Robotic Total Stations

Look into the Spectra Precision Focus 30. You can get it to run with FastSurvey, the exact same as SurvCE but with a different name. Very nice robot.

I have been using a Topcon PS-103 robot with the RC-5 unit for about a year. Its fairly light for a robot, it tracks well, everything is bluetooth so there are no cables to mess with, excellent battery life, reflectorless is great and its more than accurate enough for the work I do. The cons of the PS-103 are the same for all Topcon robots I have used, the optics suck. Being a robot you aren't behind the scope much, but when you are doing reflectorless work, better optics would be nice. I use a Carlson Surveyor+ data collector with SurvCE. The Surveyor+ is an Allegro TK6000 made for Carlson. SurvCE runs the Topcon robot and gps gear fine. Topcon seems to be one of the few manufacturers who still play well with other companies for most of their gear.

Sorry about your loss. I can't imagine what would happen if I lost all of my equipment in one fell swoop. Good luck.

From what I understand the GeoMax Zoom 80 is a rebadged leica 1200, but I may be wrong.

I have a topcon PS too, unlike the gent above mine has great optics, but I rarely use the optics... What I don't like about it is it cost a ton. The Leica instruments lose me with H and V knobs on opposite sides, two handed gun and not a one handed gun.

I say the same thing all the time....can someone please communicate that to Leica? They made the CS15 huge, yet there's not much memory, the screen is incredibly small, there is a camera which is cool, but the megapixels are crap, the buttons are way too small, and they are missing a few key ones.

The Leica Robotics are awesome, the tracking is awesome, the GNSS works great with excellent results which have high repeatability. Just fix that collector and the software.

As Pin Cushion said, the GeoMax Zoom80 is the current production of the Leica 1200. They all come with 1000m reflectorless and excellent Leica optics. Just like a 1200 you can use SurvCE on any collector (Allegro, Surveyor+, etc.) to run the gun, although you'll want the collector to have long-range bluetooth capabilities to communicate with the instrument's long range bluetooth handle (replaced the Leica radio handle). Great guns at an attractive price.

Dan,

The issues with the CS15 are load and clear. Theses have been voiced very distinclty and Leica will listen. Leica makes the best GNSS and the best total stations and great field software but is in the early growing pains of developing the best data collector.

Hi Smorneau,

There are options that will check all your boxes I believe. When I was selling Leica survey equipment (last year) I would always encourage people to go with the CS15. There are two solid reasons for this, firstly the cost savings are substantial over the third party solutions, secondly Leica's technical support is second to none, unless you are utilizing third party hardware, at which point, rightfully so in my mind they stop supporting it as it adds too many variables to effectively troubleshoot.

Before I worked for a Leica dealer I had surveyed for 6 years using Leica equipment in Oklahoma, and hands down my favorite data collector was and is the Allegro, it had me at huge buttons. But as a part of a system, I prefer the CS15 because its easier for me to keep the whole system functioning optimally than when I introduce a different manufacturers hardware to the equation.

Ok, so there's my 2 cents, and heres what you actually are looking for...

My understanding is that you could use an:

Alegro DC running v.3.0 or v.4.0 of Carlson Survey, which would definitely handle running a TS15 with an RH15 radio handle, although I'm honestly not sure whether or not it will support the new RH16 long range bluetooth handle. That would be a question best asked directly to Carlson via email so that if you have issues with it you can hold their feet to the fire. I've generally had a great experience working with the folks at Carlson. They claim it is also running the GS14 and GS15 GNSS heads so this could quite well be an ideal solution for you.

You could also run an Alegro DC running MicroSurvey Field Genius, I've had great success with that platform, and its always improving as Leica now owns MicroSurvey so they have an easier time getting access to information than other third party softwares.

Best Regards,

Nathan E. M. Mayer, PLS

Well, I demo'ed the Topcon CS and PS today. Not overly impressed. The battery door and the door for the USB port seem very cheap for 20k+ instruments.

The CS's servo controls were jumpy and seemed a little speratic in manual modes. These need some work.

The PS seemed nice. The servo's on this gun seemed very smooth and precise. The "Dog whistle" on top of the prism had some promise but seem clunky on top of the prism pole and would make those hard inverted shots even harder. The biggest downfall seemed to be its size. The case it comes in is the same case my two GR3's came in. Its the size of a suitcase. Definitely not something to be carried around in.

Both were demo'ed using the Topcon tablet using the Magnet software. The large screen size was nice, but still not a fan of no keyboard. The Magnet software seems less intuitive than its predecessor TopoSurv. Topcon took a step back in my opinion here. Its too icon driven now.

I was also surprised to learn the PS was around 30k. That's more than the Leica TS12 that I am looking with the CS15 and SurvCE.

Do you mean the IS, or is the CS a new instrument?

I just got a Topcon PS with RC-5 for 20k. Are sure that wasn't the IS you were demoing?

We recently bought a Topcon IS-1 and we really love it. It works very well for us in robotic mode. Trying to get the scanning part down right now.

The CS15 is great but not the most robust DC out there. The keys are not as solid as on Allegro for example. And the miniature size of the icons outside of the survey program is pretty miserable.