Surveying and Laser Scanning models

> I even got very frustrated with the always breaking Trimble Robot Radio clip and re-designed a much stronger one that has yet to break. This is so much stronger than the stock one, I don't see it breaking
I see the radio case breaking because the clip is so strong.

The 3d printing is really cool.

Those above are models of instruments that I own. I have a few others including a 1965 Geodimeter Model 6 that I really really want to model. Judging from the cost of the other large models the cost will be stratospheric!

LOL, then I will print a new case!

While your method of accomplishing the the feat is unique the idea of making a stronger clip for that radio is not. Any Trimble repair tech will tell you that many radio cases get broken that way, and the repair bill runs well over $1000.

Now if you designed a plastic carrier for the radio, one which cradled the whole radio and its brick battery, you would probably find a market for such a thing. Lots of guys running around with broken and taped up radio cases would be interested.

I am dead serious about printing a case. You could also look at Trimble placing their weak link as the clip as stupid too, as the radio has no where to go but down.

The plastic they use is not strong and will be fairly easy to emulate. I understood the risks when I made my clip and I have a spare case regardless. So far no issue

I doubt there is enough market for me to get serious about designing a new bracket, although it would not be difficult. I may look at that this winter ...

Very cool! The problem with the clip isn't that the plastic isn't strong enough, it's that there is no support at the bottom of the heavy radio. I zip tied a nice bracket to the range pole so the radio rested against it. Worked for years never broke another clip.

Do you have a video clip of the 1/4 scale Geodimeter? It's the instrument I use every day and would love to but one. Thanks.

Andy

Ours are bungee'ed to the rod to relieve shock. Same theory.

I have never printed the 1/4th scale 600 as the cost of printing got higher than I was thinking it would and some other shinny thing got my attention. I did print a 1/8th and gave it to a friend just this last weekend, it was very cool. The cost of the 1/4 600 did stop me from finishing the 1/4 C10 as it is a big instrument and it would take some plastic. My favorite is the T3's and I have all three sitting on my desk along with printed traffic cones, pneumatic jacks, Go-Jaks, a 1/24th scale Ariel Atom frame and five phones cases ...

well, strapping the radio just puts the torque on the bracket, no? putting some sort of bumper on the rod keeps the stress off the bracket. Either way, I don't use that setup anymore, I use the geodimeter CU in it's bracket. the radio attaches to the top and the battery to the bottom so there is no cheesy plastic piece to even think about.

Oh, are the prices under the images the 'cost to print'?? I guess I'm confused a bit, it looked like you made them all.

Andy

Yes, you are correct there is a little standoff.

I am a little confused as I don't see prices below the pictures. The 1/4 scale 600 is $109.50 to print in Frosted Ultra Detail on Shapeways. I do know of a company that can print even finer detail, but, the cost is between 2x and 3x. The 1/8th version is $40.20 but it is half by half by half or 1/8th the material size

The full color pictures are screen captures for Inventor software. The pictures of very white looking plastic are the printed models, except for the clip which is an entirely different process

I do want to tell you that I have had some issues with movable objects not moving at 1/4 scale. This seems to be a printing orientation issue, which, Shapeways allows you no say in. You do have to view them as models and if they move great! The focus ring on my 1/8th T3 works great and is frozen on the 1/4th for instance and it is all a function of trapped suspension medium (wax).

freaking awesome

bump

Thanks! These actually came out of a test to see how small I could print something and still maintain motion from the parts in the print. This was that print:
[flash width=960 height=720]//www.youtube.com/v/MdVqwbcKr7E?hl=en_US&version=3[/flash]

Andy, I made a 3D pdf so that you could really see the model as I think that would answer your questions, but, I don't seem to be able to upload a pdf here. I created a DropBox link here https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31797244/Geod%20600%201-4%20scale.pdf

If you have never used a 3D pdf click the content and then use your mouse to spin, zoom and look around. It is a very reduced version of the actual model, the true 3D file is 13.0 megs and the pdf is 1.2 megs

Incredible. I think this tech is the future. I've even looked on Kickstarter to see what new 3D printers were being developed. Costs have come way down. But the quality isn't there what I can afford (prefer sub-50 micron level).

But someday.....

It turns out if you really cram a model full so it is very dense, after 20 cm³ they discount the cm³'s. By very dense, I mean greater than 10% of the plot box, LOL. So I made this ridiculous print containing all five of my instrument models at 1/6th scale. http://shpws.me/qlKr as a value pack 😀

I actually just fully read what you said or I glossed over it before, sorry. I have never had a case break, but, in looking at the clip I had decided that is why it was so easy to break. Up here in the Pacific Northwet, I would never use a broken case because of the moisture, but, you have a great point for elsewhere. I will add a broken radio case carrier to my list. Since I have never seen a broken one, could I trouble anyone for pictures so I can see the extent of failure?

I am thinking that a carrier that fit around the radio and screwed together in the front for tightness would be good. I am also thinking that if it fit flush to the back of the radio it could be glued or silicon-ed for water resistance.

Sorry, I don't have any pictures. But the idea is that the original equipment clip is designed to be weaker than the case, so that the clip breaks before the stress just tears the case apart. Plenty of people, tired of replacing clips, have fashioned clips out of metal - only to have the case get cracked or broken. I have spoken to Trimble repair techs who have seen many cases of this.

The case cannot be replaced by Trimble, the fix is a new radio. And with Trimble sunsetting that model parts and components are becoming more difficult to come across.

Thanks for that and it follows what I expected looking at the design. My guess is that it takes a chunk out of the radio back, ripping the screw area completely out and then stress cracks to the top. The stock plastic does have some malleability, so, the cracks may or may not happen.

A replacement radio case is not a hard design and I have already had a tech ask me for one, but, it is going to be something that average person is not going to want to replace. I am still thinking of a case for the case kind of thing. I also believe that there are at least two common case designs as well that both have the same essential outer shape.

As a side note, I have tested the draw from a 360° prism and a Geo radio and found the major draw was the prism, not the radio. That isn't what I expected. This matters because if you power your prism at the prism and not from the radio, you can go with a much lighter radio battery. I have a prism mounted 0.7 amp battery I am printing and it only lasts 1/2 day. It has made me make a second design with 2.0 amp batteries. The lightness and power of LiPo is amazing. In testing the crews want both, one for topo where lightness is everything and the big one for construction. Getting the 360° off of the radio battery means it can go much lighter

Watching TV this morning yielded the radio backing. I did offer it up on Shapeways, but, there are some hard to change parts on that portion. I will do the front portion, a lot of it is a mirror, and then play with what can be done for a holster.

What I ended up with this weekend. It will be a bitch to fit, but, it will be strong and durable. I hate the 3D mouse on the computer this was screen shot from and then I doubled the speed, so the vid sucks ...

http://shpws.me/vkG9 I am open to ideas for improvements ...