Per the title. I tried to dig up the answer via a search to no avail. It might be lost in a post somewhere but easier/quicker just to ask.
Will a Leica without the extended Geocom work if I create a COMM link with the paranis? Or do I have to make sure my gun has the Geocom before buying?
A non-geocom gun doesn't go for much of a discount, but it does increase the purchase options ever so slightly.
Thanks!!
Does Microsurvey have the ability to issue Geocom licenses? Check this out:
If I don't hear anything here I might go ahead and email them. I have a few questions about their software too and is probably the software I'll end up using.
unfortunately Geocom licence for 1200 models are no longer available to purchase.
@kilos which can basically 'brick' a perfectly good instrument lest you use their 1210/1250 collector. It would nice if these manufacturers would sunset the code requirements for instruments after 20 years.
Totally agree.
you can still all the latest Leica controllers you just have to use a RH16 radio handle.
GEOCOM does not control which devices you can use with the TPS1200, it limits the data types. You can set up the Parini in the interface configuration menu. In theory, you could control the instrument via tablet or laptop running the SmartWorks or Viva simulator software. You can also run the 1200 series on any Viva or Captivate device.
As for GEOCOM, I really don't understand why they stopped selling it. It seems like an easy way to make $1k. At least you would think they would make it available to those who purchase MicroSurvey since they are both owned by the same parent company. The funny thing is that when the 1200s were still their mainline instrument, Leica flip flopped on GEOCOM. For a bit they would add it to any new instrument for $1. I have one of the first TPS1201s sold on the west coast and had to shell out the $1000 to get GEOCOM so it would work with our Amber trolley, which Leica markets in North America. I have a TPS1203 that was purchased several years later and it came with GEOCOM basically for free.
On a side note, I may have a RX1220 and RH1200 floating around that would be willing to part with.
A CS15 would work wouldn't it? CS15 controllers seem to be everywhere and some come with Leica (smartworx/viva) already installed. I'm very unfamiliar with Leica's own software and have heard mixed reviews, but I'm sure it gets the job done. Still, I wouldn't mind figuring out which operating system the CS15's are using and seeing if I could get Fieldgenius onto it. Sometimes it's hard to tell if the software actually includes robotic control as the trend is to make that an "add on" these days.
Radios are another story. RH1200 radios are very common on Ebay but a lot of them might be non-functional (lots listed "as-is" and/or "no returns). And Paddy mentioned that you'd need an RH16 radio and NOT the RH1200 radio? The older controllers are getting harder to find (and therefore replace) but the CS15's are still quite common and might be key to finding the right compromise. I really wanted to just use a Toughpad but such is life I guess 😉
I wonder if I could plug the Parani (the USB or serial version) into the CS15 and avoid the hassle of dealing with the radios? I did get the USB Parani (SD-100?) to work in Windows 7 but I had to mess around with drivers quite extensively.
I actually like experimenting with this stuff and figuring it all out. But it can become an expensive hobby. If I can get my hands on a cheap TPS1200 robot I might just give it a try. We'll see!!
RH1200 radios are very common on Ebay but a lot of them might be non-functional (lots listed "as-is" and/or "no returns).
eBay is very buyer-centric these days. Listing something "as-is" or "no returns" or "for parts or repair only" is almost meaningless, in my experience. A few years ago I sold a "for parts or repair" drive for a milling machine table. I clearly explained that when plugged in and turned on it sometimes blows a breaker. I also had "no returns" specified. A guy bought it, then a week later tells eBay that it doesn't work and he wants to return it. eBay said I not only had to take it back, I had to pay for the return shipping.
Last week I sold my wife's 2015 Macbook Pro (she got a new one). Nothing wrong with it, except that the operating system is no longer upgradeable due to age, and it was missing two rubber feet on the bottom. All was explained in the listing, along with "no returns." A couple of days later the guy says that the display was "horrible" and "defective" and wants to return it. eBay wants me to refund his money and pay for the return, but this time I balked. I reported the buyer, saying there was nothing wrong with the display when it shipped, and that I suspected the buyer of swapping out my wife's good display for a bad one he already had. I haven't gotten a response yet, but I can't say I'm optimistic.
My point for this thread: if you don't mind being a jerk, you can probably buy an RH1200 listed as-is and get your money back if it doesn't work. You won't even have to pay for shipping.
@jim-frame The flip side is that there are sellers playing all sorts of games to get around the rules. For example: Stalling so that the 30 day clause expires. This happened to me recently and although I recouped the cost (sort of, still trying to get my import fees back) the amount of time I spent dealing with that loser... Another seller for whatever reason somehow got custom fees added to their item that more than double exceeded it's value. I think it was DHL? but I'm not sure; they were impossible to deal with... only lost $20 there so no biggie... but nothing I could do there.
Many sellers list their units without batteries and "untested". I think they hope that by the time the individual finally tests the equipment the return period has expired. In this profession however, trying to save a few thousand bucks buying a suspect total station is asking for trouble right off the bat...
Yourself being a respectable person are more vulnerable to scammy buyers so I definitely see your point. And as a buyer I have more options when it comes to avoiding bad sellers verses you where you don't really have any real means to filter buyers.
And with that perhaps I'll keep an eye open for those radios. I'll have to do a bit of research though and see if the RH1200 will work with a CS15 or if I need the more expensive RH16 (and it will fit) or better yet, if I could get the paranis to work with the CS15. I might try the later just for kicks with my older Leica total station.
I think at this point I've more or less given up on finding a Geocom enabled TPS1200. They probably go for so much of a premium that they simply aren't worth it. But we'll see (I figure I have a good year to sort out all these decisions).
