Time to buy a new gun and just starting to do some research.
Opinions on who provides the best tracking??ÿ Acceptable tracking?
I think it all depends on the conditions you're using it in. I'm using a Trimble s5 and I honestly hate it, because I work solo and the search sucks unless I'm using integrated with an r10 on top of the prism then it finds the prism immediately.?ÿ
My favorite robot so far was the Leica TCRP1203+ from 2010. Powersearch was amazing, I didn't realize how good it was until I got the Trimble. Also the prediction was really good when you tweaked the settings for 5 seconds of prediction. I would walk past trailers, trucks, piles of dirt and it would find me on the other side and regain lock where the Trimble I'd be fidgeting with the glitchy joystick to get it pointed directly at me and then hit search and still wait another 5-10 seconds for lock. Sometimes it gets it quickly but not often.?ÿ
Also if you need it to measure fast, (not just storing in tracking) the Leica takes about 2 seconds, then Trimble sx12 takes 3 and the s5 and s7 take 8 seconds in semi active mode with the mt1000.?ÿ
In my short 12 years working in this field I've used the sokkia SRX, sokkia ix, Topcon gt, Leica 1203+, Leica ts16 (for a 20 minute demo), 2 different Trimble s5 an s7 and the sx12. Software was fieldgenius on the srx, Leica, magnet field on the sokkia and Topcon, and obviously access on the Trimbles. I also tried a Carlson surv PC demo on the Leica for a day.
Yep 350RocketMike, the Leica TCRP series refused to let go. No school bus was long enough and no hole in a large bush was too small. I have revised my proceedure with the Leica TS series by either "throwing" the glass ahead and go find where it stopped or clovering the glass with my hand to stop it where "I" wanting it to stop. I still very much like the TS series.
I'll admit that I loved the active prism in yellow land, but my recent conversions to the Swiss have opened interesting and new work flows for me.
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You can't beat the Trimble with the active tracking for that. And used in conjunction with the aiming red/green lights the target searching is OK. You get the?ÿ active track prism anywhere in the field of view and the gun snaps right to it. That said, the Trimble will track a passive target also, but not all that well. The active tracking makes all the difference.?ÿ
The Topcon PS I am currently saddled with is very frustrating. Not a good tracker at all.?ÿ
I have no recent experience with the Leica, but I do have a meet with the salesman scheduled for this afternoon.?ÿ ?ÿ
I love the green/red lights on the S series Trimble guns with the active track.?ÿ?ÿ
@350rocketmike I have read another post complaining about Trimble S5 speed.
Really I don't understand why you need so much time to take a measure.
I own an S6 and a?ÿ VX robot. Also, I used to work for a while in 2019 in another office with a geomax zoom 90 and a Trimble S5. I also use Trimble MT1000 usually in active mode and a VX&S Series 360 Prism in passive mode. To tell you the truth never use semi-active.
For me, Trimble search was faster than geomax which I think is the same as Leica 1200 series. The search speed of the instrument is better compared with geomax.?ÿ
The only thing I liked more in geomax was the dr measurements. Trimble many times loses the corners. I think geomax has a tighter dr measurement.
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The only way Trimble does not measure fast is if the pole trembles. If that happens the closer you are to the instruments more the time you need to measure. And that's because the measurements are not close to each other. Then tracking mode is preferable. And for my test for surveys shot is more than precise.
Update.
I just tried semi-active mode. You are right. It needs 7.8 sec. Why do you prefer this mode??ÿ
What I doesn't like at all in geomax was the noise and the turning speed.
I don't know how the new Leica works and if they change the servo motors.
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For sure I would take a live demo and try myself all available instruments if I would buy new equipment.
And me?
I am not fan of the red/green tracklight.
I'll take the video feed option instead.
But this one really does seem to be a personal thing - usually goes 50:50 around here.
Anyone with personal experience on Geomax Zoom 90 or Sokkia iX tracking?
Anyone with personal experience on Geomax Zoom 90
I think the Zoom90 is a Leica 1200 in yellow clothing, so tracking should be the same.?ÿ I know that my Zoom80 is a clone of the Leica 1100 that I formerly used, and functionally I can't tell the difference.
The sokkia is similar to Topcon I understand which itself is no Leica/ Trimble setup!
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I've used Lecia/Trimble in past and found Lecia better (no way I want the cost/pole weight of active prism thanks). I have a Zoom90 and it sounds exactly the same a the Leica TS15 I use at another firm for some contact work (and works just as well). The current model is the Zoom95 which as far as I can tell just got a faster onboard processor and screen but otherwise same hardware as Zoom90.
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It comes down to what software you want to use/what other gear you have to integrate with as having all hardware off one software/controller is awesome. I run my robot and zenith40's with xpad and find it good, would not want to use survCE but many love it, and if someone else is writing the checks I'd always buy Lecia but for my solo operation Lecia was nearly 2x price and Trimble 2.5x of the Geomax package I got.
You can't beat the Trimble with the active tracking ...
Just back from a demo of the MS-60. The Powersearch is very impressive.?ÿ?ÿ
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Addn'l - the tracking of the active tracking Trimble is still slightly better than the MS-60, I think, but the MS-60 tracks very well, and the power search feature amply compensates.?ÿ
If you lose lock because of an obstruction with the Trimble, and are still in the field of view when the obstruction clears, the instrument will snap right back to locked on without any prompting. With the Leica you are going to need to initiate the powersearch, but luckily this is very easy and quick.?ÿ If you are out of the field of view with Trimble you will need to joystick it, which is not automatic, with the Leica you would initiate the power search and be back on in a few seconds.?ÿ So there are plusses and minuses with both which probably add up to a sawoff on that feature in isolation .?ÿ?ÿ
More Addn'l - I'm just back from collecting a couple hundred points of actual topo work with the MS-60 today. I'm a little less enthusiastic about the tracking than I was. Work was in a busy urban intersection. Tracking was not automatically reacquired after interruptions and the instrument continued to record points even when it wasn't locked on. Which, of course, led to dozens of useless "points" being recorded. Probably there is a setting I need to find to fix this behavior. Also - this instrument weighs a metric f-ton, as the kids say. Schlepping it across the street is about as far as I'd want to go with it.?ÿ?ÿ
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@lukenz?ÿ
So how is the tracking of your Geomax? Especially in wooded conditions (and?ÿ conditions where gps won't work)?
Yeah it blew my mind how well it could regain lock sometimes. In thick leaves the Trimble can get a shot through a tighter spot but overall I lose lock more often with the Trimble than the Leica when working in the subdivisions.
I also had more times where the Trimble locked on any random reflective surface but that was because of a glitch that kept switching to passive mode. The Leica locked on a window or sign maybe twice in the couple of years I used it. And if it did it at least it wouldn't get a shot on it. I'd just wonder why it wouldn't shoot and I'd find out it was looking at the brightest sun reflection ever off the roof of a random car.?ÿ
It also shot amazingly fast even in IR FINE mode. And the reflectorless was so good even though I only had the r400 model.?ÿ
I just wish I could go back to it and pass the s5 onto someone else. I like the integrated surveying mode with the Trimble and the r10 but most of my work is total station only.?ÿ
@jimcox?ÿ
Even if I can see the flashing lights perfectly it often still isn't close enough to find me. The s7 video was much better.?ÿ
