I'm trying to track down any of Trimble's first generation of GPS receivers; the 4000A, 4000AX, 4000S, 4000SX, 4000SXD, 4000SL or 4000SLD. These were the rack mounted silver receivers that many a brave soul lugged around the landscape in even bigger flight cases the '80s:
If you have one collecting dust somewhere, please get in touch with me and maybe we can work out a deal. I'm working on a technological history of Trimble's early survey receivers, and I'd love to see under the hood of one of these receivers.?ÿ
- I have one ?ÿ. Let??s chat on?ÿ
@ron-schwieters I sent you a PM.?ÿ
My company had 3 4000SL in 1989. 5 channel, L1, car battery, 5-7 hr observation window. Night obs in the winter, a daytime in the summer. 286 computers, download to floppy disc. Good times. And in 1989 mind blowing accurate. No geoid models, geolab Trimvec. $50k 1989 dollars ea. moving them around in a helicopter. Walkie talkies causing cycle skips. No online data sources.?ÿ
These days just don??t compare. I??m lucky enough to have a couple Z12 and a couple ZSurveyors, whopper antennae. And they kick ass even today.?ÿ
Took some real thought to make money.?ÿ
How about rebranded??ÿ I think we have a set of topcon gp-sx1 which I believe are trimble inside.
@toivo1037 The GP-SX1 definitely looks like a repackaged Trimble 4700. What I'm trying to find are the much earlier first-generation 4000 receivers from the '80s. The early 4000 receivers were luggable rather than portable like the GP-SX1.
Indeed; that is my website!
My earliest Trimble receiver is a 4000ST from 1989. I patched the firmware to correct for the 2019 week number rollover, so I think I have the oldest fully functioning Trimble GPS receiver. Now I'm trying to find something even older.
@keelan?ÿ
My ZSurveyors are rollover fixed. 1999 and work like new. My Z-12s work as good as new, but week number has to be edited in post.
?ÿ
Back in the day, I had to install firmware ROMs in our 4000SLs. Usually 8-12 chips. And they wanted the old chips back, because they would re-flashed them. It was a chip exchange.?ÿ
There are 5-6 PCI boards and back plane. Definitely a piece a lab equipment stuck in a can.?ÿ
https://www.ebay.com/itm/385112501003
Here is one 4000S for sale in Germany just shipping to european union. But i think price wanted is a little bit to high for the bad condition, for sale as parts from flea markt seller and looks like opened many times (screws missing).
If you like i could try to buy an send to you. Just shipping cost 20kg parcel with DHL to USA~150?ª to canada ~80?ª.
Hello to All,
I have one Trimble 4000S (as shows on the photo) I have saved from an closed company here in France, I will try to power it to see what happen, I will connect a classic GPS Antenna with +40dB amplifier, I will let you know the results of you are interested,
Best regards,
Fred
Just curious, who wrote the firmware patch / upgrade?