I had a guy come and demo it. We didn't do anything but sit in the driveway and he showed me how to use it. He was going to take me out tomorrow and go on a job with me but we couldn't come together on a price so I didn't want to string him along for some free GPS. I don't know why we couldn't come together. I don't know if they cost him more per unit or what it was. I was willing to pay a little more for the unit since he was willing to go on the job with me but I wanted new and he wanted to sell me used for more than a brand new, newer version of the system. I just couldn't bring myself to doing it. He did tell me the older unit he was selling was better than the new unit (same brand just newer version) was.
I know I will be competitive with flood certificates now. Before I'd just throw out a high price and hope they didn't call back because I knew there was no control anywhere near where they were. I'd do it, but it wouldn't be cheap.
That just doesn't sound right. Most of these reps get demos to allow potential clients to use. I feel fortunate that we got a good one though. He let us use the demo to set up a few big jobs. The equipment sold itself but he was decent enough to let us take it for a test drive. Good luck
I asked him directly, "Am I getting a new unit or a demo?" he said, "A demo."
I showed him (via email) how much I could get a new one for. He then took the word 'demo' off the new quote he sent me that was a little lower than the first quote. I thought at that point I was getting new and understood the extra money because he was going to take me out for a day of surveying. That was until I asked him again if I was getting new or a demo. Then he told me it was a demo.
He talked down the new units like they weren't as good as the demo he was selling me. I don't know it just didn't seem right to me. But there was window vista. Sometimes newer doesn't mean better.
My guess, and it's only a guess, is they are switching to the new 25's and want to get rid of the 20's as demo's.
I'm getting the geomax 25 pro4.
John Giles, post: 334451, member: 57 wrote: Sometimes newer doesn't mean better.
True. But in a preponderance of cases, if a salesman tells you something that doesn't sound right, it isn't.
The evergreens retain too many leaves during winter to work under their canopy.
I would rather buy new than a demo unit, unless there was a large markdown in price......
Me too. I didn't want a demo that has been only he knows where. I wanted knew for the money I am paying.
It is true that static GPS will work in leaf off conditions SOMETIMES. Here is what I do...I set a base in an open area. I then run a second unit where I need it for 30 to 60 minutes. I have found that will work over short baselines (<1000 feet) MOST of the time. When it does not work it is usually because there are hills blocking satellites rather than leaves or tree branches. And that is exactly the problem in WV...very steep hills can block a significant number of satellites. As far as doing GPS in the middle of summer in eastern deciduous forest...forget it...I wouldn't even try. But, we can usually find an open spot somewhere and then traverse.
The problem with RTK in denuded forest is that there is still multipath, and you need time to get rid of multipath. It may LOOK like it is a good solution, but the only way to know for sure is go back a couple of hours later. That is why I like to do static and then whip out the robot to traverse.
All of that said, we do state plane on EVERYTHING. So, we do use GPS, we just find an open spot and may have to traverse in, or do it leaf off with short baselines.
As someone mentioned, it is very useful to tie surveys together on different sides of a tract without having to traverse in between, or for plotting the points on aerial imagery. PA, OH, and WV all have free georeferenced imagery available for download. Very useful.
GPS does work better when the leaves are off the trees. If the trees are smaller and pretty thin, it works well but if the trees are larger and thicker, it doesn't matter what time of the year it is, its not going to work.
joabmc, post: 334449, member: 10395 wrote: That just doesn't sound right. Most of these reps get demos to allow potential clients to use. I feel fortunate that we got a good one though. He let us use the demo to set up a few big jobs. The equipment sold itself but he was decent enough to let us take it for a test drive. Good luck
If by "get" you mean free, that isn't the case. Dealers purchase their demo equipment.
Rent. Try it out. If it works for you and it pencils out you can probably buy your rental unit for a pretty good price.
Johnson5144, post: 334604, member: 7149 wrote: If by "get" you mean free, that isn't the case. Dealers purchase their demo equipment.
I should have been more clear. I just meant that most have demos that they use for rentals, "test drives" and loaners when equipment goes in for service. Our salesmen was happy to let us have the demo on a few different occasions and if it wasn't spoken for, he'd let us keep it for a few days. Ultimately that sold the equipment, not the sales pitch.
