This may be an instrument/dc specific question (I'm using a Topcon TS), but using a data collector when doubling angles, does the dc deliver the instrument calculated mean or each individual measurement?
I'm pretty sure using the "REP" function is out, because it's not available in DATA COLLECT mode, leaving me with sending four sights for each doubled angle; i.e. BS (FL), FS (FL), BS2 (FL) and FS2 (FL). I'm not using a DC.
Then, if I do that again with Face Right, I'll have 8 shots delivered to the 'puter.
If that's what it does, I'm good with it because I can do what I want with the data, but I'm just curious if that's that what a data collector would do?
Name Your Data Collector
My experience is with data collectors that do, but I cannot speak for all data collectors.
Paul in PA
1st, did you mean (FR) for that 2nd set of observations? I'll assime so.
All of the DCs that I've worked with over the past 15 or 20 years all will collect and store each individual observation of a set. The download software for some of them will allow you to print out either the full set of observations or just the means of the sets, depending upon how you adjust the output settings in the software.
The earliest DC software that I used (25 years ago +/-) did not allow for those types of settings, and didn't allow for printing out the raw data in an easily readable format, but rather printed out each line of setup and observation data laced with the codes that you had to interpret in order to pull out a particular angular or distance observation.
If I recall correctly, the first download software that I used that did have the ability to printout raw data files in an easy to read format only printed out the meaned observations. But it may be that was also a function of settings I didn't know how to change.
> 1st, did you mean (FR) for that 2nd set of observations? I'll assime so.
Yes, "Face Right" , or "FR". Some folks refer to it as "Direct" and "Reverse". I've just always used Face left and right.
>
I use a Topcon robot with Survey Pro on my Nomad and I've done some experimenting with it to see what it was doing. I intentionally did not zero my instrument on the backsight (at least 90 degrees off) and then turned multiple angles to my foresight using the "repetition shots" program. Then I zeroed on the backsight and staked out the point I just stored. I hit the point perfectly, which tells me it is taking a mean of the turned angles.
I've done that several times and always gotten the same result. I like knowing it because I don't have to worry about my backsight being perfect when I turn multiple angles with the robot.
I can only speak to Trimble Access as far as current data collectors are concerned, but Access stores all of the individual observations as well as a calculated mean with standard deviations. I'd be shocked if all the other major players in the data collector market didn't do the same.
