I am hoping that someone here has seen this problem before.
We have been chugging along with our Topcon 9003 robotic instrument bundled with a FC 2600 controller and an RC3R.
This is running Topsurv 7. While it is a bit of an older and slower robot, it does just fine for what we use it for, until 2 days ago.
Now when we hit the search button in Topsurv (the one that uses the RC#), the robot responds but starts turning very slowly and then searches in an area no where close to where the prism is. Repeated attempts sometime are successful but are very slow to gain lock.
I thought that maybe the motor on the instrument was going but when I manually turn either the horizontal or vertical tangent knobs the gun turns as quickly as it always has. So it appears to be some type of software issue or communication breakdown.
Any help would be appreciated - worst case I will bring to our dealer next week.
By the way, I have already performed a reset of both the gun and the controller.
thanks in advance
Gregg
Remove the handle fron the gun and clean the contacts. The brains of the search operation are in the handle and removing, cleaning, and re-attaching it usually works wonders.
Stephen Ward, post: 372240, member: 1206 wrote: Remove the handle fron the gun and clean the contacts. The brains of the search operation are in the handle and removing, cleaning, and re-attaching it usually works wonders.
Thank you! I should have remembered that you posted that a while back.
I will give that a try. Would be great if it is as simple as that.
Many electronics, that have a baud rate, when comms fail, due to bad connection, automatically go to a slower baud rate.
So, based on what you said were the symptoms, it sounds llike you would want a bottle of electrical spray cleaner, and soft paper to well, clean all connectors, reassemble, and reset, or turn it off, and on, (power cycle it), and you might have it.
Nate - thank you but I was already working on cleaning the contacts per Stephens suggestion.
Crazy since they were not noticeably dirty but that did the trick!
Stephen - Thank for the help!!
What did you clean them with?
Thanks,
Steve
I didn't have any alcohol so I simply used a damp paper towel and dried it really well.
It worked for half a day and then started to act up again.
I will try to clean it again - hopefully this is not a sign of a recurring problem.
This CRC Contact Cleaner works pretty good. Doesn't leave a oily residue (doesn't attract dust) and is safe on plastic. Home Depot sells it. Less than $10. It's good good to have a can of it around.
An old Army Commo trick is to clean the contacts with a pencil erasure.
Both great tips - thanks!
While the clean the contacts trick has worked, it has been losing communications about twice a day.
Each time this is fixed by removing the handle and cleaning again.
does anyone know if this means that the handle hardware is breaking down or perhaps just needs to be cleaned better?
still have not tried the CRC cleaner suggested above but thought once it started working that it would last for a bit.
I suggest you call Troy Deaton at
www.geo-tronics.com
Will do - thanks.
I have heard nothing but good things about those guys on this site.