Trimble RTS Series Robotic Total Stations

My experience with "construction grade" survey equipment is that it is sometimes limitatives, more specific tasks driven, project based and then written off if that sentence makes any sense?

I'd get the S6, probably a better bang for your buck in the areas of quality, length of life and support.

You also need to be careful about what software that runs on and what it is (or more importantly is not) compatible with. If it's not using Trimble Access then you don't want it for land surveying. Trimble tends to keep everything very compartmentalized between construction, mapping, and survey.

We use an S8 that I really like.

The good...

Good optics and great ease of use.

Good integration with our R8 and R10 GPS units.

Long battery life.

The not so good...

Its rather lightly constructed - the tribrachs in particular.

The case does not allow space to carry a TSC3 data collector, but it has to have one to work.

The reflectorless works perfectly, the robotics mostly so. It can loose track of the prism, and getting it to re-find it can be a pain.

Dont forget to include the costs of a data collector

Jim the Active Track prism would solve your tracking and re-acquisition issues. It's pricey but it works great. And it even fits in the case...;-)

You must have the Active Track - Trimble's passive picks up on our hi-viz vests - but it still doesnt solve all the robotic pointing issues.

thanks for your replies - I really appreciate it. I did some searching on line to see what I could learn about it, and your replies were more helpful than anything else I could find.
seems software compatibility is an issue between survey-grade Trimble and construction-grade Trimble - different and not the same.