I have a Trimble S6 which works just fine, so I thought that it would be a doddle to help an old friend to get going with an elderly Trimble 5600. We connected up all the cables and got the target to lock on OK. However, when the target was moved by a few mil left and right the target would not follow! I am sure that there must be some obscure switch somewhere that enables robotic tracking - but where is it? Can anybody help us out?
Are you controlling it from the instrument keypad or remotely from a data collector. If it is a D/C then what software?
The Trimble 5600 only works in robotic mode with a very specific type of prism. It will not follow a standard prism or even an S6 "active" prism. Are you sure you have the right prism?
Aloha, TPR is correct. You need one those prism with LED
Here is a link to ebay listing to give you an idea.
Elderly 5600!!:-/ 😀
Thanks for the inputs. I had a look at the target on the link - and it looks exactly like that. The instrument does lock on to this target - but it just will not stay locked on even if the target moves left or right by a few mil. I tried changing the instrument settings and the machine refuses to move by one arc second from its lock on azimuth. Very odd.
> The instrument does lock on to this target - but it just will not stay locked on even if the target moves left or right by a few mil.
This happens to me only when the battery power for the RMT is too low. How are you powering the prism? There are two tiny green LED that blinks inside the RMT glass...are they blinking? If yes, are fairly bright or somewhat dim?
Yes, that must be what is wrong - low battery power - the blinking green LEDs are a wee bit dim - I have never used a 5600 before so I had nothing to compare it with. I think that this machine was stuck in its box in some back room for quite a while so the power pack was only partially charged.
Thanks for all of the help from all of you - much appreciated
Way to go, help from Hawaii!
I love this bar.
There are different blink patterns for the 5600 RMT. A double blink, about every second, indicates normal operation. A continuous fast blink indicates low battery.