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In the past I have attached a small LED flashing light to the edge of the prism housing, so that the light is reflected throughout the prism. Makes it a lot easier to see for either your helper behind the instrument, or yourself looking through a video feed.
“…people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” -Neil PostmanI’m looking to purchase a new GeoMax 6017104 Zoom95 A5 Robotic Total Station 2″ through a supplier on the EAST Coast; can I make this setup work in the woods even if it means retrofitting some flashing LED’s or something to help assist tracking?? I have to work solo. Appreciate any feedback. Thank you!
even if it means retrofitting some flashing LED’s or something to help assist tracking
Unless the Zoom95 is different from the Zoom80 in this respect, the guide lights are built in. They’re very useful in situations in which the available sight line aperture is too small to allow Power Search to work.
not sure about a 2 man crew but I haven’t found an advantage in having a robot with one guy in the woods.
Anyways, lots of good discussion as usual.
Here was my Monday with a Nikon???
@jim-frame Thank you, new to the robotic. Here’s the link for more details….https://www.tigersupplies.com/Products/Zoom95-Robotic-Total-Station__GEO6017104__GEO6010320-.aspx?invsrc=adwords_ts&gclid=CjwKCAiAjs2bBhACEiwALTBWZWH6Tvq6cjet4ZJ22
This exactly. The Trimble s5 I use now is slightly better in thick brush at being able to keep regaining lock and get a shot through, vs the Leica 1203+ I used before…but as soon as you walk past a larger tree or objects on a construction site…the Leica is the one that’s going to find you again (if set to 5 seconds of prediction). Plus you’re inevitably going to lose lock on either one and the Leica will regain with a single press of power search and the Trimble you have to fiddle with the joysticks (or video feed on an s7 or better). You won’t be using GPS search in the woods.
I haven’t found an advantage in having a robot with one guy in the woods.
The only advantage is when you only have one guy.
Traversing through the woods solo is a lot of work, robot or not. I’ve only done it once, in steep mountain country, and it wasn’t much fun. Thankfully I only had to go about 1/4 mile.
@jim-frame My objectives with land surveying now in retirement are Hobbyist, maintain some level of physical fitness and run very small scale business. My first robotic assignment will be to do a closed traverse on my own and on my 25 plus acres of eastern woodlands, lot is roughly 2000’X550′ entirely on a moderate slopes 15%-25% grades. Upper 2/5 of lot is ash, maple, black cherry and birch hardwoods with heavy thick undergrowth w/briars, lower portion is little more open, easier to naviagete terrain with less under growth, hemlock and white pine mix forest. Live 2-1/2 hrs. from the New York Metro Area in NE Penna. So…I will find out what my limitations are with my new robotic setup. Winter and summer photos of my woodlot. Thanks for the comments and feedback everyone!
That is definitely the best accessory. My bosses try not to send anyone solo to jobs like that if they can help it, but sometimes there isn’t much choice.
I could see just doing the traverse itself with a manual total station and 2 tripods, but not sure how how you manage shooting property corners, fence etc without a robot. Definitely need a robot for certain tasks.
I honestly hate that stupid Trimble case. It can’t stay standing, on any non perfectly flat ground. I didn’t think anyone liked it?
@350rocketmike I very much understand, for safety reasons! But like many outdoor professions, there risks and hazards involved including land surveying. Everyone owning a woodlot in this area owns a chainsaw, everyone including many women purchase and operate these dangerous tools. Last year I was cutting saplings few hundred feet below my house on a hot day in June; I was tired and accidentally dropped the saw below my knee as it was winding down from full throttle. My jeans were soaked with blood below the knee but fortunately it was a superficial wound that only needed 10 stitches at the ER. One Penn State Forestry Professor lost his life last year from felling a tree on his own wood lot in Western Penna. after felling I’m told thousands of trees in his lifetime. Danger abounds with the outdoor work!
Yeah a chainsaw is a very dangerous machine. Our company doesn’t have any, probably for insurance reasons. We use bush axes. I’m not too worried myself going into the woods alone. As you said there are risks everywhere and this is not a huge one. I always have my phone and cell coverage is pretty good most places I go.
For me it’s more about the job being easier with a helper when in the woods.
Logging, either no. 1 or no. 2 on the list of most dangerous jobs in America, perhaps after deep sea fishing. On the last pipeline project, I covered land owners near the W VA state line in Highland County VA. Got to know many land owners since I worked as a Right-of-Way Agent. One elderly couple allowed me to ride my dirt bike on their 400 acre farm in that county; they told me the nearest ER Unit was an hour drive. Anything serious happened to you out there, medivac will be the only thing to save your life. Awesome video! Looks like a fir or pine tree felled out in the Pacific Northwest or Canada. Cell phones worked most places on that last pipeline project but not always. Appalachia can be as remote as any place in the lower 48.
Yeah I’ve heard a number of stories about accidents with either chainsaws or the falling tree crushing people.
@350rocketmike Land Surveyors have their share of potential hazards as well with land owners! One disgruntled land owner in Mecklenberg County VA along the 100 mile Williams-Transco VA Southside Natural Gas Pipeline Project we took to Federal Court. Settled with him, paid him seven times the appraised value of his pecan trees damages we needed for right-of-way acquisition and pipeline construction. After the settlement he still was not happy and wanted nothing to do with the construction project along his rental property. He appeared to be “slow and not be of sound mind”, showed no co-opertion with any us for any work including any right-of-way or temporary work space stakeouts. We had every right to show up on the property and do work, so we came. When we arrived he was present, in front of me, the crew chief and his 2 survey techs. and said “he did not want us on his lands and said he was going home to get a gun, come back here and take care of business”. The crew chief pulled me aside and pleaded with me to talk this man not to go home a mile down the road, till they finished their 15-20 min. of stake out work. I talked this man into not going home, the crew was done and we bailed out of there, quick and fast. Was this man going home to get his gun and come back, no one will ever know but we called the Mecklenberg County Sheriff; they arrived at his property, questioned him, put a restraining order against him as well posted signs along the row for his unlawful entry onto the right-of-way. I’m most certain land surveyors and right-of-way agents have confronted armed land owners and threats, possibly even worse in the US.
Over the years, I have gone out on several ‘robot won’t lock in the woods’ calls. I will usually sit behind the gun and watch it search for 10 minutes of use and in many cases, it ‘looks’ to the guy at the prism that the robot has no obstructions and should find the prism. But, someplace along the path there is a stray limb or leaves that breaks the beam.
A solution is to drop the prism so that it is at exactly your eye level. Then, if you stand behind the prism looking past it and can see the robot search lights, then an area-search or power-search will find the prism.
Of course, if the robot is really close to the prism, the reduced field of view is also troublesome. Finding a sweat spot that is appropriately away, but not blocked can be a PITA.
In heavy canopy, it really is surprising where the obstructions occur along the path. Midway, near the gun, or on the far end. Mixed bag.
Finding a sweat spot that is appropriate
Some days in the woods a sweat spot is all you will find of me… but your advise about getting your eye right next to the glass and seeing the line of sight to the gun is sound.
Also – a small branch near the gun may block the beam, where the same small branch nearer the target will not.
- I hope everyone has a great day; I know I will!
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