Trimble "Locate 2 Protect"

Yes, these are a brand new series from Trimble! They are the eventual S-6 replacement.
There are severral new features:
1. built using the same basic chasie of the S6.
2. 3 models to choose from, S5, S7, S9
3. the S5 is the replacement for the S6 without vision 1"2"3"5" versions
4. the S7 is a full vision package with scanning 1"2"3"5" versions
5. the S9 is a .05" or 1" version of the old S8
They are on Trimble's web site today.

one of the coolest features is the advent of the AT360 targets that everyone will want and are backward compatible with all S-series instruments with active tracking. The new active target has a built in tilt sensor in it and now you can read the circular vial on the TSC3! pretty cool.
JSW

> one of the coolest features is the advent of the AT360 targets that everyone will want

Looks like just another piece of (expensive yellow-brand) kit to me. Care to explain just why will everyone want it?

Are there any other differences to the old instruments apart from the tracker chip?
Bear in mind that the "scanning" is simply a software update to Trimble Access.

Good for S6 and S8 Vision users, after update to version 2015.10 you will get similar capabilities that were exclusive to the VX before.

> Looks like just another piece of (expensive yellow-brand) kit to me. Care to explain just why will everyone want it?
The tilt sensor in the rover head on the R10 GPS corrects for the rod being out of plumb up to 15°. It seems that they have now added this feature to the 360° prism target. It seems to me that that is a pretty big deal.

> The tilt sensor in the rover head on the R10 GPS corrects for the rod being out of plumb up to 15°. It seems that they have now added this feature to the 360° prism target. It seems to me that that is a pretty big deal.

I don't understand the value of the tilt correction feature. Aside from calibration and accuracy considerations, what's the big deal about plumbing a pole?

> > The tilt sensor in the rover head on the R10 GPS corrects for the rod being out of plumb up to 15°. It seems that they have now added this feature to the 360° prism target. It seems to me that that is a pretty big deal.
>
> I don't understand the value of the tilt correction feature. Aside from calibration and accuracy considerations, what's the big deal about plumbing a pole?
Suppose you are snookered behind a tree. Lean the rod out until it can be seen and shoot. You want to get a shot at the corner of a building or base of a wall. Put the point on the wall, lean it out as needed and shoot. No need for the various offsetting routines we have been using to tackle these problems. Poo-poo it if you like, but no question it will increase both productivity and accuracy.

> Suppose you are snookered behind a tree. Lean the rod out until it can be seen and shoot. You want to get a shot at the corner of a building or base of a wall. Put the point on the wall, lean it out as needed and shoot. No need for the various offsetting routines we have been using to tackle these problems. Poo-poo it if you like, but no question it will increase both productivity and accuracy.

Just how accurate is the correction, and how often does it have to be calibrated to maintain that? I know that the tilt feature on my Javad RTK isn't accurate enough for my taste, and the calibration is a hassle.

It appears from the literature that they've upgraded the camera software to use the same HDR technique that was introduced in the V10 - it takes the photos at different exposures and is better able to compensate for changing lighting, as I understand it.

Purely looking at the specs I don't see any other real difference between an S7 and an S6 with Trimble Vision.

> > Suppose you are snookered behind a tree. Lean the rod out until it can be seen and shoot. You want to get a shot at the corner of a building or base of a wall. Put the point on the wall, lean it out as needed and shoot. No need for the various offsetting routines we have been using to tackle these problems. Poo-poo it if you like, but no question it will increase both productivity and accuracy.
>
> Just how accurate is the correction, and how often does it have to be calibrated to maintain that? I know that the tilt feature on my Javad RTK isn't accurate enough for my taste, and the calibration is a hassle.

I've tested the one on the R10 enough to use it for topo shots only. You're going to be +/- around 0.05' in addition to your GPS slop. If you're doing everything else right, you can count on about a tenth horizontally with GPS.

> You're going to be +/- around 0.05' in addition to your GPS slop.

That's about what I was seeing with the Javad. I'll stick with a pole and bubble, thanks.

"Locate 2 Protect"

GS.... Let me know how it works out for you??

We've got a couple of R10s that need to sit out in 5 hour stints while some other T.S. work is being done quite a ways away. We're trying to collect baseline pairs of GPS points for a control network to put into OPUS projects.

The GPS work is in "addition" to regular workload, and we don't have anyone to babysit them at this time (for that matter even a rodman for me)..... so I can't be in two places at once and keep "production" up.

I was thinking if I could set them to ping while up and running for short stints like that, it would let me know if one got hit, or "wandered off" on it's own somewhere.

Appreciate ALL the input!!! Thanks again!

"Locate 2 Protect"

Why thanks again!

How did you know I was going to ask if you had a picture of it?

It will be interesting to see the response to your email!

We've got a lot of nerves going on the management side leaving the R10's out in our urban environment. They don't want to have me babysit them. I suggested since it's a college town perhaps campaign during the summer and get some interns perhaps...

Still no traction on that idea as well (the most experienced one of them has run a rod, and punched the enter key on an old GRE3 data collector at one time).

So this tracking tech is now near and dear to my heart....

Thanks again for all the input!
I'm sure I'm not alone in this quest for better equipment tracking!
Sounds like you have a good "inside track" on this one!

All,
the tilt feature is only available with the R10 GPS receiver.
on the AT360 Active Target you only get a level bubble displayed but it doesn't allow you to use the compensated point feature that is the R10.

R10 compensated tilt accuracy is generally with in .01 - .02 tilting 15 degrees storing when storing the same point when level and inverse between the two pts.

AT360 level bubble can be calibrated to better than 8'. and only takes a few seconds in a leveled tribrach. It is also lightning fast when using it in the topo mode.
JSW