I am looking at used Topcon Robots and I was wondering, can someone give me a brief history of the models of Robotic Total Stations that Topcon has produced over the years? I currently have a Topcon AP-L1 which I believe was their first production model that was followed by the AP-L1A a few years later. But after that, there are an assortment of different model numbers and I don't know which order they came out. Also, if you have any personal experience of how good or bad a particular model was or is, please feel free to comment.
Thanks,
> I am looking at used Topcon Robots and I was wondering, can someone give me a brief history of the models of Robotic Total Stations that Topcon has produced over the years? I currently have a Topcon AP-L1 which I believe was their first production model that was followed by the AP-L1A a few years later. But after that, there are an assortment of different model numbers and I don't know which order they came out. Also, if you have any personal experience of how good or bad a particular model was or is, please feel free to comment.
>
> Thanks,
Have you tried the Topcon Museum? It shows the dates of release of various lines of Total Stations. It's here:
http://www.topcon.co.jp/en/positioning/museum/
> I am looking at used Topcon Robots and I was wondering, can someone give me a brief history of the models of Robotic Total Stations that Topcon has produced over the years? I currently have a Topcon AP-L1 which I believe was their first production model that was followed by the AP-L1A a few years later. But after that, there are an assortment of different model numbers and I don't know which order they came out. Also, if you have any personal experience of how good or bad a particular model was or is, please feel free to comment.
>
> Thanks,
OK, I will start this one out...
I have a GTS 802AR I purchased new in September, 2002. I believe this was the next generation after the APL series. The 810-815 were out shortly thereafter and had reflectorless capabilities and then I lost track of the progression. I think it then went 8000 then 9000...
I have had zero problems with my gun and will more than likely run it until death do we part. I picked up a CTS-3005 with reflectorless for manual traversing and reflectorless ability.
Matt
I have a GPT 8005A. I think the date is around 2002 or so. I use it all the time, and have very few issues with it. I use it with both onboard batteries, and an external battery as well. It has reflectorless, but it is limited to around 275'-300', depending on the surface.
It will sometimes lock onto other surfaces, but most robots will unless you are using an active prism. I had trouble the other day trying to get it to lock on me. I could not figure it out, and I turned around, and the glare from a parking lot full of cars was pretty bright. It was bright enough that I was blinded.
I must be lucky, because my robot tracks ten times better than Chris' robot, a Topcon GOT 8003A, made about the same time. It has to be a setting somewhere.
I switched from the satel radios to the Parani SD1000 Bluetooth radios, and it is so much better.
I, like Matt, have a CTS 3007, total station for wooded traverses, and extended reflectorless capability.
I will be using these two instruments as long as they are reliable. I keep them calibrated once a year, and they give me pretty good results day in and day out.
Good luck!
They've had at least a dozen since 1993. Some definitely more popular than others. Which all swirls around to the fact that parts will be discontinued for the new ones as soon as you can blink.
How long does Topcon support their equipment?
Do you know how long Topcon supports their equipment?
Back at the place I used to work, they were a Leica shop and our dealer told us that Leica had like a 10 year commitment (after the last item of that particular model was sold) to have repair parts to repair the instrument in questions. After that, it was a crap shoot depending on parts availability.
I bought my first robot circa 1995. I looked into Topcon and wasn't impressed, mostly because of the tracking and range. I bought a Geodimeter 4400 fully loaded. Less expensive and it was awesome. Used it for years, but it was a heavy SOB. Traded that in for my 5600 when I found out I couldn't get it serviced.
When Trimble bought them out and screwed things up, I'm just thinking... oh gosh, think it was planned out? Oh well.... waddya gonna do.
From what I've heard it seems that Topcon has come a long way since then. I'd sure look at them if I was in the market. Not sure if Topcon has the same scam as Trimble wherein the internal battery in the instrument pukes every 5 or so yrs and needs replacing, but that's always bugged me and cost's $500 or so.
The AP-L1 began although there was an auto tracking AP-S1 before that.
Then the AP-L1A
Then the GTS-800AR including the 800A 1" and 802A 3"
Then the GTS-810AR with 811A 1", 813A 3" & 815A 5"
Then the GPT-8000AR with 8001A 1", 8003A 3" & 8005A 5", short-range reflectorless
Then the GTS-820AR with 821A 1", 823A 3" & 825A 5"
Then the GPT-8200AR with 8201A 1", 8203A 3" & 8205A 5", long-range reflectorless
Followed by the GTS-900 conventional and GPT-9000 long-range reflectorless with the advent of the 2.4 GHz radios instead of Satels
The the QS Series with the same 2,000 meter reflectorless range and radios as the 9000. No conventional EDM version.
Now we have the PS-100A series 1,000 meter reflectorless range
and the DS-100 series.
Good chronology Jerry. I do remember when Topcon came out with the "dog whistle" so it could find you right away. I always thought that was cool. I almost wish I would have went to bed with them instead of Geodimeter/Trimble, but money was a big factor in those days and it was about $5K difference. Now we have software, updates, yadda yadda issues and we all know that scenario and it's never any fun.
Do it over and I probably would go Topcon. I'd look real hard at the dealer and servicing capacity though.
Can someone explain how the RC remote works?
I am using an AP-L1, which does not use the RC remote. What exactly does it do? Do you hit the button and it somehow knows which direction to look? It also looks like there is some kind of cable to interface with the data collector. What's that for?
Thanks,
Can someone explain how the RC remote works?
The RC Remote sends out an infared signal, similar to what a TV remote sends out, The handle on the instrument has a window on each of the four side to receive said signal, and tells the robot where you are located when you initiate a search. My robot is set up to only look for the infared signal when a search is initiated. I have to then push a button on the rc2 for it to send the search signal. It saves a lot of time when searching if you loose lock. I believe that some of the systems are set up where the robot sends out the measurement data via the infared signals, but I could very well be mistaken.
My robot is not set up with a cable between the data collector and the RC unit on top of the prism. At the rod, I have the rod, data collector and pole bracket, the 360 prism, and the rc2 unit on top of the prism. The parani sd1000 is attached directly to the serial port on the data collector.
At the robot, I have the tripod, robot, and a parani sd1000 connected to the robot with an instrument cable. I hang the Bluetooth radio in an old cell phone case with clip in the side of the tripod where you hang the data collector.
This setup works very well for me. I started using the parani units about two years ago when the narrow banding went into effect. I haven't looked back.
I run my robot with TDS SurveyPro robotics. I have two Ranger units that I use.
Can someone explain how the RC remote works?
You can use the RC2 remote with the robot and not use the radios but that only works up to about 800'. It also requires the Rc2 to be faced toward the instrument when you want to take some kind of action (search, take a shot, turn to a point) because it only communicates through the unit.
I currently run a Zeiss Elta S20 robot. I love it with the exception of having to run SMI. I need to get a backup/ replacement and will be getting a used Topcon 802a.
Matt
Can someone explain how the RC remote works?
Thank you Jimmy and Matt. I have an old 802a that came with the Husky MP2500 handheld and TDS robotic, Satel radios, serial cables,no RC2, in 2000 when purchased from Hayes. The station never worked from day one until Hayes sent me out a replacement after the first few weeks of trouble. Have had that one ever since.
The Satel radios are terrible, since they are affected by cell phone users, they will work great if in a walled off area or if surrounded by buildings that block off the cell phone signals in a neighborhood. I am not sure if you said they are illegal.
Also have been forced to use that system less and less and a conventional TS more the last several years since the Husky handheld screen and hardware inside are in very poor shape, takes patience of Jobe to work with it.
What does the blue tooth at the tripod do Jimmy?
What can I do to keep the robotic 802a running and get rid of all the other junk and I really do mean junk.
Do the parani radios actually work with earlier robotics ? Any guess at which Ranger handhelds (with TDS or any software) will work with a 802a and a parani radio ?
Thanks for any input at all guys.
Can someone explain how the RC remote works?
> Do the parani radios actually work with earlier robotics ? Any guess at which Ranger handhelds (with TDS or any software) will work with a 802a and a parani radio ?
The Paranis are a serial cable replacement system. Electrically, they look just like a serial cable to the equipment at each end of the link. So if you can run your robot via 9-pin serial cable connection to your data collector, then the Paranis will work, too. You can think of the Parani system (i.e., a pair of Parani radios) as a super-long 9-pin serial cable.
With the Paranis you do have a one-time programming exercise to go through to set up the communication parameters, but once that's done you won't have to do it again unless those settings get changed somehow. And you do have to deal with keeping them powered, which for most setups means yet another set of batteries to keep charged. (I got around this by powering the Paranis directly from the data collector battery on one end, and from the offboard robot battery on the other end.)
Can someone explain how the RC remote works?
Jim Frame gave an excellent description of how the the radios work.
The Bluetooth at the tripod is basically the same thing as the Satel at the instrument.
I use the extended battery packs on my two Bluetooth radios. They last about two days. I generally will charge them after a long day in the field, though.
Feel free to call me if you have any questions.
I would be interested to see how the Bluetooth radios can be powered through the connection to the data collector and instrument. I have two radios that I use daily, and then an extra pair in the truck, in case I break an antenna, or one gets damaged.
Can someone explain how the RC remote works?
> I would be interested to see how the Bluetooth radios can be powered through the connection to the data collector and instrument.
I did some pretty serious hacking of my equipment to accomplish that. I'm using my Paranis with a Leica robot, which uses a Y-cable to connect the offboard battery to the gun and to the original Leica radio. I replaced the Leica radio guts (the radio had gone bad) with the Parani and wired the power to the Parani via its 9-pin connector.
On the DC side it was a little messier: I surgically altered my Allegro CX to install the Parani, and ran power directly from the Allegro battery to it. The red and white wires are soldered directly to the battery connection points:
(Not recommended for the faint of heart.)
Can someone explain how the RC remote works?
Wow, thanks for the info. That is definitely above my comfort level.
@rfc?ÿ
Regarding the museum, I found it navigating via the main Topcon site, but it only goes to 2008 for Topcon Total Stations.
?ÿ
Can anyone tell me when the Topcon QS3 was introduced and when it went out of production (concerned about parts/service on it)? ?ÿ
A local dealer has one in the process of being priced (recent trade in but it has BT radio issues--the range is said to be very limited), along with the remote comm device for the prism pole (RC--). ?ÿWaiting for more information/details and of course the price (poor farmer, non-pro user here; trees and building projects).
I'll post this separately if no one sees it.
The first experience I had as a rodman was the orange Geodimeter Robotic Total Station we used a trolling motor battery with it. After we got that I was able to virtually touch the Topcon ET-1 had the holes to touch. I remember that Geodimeter would target road signs and car brake lights.
I was able to virtually touch the Topcon ET-1 had the holes to touch.
I'm not sure that I want to hear more about this....
