Sokkia Locus repair?

It's been a few years, but I sent one to Pete Lahaye at stereodoc.com 207-623-3222.

The Ashtech and Sokkia Locus receivers were EOL'd years ago. Nobody has repair parts or even services these L1-Only GPS receivers any more. You cannot purchase the Infra-Red Download cable any more, the current Windows O/S no longer supports IR Devices. Face it man, it's time to retire your Locus units, place them up on the shelf and admire/remember them fondly them with a smile. Time to move forward and buy some new GNSS receivers.

-BbB B-)

Pete The Stereo Doctor Is About It

If he is still around.

A few years ago Pete replaced some Locus internal batteries by performing a lobotomy.

If it is not the internal battery then you are pretty much out of luck.

Paul in PA

The actual Ashtech infared unit is not available, but the manufacturer that made them for Ashtech is still in business. The units are still available from them.

Chris bought three units last year, and we had to download the drivers for the infared download unit. We found the website and manufacturer from the information on the bottom of the infared unit.

Those little units work great. We won't retire them as long as they are collecting data. Between Chris' three Locus units, and my two Hipers, and 2 PM3 units, we can really collect/establish some control.

See by your profile that you probably are not the one paying the bills or making equipment purchase decisions. Those Locus units are worth repairing if possible. When you start putting 4 or more of those units, or comparable L1 units out on a project they are a powerful integrated tool for those wise enough to use them. Keeping your money in your pocket instead of upgrading to something not needed will put a small operation out of businesses quickly. If using L1 units and able to stay competitive and produce quality results, upgrading is not a prudent thing to do.
jud

I agree Jud, that is why I recommended that we look into repairing the two units that are not currently operational.

If we can get them repaired for a reasonable price, the repair will be paid for part way through the next job.

Love the design. Cheap batteries, easy data collection, easy download and processing.

Plus, as a two man operation we can densify our control networks pretty efficiently with a flock of these little buggers! 🙂

I have two IR cables and two units that still work flawlessly. They fulfill our needs... Without breaking the bank.

Thanks Dave! We will give him a shot.

DIY battery change instructions

If you have no luck getting someone else to repair it, and you feel like you have nothing to lose by attempting to change the battery yourself, here is an essay someone wrote on taking one apart.

http://www.scritube.com/limba/engleza/technical/Inside-An-AshtechSokkia-LOCUS-71618184.php

Here's a link to the Stereo Docs Locus repair page, as mentioned above.

http://www.stereodoc.com/industrial.htm

DIY battery change instructions

Being a surveyor myself, I have no compunctions stating, Land Surveyors are some of the cheapest, tightest with a $ Bastards on the planet, lmao. -BbBB-)

DIY battery change instructions

True, I like to fix things and keep them operating past their arbitrarily slated EOL. But Locus can often be fixed by changing the internal battery. I think it's a design flaw that it's so hard to access ... Or maybe that was done purposely to make them throw aways. If there was a hatch to access the battery, we'd probably not be having this discussion, nor think its unusual to change a battery to keep a piece of equipment in operation. I mean, these things were sold until 2005 IIRC. Is 8 years really considered the life span of equipment? No, I think this is an idea cooked up by the surveying equipment industry to make people think they need to buy completely new equipment every 5 years. The Locus still do everything they did when they were new, and surveying hasn't changed so much in the last 8 years that the Locus has become useless.

DIY battery change instructions

All GPS, GNSS receivers have an internal Lithium Battery that protects the Firmware and internal memory. These Lithium batteries have an approximate life span of five-years. When the Lithium battery dies, so does the GPS receiver. As long as the GNSS manufacturers have parts and batteries in stock, the GNSS receivers can be serviced. Once the Manufacturer's declare EOL on a particular product, they are typically obligated to service said product for 5-years. Once the parts are gone, it's pretty much done for that particular GPS receiver. Companies/Vendors that produce the batteries, chipsets, and other parts come and go, the landscape changes, moves forward. Fact of life in the GNSS game.

Are you still driving that StudeBaker? Really??
-BbB B-)

DIY battery change instructions

No, but you'd probably have better luck finding parts and someone who can repair a 60 year old Studebaker than a 10 year old piece of surveying equipment. It's sad that equipment manufactures have chosen to take that path of making their equipment both very expensive and unrepairable. To continue with your car analogy, would you buy a car if the dealers told you they would not continue to have parts and service available past a few years? Why should I buy new equipment that cost more than many cars, under those conditions? I'd rather use my older equipment until every last drop of usefulness has been drained from it, and I or someone else can no longer repair it, or to the point the technology has advanced that continuing to use the equipment puts me at a disadvantage. I mean, I'm in business to make money, not needlessly spend money.

Basically, you're saying that GPS -- a $25,000 or so investment -- is probably "unrepairable" after the internal battery -- a $5 part -- had died, which could be as little as 5 years. Then you go on to chastise people who try to find a solution to save their $25K investment as being "cheap". If an equipment company ever gets it right, they might actually attract some customers. I'd give strong consideration to a company that would guaranteed that parts and service would be available for an extended period, but given your statements, I assume your company doesn't "think out of the box" on this issue. Instead, all the fringe manufactures seems to be trying to be cheap imitations of the Trimble model of nickle and diming customers, lack of extended product support, etc., ... which, for as outstanding as Trimble's equipment is, is a big turn off to the small business owner who has to pay the bills.

Mr. LeMoine, What Are You Selling That Is A Better Value...?

...than Locus or ProMark 2s?

Paul in PA

Mr. LeMoine, What Are You Selling That Is A Better Value...?

It's obvious this discussion could go on for weeks. I used to work for Ashtech for 8-years, used Ashtech gear in production for 7-years before becomming an Ashtech employee. I have over 15-years of Experience with all things Ashtech. Ashtech as a GPS Manufacturer is gone from the Landscape. Best of luck to you getting Spectra Precision to help repair an EOL'd Ashtech product, years before SP bought out Ashtech.

I contributed my comments, vast experience to your request for assistance. If you chose not to heed the suggestion to move forward, best of luck to you. I'm out...

-BbB B-)

Dead Manufacturer Or Not, Certain Things Are Still Fixable

They are worth nothing sitting on a shelf unused. There is little risk in attempting a repair, but a big benefit if it works.

I believe with todays technology someone could make a Locus type receiver under a grand.

Paul in PA

We sent two units in and he replaced the internal battery on both units ($150/unit).

Both units now operate and log and retain data.

We are looking forward to test driving them when they return.

Thanks again for the recommendation.

That's great. I'm glad it worked out for you.