I'm trying to get information together to make an educated decision and attempt at getting my company to spring for a Trimble S6 next year. I've heard good things about this robo gun. Any guidance on controller software? After talking with the local Trimble rep, I get the sense that Trimble is out to completly change the way I've been working by pushing me into TBC and Access. Last year I convinced the powers that be to budget a new Trimble R8 GNSS base/rover. I've been pretty happy with the way it's worked out, so far. I had to upgrade my controller to a TSC3 and as for years I've been running the TDS Survey Pro on a TDS Ranger & TDS Foresight for drafting. I chose to go with Spectra Precision Version to run the R8's, hoping for some continuity. Now that I'm looking to add the S6 to the mix,I'm beginning to get the sense Trimble has a strategy of planned obsolescence. That would be great except that I have well over a decade of work in .pro/.job format that I'm constantly recycling and building out. I really don't feel like being reduced to exporting .cr5 files so I can go back and forth. Being as I live in a bubble and this is one of my only outlets with the outside survey world, I'm curious if others have beaten down this path and have any advice or suggestions. Thanks.
Cheers and have a great weekend all!
// moved to Land Surveying category //
Trimble S6 is a workhorse. Best gun I have ever used. Access and TBC are very easy to use and work seamless with your R8 and S6. You will be very pleased. I use both TDS and Access on my DC due to having some old Topcon Hiper GPS etc that access won't let me use. If your all Trimble than there is no reason not to dive in!
I'd say there are two good options, a third that you can go with.
1. You can go Access. It'll be what you expect. Personally, I do not like the software. I do not like that it is proprietary and is hard/near impossible to work with other equipment. An S6 is a great instrument...but Trimble's next gun might not be. I want software that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg and gets me stuck having to purchase the same equipment, no matter what the quality later down the road.
2. You can go Survey Pro with the S6. Keeps you using the same thing you are used to. You keep almost every feature. You can still export your .job/.raw. However, I would suggest starting to get away from the Foresight DXM as it is no longer supported.
3. You can go Focus 30 Robotic Total Station and Survey Pro. These are built to work together. The Focus 30 is almost half the cost of the S6 and extremely close to the same thing (Trimble owns the Focus Robot as well). At the least, i'd get a quick demo. A Spectra Focus 30 and Ranger with Survey Pro can do for as little as $20k.
Good luck in your search. More than anything, make sure that you have a dealer there to back you up. It's more important than the gun itself.
Thank you very much for your input. Cheers! Willy out.
