Topcon GPT3005LW.
That is a good, solid, basic instrument. It has an easy to read B&W screen (not touch) and you can, get this, I...am...not...kidding...you can actually zero it! Imagine that. It has decent optics and I get good results out of it. I have found that it gets better results if I cycle the power off then on again after it is fine leveled.
I use a Leica TCRP1203+ which is mechanically a beautiful instrument but you can't zero it without a DC which sends it the command. You could zero it if you are willing to be setup in a project with an instrument setup and BS set into it and you have to have a card in it, then you can zero it BUT ONLY IN FACE 1! Silly surveyor trying to zero in Face 2, Leica knows better than that.
It seems like there ought to be a way to set zero without a DC, but maybe that function just got left out.
I bought a used TCRA1102plus about 6 months ago. I have no idea how to run it from the keypad -- I've only used it with a data collector. It may be lacking in the ability to set zero on the keypad, but that hasn't been a hindrance to me.
Dave, I used that instrument before from time to time and received fine results. I wish I would have thought about the cycling on and off after leveling it though...good idea.
The only issue I had with the instrument was that it was loud when measuring a distance. I swear I could hear the gears running inside it.
If you're talking about the GPT3005LW, the auto tracking can be turned off stopping that noisy clicking. With auto tracking on it's measuring distances all the time draining the battery. I must say even with auto tracking on, battery life was good. With auto tracking off battery life is great. I own this gun. I can't say I'm in love with it. That clicking all the time drove me crazy. Much better now. I can go 2 or 3 day between battery changes. Optics are not the best in the world. It'll do. Accuracy is something I had to work hard on to get. Repeating angles 3 sets on traverse shots solved that problem. The good is it's lite, long battery life, but what I like most is the long distance non prism distance meter. Taking 3,000 foot shots to a power pole is outstanding. I can locate 3,000 feet of power line quicker than you can drive to them.
Leica 1200's just aren't meant to be zeroed. That's something the silly Americans do. You can only build a proper Swiss watch with azimuths. Let the Leica onboard DC keep everything in azimuths and it is much faster than plugging in a data collector.
Let the Leica on board DC keep everything in azimuths and it is much faster than plugging in a data collector.
I thought I was the only one using Leica's on board collector. Although it lacks a curve program and could use more cogo features, it works for me.
you can set the 1100 series instruments to zero, but in Face 1 only.
The moral of the story is topcon is better.... Before they scraped their designs and labeled others products as there own, not cool.
> The moral of the story is topcon is better....
Sorry, but not even close.
Hooray! I think there's three of us in north america ... clearcut seems to like his too.
The SDR33 used to set the azimuth into the instrument on backsight.