Anyone have anything to say about these guns?
Looks like a VERY economical robotic/reflectorless setup...if they're putting out a reliable instrument.
Thx
I've had one for 4 years. I think it's great.
I hear people say it's great for construction work, but not topo/boundary. I don't see it that way. I get great closures and checks.
As far as I've seen, it's a blue Trimble 5600. In fact, my rod, batteries, chargers, etc. are all Trimble.
It is the same as a Trimble 5600 series robotic instrument. If you've been running a Topcon robot, you will hate the transition to a Trimble 5600/Spectra Focus 10 robot. Now, the the Trimble S-series, that's another story; they're great.
Focus 10 is a great gun! I primarily use it for construction staking and it's very fast and easy to use.
Why would someone using a Topcon robot hate to transition to a Focus 10? I used a Topcon Robot (8200 series) and it was a huge PITA compared to the Geo600/Trim5600/Focus10. I was very pleased to see the Topcon go, and in fact moved to a Focus 10 at my old company.
I started out using a Geodimeter 600 (basically an orange Focus 10). I loved the tracking and search of the gun, but absolutely detested the amount of cables and lack of internal batteries. It took too long to set up with too much stuff to carry.
I now use a Topcon 8000 robot. While the lock and search are not as good as the Geodimeter, it has internal batteries, and my setup has no cables at the rod, and only a small external radio at the gun.
Both have advantages, but I agree going from a Topcon to a Focus 10 would drive me crazy.
I've been running a Focus 10 for about 20 months and it is everything I need. I replaced my Trimble 5603DR that I bought in 2002 because it was on sale and had a warranty. I use it for stakeout, house locations, topo, and boundaries. I can see where an internal battery would be nice; however, for most of my work, 4 or 5 setups will take care of a job and it is not that bad to carry the battery pack. I always use a stake bag to carry everything and the batteries ride along in it when I'm moving to a new setup. I like the way it will lock onto the RMT and not the prism like the Topcon's. When I'm in the woods, a lot of times I can't see the robot, but it will find and lock onto the RMT and then I just need to slide the rod up and down until I find the sweet spot through the leaves to get a shot on the prism.
I know there are faster and flashier robots out there, but this model is reliable and I would buy another one to replace it in a heartbeat. I'm 42 and will probably keep using this model for the next 10 years at least, probably until I retire.