Looking for a better prism pole and Bi-pod for robotic Topcon 800 series. My current equipment will be wearing out soon, and since they are some of the tools I use the most it deserves to be top quality.
Suggestions?
Can't make specific recommendation, but I'd be getting a carbon fiber rod for sure.
I still have the Seco Carbon fiber rod that came with my Topcon robot 10 years ago.
I keep my rod stripped down equipment-wise which I think helps with longevity, those clamps can really do a job on the rod. My Hayes Bantam radio stays in a modified fanny pack on the shoulder strap of my LBE. The only thing thats on the rod is the DC mount.
If you go with the carbon fiber, be sure to reinforce the area where the DC mount clamps on the rod to avoid crushing the rod. I epoxied a sleeve of copper plumbing pipe, slit to go around the rod.
I did the same with mine but used about 2" of plastic plumbing pipe. Get an inside diameter a little smaller than the rod diameter and slit it lengthwise. Friction holds it in place.
The future is going to be the super carbon fibre rod....that incorporates an internal Schonstedt, a GPS antenna no wider then the diameter of the rod itself... an inch or so ... hyper sensitive to make tree canopy or inside enclosures irrelevant .. I expect an era of development where the positional data is blue toothed to the surface of an Oakley sunglass style heads up display... and this development will most likely be followed closely with full GPS NMEA stream and human brain integration ... but until then I'd go with Sokkia or Topcon rods.