That arrangement would still require nonetheless that you'd have to switch from right hand to left hand for F1 and F2 observations, respectively. You'd have to put down the data collector, right?
> That arrangement would still require nonetheless that you'd have to switch from right hand to left hand for F1 and F2 observations, respectively. You'd have to put down the data collector, right?
No, in practice you just pass the data collector to your other hand. For topo, that knob arrangement is more efficient for single face measurements than the one on the side, one on the front that the Topkkia ES/CX has.
That R50 spec'ed kind of puny even in its day. As I recall, didn't it spec something like 5mm + 5ppm distance accuracy and 5 second angular accuracy and single axis compensation? Even still, I love the looks of it. It's a shame they don't still make something like it today. Compact and light. Add reflectorless and Bluetooth with a 3 second angular accuracy and 2+2 EDM (or better) specs and I'd buy one today for the cost of a midrange instrument (10k-12k). No need for any onboard stuff or color screens, just solid angles, distances and optics.
I've come to really like the handle on the top of many total stations. Without the handle, looks like a recipe for dropping the instrument.
> I've come to really like the handle on the top of many total stations. Without the handle, looks like a recipe for dropping the instrument.
If the instrument is heavy, sure, by all means put a handle on it. That Elta 50 is quite light and a handle was probably correctly determined to be overkill by the designers at Zeiss. It's very easy to handle by the smaller standard.
> That R50 spec'ed kind of puny even in its day. As I recall, didn't it spec something like 5mm + 5ppm distance accuracy and 5 second angular accuracy and single axis compensation? Even still, I love the looks of it. It's a shame they don't still make something like it today. Compact and light. Add reflectorless and Bluetooth with a 3 second angular accuracy and 2+2 EDM (or better) specs and I'd buy one today for the cost of a midrange instrument (10k-12k). No need for any onboard stuff or color screens, just solid angles, distances and optics.
Yes, that was the manufacturer's specification, but I bought that one after testing it and discovering that it performed much better than spec. The s.e. on directions is 2" and on distances +/-2mm+2ppm, which is plenty good for land surveying, particularly when you consider how light and easy to carry the instrument is.
If you're measuring angles on two faces, as I do for all ties to control points or boundary monuments in land surveying work, not having dual axis compensation isn't much of an issue. You just level the instrument on both axes and go to work.
Another of the unfortunate choices on the Topkkia instrument I rented was it only had an electronic bubble to level with and that was slow and jerky. Even just a bullseye bubble on the alidade would have been better than nothing. Instead, for rough levelling to get the electronic tilt sensors into working range, all you had was the bubble on the tribrach that can only be seen from one side of the instrument, and even at that you have to turn the instrument to expose the bubble.
As far as I'm concerned, putting a color screen on an instrument that is to be used in sunlight is nuts.
Norman,
Here we go again...
Leica myWorld is a F-R-E-E... free service to anyone who owns a Leica instrument be it purchased originally, purchased second hand, or even inherited. All you need is an article number (Part Number) and a serial number of a piece of equipment to start the service.
Who told you it costs money????
I agree that it will not stop working. It will just get less efficient to deal with. Agreed that star*net of yore, once installed, is not a pest about upgrades or external requirements. I had a hard time getting it to work correctly with win7. It works fine under Win8. Yours may work fine now, but the future is coming to Texas and when whatever bitrot Mr. Murphy blesses your PC with at that time diverts you from your trodden path you will be asking the same questions here about least squares that you are about total stations.
I would like to run it on the same XP virtual machine under VMWare where my CAD software runs. Much nicer to export DXF and points and have them on the same machine as the CAD.
Why VMware? XP did not have drivers for the newer laptop hardware. No wireless, no touch pad, no camera, no video drivers other than VGA, etc. VMware abstracts all that, XP runs fine, now the CAD works better than ever, but star*net cannot see the USB license dongle.
Over the years the dongle has given a lot of freedom that a key code tied to one machine does not. Right now I am frustrated with two other favorite software packages because of dying hardware and key codes. Whereas with star*net I can install the demo on a dozen different machines and carry the USB dongle in my pocket from place to place.
I have been putting off upgrading it, since the 30 day demo looked like it would overwrite your working version, making it not so much a demo as an agreement to buy the upgrade within 30 days or get locked out. That's just unacceptable. I suppose they want us to buy a separate full price copy and install it on a different machine so as not to risk screwing up the one that works. Here's your lift ticket for the slippery slope of upgrades and subscriptions.
Over the last few weeks I am pondering how just about anything I do or plan to do could be done with a Wild t-something, a steel tape, and one of those X90-Opus units. A laptop with star*net (or any least squares package, for that matter) would be the data collector, maybe via one of those Adapx pens. Skips the whole translator issue, too.
> Over the years the dongle has given a lot of freedom that a key code tied to one machine does not. Right now I am frustrated with two other favorite software packages because of dying hardware and key codes. Whereas with star*net I can install the demo on a dozen different machines and carry the USB dongle in my pocket from place to place.
Yes, every version of Star*Net I've ever had over the last 25 years is still working.
The beauty is that writing a converter for Star*Net is an entirely separate programming effort (since the conversion utilities aren't a part of the Star*Net adjustment software) and those are mostly what will need to be upgraded to keep the program viable as new hardware comes to market.
Kent,
You are looking in the wrong place. Every download that is current is on the Leica myWorld site. If you are accessing the old download account on Leica's website you are getting old information.
> You are looking in the wrong place. Every download that is current is on the Leica myWorld site. If you are accessing the old download account on Leica's website you are getting old information.
So, when Leica Geosystems posted this converter
http://www.leica-geosystems.us/en/41958.htm?q=StarNet+Converter+tool
they expected that anyone ought to know that they shouldn't be downloading anything from Leica Geosystems, but should be downloading from Leica MyWorld? Classic!
> You are looking in the wrong place. Every download that is current is on the Leica myWorld site. If you are accessing the old download account on Leica's website you are getting old information.
I registered my Leica gear today on the myWorld site, but I don't see any links to software downloads. Where should I be looking?
> I registered my Leica gear today on the myWorld site, but I don't see any links to software downloads. Where should I be looking?
ok, you're registered, logged in, password, etc.
inside myworld, then look for my products on the top right, in gray
the instruments, software etc. that you own and have registered should show up.
highlight a given product, then look for the software tab, to the right of overview.
if there are pending updates, they will show underneath
it's a good program once you get setup. it basically filters the updates that are based on what you own, rather than sifting through many pages to find what you think you might need
Is the Elta 50 related to the Trimble 3300? Looks like almost the same instrument, just different color.
> Is the Elta 50 related to the Trimble 3300? Looks like almost the same instrument, just different color.
The Trimble 3300 looks exactly like an Elta 50. I'd say it's a rebadged Elta 50. I couldn't find the spec sheet, but I gather that there was also a Trimble 3300 sold with a reflectorless EDM option. That might be a pretty cool instrument, also.
I found a spec sheet and it indicates that a 100 meter "direct reflex" function (called DR by Trimble) was standard equipment on all 3300's.
> I found a spec sheet and it indicates that a 100 meter "direct reflex" function (called DR by Trimble) was standard equipment on all 3300's.
As I recall, the EDM expert J.M. Rueger who was/is on the faculty at the University of NSW said that the EDM module in the Elta 50 was actually made by Leica. If that is so, then presumably the same is true of the Trimble 3300. I suppose one could figure out which Leica instruments shared the modules in the Elta 50 and Trimble 3300.
> inside myworld, then look for my products on the top right, in gray
> the instruments, software etc. that you own and have registered should show up.
> highlight a given product, then look for the software tab, to the right of overview.
> if there are pending updates, they will show underneath
Mine doesn't seem to look like that. Here's the myWorld page I get after logging in:
The myProducts link is on the left rather than the right. Here's what I get when I click on it:
I don't see a software tab. How do I get to the Star*Net converter?
P.S. I don't need it -- I have my own -- but I was curious to see how it works.
> Mine doesn't seem to look like that. Here's the myWorld page I get after logging in:
I would think that perhaps you have logged onto the other Leica myWorld site. You would not be having this problem if you were on the correct Leica myWorld site.
You dumbkopfs! It's LeicaYourworld, not myworld.
