. I'm trying to print to my infrared printer but nothing is printed.
5. I'm trying to print to my infrared printer and it is only printing boxes.

   HYDRATOOLS

6. Why don't my calculations match the examples in the manual?
7. Can I calculate flow in a trapezoidal channel with different sideslopes?
8. Why am I getting an error when solving for depth of flow in an 8" pipe?
9. In PIPE CALC I seem to be getting incorrect results and the area appears to be wrong.

   Student Cogo

10. Can I transfer data from Student Cogo to my PC?
11. When I press the NXT key, I get the intersection programs (L-L, L-D, and D-D) displayed on the softkeys. What's wrong?
12. Why am I not getting the correct answer when I inverse?
13. Why am I getting a different closure result using your Compass Rule Traverse adjustment?

    SiteStake

14. Does SiteStake interface with my instrument?
15. Does SiteStake store raw data?
16. If I can't store raw data, why should I interface with my instrument?

    Party Chief

17. I just changed my RAM card battery and am getting errors saying PORT NOT AVAILABLE. What's wrong?
18. We just got our first metric job. Can Party Chief work in metric?
19. Are there any routines to convert from feet to meters?
20. I just got the 4.1 update and Offset/Run isn't working.
21. I'm receiving the message 'Transfer Failed' on my PC when I attempt to load the Party Chief advanced programs from disk.
22. I'm unable to get any response loading advanced programs.
23. I'm receiving an error message when I attempt to run File Manager or Stake.
24. I get errors or incorrect results when inversing point numbers above 1000.
25. I'm working with small coordinates like 300,400 and get errors or incorrect results.

HP48 RAM Cards

1. Are your RAM cards HP approved? Yes. HP used to require shutters covering the contacts on the cards for approval and our cards had shutters at that time. It is no longer possible to obtain cards with shutters from anyone, and HP no longer requires them for "HP approval". Use of our RAM cards does not invalidate your HP warranty. HP simply has not updated the manual in more than 5 years (note that the area codes for contacting HP are outdated also).

   All HP48 Programs

2. There is a little "2" in the top of my 48 display. What does it mean? The numbers 1-5 may appear in the top line of the display from time to time. They indicate that a programming "flag" is set. These flags are used by our software programs and seeing them set occasionally is normal.
3. I'm having trouble transferring data to my computer. Whats wrong? The primary cause of failed transfers is low batteries. Even if your 48 has not displayed the low battery indicator, you should try changing your batteries. The 48 may have enough power to operate, but transferring data through the serial port requires extra power.
4. I'm trying to print to my infrared printer but nothing is printed. The HP48 controls printing thru a pair of system flags (33 and 34). To access the system flags make sure User mode is off and press MODES ( ) to start the MODES applet, then press the FLAG softkey. Scroll down to system flag 34 and ensure that it is not checked (display shows "Print via IR"). Now press the OK softkey twice to exit. To use infrared you do not need to worry about system flag 33.
5. I'm trying to print to my infrared printer and it is only printing boxes. The infrared printer prints boxes when its internal buffer is overrun. Your HP48 is sending data to the printer too quickly. HP recommends a minimum delay between lines of 2 seconds for the infrared printer. This can be set using the HP48 DELAY command. With user mode turned off enter:
   • 2 DELAY
   This will slow down the transmission of data to the printer. If the problem persists try increasing the delay to 3.

   HYDRATOOLS

6. Why don't my calculations match the examples in the manual? You probably have HYDRAtools operating in metric. Press the METRIC softkey to toggle to english units. The softkey displays the units you are currently using.
   If this does not correct the problem, it is possible you have taken the HP48 out of degrees mode. Execute the function DEG to return the HP48 to degrees mode.
7. Can I calculate flow in a trapezoidal channel with different sideslopes? HYDRAtools does not currently support this but it is on our revision list. You can compute a reasonable approximation by averaging the side slopes for preliminary work. For a final computation, calculate area and perimeter and verify using the Generic option.
8. Why am I getting an error when solving for depth of flow in an 8" pipe? Version 2.00 was unable to solve for "d" with a small pipe (less than 12"). You can enter a guess for "d" and solve for "Q". This has been fixed in Version 2.01.
9. In PIPE CALC I seem to be getting incorrect results and the area appears to be wrong. Exit out of HYDRAtools and see if "RAD" appears in the upper left corner of your display. This indicates your calculator is in Radians mode. If "RAD" is shown in the display press the RAD key (located on Left-Shift MTH on an HP48GX).

   Student Cogo

10. Can I transfer data from Student Cogo to my PC? The short answer is 'no'. Student Cogo was not designed to communicate with PC's or instruments. This was done to keep costs down, as tech support for data communications is one of the most costly parts of a product.
    It is possible to connect your HP48 to a PC with a serial cable and print points to the PC, capturing the text in a program such as HyperTerminal which is included with Windows 95/NT. It is not very hard to do but we can not provide technical support on the use of HyperTerminal or other PC software.
11. When I press the NXT key, I get the intersection programs (L-L, L-D, and D-D) displayed on the softkeys. What's wrong? You have Student Cogo operating in overlay mode. This was caused by pressing the PKEY1 softkey in the Student Cogo library menu. See the TechNote on changing Student Cogo's keyboard mode.
12. Why am I not getting the correct answer when I inverse? Check the Maximum Point Number setting in Config. A point number you are entering may be interpreted by the software as a coordinate or vice versa.
13. Why am I getting a different closure result using your Compass Rule Traverse adjustment?
    • Make sure you are comparing the same data. For example, Student Cogo displays closure after angle adjustment.
    • Be careful with your precision. If calculating a textbook problem, check the book's calculations step by step. Work to at least 4 decimal place accuracy, and you will probably find that the book is incorrect. Many textbooks round the latitudes and departures to 2 decimal places and then compute bearings and adjusted angles from these 2 place coordinates. This can easily produce 5" of error in a single angle or bearing.
    • A bearing of closure with a length of .5 feet can change by 20" just from a latitude or departure rounding error of 0.0001.

      Latitude	Departure	Bearing	Distance
      0.4402	0.1951	23°54'12"	0.4815
      0.4403	0.1951	23°53'54"	0.4816
      Error		0°00'17"	0.0001

    • When calculating corrections to latitudes and departures the correction per unit of length should be carried out to 6 or preferably 8 places.

    SiteStake

14. Does SiteStake interface with my instrument? SiteStake interfaces with most current Topcon, Sokkia (Leitz), Geodimeter, Leica (Wild), Nikon, Pentax, and Zeiss instruments. Your instrument must support RS232 serial communication which includes just about anything made during and since the 80's. We have drivers for numerous instruments installed already, but if you have a new instrument which is not yet supported we will be glad to write a new driver for it.
15. Does SiteStake store raw data? No. SiteStake was designed as a low cost contractors stakeout card and includes complete cogo and layout features. It is not designed for data collection. It is possible to record shots from the gun and store them as 3D cogo points but raw data can not be stored.
16. If I can't store raw data, why should I interface with my instrument? For fast stakeout, SiteStake communicates with the instrument to navigate you to the point. It displays left/right and come/go distances to get you to the point, then displays elevation, grade, and cut/fill data for marking your stakes.

    Party Chief

17. I just changed my RAM card battery and am getting errors saying PORT NOT AVAILABLE. What's wrong? Check and make sure that the RAM card write protect switch is toward the center of the calculator. If not, turn off the HP48, slide the switch to the center, and turn the HP48 on. It will perform a 'warm boot', coming on slowly with USER mode off. Press to turn user mode on, then press (RESET) to reset Party Chief.
18. We just got our first metric job. Can Party Chief work in metric? Yes. Units in are units out. What this means is that if you enter metric coordinates, inversing returns distances in meters, and vice versa. You can run a job in chains or inches if you want.
19. Are there any routines to convert from feet to meters? Yes. The HP48 includes a very nice units conversion program which is documented in chapter 10 of the HP48G Series Users Guide. For some small foot to meter programs which can be installed on the user keys see the TechNote on metric conversions.
20. I just got the 4.1 update and Offset/Run isn't working. Offset/Run was revised to work in both beginner and advanced modes like the other cogo programs. In beginner mode it functions as it did before. In advanced mode, you enter three point numbers or coordinate pairs before pressing Offset/Run, similarly to doing an Inverse. Enter direction point, base point, offset/run point and press Offset/Run. After establishing the baseline you can now enter just a simgle offset/run point and press the key.
21. I'm receiving the message 'Transfer Failed' on my PC when I attempt to load the Party Chief advanced programs from disk. This message typically appears when the HP48 is connected to a very fast computer such as a 300Mhz Pentium. Try starting the Kermit transfer manually as described in the manual, in the section System Programs/Loading Advanced Programs.
    1. Insert disk in A:
    2. Type A: [Enter]
    3. Type KERMIT [Enter]
    4. Type SET PORT 2 [Enter] (Or the appropriate number for your COM port)
    5. Type SET BAUD 9600 [Enter]
    6. Type SET SEND PAUSE 50 [Enter]This is the change to slow down your PC
    7. Type SERVER [Enter]
    8. Start the transfer on the HP48 following the normal procedure.
    If this change helps you may wish to edit the AUTOLOAD script to do this automatically. If using COM1, edit the AUTOLOAD.1 file or if using COM2 edit the AUTOLOAD.2 file. Recent versions of these files include the line SET SEND PAUSE 5 and you can just change the 5 to 50. If your file does not include this line simply add it as above, before the SERVER line.
22. I'm unable to get any response loading advanced programs. If you are running Windows95, 98, or Me, close all other programs. Go to Start/Shutdown/Restart in MSDOS mode. Follow the procedure in the previous question to run Kermit manually. After exiting Kermit, type EXIT at the DOS prompt to return to the Windows environment.
23. I'm receiving an error message when I attempt to run File Manager or Stake. If you are unable to get into any of the graphical programs (File Manager, Stake, Grade, Template, Gradesheet, etc.) it is probably because you interrupted the HP48 while rebooting Party Chief. When Party Chief is rebooted using the PC48 program you MUST enter through the date and time prompts. If you interrupt the program by pressing ON the initialization is not complete. To fix this problem reboot Party Chief by running PC48.
    1. If necessary turn user mode off ( )
    2. Select the library menu ( 2 )
    3. Select the Party Chief library ( )
    4. Run the PC48 program ( )
24. I get errors or incorrect results when inversing point numbers above 1000. This is probably due to the Maximum Point Number setting in Config. The maximum point setting is how Party Chief determines if input data is a point number or coordinates. If your maximum point number is set at 999 and you try to inverse to point 1005, Party Chief interprets 1005 as part of a coordinate. You will either get an error because there are not enough numbers on the stack, or incorrect results from the inverse. Level 4 of the stack will show "Coord-Coord" rather than the point numbers you were trying to inverse.
    To correct this, go to the Config program and select a higher maximum point number such as 9999. For more information about the maximum point number see page 12 of the Party Chief Reference Manual.
25. I'm working with small coordinates like 300,400 and get errors or incorrect results. This is probably due to the Maximum Point Number setting in Config. The maximum point setting is how Party Chief determines if input data is a point number or coordinates. If your maximum point number is set at 999 and you try to inverse with coordinates such as 300,400, Party Chief interprets this as an inverse from point number 300 to point number 400. You will see an "Invalid Point Number" error message, and when the inverse results are displayed level 4 will show "300-400" indicating that the inverse was computed from those point numbers. This is one reason why it is often best to start assumed grid work at a higher value such as 5000,10000 or something similar, rather than at 0,0.
    If you need to inverse with small coordinate values such as these you can do so by going to the Config program and selecting a lower maximum point number such as 99 or NONE. Selecting NONE will prevent you from cogoing with stored points at all, selecting 99 will still allow you to use point numbers 1-99.