Canadian surveyor...

Welcome friend. You have found a good home. Your digging will go well this week. Just remember to breathe in and breathe out.

Brad Ott, post: 401155, member: 197 wrote: Welcome friend. You have found a good home. Your digging will go well this week. Just remember to breathe in and breathe out.

I sure hope so!!! I need to learn quicker than quick and im already frustrated!

The single most important thing you will learn here is that the answer is always, "It depends." Never forget that. Absolutes are hard to come by in land surveying.

Welcome. Learn how to search through the thousands of threads available here. Pretty much everything has been covered at least once. Including how to repair a faulty (fill in the blank) on a (fill in the year) Ford pickup.

Howdy https://surveyorconnect.com/community/members/manitoubass2.12278/&apos ;">Manitoubass2

AS you will learn in time, it not all about the equipment.

Yes sir! im learning the equipment in a whim.

But its my lack of knowledge thats generally holding me back.

If I accidentally take a picture instead of a measurement one more time...

I found trimble to be much more user friendly.

But im told once you go topcon you wont go back.

Im having a hard time believing that, at this point

Manitoubass2, post: 401173, member: 12278 wrote: But im told once you go topcon you wont go back.

Everybody has their favorite, I suppose. Taste great. Less filling. But whoever told you that is full of ...it, and probably himself.

I've used each of the big 3 (Trimble, Leica, Topcon) in the last 5 years and I like Trimble best. Leica would be my second choice. Trimble has the best data collection software. Leica the best hardware, packaging, and accessories. The two are about equal in terms of accuracy/precision. Topcon comes in 3rd in all those categories but does have the advantage of being very durable. So if your prime need is for your equipment to take a licking and keep on ticking, then Topcon is probably your brand.

Nice! well my batteriessure suck for topcon.

I know its also how its used but...

With trimble I did 13 hours no prob.

This topcon is killin me at about 5 hours.

I just ordered $300 in new batteries for base and rover. hopefully that remedies the situation.

Nothing worse than restarting twice a day because of crappy battery life

Welcome

what topcon equipment are you using? In my opinion, one of the best possible upgrades would be to run Carlson software on your data collector. Again, more crap to learn, but their phone support is the best in the industry, so if you are struggling with the equipment, it might be nice to have that available.

Thanks for all the replies guys!

Ill list all the equipment/program after todays shift. I was going to yesterday but it was horrible outside(the day went good) but I was in a rush to leave.

+4 pouring rain and 60kmp/h winds hahahhahaha

Manitoubass2, post: 401182, member: 12278 wrote: Nice! well my batteriessure suck for topcon.
I know its also how its used but...
With trimble I did 13 hours no prob.
This topcon is killin me at about 5 hours.
I just ordered $300 in new batteries for base and rover. hopefully that remedies the situation.
Nothing worse than restarting twice a day because of crappy battery life

Sounds like you are using Topcon Hiper V GNSS with a FC500 or FC5000.

What software are you using? Magnet or Pocket3d?

1) The Hiper V has only a four battery. You would be much off getting a small car battery and use the jumper cables at your base station. It will last you several days or more. Plus it will charge the internal battery and give a spare for the Rover.

2) No need to restart the base when a battery is changed. Just turn on Base, connect the Rover, do a check, and keep going.

3) I find that most end users don't like a certain software just because they don't understand how to use and/or they can't find the proper help. Don't give up. Find the proper training and learn to use it correctly. Try searching through YouTube for instruction videos. In my opinion, Magnet Field, when understood correctly, is 10x more powerful than Carlson SurvCE/PC. To get the full potential out of your hardware, it is best to match vendors software with their hardware. Even Carlson is matching their own software to their own hardware.

Im looking forward to today! even though its very crappy weather again, I have an experienced surveyor by my side for the next 3 days! I should be able to learn lots at least for this project!

Also, when I sent him all my info from my data collectir he said all my topo was very good and accurate! average 7mm/3mm.

Im anxious to get out and have a good shift before the bucket hits the ground!

leegreen, post: 401447, member: 2332 wrote: Sounds like you are using Topcon Hiper V GNSS with a FC500 or FC5000.

What software are you using? Magnet or Pocket3d?

1) The Hiper V has only a four battery. You would be much off getting a small car battery and use the jumper cables at your base station. It will last you several days or more. Plus it will charge the internal battery and give a spare for the Rover.

2) No need to restart the base when a battery is changed. Just turn on Base, connect the Rover, do a check, and keep going.

3) I find that most end users don't like a certain software just because they don't understand how to use and/or they can't find the proper help. Don't give up. Find the proper training and learn to use it correctly. Try searching through YouTube for instruction videos. In my opinion, Magnet Field, when understood correctly, is 10x more powerful than Carlson SurvCE/PC. To get the full potential out of your hardware, it is best to match vendors software with their hardware. Even Carlson is matching their own software to their own hardware.

Fc-500 and pocket3d is correct.

As for battery life I had this isue before with trimble and it was improper use of batteries(giving some batteries pour life)

My supervisor ordered me batteries and is allowing me to take my equipment home. so its in my hands and up to me to charge properly.

As for shutting down I was "told" to always shutdown the base and restart it just like at the beginning on the shift, ie remeasuring etc. if thats not necessary and shutting down the rover is only a necessity, PERFECT! big time saver! and yes Ill remember to check my CP.

Thanks!!!!

Pocket3d is a very simple software. It is a dumb down app for construction. No offense, but that's what constractors need and they like it. Point and click, and map is also on the the screen. I provide training for this and machince guidance systems on a daily basis. This software is most often used in construction with Topcon's 3DMC machine guidance system on dozers, excavators, and graders. This app is great for layout. Very limited in actual survey functions. Not so good for Topo and boundary work. It has no raw data, no transformation or rotations, limited inversing, limited intersection routine. Sounds like you don't know what any of that is, and likely you don't need to know, for your job.

Lot's of videos for Pocket3d at TopconTotalCare.com

If you are on the same construction site ever day for weeks or months, then I suggest you create a semi permanent base, and not use a tripod for the base station. Have your construction crew set a .15m x.15m x 3m pole (steel or wood) in the ground 1m deep with concrete. Then set a 5/8" standard thread bolt ot all in top to screw the base station. With snow and bad weather coming this will save time from digging through ice and snow to find the base control point. Then always stake out and check into another control point for a check. again you will find there is no need to "Setup the Base" with the software each time you start. The base stores the coordinate you last setup at. If you don't change the base location or the base height, then no need to run the setup again. Just a waste of time.

Some things you want learn from your mentor this week:

1. Difference between projection and localization
2. Creating, importing and staking with Alignments
3. Creating, importing and staking with Surfaces
4. Creating, importing and staking with Points
5. Compare two surfaces and Volume computations
6. Change your back ground color to white for easy viewing in day light. but make certain you have no white lines
7. Stake polylines
8. Surface Check with vertical offsets
9. For Topo learn how to show grid lines
10. Show bar scale and North Arrow

If you have PC or Laptop be certain to get Topcon's 3D-Office software. It will help you import DWG files, alignments and TINS, create prints and reports.

List copied for when he arrives.

Many thanks!!!!

Today went amazing! I learned alot very quickly and learned the naviflgation of the fc500 waaaaay better. huge difference.

Thanks everyone! Ill have much more to come but today was a great success! I felt alot of weight melt off my shoulders!

[USER=2332]@leegreen[/USER] that list was very helpful!!!