Javad Triumph

Just search JAVAD on here and you will find many discussions related to the same question. I believe many that use JAVAD love it. Can't argue with the technology that's for sure.

Javad always seems to make quality stuff. Topcon bought him out several years ago, all of the early Topcon stuff was a 100% Javad design as far as I know, which would mainly be the Hipers. He is also the one the started the Glonass craze. It seems most makers thought that was a bad idea until they found out it worked. I also used his post processing software and its still the only thing I have for post processing, its called Pinnacle. I rarely use it and to be honest it kind of sucked but once I figured it out, it worked fine.

I have no first hand knowledge of his new stuff, but I have no reason to believe it would be anything except on the leading edge. Javad always seemed a little weird on the marketing thing. He also got caught up in the entire Lightsquared fiasco when he came out with a way to filter it out. A lot of surveyors thought he sold them out, but hey, he figured out a way around it. He is still trying to explain that with his twenty page glossy ads he puts in the surveyors mags.

If I were in the market for new GPS equipment, I would give it a serious look.

It's hard to beat the price or the terms.

Talk to Shawn Billings...

Pat,
I sent you an e-mail with a pdf of an article from The American Surveyor regarding a review of the Triumph by Shawn Billings, an East Texas Surveyor and a member here. It was dated April/May 2009. Give a shout out to him and ask his perspective. I would want to know if it would collect static while running on an assumed coordinate ("here") basis like the old Javad/Topcon Legacy(s). The Sokkias you used to run, and I now have don't and that's a PITA.

> Topcon bought him out several years ago, all of the early Topcon stuff was a 100% Javad design as far as I know, which would mainly be the Hipers.

Javad made the Hipers. Prior to that Topcon used receivers made by Trimble (SX1/DX1), AOA (a rebranded Rascal) and Ashtech (a rebranded Z-12).

Talk to Shawn Billings...

those Triumph receivers are still the most precise receivers I've used to date. with Carlson data collection, you've got a wicked combination on your hands. they are static capable. I saw the inside of the Triumph case on a visit to Javad's facility in June. I had no idea just how solid they were. The entire bottom half is a magnesium tub. substantially over-built.

We actually went another direction last year when we finally bought RTK for our company because of a great deal on a demo setup.

I think you are looking at this wrong. Everyone's equipment works!

IMHO the first consideration is SERVICE! Buy from the best / close by dealer that can support you when you need help.

The second consideration is software that processes data.

I disagree. Some work better than others.

Firmware/software is a big part of that equation.

Reliability is also a major consideration.

If it works well and is reliable, you shouldn't need much local support.

> I think you are looking at this wrong. Everyone's equipment works!
>
> IMHO the first consideration is SERVICE! Buy from the best / close by dealer that can support you when you need help.
>
> The second consideration is software that processes data.

I concur.

I had a mixed experience with the Javad equipment in the 1990s. A lot of the cables looked homemade. Maybe his stuff is better today, I don't know.

Same with Topcon. Topcon controllers in particular are troublesome. 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there and it starts adding up not to mention my aggravation factor.

I've had good experience with the Trimble equipment. My experience has been it is the most reliable as far as just working when you need it to without struggling with the equipment.

I agree Al. Especially with electronics. GPS generally doesn't need calibration or lubrication. Support is important but I think the need for local service is nil.

I agree,

I have had to "go to the dealer" maybe 3 times in the 8 years that I have owned my units.

If you are going to fork over this kind of money, the last thing I want to worry about is getting them fixed.

Randy

When I was speaking of service, I was not thinking in terms of repair, but rather in terms of "hold my hand". I know that when we bought our Trimble stuff several years ago there were a couple of times I was really glad my very knowledgeable dealer was only an hour away. Some service was phone, but a couple of times it was take the unit & controller to him to find out what we did wrong.

Interesting. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer on this. Phone support, videos, and tutorials have always sufficed for me except when we bought our first robot. We got a couple hour demo with our first robot. I guess I'm conditioned to figuring things out now. Most of the product reviews I do, I get a box or three via ups and spend a couple hours figuring out how it goes together. Seldom a need for outside help. But I totally get the need for support especially on big ticket items.

25k will get you a pair of javad units, with a data collector.

Every person I know, who uses them, will never go back.

N

Hemisphere GNSS S320

To promote the HGNSS gear, take a series look at our Hemisphere GNSS Survey, Mapping and GIS products, S320, R320, R330's The GNSS receivers work great, L1/L2, GPS/Glonass, SBAS, DGPS, LBand OmniSTAR; great pricing, best Tech Support Team in the business, call us/email us, we call you back same day. We're strategic partners with Carlson SW, SurvCE, Carlson Survey 2013 and Post-Proc SW.

http://www.hemispheregps.com/Products/SurveyConstruction/S320LandingPage/tabid/640/Default.aspx

There's a new sheriff in the Hemisphere...

-BbB B-)

Thanks every one for their response. I agree that service is important, but in this case I feel that the main thing that can/will go wrong are errors with the data collection, either human error with the data collector, or the data collector itself. That is why I will be getting the Carlson data collector from my local dealer with whom I have been doing business with since 1985, and who has always been there to help out when needed. (Here is a shout out to Bob Miller!)
The first GPS system that I was involved with buying was a Javad system in 2000, and we still use a variation of that system (Legacy E) today, though the name plate says Topcon. It remains being the most reliable and repeatable system I have ever used. My field guys, which sometimes includes me, just hate having a backpack to haul around, and the Legacys (what is the plural of Legacy?) hate the 100° temperatures we get around here. My plan is to combine the old Legacys as base units, and the Triumphs as rovers. I will put the base Legacy in a small ice chest with ice packs to keep it cool. That way we will have two systems with the radio power of a 38 watt base radio along with what I hope to be the best rovers available. And the best part is the 2 Triumphs and a new base radio (we have an ADL, but need the second which will probably be from Javad since Pac Crest has been bought out by Trimble, and as anybody who knows me knows, I hate Trimble) will only cost a little more than one rover from any of the big 3 (Topcon, Trimble or Leica).
I appreciate everyone's responses, and from them I see no reason not to go with the Triumphs. I will continue to have the support I need from my local dealer with the Carlson data collectors, and if anything does go wrong with the Triumphs, overnight shipping gets it in for repair the next day.

Let me know how that goes. I am in the same boat as you.

Nate

I use Leica and like the product! That said, there are likely many smaller players out there that build solid equipment, the tightest integration comes when your TS, GPS and DC are all from the same place IMO and that is high on my list of considerations when I think of new equipment.

Javad may build good hardware, BUT since he left Trimble years ago, it seems the firmware/software has had a lot of complaints (whatever brand he was selling at any given time), some even in this thread, if you can integrate into 3rd party DC/software successfully, then I think it wouldn't be a bad choice.

Not yet mentioned in this thread is the Altus brand and if I was to buy something other than my current brand is one I would check out in addition to any units built by NovAtel, however their products are more backpack or base station types so not very user friendly in the days of all on the pole rovers, nonetheless very solid receivers from my experience.

Again, the problem with any receiver on the fringes as it were is how tight is the integration with whatever 3rd party DC and software you plan on using, there is more to the equation than who builds the best hardware. I would say the king of the integration heap is Leica and Trimble, Topcon may be in there too, BUT I have no personal experience there, everybody else is on the next level down in my opinion.

SHG

One of my Dealers in SoCal, Ventura County, just provided a RTK Sales demo to one of his long time client/customers. Altus APS-3 vs, HGNSS-S320, both RTK Rovers using seperate HH DC's with Carlson SW SurvCE; the S320 RTK Fixed in a lot of places the Altus stayed RTK Float, each RTK system used their own internal 1 watt radios, the Altus APS-3 RTK Rover dropped the RTK Base TX pretty quickly, not much RTK radio range. The S320 RTK Rover never lost the radio, kept the RTK Fix during the RTK Demo. At HGNSS we design and manufacture all of our own GNSS boards and GNSS Antennas. Some GNSS Boards still perform better than others...

-BbB B-)