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Survey Pro-Magnet-Carlson??s
Hello all,
new to the site but I’ve been surveying my whole adult life so I know a few things. 1 being this topic has probably been kicked to death on here. But I’m at a point I need some input. I(we) have been running topcon equipment for 25 yrs and mainly with survey pro. Minus our little run in with top surv that nearly killed us. Recently, like 2 weeks ago we purchase some new hiper Vs and a new spectra Ranger 3 running survey pro Max. Everything works great, that is if you do a hard reset of not only the DC but both the receivers at the start of each day. If not it continue to lose Bluetooth, radio and drop off like the base died. The solution from our sales folks is magnet or run spectra GPS. As they put it soon all the companies will be running their own drivers and it will be isolated. They do have Carlson’s DC also of which I’ve never seen let alone used. However for 20+ yrs it’s been our only office software. So with all that said do we just into magnet since it connects-works with our Hipers? Do we dive into Carlson’s since we have the CAD?(assuming it will work with our Hipers) or do we swap the units to spectra and keep the Ranger? Btw I love survey pro.
Side note: we do zero construction layout. All large tract boundaries and mainly GPS. Also running 2 robots. Topcon GPT.
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29 Replies
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First, I??m sorry for your trouble. It is difficult to spend money on new equipment and not have stuff running correctly. I too have used Topcon gear for 25 years. I started with a GTS-1, 303, 602, PS, ES, and their gps. The best thing I did for my business in the last year was DITCH Topcon. I bought a brand new Geomax robot sight unseen, a month later another Leica from 2006…. in short Topcon gear is inferior surveying equipment but I didn??t know because that is what I had always used. So from now on when buying new gear look at Leica and or Geomax, at least for the robots.
Field software, aaaaah. Carlson is the best IMO. I have been using SurCE for the last 8-10 year. I told a sales guy once: ??If this hardware cannot run Carlson software we won??t buy it, heck you can??t even leave it here for free.?
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Thanks for the reply. Yeah that’s been my gut feeling about topcon but we didn’t want to have a lot of down time or find out the hard way. But I have been looking at all the different brands. Any suggestions of Base Rover set up? I think we will be switching to Carlson DC so something it can run?
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The good thing about Carlson is it can run just about anything. Typically the hardware manufacturers release all the new gear in the fall so I am waiting on the new lines before I buy anything more this year.
I have been reluctant to buy new GPS due to the ones I have still working. I did price a Geomax 35 pro from Allen Precision and the price was nice >15k. I recommend demoing ANY brand you are considering and most dealers will allow a week demo if you have purchased from them before. If I am not satisfied after a week or they wouldn??t send me one to test I??d rent it for another week, but if you made me rent you equipment to demo don??t think I am not going to shop you out. The cost of rent pales in comparison to the purchase price of new gear. After throwing 30k down a hole for a Topcon PS and ES a few years ago I completely changed how make new equipment purchases.
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With proper setup and a little training these negatives views about Topcon equipment can be eliminated. If you want help setting up Magnet for use with your Hiper V and Topcon TS contact me. Troubles is most Topcon dealers don’t provide adequate training and/or surveyors just don’t want it.
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I feel like you didn??t actual read what we wrote. This gentlemen is not using Magent, no one is…. it??s like topsurv or pocket 3D, or whatever Topcon made before that. Slow death, but already dead.
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I agree “if” training was the issue. This is equipment we’ve been using for years it’s just the new versions. The new drivers and new software don’t play nice with each other. you either have to be all trimble or all Topcon products software etc. We will not leave survey pro so we’re going to have to find something that plays better
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Mixing brands is the issue I guess I’ll say we are finding out unless you can find a universal DC and run what you want. Surveyor used to be that. Topcon is making harder to use their products with out Magnet and that’s not an option for use. So connectivity issues are are our issues until we switch. But I have no idea what GNSS is close to the same as our hypers which I love.
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As they put it soon all the companies will be running their own drivers and it will be isolated.
Did your sales folks give you any details on how companies are going to write their own software to overcome pitfalls in equipment manufacturers proprietary software?
MH -
I’d like to hear comments from anybody who is actually using Magnet.
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@mark-mayer
All of our equipment is Topcon, including MAGNET Field software. We have a low incidence of connection issues with our GPS rover. I really like the map view in MAGNET Field. Quick Codes are good too. The field book-like display in the level run program is helpful. I’m always seeing new alerts, across all programs, pop up to warn me of possible blunders. Overall, I think MAGNET Field software performs well and is flexible enough to allow me to use it my way.
MH -
No they did not just the fact that everyone’s moving that direction so if you want to use Topcon you’ll have to use magnet
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Good to hear. I guess we can demo …test and see.
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I have nothing nice to say about magnet, but if you are running topcon I do not think you have a genuine choice.
Embrace the suck.
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@mapper6683
Sorry. I’m a bit confused. Sounded like the sales folks told you survey companies will be writing their own drivers to address incompatibility issues between different brands of software and different brands of hardware.
MH -
Well I certainly don’t know but what I was told was it will be something like magnet is to topcon or access is to Trimble. The fact is you can’t run a Topcon data collector with anything but Topcon magnet won’t run Trimble. Kinda like the beef between Apple and android. Supposedly all the companies are moving that direction. I was told the firmware updates for our hyper V‘s down the road will not work with anything but magnet and TC isn’t the only company doing that. Again that was something I was told I have no idea If so I’m bailing on topcon because I don’t want magnet.
I hope I’m the only one hearing this. I’m not sure I want to be all in with one company. Main reason for the post was anyone have anything other than Survey Pro running anything besides and Topcon to give us an idea of options. We have connectivity issues with Survey Pro Max and and the Hipers.
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@mapper6683
Ideally, we should be able to shop la carte for hardware, software, total stations, etc. As you know, companies are hoping you’ll keep away from the competition. One of the main sentiments expressed on this thread is the need for interoperability.
MH -
Yeah, you probably will not like trying to run Carlson SurvCE with Topcon robots. I tried it on a QS a few years back and gave up after a few days of having connection issues. It may work better on the newer equipment but I couldn’t really recommend trying it from my experience.
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Hey mate,
Have you tried connecting to them as a Sokkia GRX2 instead of a Hiper V? Apparently the Sokkias are alot more open to suggestion than the Topcons, but they are effectively the same thing.
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What zammo said is true. I’m running SOKKIA iX with Carlson SurvCE 5.08. One main reason to choose SOKKIA iX to TOPCON GT was the open to work with third party software. If I were to purchase TOPCON I would’ve purchase Magent Field. Still if I need to use TOPCON need to pay around extra $2000 to unlock OAF to work with Third party software to utilize existing gear. SOKKIA dealer told me SOKKIA GNSS receivers supports third party software. Looks like TOPCON brand heading towards their own proprietary software & SOKKIA brand still keeps open to Third party software. I dun’no how long it would continue in future.
Big companies need to grab the whole chunk of market share limiting customer freedom but with lot of excuses. Leica production line does the same with Geomax brand.
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FYI: There’s a brand new Carlson CR2+ for sale over in the Classifieds. Heck of a deal.
https://surveyorconnect.com/community/buy-sell-trade/carlson-robotic-2-cr2-total-station-never-used/
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