My 1 year old Topcon 9000 was knocked over by wind yesterday and totaled . We were working between two buildings downtown and a wind gust picked up the robot and slammed it on the concrete. I was about 100 feet away and nothing I could do. I had just mentioned to my helper that the wind was getting pretty strong and we need to put it in the truck . Those new Robots are light but darn . I actually saw the tripod come off the ground. Talking about a bad day . Thank god for insurance .
That is a horrible story.
But insurance may get your robot repaired, but lucky if it pays for a rental.
Hoping for the best.
Not to play the bad guy here, but if you had a helper on a bad windy day, why was he not babysitting the gun.
Not trying to judge and I am sure that I am out of line for even saying.
I have a robot myself and since I paid for it myself, I am not one to take any chances in bad weather.
Randy
I had sandbags on the legs yesterday, had gusts of 30-35 mph and was amazed it remained as level as it did. Mine is my largest investment to date, so I am umber careful with it.
I keep my truck parked next to it, and have been asked several times to move it to allow easier access by off road dump trucks. I explain the purpose the truck serves, as a portable barrier to protect the gun. If the truck gets run over, I can have another one there in a day or two. If the gun gets hit, the entire operation is shut down until a replacement can be found. They don't ask again, 'cause I ain't movin' it.
our 650 robot is heavy to begin with and on some windy days
place any rocks on leg + top battery and railway SLAG (grindings) on batts or leg just to
stop what happened to you
How many days down time and do you get payed for them
Well get it fixed and back to work.
Pk
picture?
it happens. that is why insurance is so important. to date i have had a robot dropped (iman) and a hiper dropped (wind) and my insurance repaired/replaced both for just my deductible.
Hope you are back on your feet ASAP.
We have 1" sq. 4' long Standard Iron Bars that weigh 15 pounds each.
We use them to mark key points so bulldozers can bend them all to *ell.
They can also be used for leg weights very well, with as many as you wish to put across the legs' 'feet'.
This is likely why I had to study Physics to discover the mathematical wind 'moment' around a point.
Yoicks !
Derek
> But insurance may get your robot repaired, but lucky if it pays for a rental.
If not, shop for a new insurance agent.
My business owners policy would pay for repairs or replacement of the robot, rental if I need one, lost income until I got the rental, and pay any contractual penalties I might incur for delay of a project. If my data collector was to get run over by a loader, I'm covered for the value of the data lost (my time to re-collect or re-compute it.)
PVC Tubes Filled With Sand Are Cheap
The diameter of the tube is chosen to fit in the groove on the bottom part of the leg or the open space between the two pices if the bottom part is also two pieced. A rope handle to move it and a velcro strap to secure it. There are so many alternative ways to add weight but not having any weight is non-professional. It is your job to foresee all possible bad things that could happen and minimize them.
Paul in PA
PVC Tubes Filled With Sand Are Cheap
I like the horse, or dog tie device, with a ratchet strap. secured to the top of the tripod. Light, and easy to cary on a 4wheeler.
Trust me I am reflecting on the events of yesterday. We had worked all morning with light wind . The wind came up on us really quick and the buildings made it worse acting as a wind tunnel . Worst feeling in the world . Hindsight is well you know.
My previous gun APL1-a was heavy as a boat anchor and would not have budge . Insurance guy got right on it and should have a new one in a couple days .
PVC Tubes Filled With Sand Are Cheap
We have PVC tubes filled with sand secured by velcro straps as well. We have a set that is full of lead shot instead of sand also. We also have a few sets of these things called Tri-Peds.
to make matters worse we were on concrete, legs not kicked in . If you got pictures for a weighted setup please post.
> to make matters worse we were on concrete, legs not kicked in . If you got pictures for a weighted setup please post.
After someting similar happened to me 15 yrs ago, I now refuse to setup on solid surface without a tripod stabilizer, especailly for the robots, its like a interlocking metal triangle that the legs sit in.
Had a similar situation about ten years ago. A spring storm hit from out of nowhere and pick up a Leica TCRA1103 along with an outhouse and through them into the ground. I got a really frantic call from the crew. To make matters worse, it was the local dealerships instrument. They had given it to us to test the then new power search feature. I still have the remains in the basement if anyone needs parts off one.
The insurance did pay for it with little bickering.
A couple of years latter a tornado hit the same site. Really rare in these parts.
PVC Tubes Filled With Sand Are Cheap
I have a dozzen of this CLAW tiedowns that I use for other things:
http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Solutions-C-101-Tie-Down-Anchor/dp/B002RXJEHI
Easy to setup, and will hold 1200 lbs pulling force. Worth the $20. I have not as yet used them for surveying, but I am planning on a robot later this year, and will put one in with the setup!
Rebar driven alongside the tripod leg and tied to it with flagging, rocks piled on the foot, there are a million ways to do it. This time of year with ice not only is it hard to drive anything next to the tripod but the feet of the tripod will melt into the ice and then the instrument will be out of level. If you have snow nearby we always pack it around the leg to stop that and then pile rocks or a sandbag on top of the snow. We also have feet that the tripod can set on on concrete that are weighted and will hold it down in the wind.
Of course it's not just wind....so many things can happen in an urban setting to a robot sitting there. Sometimes you have to leave an extra person at the instrument.
Take a look at the OPUS data base page for pictures of weighted setups..
PVC Tubes Filled With Sand Are Cheap
Those look like a well-designed anchor, but I would like to see the 1200 lbs demonstrated. Results have to depend on the soil type.
The big question is...
Are you going with another Topcon 9000, I own one and I would not.