As a 72 year old Surveyor with 38 years of being a Registered Professional Land Surveyor, I am not ready to call it quits just yet, however my Topcon Hiper Lite retired first. Any suggestions on acquiring a new GPS system that will outlast me that does not cost a fortune. Any suggestions would help as I have been out of the new equipment purchasing for a while. I survey in remote places and have always used a base and rover.
I'd start calling around the bigger outfits in your area asking if they have a "backup" system gathering dust in a closet.
Normans idea is good.
If you are watching the market, a new GPS can perform substantialy better than a used one. But, it would likely be good to stay with a data collector you already are familiar with.
Suggest you at least price a new one. It may be our of reach, but look at it. Or, maybe a used one WITH firmware update.
Nate