Looking for personal experience on the best tracking RTS in the deep woods. ?ÿI use a geomax zoom 90, a fine and precise gun, but, struggles some tracking, in the summer thick.
Are there any special prisms or enhancements to help my passive system besides an axe?
Yeah, a prism the size of a dinner plate... 😉 ?ÿ I've always had issues with that myself with three different Leicas
I would think it's whichever instrument you're most familiar with operating, they all have pluses and minuses in their favor.
Trimble robotics LOVE the MT-1000, Leica is picky about what it will lock to.
Once you get behind a tree none of them work. How fast can you reacquire your target sounds like the answer.
Someone to point the gun to that hole in the leaves is a very good accessory.
Someone to point the gun to that hole in the leaves is a very good accessory.
This is about the only foolproof option. A two-person crew with a non-robotic TS is at least as fast as a solo operator with an RTS in heavy woods.
If there's no way you can get a helper, a Trimble S-series with Vision and the MT1000 active-track prism is the next best thing.
Not sure if the Geomax has tracklights on it. When I did not have the luxury of an active track prism or video, I would turn on the tracklights and use those to help zero in on the prism. Works pretty well once you get the hang of it.
Thats like asking someone what types of grass grows in the shade - None of them.
But I have had great experiences with a Trimble S series, especially with the MT-1000. But in all honestly, if you have a two man crew I would pick up an old Nikon or Topcon lock down gun for the woods. A lock down gun will tackle tall of that and so much easier to deal with in the woods for about the same price of a MT-1000 Prism.
N10,000, E7,000, Z100.00
PLS - IL, MO, AR, KS, MN, KY
an old Nikon or Topcon lock down gun
I'll bite:?ÿ what's a lock down gun?
@jim-frame A total station that has the ability to "lock" the horizontal and vertical tangent screws. It can "Lock" an angle.
N10,000, E7,000, Z100.00
PLS - IL, MO, AR, KS, MN, KY
It's been so long since I've run one of those that I forgot they existed.?ÿ Do you make the distinction because they're less expensive than continuous-motion instruments??ÿ I certainly haven't felt a need to lock the tangent screw since I switched over almost 10 years ago.
@jim-frame Yeah I guess, they tend to be cheaper and more rugged. Also tend to weigh less and are much smaller to lug around. Nothing sucks more than traversing with a huge Trimble S series jet pack styled case strapped to your back.
N10,000, E7,000, Z100.00
PLS - IL, MO, AR, KS, MN, KY
@stlsurveyor I'd much rather carry the 15 pound Trimble or Spectra in their really nice instrument case/backpacks than the 9 to 10 pound Nikon or Topcon in their very crappy and obsolete clam shell cases. I can't fathom why they haven't updated their cases! I have a Focus 35, and EVERYTHING fits in the case: the gun of course, up to 3 spare batteries, the prism pole bracket, AND the prism! The case has it's own thick backpack straps, and a nice handle on the TOP for moving it short distances. I've also got a really nice Nikon Nivo 1C, beautiful gun, but what a PITA to work with! It also has carrying straps for the case: they're about half an inch wide, are hard to adjust, and are pretty much useless. When traversing through the woods, you take off the case, lay it on the ground, kneel down to open the clam shell, and grab the gun by the SIDE, not the handle, and reverse the process to put it away. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, and my old knees really don't like the kneeling down part! OK, rant over ('til the next time I use it!)...
@rich-roberge Sounds like you need this...
N10,000, E7,000, Z100.00
PLS - IL, MO, AR, KS, MN, KY
The Focus 35 case is so much smaller and lighter than the S5 case. I believe the instrument itself is only about 0.5 pounds heavier but once you add the MT1000 and that huge yellow case the whole thing is much heavier. It's tougher to maneuver between trees too. I wish I would have thought to see if the S5 would fit into the Focus 35 case while I had both sitting in my office. I'd buy a Focus 35 case if I knew.
Gregg
If you already have a Leica/Carlson RTS w/ SurvCE, you may want to try enabling the GPS Assist.
?ÿ
I have had decent luck in brush w/ the 5600 RTS.?ÿ I imagine an S-series would work just as well, if not a bit better.
?ÿ
I've had great luck w/ an old Sokkia Set3 and an SDR33 w/ a "hot-shot" instrument man.?ÿ 2 guys are better than one when it comes to felling brush w/ sandviks.
Thanks all.?ÿ I do use the SurvPC/Geomax(Leica), workflow and it works well.?ÿ I was hoping for a magic powered prism or something of the like.?ÿ The comment about how they all have their pluses and minuses is good.?ÿ I find myself doing a lot of rough home staking in the woods recently and that is why I am pondering this.?ÿ I am still confused about the S series, seems sort of like Star Wars where an S5 might be newer than an S7 (o:
Would an S8 that is DR+ and not HP be about as quick as an S6 or 7??ÿ I have been told that the high precision models are not generally for Surveyors.?ÿ Will check one out in the deep woods eventually.
@stlsurveyor I visited the Sokkia national service center about 30 years ago, right after I bought first total station, a Set 4 I think, and asked the head of the service department about backpacks for lugging total stations around. He said it was not a good idea, and I've believed that ever since. Plus, when your bushed after 4-5 hours of humping through the woods, or when it's lunch time, the hard case is great to sit on!
@gmpls I'm in western Mass, and head up to southern VT all the time. I could haul the Focus up and you could check it out. Lemme know...
On occasions in thick stuff, we send out a rodless rodman, wearing a bright cap with a retro-reflective target stuck on the forehead area of the cap, then get him to wander around and stop whenever he can see the instrument. The issue with using a rod-target is that while the rodman will stop where he can see the instrument, he'll invariably position the target obscured by a leaf or branch.
@rich-roberge yes, and to stand on when you have that one shot looking down hill.
N10,000, E7,000, Z100.00
PLS - IL, MO, AR, KS, MN, KY
We have an old Nikon DTM total station as our brush gun. Works great, and for some reason seems to shoot through brush better than any of our more modern Leica/Geomax total stations. We also use flashlights with a blink function to help sight lines through the brush. Each crew member has one on hand at all times; you can see the light long before you can see the prism or the rod man. I've tried tracking with a robot in the woods before and will never again if I can help it.