Time for a new digital level.
We are a local agency that maintains City Bench Marks so we run levels quite frequently. Our last generation level was a first generation digital bar code reading level. It was very accurate but slow to read and the software was very cumbersome. We typically just used a field book and pegged the readings. I would like to do it all electronically with the new level and just wondered if any of you have any experiences with a newer digital level you would not mind sharing. We are a Trimble shop for the most part but would not mind using another brand that has its own standalone office software for processing the level notes or works with TBC Thanks, Jp
We're a Trimble shop as well and I use a first-order Trimble digital level a couple times a year for subsidence/deformation surveys. The current model is nice if you already use Trimble because the interface looks similar to Access and is pretty easy to use, the battery is the same one that the R series GPS receivers use, and the data goes easily into TBC, which then has pretty good tools for adjusting and creating reports. TBC doesn't support any other manufacturer's digital level data.
If the second order DiNi is accurate enough for your needs that's the one I'd go with; the first order one is a lot more finicky.
Leica DNA03 is an excellent instrument that will collect and store the data electronically for download. StarNet (StarLEV) will convert that data and adjust it.
In terms of the quality of the hardware, the high end Leica and Trimble are probably about equal, they both make an excellent instrument.
We have a sokkia sld30 and it is a good instrument the wave and read function is pretty nice and you get some really nice closures. If I had to do it over would probably get the model up I think the sld1 just because you can Bluetooth.
Thanks for input guys. Jp