Hi, Just bought a Topcon 815A robotic total station, having trouble keeping prism locked around houses, cars etc.?ÿ Once it loses it's lock, it cannot re-acquire the prism.?ÿ Would a RC2 controller remedy the problem???ÿ Have tried every configuration and setting trying to fix the problem.?ÿ Questioning if the RC2 controller would help.?ÿ May end up sending the whole thing back.
Thanks for any and all help.
That is an older instrument first introduced nearly 20 years ago with older technology within. You may be getting the best available at that time. I am sure though that the RC-2 would not hurt.?ÿ
Your post about the GTS-815A prompts the question as to whether it is equipped with the instrument handle required to work with the RC-2R.?ÿ You can easily determine whether this is the case because it will have "windows" of dark-colored glass embedded in it.?ÿ The regular handle does not have those windows and is only a handle.?ÿ The handle can be replaced as easily as removing the regular one and putting on the one with the infrared sensors in it.
One setting to look at is track sensitivity.?ÿ If it is set to "High", the instrument is more likely to lock onto stray reflectors.?ÿ The highest sensitivity setting is appropriate if you are attempting to maintain track lock if you are working toward the maximum distance one may operate that instrument robotically,?ÿ If you are at fairly close range, say only 300-500 feet, a lower setting for the track sensitivity would help to minimize locking onto things other than your 360?ø prism.
The rc2 will do nothing to keep lock but it is absolutely necessary to regain lock (without losing your hair). I would not try using any of the 800 series without it.
James
If you only want to regain lock, it can also be used in "Hybrid" mod? and use a GPS receiver as your quick lock. Tracking ability will still be lousy.....
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Sounds like this is just not going to work well.?ÿ I bought it to use alone as it's so hard to find good help that will come to work.?ÿ I do a lot of wooded tracts- GPS works surprising well during the winter but not so much during spring and summer.
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Thanks for the help- I'll send this one back and try to find something else that will work better in my price range.?ÿ Any advice on something else that works well for a one man show in the 6Kish range would be great.
@robbins1?ÿ I am a 1 man operation with a Topcon825.?ÿ A RC2 will help find you as other have said.?ÿ What software are you using for collection??ÿ I sometimes turn the guidelights on and use the joystick functions to turn the instrument close and then use regular search.?ÿ I try to keep the search window small so I'm not waiting forever to lock.?ÿ I will be upgrading to more a modern robot hopefully this year.
@va-ls-2867, Survey CE.?ÿ How do you keep the search window small??ÿ Is that a feature or just you do it by using the joystick etc??ÿ Still haven't tried all the functions on this one yet.
Sounds like this is just not going to work well.?ÿ I bought it to use alone as it's so hard to find good help that will come to work.?ÿ I do a lot of wooded tracts- GPS works surprising well during the winter but not so much during spring and summer.
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Thanks for the help- I'll send this one back and try to find something else that will work better in my price range.?ÿ Any advice on something else that works well for a one man show in the 6Kish range would be great.
Do yourself a favor and get a decent piece of new equipment.?ÿ We used the Hayes "Worry Free Lease" back when we started up our business and it worked out great.?ÿ Why struggle with equipment when there's all kinds of work out there to do.
Licensed Land Surveyor
Finger Lakes Region, Upstate New York
Do yourself a favor and get a decent piece of new equipment.
I would modify this to say "newer equipment."?ÿ It doesn't need to be the latest-and-greatest, but if you're planning to use the instrument in production work, trying to make do with a 20-year-old robot is likely to be a frustrating and horribly inefficient exercise, especially if it's one known to have been not very productive when new.?ÿ For hobby projects resurrecting an old instrument is fine, but for paying work I wouldn't reach back more than 5 or 10 years.
With GPS equipment the situation is a little different:?ÿ there are 30-year-old receivers that are still capable of delivering good static performance.?ÿ For RTK I'd apply the 10-year rule, as long as you're not trying to work under canopy.
@robbins1You can set the search angle in the settings for max horizontal and vertical range. Under the robotics menu, search tab you can make the adjustments there.
@jim-frame?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ Cool surveyors would scoff at 30-year old GPS equipment, but my 20-year old static units provide much better vertical differences than my RTN Rover.
I used that gun years back. We had to sort of plan our shots and keep an eye out for reflective signs, taillights etc. We sort of pit a bandaid on it by using a higher rod height when around reflective objects. Not the best solution but its all we had. Not sure if a newer gun helps much. I used an S7 with all the bells and whistles for a bunch of McDonald's drive thru topos and we'd lock on a car like every 10th shot. I used a 5600 for a gas station topo and apparently what I thought was 30 or so shots around the gas pump islands were actually stored shots of some random reflective object. I guess part of using a robot is getting a good routine down for avoiding this issue.?ÿ
If that's an older unit a Trimble S6 with the MT1000 of similar vintage would run circles around it. Any Trimble robot using the MT1000 target will not lose lock on the prism, will not chase windows and tail lights, and will re-acquire the prism faster than any robot using passive tracking.
Lee is right. Active prism is the best, less frustrating way to go. Unfortunately a Trimble S series robot does not work with SurvCE and it is pretty expensive even in a used form. We're still using a 17 year old Leica TCRP 1200 robot with SurvCE?ÿ on a daily basis for construction layout and we are getting the same results we get with a 2 year old instrument.?ÿ It searces for any passive prism and it finds it in a few secconds. Leica 360 prism is the one you'd want to use if you have lots of obstructions. We get over 300m radio range with a RH16 Lond Range bluetooth radio at the instrument and a regular Archer2?ÿ data collector.
