Radio 3 mounts on your tracker tripod, connects to the laser tracker with the included Ethernet cable, and runs on a Milwaukee M18 battery or a 45 W (or higher) USB-C charger. Once the Power light is solid green and the Radio screen shows a green check next to Tracker, the radio is ready.

For the unit's specifications, see Radio Specs.

Mount the radio on the tripod and connect it to the tracker

Have a charged Milwaukee battery ready before you start.

1. Slide the Radio 3 unit into the mount until you hear it click. If it lifts out easily it is not seated. Remove it and try again. To take it off later, press the orange release button on the mount and slide the unit up.
2. Insert a charged Milwaukee battery into the battery clip on the back of the mount, or connect the included USB-C wall charger.
3. Connect the end of the Ethernet cable with the ferrite bead, the cylinder molded onto the cable, to Radio 3.
4. Connect the other end, the end without the ferrite bead, to the tracker.

A note on USB-C power. You can run Radio 3 from a USB-C charger instead of a battery, but the charger must be rated 45 W or higher. A lower-wattage charger will not power the unit properly, and Radio 3 shows a warning screen telling you to swap it out.

If you have a battery installed and a USB-C charger connected at the same time, the unit runs on USB power. It does not charge the battery, and it does not drain it either. There is no separate charger for charging a battery off the unit.

Power Radio 3 on and off

To turn it on, press and hold the power button until the startup screen appears. The Power light blinks blue while it starts, which takes about 30 seconds. When the Radio screen appears and the Power light turns solid green, the unit is ready.

To turn it off, press and hold the power button until the screen goes black. It is fully off once all the lights are out.

You can swap the battery while the tracker is running. Radio 3 restarts and the tracker keeps working.

Where to position the radio for the best signal

Mount the radio upright, so its antennas point the same direction as the robot's. This is the one physical thing that measurably affects your connection.

Pointing up or down does not matter. What matters is that the radio's antennas and the robot's antennas sit in the same plane. Laying the radio flat, on top of the tracker case or on the ground, turns its antennas sideways relative to the robot's, and you will see more dropouts and weaker signal. Height and position do not matter. Angle does. A ceiling-mounted tracker is fine as long as the radio itself is upright.

What the lights tell you

The three lights on the unit give you the state without paging through screens.

The battery icon on screen is more precise: four green bars above 75%, three above 50%, two above 25%, and one red bar at 25% or less.

What each screen shows

Use the Page buttons to move between screens. The unit starts on Radio, then cycles through Information, Wi-Fi, Tracker Level, and Level Check. What each button does is labelled on the screen.

Screen name	Screen display	What it shows
Initializing		Boot/startup screen shown while Radio 3 powers on, displaying the Dusty Robotics logo and an “Initializing…” progress indicator. This screen appears after pressing the power button, before the Radio screen loads.
Radio Nothing connected		The default home screen when Radio 3 has not yet paired with a tracker or FieldPrinter. It shows the Radio ID, radio Channel, and red status icons next to Tracker and FieldPrinter, along with the unit's Hostname. Reached automatically after initialization.
Radio FieldPrinter connected		The Radio home screen once the FieldPrinter robot has paired with Radio 3 (green check next to FieldPrinter) but the tracker has not yet connected (red icon next to Tracker). The battery icon in the top-right shows current charge.
Radio Tracker and FieldPrinter connected		The Radio home screen once both the tracker and the FieldPrinter robot are connected, shown as green check icons next to Tracker and FieldPrinter. This is the normal operating state before starting a print.
Firmware Updating		Displayed while Radio 3 is installing a firmware update. Do not power off the unit or remove the battery while this screen is shown.
Settings		Language selection menu, with the active language highlighted in orange and marked with a checkmark. Use the up/down arrows to scroll through available languages (English, Español, 한국어, 日本語) and the center checkmark button to confirm a selection.
Information		Diagnostic details for the unit and its paired tracker: current Radio software version, Tracker model, Tracker serial number (Tracker SN), PTP time-synchronization status, and network Latency in milliseconds. The FCC INFO button opens the regulatory compliance screen.
FCC Info		Regulatory compliance screen reached from the Information screen's FCC INFO button. Displays the FCC Part 15 compliance statement, product name, part number, FCC ID, and Dusty Robotics contact information. Tap Dismiss to return to the previous screen.
Wi-Fi		Shows the Wi-Fi network Radio 3 is currently connected to, its connection Status, and signal Strength in dBm (closer to 0 is stronger). Use the Disconnect Wi-Fi button to disconnect from the current network.
Tracker Level Status: Disabled		The Tracker Level screen before leveling is engaged. The red “disabled” icon over the level graphic and the “Status: Disabled” label indicate that tilt readings (T-Tilt and L-Tilt) are not currently being measured.
Tracker Level Status: Level		The Tracker Level screen once leveling is active, showing a live bullseye readout of the tracker's tilt. A centered dot and green checkmark with “Status: Level” indicate the tracker is within tolerance, alongside the numeric T-Tilt and L-Tilt readings.
Level Check Status: Not passed		Result of running a level check before the tracker has been properly leveled. The red X and “Status: Not Passed” message prompt the operator to level the tracker and run the check again.
Level Check Status: Passed		Result of a successful level check. The green checkmark and “Status: Passed” message confirm the tracker is level and ready for an elevation measurement.
Incompatible USB-C adapter		Warning shown when Radio 3 detects it is being powered by a USB-C adapter rated below 45 W. Replace the adapter with the included 45 W (or higher) charger, then tap Dismiss.

The T-Tilt and L-Tilt values on the Tracker Level screen are the same transverse and longitudinal tilt readings covered in the L and T values article linked below.

The latency value on the Information screen is a diagnostic reading used during manufacturing and troubleshooting. There is no target number you need to reach and it is not something to tune.

The channel shown on the Radio screen is there for diagnostics. Radio 3 chooses its channel automatically, so there is no channel button to press.

How software updates reach the unit

Radio 3 updates itself. When the robot connects, the radio checks whether its software matches and updates automatically if it does not. Nothing is required from you, and the unit never has to come back to Dusty for a software update.

While an update runs you will see the Firmware Updating screen. Do not turn the unit off or remove the battery while that screen is showing. The radio reconnects on its own when it finishes.

If Radio 3 won't connect

If none of that resolves it, contact Dusty Support at support@dustyrobotics.com.

Related Articles

• Radio Specs
• Laser Tracker Comparison: AT500, AT930, and AT930-NRT (Capabilities, Accuracy, and Range)
• What the L and T Values Mean (Longitudinal and Transverse Tilt)