Focus 30 and Shiny Spots

Unfortunately there is no instrument not affected by it. Topcon, Spectra, Trimble and Leica - at some point or another you just can't beat it.

> Unfortunately there is no instrument not affected by it. Topcon, Spectra, Trimble and Leica - at some point or another you just can't beat it.

The Geodimeter 600, Trimble 5600, Focus 10, and (newer Trimble models made it optional) have an active prism that nearly eliminates "false tracking" on reflective surfaces. Unfortunately, this didn't catch on with other manufactures ... it is good technology that seems to be fading away.

My next gun will probably be a Focus 30, so I'm very interest in this. Doesn't the Focus 30 have a built in GPS "Geo Lock" that helps the gun stay locked on the prism? Is that helpful at all around cars and windows?

> Doesn't the Focus 30 have a built in GPS "Geo Lock" that helps the gun stay locked on the prism?

As I read the Spectra literature on GeoLock, it's a search assist rather than a tracking assist. You invoke GeoLock after the gun loses lock, which allows the gun to turn to the approximate (GPS-determined) position of the prism and begin its normal search function. It's not a substitute for aggressive tracking.

Ah, I see, thanks.

Never have I had a robot affected by shiny spots. Reflective surfaces yes. but not sun glare off shiny spots.

Focus 30 is the best robot I have found for the money. EXCEPT for the wanting to track shiny spots (sun glare on anything). I really hope spectra can figure this out. It has the potential to be has good as the Late Great APL1A (I own 4). The geolock is handy most of the time. It performs a "localization" using the gps in the ranger vs shots taken. (a fixed back site will throw it off every time you check it though)

I purchased a Focus 30 this year and after using a Focus 10 for 5 years with an active prism I have definitely found it frustrating. Not necessarily to stay locked but to get locked from afar. The geolock seems to work about 75% of the time to get re-locked. The best advice I can give is to get locked to your prism while close to the gun. I don't have any problems with it in areas without allot of traffic but have to be very conscience of it in traffic areas. Part of me wishes I would have paid the extra 20K for an S6 but still don't think an active prism is worth that much.

I never had trouble with the AP like the robots since. Why can't they make a tracker like that with all the new bells and whistles?
Actually, I know why. The company that got the contract to build the lasers for the AP fulfilled their contract with Topcon, when topcon came back for support the company raised the price so much that topcon couldn't support the guns any more. Death of a Super Tracker.

but back to the shiny spots....
The most trouble I have is around moving cars.
The gun follows them for half a second trying to decide if it is a target, once it has decided the car is not a target, it has turned far enough that it when it starts searching and grabs another car and does the same thing. I have watched it turn 360 in this crazy pattern.... have used four of these guns and they all do the same thing. Get it away from sun glare and it's great.

I've been able to review a few robots: Topcon IS, Leica 1200, and Sokkia SRX. I reviewed the IS twice (a few years apart). I have an older Topcon (8200) that gets distracted by shiny objects and it is a pain sometimes. So, when I review, I take the robot to the grocery store or Wal-Mart parking lot and set a prism on end of the parking and the robot on the other and force a search to see if it gets distracted. The first IS review would get distracted briefly by some chrome, reflectors and windows, before finally finding the prism. (My old 8200 would just stay on the shiny object). In my last review of the IS, it didn't even pause. The Sokkia and the 1200 both only seemed to lock on the prism - not even a pause on shiny objects. I have not reviewed the Focus or Trimble line of robots for comparison.

I suppose they can all get tripped up in some settings, but I know the robots I've seen in the last few years are better than my old 8200 at rejecting false targets.

this is sun glare off of things, not reflectors (unless it has sun glare)

yeah I know. That's what I'm referring to, as well as reflectors.

Again, I have seen this problem on almost every make of Robot at some point or another. The feedback coming off a shiny object with the right angle towards the sun emits feedback that is favorable to almost any tracker. Should this happen all the time, no. Should it happen often, no. Will it happen ever? Yes, even with the active tracking guns. If you've never had this problem, great! We don't want to hope for it! To me thought, this sounds like there may be an issue with that particular model.

My best advice, take it to a dealer that has been FACTORY TRAINED and has purchased all the REQUIRED TOOLING. They will be able to measure the power coming from the ATR and see if it is out of whack. It could be a simple adjustment. Remember, these things are thrown around on there way from the manufacturer to the distribution center, to the dealer and then to the end user. This is one great reason to buy from a reputable dealer with a creditable repair center.

I think the problem is in the sensor.
I hope they get them fixed soon.
Never had a robot with sunglare problems before.