Best robotic total station using Carlson SurvCE

The TS12 tracks better than the 1200 guns.

Thanks Party Chef

I will have to demo a TS 12 and see how well it works.

The Spectra Precision Focus 35 works with Carlson. If you'd rather stay with an S series robot but would like to use other brands of GPS, you can run an S series robot with Survey Pro software. Survey Pro data collection software works with a variety of GPS receivers.

Have you considered loading Carlson on your TSC3?
I use my Trimble software for my robot and when I use GPS I use Carlson. I can export out of one and into the other. I have a spare data collector with Carlson for the days that I need to run both at the same time.

I have used the Carlson/Geomax robot for a few months.. excellent robot with the new carlson surveyor. Tracks excellent and communicates great. I have used the carlson surveyor with the new topcon robots and it was very buggy. Go geomax or Leica.

Apparently GeoMax is coming out with the Zoom 90 soon, which is probably their version of the TS12.

Jason Graves, post: 339203, member: 9531 wrote: Have you considered loading Carlson on your TSC3?
I use my Trimble software for my robot and when I use GPS I use Carlson. I can export out of one and into the other. I have a spare data collector with Carlson for the days that I need to run both at the same time.

I never thought of having both Carlson and Access on the TSC3. This may be an option to look at. Thanks.

pencerules, post: 339197, member: 709 wrote: The Spectra Precision Focus 35 works with Carlson. If you'd rather stay with an S series robot but would like to use other brands of GPS, you can run an S series robot with Survey Pro software. Survey Pro data collection software works with a variety of GPS receivers.

Since Spectra uses Survey Pro and is owned by Trimble I was assuming they wouldn't be compatible with Carlson, thanks for letting me know that the Focus 30 and Focus 35 will work with Carlson software.

Do you have any experience with the Focus 30 or 35? How is their tracking ability? If it is on par with the passive tracking of an S3 or S6 this may be what I am looking for.

Thanks

You can get a Ranger 3 with either Survey Pro or FastSurvey (which is Calrson SurvCE, only a different name), or you can install SurvCE on the collector yourself. This does work with the Focus 30/35 very well, and the GPS search function works great also.
The tracking with the Focus is slightly better than a passive S6 due to the semi-passive target recognition of the Focus. Nothing works as good as the active system Trimble uses though.

My coworker in another office uses a Juniper Systems Allegro (I think the model just under the Allegro2) with either a radio or an internal long range Bluetooth to control his Leica TS12 Robot. I was told by Transit and Level out of Charlotte (a Leica dealer) that this would not work and that we had no alternative other than Leica's poor excuse for a data collector. After taking thousands of shots using SurvCE 4.? on an Allegro and no problems with communications, I no longer will do business with Transit and Level as they either intentionally deceived me or didn't know what they were talking about it and weren't humble enough to admit it.

The Focus robots don't have the same motor as the Trimble, it still uses servo's and the Trimble is faster at turning angles. Try them all out!!!

Murphy,

I'm not sure who you are or who you work with out of Boone, NC but obviously you are mistaken as TLC has sold the Leica/Allegro setup probably over 40-50 times in NC alone.

Any conversation on or about the Leica Controller would have been giving an explanation as to the differences of the controllers not the fact that they don't run. In fact, this setup was by far more popular than any other setup probably ever sold. The Leica Controller advantage would include not requiring a geocom, unless Carlson was run on it, which we also sold many times, the range increase on the LRBT to the Leica controller or the fact that the Leica controller can be repaired in house, while Juniper Systems is the only NA authorized repair center for the Allegro.

At no point would anyone in our office have ever told you or anyone else that this setup is not possible.

cwlawley, post: 339389, member: 3114 wrote: Murphy,

I'm not sure who you are or who you work with out of Boone, NC but obviously you are mistaken as TLC has sold the Leica/Allegro setup probably over 40-50 times in NC alone.

Any conversation on or about the Leica Controller would have been giving an explanation as to the differences of the controllers not the fact that they don't run. In fact, this setup was by far more popular than any other setup probably ever sold. The Leica Controller advantage would include not requiring a Geocom, unless Carlson was run on it, which we also sold many times, the range increase on the LRBT to the Leica controller or the fact that the Leica controller can be repaired in house, while Juniper Systems is the only NA authorized repair center for the Allegro.

At no point would anyone in our office have ever told you or anyone else that this setup is not possible.

Ah....I now know who you are and who you work for. Unfortunately, your comments are still incorrect. I don't like getting involved in negativity on this site, but your comments were a little harsh when the fact of the matter is that three quotes were sent to your Garner, NC office over the past three years. One, for an Allegro package, one a Viva option and the third for a Carlson SurvCE/CS15 Controller package given only after the Allegros were discontinued by Juniper Systems. In addition we have numerous supply orders to both the Boone location and the Garner location up until recently and to make matters worse the Leica Robot that you purchased from APE over us was just recently in my shop where I did you the favor of calibrating it virtually overnight as to not shut down your crew. In fact, it was not you sir that decided not to purchase from TLC, it was us who got tired of your lowball price antics and decided the sale wasn't right for us. We have far too many customers over the Carolinas and farther that deserve the very best in service and support to deal with a company that is out there picking at pennies then turning around and complaining that they too are victims of the lowball pricing game on their respective jobs. We respectfully declined your offer, we did not throw it on a message board with your company name and false statements.

As your company still continues to do business with us, I will do you the favor of closing your account so we don't make the mistake of getting you all out of your next bind.

A couple of things to think about when buying a robotic gun- its not about how fast it can track you but how fast it will come back to you. The flashy spins around so fast it will make you dizzy demo is all flash and useless. The rubber meets the road when its time for it to find you again. This about it- unless you are mounting your glass on a truck and going 55mph your robot will never exceed its specified ability. But if you have to worry about it tracking you in the bushes because you are afraid it won't find you again then you've got a problem. Reacquisition of the target is the most important thing.

The Geomax is a rebranding of the Leica 1200 Series. Do not believe the actual manufacture changed.

bridge

I have a topcon ps with a Carlson surveyor 2 and it works great. My crew uses it most of the time and have said they can move quicker on a heavily wooded site without it. They have said any other application they can't remember what it was like before we purchased it.

Still running a Leica TCRP 1203+ with it and I have not experienced the same problems you describe. One part I do agree with is that the Leica instruments do seem to be more particular about shooting through some light foliage. There are definitely shots you can get with other instruments that the Leica won't seem to do.

Was the 1205 you used an earlier model? I know they improved upon the design during the time period when that was their main line of robotic guns.

I have a 1205, 1203,TS12 and TS15. As for layout and accuracy the leica is the way to go. For tracking and speed its horrible. Few of my buddys use trimbles. If im doing a big topo job, I borrow his instrument. If you are in the construction stakeout field of work, stick with a leica. If your line of work is with topo's and road work, Trimble all the way.

Thanks for this reply since we are trying to decide between a Trimble S7 and a Leica TS16 and some of the items you mentioned are going to ultimately make our decision.
Of course we would need it for both construction and topo surveys so its a tough choice.
My only concern with the Leica is the tracking speed and loss of lock potential.