Just a few comments. Owning, and operating a survey grade instrument includes knowing how to index it, or check it's accuracy. If you do your own thing here, learn the basics on checking that your inst is within adjustment. We once did a survey, with an inst. That had the vertical component stuck. This could be a very expensive mistake, on a construction site. You could site a point, invert and flop the scope, and make sure that the angles all add up properly. Throwing the tripod in the back of the truck can really affect things, as rain can make parts swell, and get loose. Get a good place to keep it, in the dry. Learn to check tribrach. Trivit or leveling screws. Ownership of survey grade gear, does not guarantee accuracy, without a watch on it. I've been on construction sites. I've seen the tripods abused, the instrument wet in rain, and put away wet. There's more to this than just buying a good inst. Have fun!
Nate
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Tangent here: I've seen some RTS's that shoot a laser to a point, how accurate is that? We get everything to less than an 1/8th ?ÿwhen we layout now. How visible is that in full sun? I think this would be way easier than ?ÿhovering the stick over wet concrete, trying to get it super accurate and then having to drop it down to make a mark in the concrete.?ÿ
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Don't do this unless you are shooting at a vertical wall and fairly close.?ÿ I've watched in horror as a plumber chased his TS laser dot all over the floor like a cat while laying out hangers.?ÿ It may work up close but when you get to that flat angle out from the TS, the laser dot gets very long.?ÿ I asked the plumber what he did in that case and he replied that he just marked it in the middle.?ÿ Oh boy...?ÿ?ÿ I was laying out wall track and his plumbing penetrations weren't falling in the walls like they should.?ÿ Now we knew why!?ÿ Needless to say, they had some fixing to do.
It would be hard to see in the daylight too.?ÿ As far as hovering the stick over wet concrete, just get you a little peanut prism that the prism tilts.?ÿ It'll only be about 4" tall and you can point it up at the TS if you're down in the hole and the TS is up on top.?ÿ I always keep one in my vest pocket.?ÿ
This is everything. I watch MEPF subs do things to their equipment that makes me want to vomit. They'll do exactly what you said. I've even watched them turn the leveling screws to put their instrument back to level and not re-backsight!! I always love when they want to argue about who's wrong when things don't line up.
Don't write off the manual total station, especially since you have the manpower and are tight staking. Get a basic total station with on board software. The savings of not buying a robot, data collector, or 360 prism will be enough that you can buy a basic, new, manual total station instead of gambling with used.
Learn to use a sight card and plumb bob and you will be off to the races, you will be fine for elevations.
Learning how to use the equipment is not really a matter of being tech savvy though it is more a matter of following proven procedures and practices. You could probably figure it out with a basic construction surveying text book but it would be better to have someone show you...easier said than done I imagine, but maybe the dealer can make a recommendation.
Okay, I'm an old dog. I presume that the Trimble S-Series instruments are passive units. How does the rod communicate with the instrument if there isn't a radio? And what's the range (distance)?
There is always a radio, of course. With modern instruments it is built into the instrument and the dc. With a Trimble 5600 series the radio at the pole end is a quite separate unit from the dc. It hangs on the pole, together with its rather substantial battery, and connects to the dc by a wire. Which naturally snags on every bush and twig you pass.