Total Station Recommendations

I would vote for the Nikon, I enjoy using them and they seem to be pretty durable. Sokkia is a good brand certainly but I have never heard of the Cygnus model. The Maple unit looks like junk and is priced that way. You usually get what you pay for.

T.W.

You're not going to get a decent new instrument for $4K, you might want to look at used Leica and Nikon instruments on EBay.

The Nikon DTM 322 at 5 seconds is coming in at $4,100. If I keep digging, I may find the 3 second model close to that considering a sale or discount coupon. I am usually pretty patient on this stuff and dig and dig until I feel I have exhausted the best price. I like keeping my money mine. I agree... $4k is fairly low, but online suppliers like Tiger or Forestry Supplier seem willing to take a hit at times just to get your business. No taxes and free shipping is just bonus.

The Cygnus seems to be Sokkia's response to Topcon's Gowin line... these are lower cost, construction-focused total stations... maybe not daily and hard use. My use may be similar to that. But you do get what you pay for, correct.

There are two things I'd look at - where is it made? I haven't heard anything good about any instrument made in China. Does it have a dual axis compensator? Many low end construction grade instruments have a single axis compensator. I'd be more concerned about the overall quality of manufacture than I would about whether it said 5" or 3" on it; 5" is good enough for most things if it's a good gun and if you turn anything critical in both faces.

That is a good point. Probably the Cygnus and Gowin are China manufactured TS's. Maybe the Maple is manufactured by Chinese prisoners... who knows?

The 3 seconds comes more from the client. I have used the 'good enough' argument to myself when considering the 5 second accuracy, and just take my chances with my client they won't ask too much. What I am collecting is more for hydraulic modeling computations... so I may be willing to take the client risk on a 5 second machine. The Nikon DTM 322 seems to be rising to the top of the list... maybe I will go to 5 seconds.

I liked my old Sokkia. When the EDM was still kicking, I always seemed to get really accurate shots.

Yeah that was a really popular instrument, at least down here; in the early to mid 90's there were probably nearly as many of those in use as everything else combined.

Someone had a couple Sokkia TS for sale recently here.

https://surveyorconnect.com/threads/total-stations.322095/

David Black, post: 332336, member: 10370 wrote: What I am collecting is more for hydraulic modeling computations... so I may be willing to take the client risk on a 5 second machine.

David,
Please describe the 'hydraulic modeling' surveys you provide. Are these similar to FEMA's Appendix M Data Capture Standards?

DDSM:beer:

We have had a Topcon GTS 3C model for 30 yrs. It has been to the shop for a new optical plummet, (We over tightened things) It has been to the shop for a cleaning, and adjustment. It is still going strong.
A unit that is rated at 5" or 7" that is WELL MADE is a way better inst than one rated at 1" that is not well made. After living in a surveyors environment, a 1" poorly made inst becomes a 20" gun, and a well made one that is rated at 10" probably will spec out at 5" and will continue to function at that rate for many years.
So, getting an older, good gun is a possibility.

N

I have a Nikon DTM 322 and I love it. While it is a 5 second gun, I generally get great closures. Recently ran a 1.75+ mile traverse and closed under a tenth. And that was without turning D&R. (Yes, I know this is not ideal.) Granted it was 90% open field, and I try to keep my setups under 800' due to heat waves. I think it's just like anything else. It depends on your procedures and the limits you push.
One thing I would recommend is getting the next step up, the NPL-322 with the reflectorless. It's only about $900 more. I wasn't able to at the time, but I wish I had. Reflectorless comes in handy more often than you think.

Greg

We are considering the purchase of a new Total Station. We have been looking at the Leica TM50 instrument. We are looking for accuracy. It has a few short comings for everyday use but it is precise.

I have to respectfully disagree with Lee. I picked up my Topcon CTS 3007 for $4000, and it is a great gun. It is not a top of the line model, but it has never let me down, and performs fawlessy. Maybe I was at the right place at the right time? I purchased it from Hayes Instruments.

I know Troy Deaton (Deaton's Geotronics) had some great used instruments earlier this spring at the conventions.

I would seriously consider getting an instrument with reflectorless capabilities. You can pick up so much more information that you normally would not think of.

I am a fan of the Topcon instruments, but I have heard good things about the Nikon instruments. Whatever you pick, make sure your local dealer can service it.

I'm a Nikon user from way back and fully endorse them.
There's a post elsewhere on this site about Nikon Total Station, might be worth reading.
I'd want to see it in the flesh and use it before purchase, but acknoweldge not always possible.
Topcon traditionally made strong and robust TS, but optics aren't quality of Nikon.
If you're using a data recorder then the onboard software isn't so important, but there's tines when you end up using it that does need to be considered.

Once you've used a Leica reflectorless total station with amazing optics, laser plummet, and best of all, tangent screws that never run out of thread or require locking and unlocking, it's very hard for me to get used to other brands. You can get a great used one for $3-4k. Yes, a newer one with Bluetooth and lithium batteries is gonna set you back a bit more, but those I can live without. Just my $.02.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[USER=23]@Steve Corley[/USER]. I assume that's an advertisement photo?
The hard hat would clash with the instrument when looking through it.
(I wear mine back to front so not to jab the visor into the scope)
Curious why its attached to a cable when he appears to be using onboard screen (data recording?)

You can also take the handle off so ones hat does not bump the gun, the cable is the computer interface and probably power source for the ts in the photo.

Dan B. Robison, post: 332349, member: 34 wrote: David,
Please describe the 'hydraulic modeling' surveys you provide. Are these similar to FEMA's Appendix M Data Capture Standards?

DDSM:beer:

DDSM,

Ok... you asked for it.

I perform geomorphic assessments. This is a focus of work in North Carolina, Maryland, and several other states. This guy kind of started the whole thing in the 90's...

http://www.wildlandhydrology.com/

... much to the chagrin of academics. There is even a book written on the battle between this guy Rosgen and university folk. Some of the books he sells or in his classes he teaches has you learn tape and level surveys for the assessments. I got tired of that very quickly.

Basically we are collecting long profiles of the stream 'thalweg', water surface elevations along that profile, cross sections, and maybe some other shots. We used to get the surveyors to collect information for us, but it is more effective for us to set up on their control/traverse and shoot what we need. If we tie into their control, we can actually use their data and ours. Many, but not all, lay tapes, level off of that although using relative elevations... all that is much more time consuming when you talk about reducing the field notes, transcribing errors, etc. I have gotten several thousand feet of stream assessed... with absolute accuracy... in one day when probably the average is about 600 feet per day using tape/level.

I have been working towards my PLS license here in MD. Learning how to perform data collection has been a tremendous help to my career. I will never lay a tape or take hand written notes from a level again. I was mentored by a very capable PLS here in MD so I have seen the light.

I hope that explains this some.

I really appreciate the input here. I am looking at some of the links provided... thanks very much. I didn't spend a whole lot of money on the Sokkia but that experience is causing me to think about a new unit... parts are more readily available, the warranty would be nice at least for a year or two, and so on. I would love to get the Sokkia fixed but the repair shop is saying the EDM's are no longer available.

Thanks again for your help.

d

David if you're doing a lot of river surveys then that probably means streamside vegetation.
I've done heaps of surveys for such for our government here in Tasmania.
The geomorphologist is out front and me recording.
You're right about getting data needed, not assumed to be required.
It's a rather specialist area surveying for such.
I've learnt heaps from these people and a good geomorphologist I find extremely interesting.

Back to the topic, but more refined following your last post.
Vegetation can be very frustrating to survey in and through.
I continued with my Nikon despite repeated efforts by local Leica dealer to 'upgrade' to a Leica, due to the ability of the Nikon to read where other TS's won't on account of the foliage. Mine is non reflectorless also for that reason.
That side makes reading in leafy situations difficult even to a prism.
The Nikon can get a reading even if you can't physically see the prism.
I tie some bright high visibility orange cloth tape on top of prism pole (5 metre extension one) and that helps locate in tricky areas.
Also I can hear the instrument 'hunt' when it gets near and one can use that to fine tune even when not immediately visible.
For river work and leafy environs it just 'bores through' which is vital and hugely time saving.
I can't stress that aspect more, and you can probably relate to that.
On wide open rivers devoid of scrub and trees not an issue obviously for any TS to read.

Now you've mentioned type of work you do I'd encourage you really explore your option.
There's nothing more frustrating than trying to read when the scrub is thick and you have miles to survey......
I reckon you get my drift.
Anyone been there, done that certainly will.

Chose wisely and don't just get cheapest as you spend a lot of time behind it.

PS just looked at your website.
Didn't see much scrub lined stuff there, long plains, clean banks. Too clean!
Looking at your courses, I now realise I just didn't just get paid to survey, I also got quite a benefit in free or paid for learning.
Good to see, thanks for the link

Richard,

Thanks for the input. I agree about the veg. We are fighting through it all the time. My old Sokkia... again when the EDM was feeling stronger... could shoot through most anything. The one time I used the Nikon, it was impressive. I agree.

Wildland is not my website. That guy has made millions, literally millions of dollars, 'training' geomorphologists. That is where the contentions lies between academia and him. Where he is making millions, academically trained geomorphologists have been sometimes kicked to the corner.

I really appreciate your input. Very, very helpful.

d