So what is the deal with our TDS equipment now? I know they got sucked into Spectra Precision, but is there any support for TDS data collectors? I started with TDS in 1992 with a HP48. When I bought my robot, it came with a Ranger 200 with version 2.5.2 in 2002 and I soon found out when you had a version that worked, to be really careful about upgrading because it would usually run worse with the robot or RTK. I now have a Nomad that runs perfect with Survey Pro Max version 4.5.3. It handles my Trimble 5603 robot and Ashtech Z-Xtreme RTK great. It's fast and only needs to be rebooted every two or three months (compared to every 2 to 3 hours when I had a Recon). I'm a firm believer in "If it's not broke, don't fix it".
That being said, I went to Spectra Precision's website and tried to register my TDS Nomad, no dice. Are TDS data collector's going to be paperweights when there is a problem? I use to be a die-hard Topcon fan when I worked in Alaska, but I love my 5603 and everything I have seen and heard leads me to believe I need a Trimble (Spectra Precision) collector to really have good & fast communication with the Trimble robot.
And in this economy, I am not replacing the robot and RTK I have. They still work great. So if the Nomad starts to have hiccups, what's this surveyor to do? Will Spectra fix this or try to force me to buy a blue & gray version? Has anyone compared the performance of the Nomad to a Carlson collector? I used to always keep a back-up collector, but I've been down to one for a year or so. I guess I'm starting to get paranoid. Boundarys and Site Plans have been steadily picking up over the last couple of months and I am crossing my fingers that might equipment keeps working. So far this year it seems like every battery and cable has needed to be replaced. I'm a little worried the big ticket hardware might go the way of Murphy's Law too.
Rambling thoughts of a Solo Surveyor.
The Allegro running Carlson is a great data collector/ mini computer, and is just as friendly as the Nomad running TDS.
Interesting question, and truly nobody knows what the future holds for TDS. Of course, once you get a good product, the next step seems to be somebody has to mess with it. I also have used TDS since 1999 on a variety of platforms, and it has preformed well on everything except the Husky FC series, but NOTHING ran well on those.
I cannot say for sure...but I would think that they will still fix it. They did not abandon TDS...they just abandoned the name. The hardware and software and the people behind the scenes are still the same.
Email support@spectraprecision.com and ask them.
Tom Bryant PLS
Saint Louis MO
Still have my HP48 with TDS Survey Pro along with a backup just in case. Still running old school, but I just focus on small jobs since it is side work.
It's
TeDiouS
It's
tds theft deterrent system. when someone's going to steal your data collector, they see tds on the label and put it back where it was
EFB, by Florida DOT, ran well on a husky. But it was a dos based system.
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
Total Data Screwedup, what do you use?
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
work DC is a TeDiouS Ranger. Backsighting is an ordeal with that thing. I do like the automatic set collection though. The version that's on there runs very slow when saving a set. For some reason TDS writes several pages of stuff when it records the sets we collected including repeats of the same thing.
My choice is a Carlson Explorer with SurvCE which I own. Carlson sends the command to the Leica "aim the backsight, set zero and shoot it" all in one step. With TeDiouS I have to manually aim then send zero then go to another screen to check it.
Once the setup is done in TDS then you have to close two screens (slow wait for the hourglass) to then shoot the foresight which it can only do one at a time.
Carlson knows that you are ready to shoot foresights once you've backsighted (seems kind of obvious). Then you put in the foresights (SDR33 style) then you show it each foresight. With a motorized instrument it will aim automatically after that although I will say with Carlson you have to babysit it pushing the button each time to shoot and accept.
I do think TDS has a pretty good stakeout screen although you can't just hit enter to shoot because it never seems to default to shoot so you have to hit the touch screen. I'm not a big fan of touch screens but they all have it now. I do like the turn gun button which re-aims the instrument. I haven't used Carlson a lot lately but it seems to me you have to back out one screen then back in one screen to get it to re-aim but I could be mis-remembering that.
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
The other thing that irritates me about TeDiouS is on a brand new job you have to first turn sets to the first backsight.
Say you show at a brand new job with no control and no coordinates. I usually set some control points then assign an arbitrary coordinate to the first setup point and a compass bearing to the backsight (all this for later rotation and translation).
Say you have three points ready to go on your traverse. You set up on the middle one, backsight another and foresight the third (in the direction of the traverse). With TeDiouS you have to use the backsight direction option then shoot sets to the backsight so that it can get a coordinate for the backsight. Then I backsight again to the just measured backsight point which now has a number and turn sets to the first foresight of the traverse.
In Carlson you assign an arbitrary coordinate to the first setup point then give it a number for the backsight. It tells you there's no such point in the file but would I like it to calculate a coordinate after the sets are done? In other words you just turn your sets from the first setup and it calculates a coordinate at both the foresight and backsight (imagine that-what amazing technology!). Obviously this is based on the backsight azimuth I gave it. Sometimes you have a known bearing between two points but you want it to calculate a coordinate based on the measured distance instead of the record distance.
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
You can start the job with coordinate for #1 and then cogo in a bearing and a distance (use your inst manually to get a horizontal distance) to create #2. Then you can run without that hassle. If running 3D, get out your level and run elevation btwn #1 and #2 and use that to edit the elevations so that you can go ahead and run.
I am starting to save for some equipment so that I can do work on the side. I am thinking a carlson or a HP50 with software.
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
the point is I don't have to use all those workarounds with Carlson, it just does the obvious.
StarNet could process the data except that TDS won't associate a point number with the BS observations because it is to a direction. In TDS it's either-or, either you are using a point (number) or you are using a direction (the backsight doesn't really exist in its mind as a point).
And Carlson sends the smarter command to the Leica to aim the gun set zero then shoot the backsight. TDS will just set zero no matter where the gun is pointed, it doesn't care. Then you check the backsight (another screen) and it is off so many degrees. So you have to manually aim the gun then set zero then check it which Leica can't seem to get in one try so you have to try a couple of times to get zero on the actual target. Carlson uses the smarter command which Leica can understand means "wherever the target is make it zero."
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
the other frustrating thing is TDS doesn't handle a missed shot very well. You know when you are shooting topo occasionally something gets in the way or the rodman changes his mind. TDS gets really upset and it can take minutes to get it un-upset.
Like the gun couldn't get the shot, get over it all ready.
Even the SDR33 20 years ago was better than this, sheesh.
The other thing I've found is I don't say I got it to the rodman until I hear the TDS camera sound because believe it or not moving the target out of view while storing a shot seems to upset TDS (don't ask me why).
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
Sometimes it just stops in the middle of sets.
I yell out "Leica break!"
We wait two minutes then it starts again.
I'm not sure if it's the Leica or the TDS. After the Leica beeps the TDS makes a "briiing" sound and the gun turns. Sometimes the Leica beeps and the TDS makes the "briiing" sound then 15 seconds then the gun turns. This is the short Leica break. Other times the gun beeps then two minutes go by then the gun beeps again and the TDS makes the "briiing" sound then the gun turns. There's some hitch in the communications between those two pieces of equipment, like they're not quite in sync. One talks when the other is not listening or vice versa which upsets the whole thing for a long time.
Carslon seems to understand Leica better but maybe that's just me.
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
Those Leica instruments are prima donnas, you have to stroke their ego every so often to keep them working and they are passive aggressive to boot.
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
I AGREE. i am using leica hardware and controller. very cantankerous when you get into full scale topography
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
So what I am hearing is don't buy a lieca gun?
I agree that TDS can be picky. It used to act up on me in the field with the now old 800 series gun. Go to the truck, grab a drink and when you come back, all is better. I would really like the carlson, but I really have no plans to go back to windoze so that may be a problem. Carlson says they will not think about linux until more surveyors demand it. I would like my DC to talk to my pc without having to put it on card and transfer.
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
Leica makes a wonderful Surveyor's instrument.
The software is the problem.
The hardware is good stuff, very accurate and high quality.
But Topcon seems to get along better with the third party DCs. I do only have a manual Topcon, the motorized instruments could be temperamental too.
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
The stuff works, eventually.
It's just a matter of my frustration level sometimes.
The old Set4BII with SDR33 is still the smoothest operating pair I've used but who wants to haul that hunk of lead around? That Set4B would get brushy shots where the Leica is just unhappy and won't do it. Carlson SurvCE is a close second.
So, Dave & Eddie, since you do not like
I know what you mean. The first total station I ran as a PC could get shots that newer guns would pitch a fit over. It was an old Zeiss with no connection for a data collector. But boy it could get shots. Did many a topo with that gun. Bout broke your back carrying it though.
