I'm just curious if anyone else runs a robot all day long? I realized my job is pretty strenuous on the robot because depending on the day it could be running a total of 8 hours tracking me almost all of it. It's only breaks are driving between jobsites and when I'm doing the notes etc.
Our Sokkia iX robot needed 2 motor replacements in the 2.5 years since we got it and 3 calibrations. While we're extremely disappointed in the Sokkia not only for those reasons but others as well...I realize that between the temperature fluctuations, dust and rain and the number of hours a day these things run, their are getting worked hard.
The thing is, the Sokkia iX was sooo bad that I revived an unused Leica TCRP1203+ robot that we attained after a merger with another local company. I had to purchase a set of Parani Bluetooth adaptors to connect it to my tablet running Fieldgenius but other than that annoyance it works great. Holds a lock well and doesn't chase random objects or get stuck on them despite being passive target. I really can't believe how an 11 year old robot can work so much better than an 2 year old one from a different manufacturer.?ÿ
Now I'm wondering how long can I expect to get out of an 11 year old robot using it 6-8 hours a day, laying out houses and doing as builts. Very occasional topo work. Basically if I work a 12 hour day it's probably working 8 of them. If it's only a 9 hour day probably 4-6 hours of running. I also do some double angle shots. Maybe 10-20 a day shooting control points or monuments so it has to flip itself and shoot again. Sometimes the tracking is difficult because of cars and people walking by so it's always trying to predict/regain lock which it is pretty crazy good at compared to the Sokkia.?ÿ
I know nobody can predict how long something will last under heavy use but I'm curious if others here have gotten a lot of years of use out of an older robot.?ÿ
I don't believe there was a ton of use on this Leica before I started using it. I think they used it a few years and went back to conventional then whenever they needed a robot it got user. Eventually it had an issue with the Bluetooth range on the original Leica cs15 and RH15 radio handle. I could never use that horrible data collector anyway after getting used to a 7" tablet so it was the Parani's or a $1600 RH17 upgrade.?ÿ
A lot of robots are run all day every day.?ÿ It's not that big of a deal.?ÿ
There is a world of difference between the build quality of a lesser brand and a top of the line brand like Leica. You get what you pay for. I'm not super surprised that a Leica is still going strong after 11 years, while a not yet 3 yr old Sokkia is a repair shop queen.?ÿ?ÿ
Btw I'm still using 2 original 2010 batteries and a newer 2018 battery. The original ones will last half of a 12 hour day. The newer one usually lasts a day.?ÿ
I've only used Topcon robots but they've mostly been a champ for me.?ÿ The radio and precision might be questionable at times but I've never had one blow out on me.
@350rocketmike
Those batteries can be recelled for about $75 each ?ÿ
I find it very telling that the 1? and .5? topcon and Sokkia robots are still servo driven. We have had SRX SX and now IX the SRX and SX while very temperature sensitive ran well we have 3 IX that have had about 7 motor replacements. That being said the RCPR range is fantastic and I used a Carlson or Geomax robot and I don??t think the close up tracking was as good
I put a couple years on a Leica 1200 and its only issue was freezing which was fixed by popping out the battery. I was easy on the motor because if I lost the prisms I would stop scan and swing it to my right and do a quick scan so it wouldn't have to do a full 360 to lock back on to me, saved a lot of time.?ÿ
If your 1200 was only lightly used, you should get a few years of heavy use out of it.
I've used Leica Robots since 2009, beginning with a 1100 series and moving through the 1200 to my current TS12.?ÿ The 1100 worked five days a week for many years in extreme weather.?ÿ It lost the power search shortly before I began using it and that is the only issue I was aware of.?ÿ Our 1200 gets sporadic use now but was used frequently when purchased new about ten years ago.?ÿ One screen went out on it but was replaced and I believe the communication handle had a malfunction, other than than it is still going strong.?ÿ?ÿ
The TS12 is great and is what I currently use.?ÿ I hardly have to slow down when walking next to the gun, it shoots well through traffic (I am currently surveying the scale house of a busy landfill), and I get great precision in both prism and reflectorless modes.?ÿ I've tested Topcons and Sokkias and thought them both a decade behind Leica.?ÿ I've not played with Trimble Robots, but my guess is that they work great as long as everything you attach to them is stamped Trimble.?ÿ
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Currently?ÿ I use a 1 second Topcon GT 1001 Robot most of the time on 2 large construction sites. I'm solo, and paying the bills. So I feel that I take care of the equipment better than some field monkeys.
I never care it out the case more than 10ft.
Towel it off when ever there is moisture.
Clean and calibration at the shop ever year.
Never use it during concrete pours or high dust moisture areas such a fire proofing steel columns.?ÿ
Perform collimation and sensor calibration?ÿ daily.
I never leave my equipment unattended. Always back in the case or soft shell backpack. I also take it back to the truck with me for lunch.
Using terrestrial laser scanners and data collectors is much the same.
In the past 20 years of owning survey equipment,?ÿ the only time I have had catastrophic equipment failure is after I let someone borrow it. Hence I no longer do that.
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Yeah, we still have a 10 year old SRX. It mostly gets used manually and it's not used all day long like mine, but it's the second one and they were fine other than being heavy and slow.?ÿ
The radio range was definitely the biggest upside to the RC unit but I don't miss having to make sure in pointed directly at the instrument to get a lock.?ÿ
Yeah, we still have a 10 year old SRX. It mostly gets used manually and it's not used all day long like mine, but it's the second one and they were fine other than being heavy and slow.?ÿ
The radio range was definitely the biggest upside to the RC unit but I don't miss having to make sure in pointed directly at the instrument to get a lock.?ÿ
Also I didn't realize they used servo motors in some of their robots still. I know they did some false advertising where they say "ultrasonic motors 180 degrees per second (if I remember the speed right) but that's just the top of the line model and there is like 3 different speeds, the ix was 60 I think and the loaner GT-503 was 90. Don't quote me on that, I'm trying to forget about that whole experience now.?ÿ
In the case of our ix it was much worse than the old Leica at keeping a lock up close. I can get almost on top of the Leica and still keep a lock and get the shot. They say minimum is 1.5m but I've been well under a meter.?ÿ
That ix frequently going out of calibration is what made me not want anyone else touching it. I also started not carrying anywhere without the case.
It still seemed to go out just as fast, but I think the ultrasonic motors had a lot to do with that. I didn't find they did much other than spin the instrument the wrong way faster and make it very difficult to dial in a reflectorless building corner or zero degrees on a backsight. It didn't seem like it was meant for non robotic use.?ÿ
What I do miss is the better interface and screen on the instrument itself. The knobs both being on one side, the weight, it looks nice and the biggest thing being Magnet Field. It was always a problem for the office with raw data but once I figured out importing DXF linework it's definitely superior software that was actually designed to be used on a tablet without a keyboard. I'd love if I could run this software on the Leica.?ÿ
It is my understanding the axis, collimation, and image sensor calibrations are all needed for every 15?ø change in ambient temperate in order to maintain accurate angle measurements.
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Your iX robot was a 500 model, which is a lower grand than 1000. There is now a 1200 model.
@murphy Trimble robots have been excellent since the S6 was introduced in 2005, but yes, everything has to be Trimble. Interesting discussion about servo motors; I'm shocked that anyone still uses them. The mag drives in the S6 and beyond are fast, quiet, precise, and I haven't heard of any that needed to be replaced. There were some vibration issues with the early S6, but this could generally be cured by upgrading the tripod. I believe that by about 2007 that problem had been engineered out. We currently have a 1" S7 and an SX10 and they've both been great; we did however have to have our SX10 serviced due to a failure of the internal WiFi/Bluetooth.
I'm solo
I never leave my equipment unattended.
How do you use a robotic instrument under those conditions?
We borrowed another surveyor's SX10 and the boss will be ordering one soon I think. It's almost unbelievable how quiet and smooth the mag drive was. You couldn't hear it turning inside our quiet office.?ÿ
The Leica I can hear it turning from like 20m away in the wind. Lol.?ÿ
The ultrasonic motors on the Topcon's sound unhealthy when new...once the motors start failing it makes a very loud grinding sound. You might think something wrong when it's normal, but WHEN they fail it will be very obvious. The last time I started getting a bunch of random vertical error, so I walked back to the robot to do a collimation check/adjust and as soon as I turned the knobs by hand I heard the grinding. That was what set in motion getting the old Leica revived from the shelf.?ÿ
At least they have a 5 years warranty on the motors. Sokkia has been good about the warranty so far and they provide a loaner very quickly. We also had a very good local rep in Toronto that helped me out a few times. I just wasn't satisfied with the product when I'm trying to do several stakings, pinnings and as builts by myself every day... working 10-12 hours a day on average plus some weekends.?ÿ
That amount of time using the robot, any issues become very frustrating.?ÿ
Here in Canada that would mean doing it twice a day which isn't feasible for the construction layout.?ÿ
I need to get a Leica round prism to do some of the adjustments on the Leica. They don't recommend using the 360 prism so I borrowed another crews backsight prism last time.?ÿ
The Sokkia was quicker/easier to do the field adjustments.
I'm almost always looking at it except when I'm putting a nail or a bar in the ground.?ÿ
I'm always on construction sites though and there will always be some risk of something happening to it. The boss has insurance on everything, haven't needed it so far.?ÿ
Yes, ran all day yesterday. I am solo so it only runs all day 2 or 3 times a week. Same thing with my previous robot, it only lasted 18 years, both Leica.?ÿ