hello all, not sure if this is the right place for this question, but I have been having some problems.?ÿ I'm using a trimble s5 and tsc7 controller.?ÿ I've been having a problem to where after i go to a point i just previously staked out, i will get a 300ths difference left or right.?ÿ It could be a staked out point, even a point i just got a backsight off of, and without even moving the machine.?ÿ the instrument has been to two different places to get checked and everything is fine.?ÿ while it was gone this last time, i used a geomax zoom90 as a loaner and didnt have any problems.?ÿ thanks!
Check the tripod for slop.?ÿ Does one robot put more strain on it than the other?
You aren't going to start that "so much torque" from a robotic instrument thing again, are you?
I appreciate that such an instrument would apply some torque to the tripod by rotating about it's axis, but is it really a condition for which one needs to account?
The tripods that I use are much sturdier than those that would be affected or loosened or twisted by the motion of a total station. I step on each of the legs of my tripods and I can't recall ever having one of them crumble under my significant grandpa-body heft.
I know there are many out there that ascribe to this "torque" business, but I am not among them.
My two cents. Leica tripods, by the way.
JA, PLS, SoCal
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Presuming everything is the same, and no one dropped the bot or smudged the glass....
How far is the shot?
When did you shoot the original points?
Winter versus now?
Lots to think about. The GeoMax indicates to me maybe the bot is slowly going out of spec.
My $0.02
@jerry-attrick Tripod head torque is absolutely a real thing; you won't see it with a good heavy duty tripod like a Leica GST20 or a Tri-Max, but I've DEFINITELY seen it with inferior tripods, especially old ones.
Have you checked the calibration of your prism pole bubble?
I'm guessing that there is an issue between prism tracking settings, where you are autotracking for the stakeout, then manual aim setting for your record store shot, but with the scope still pointed where is was for autotracking. The autotracking sensor is a bit off center of the telescope crosshairs (this is compensated for when autotracking).?ÿ
I have used the S5 and TSC7, but I don't have one here now to enable me to give you more detailed advise.
BTW - saying that you have a TSC7 doesn't give us the whole story. TSC7 is a model of Windows 10 computer. It can run a lot of different software.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ
When you say you "just previously" observed it or staked it, do you mean that you are measuring two points immediately after one another, without moving the pole? Or are you staking out a batch of points over a couple of hours and then going back to the first few?
If it's the latter, that would not be unusual depending on site conditions, setup, etc. Total stations will drift a bit during a setup, which is of course why it's good practice to check the backsight and then reorient/rezero throughout the setup. Honestly, if you need better than two or three hundredths of global accuracy, it's time to start thinking about methods other than total station. Between all the centering, angular and EDM errors, for single observations you're going to max out at about that amount, even with a 1" instrument.
If it's the former, that would be unusual. Unless the instrument is on a really unstable setup, it shouldn't be drifting that fast.
If the total station has been checked out already, I would look at the prism and pole, as well as prism settings.
What kind of prism are you using? Is it an active track or a passive? If an active track, are you using active/semi-active/passive mode?
@jitterboogie its been doing this for quite a while.?ÿ These shots in particular were done about three weeks ago as basically test points before i had the instrument sent off.?ÿ Shots range from 30-250.
@lee-d yes pole was calibrated yesterday.?ÿ took out today to test and still same error.
@rover83 well for example today after getting a backsight i went to another established control point, checked in on it and it was .007 in and .005 right. A vehicle was coming so i removed my pole so they could pass, put it back on the point and it was .03 right.?ÿ it does this randomly.?ÿ?ÿ
i use the trimble 360 passive prism.?ÿ i also use a peanut prism.?ÿ the pole was calibrated yesterday and still has the same error.?ÿ i am buying a new pole so we will see if that will help.
I was just joking about something like this earlier today.?ÿ When I used to use a Topcon robot I could set a pin 150' away, leave the rod /w bipod ON the pin and not touch the instrument, stake out the point I just set and read 0.03-0.04' off.
I did the collimation procedure on the gun and got the same readings.?ÿ Took it to the dealer and they just shrugged and said "There's nothing wrong with it... this is as good as it gets".?ÿ heh
@lee-d I subscribe to this as well and that's due to first hand experience of it happening.?ÿ I worked for a guy that swore by these flimsy Dutch Hill (or Mill) tripods.?ÿ That was until we got our first robot, a Trimble 5600.?ÿ I would get a leveling error as I walked by doing topo.?ÿ I set it up at the office and showed him what was happening.?ÿ They all went in the dumpster and we got all new Tri-Max's.
@jflamm Yep the 5600 was a heavy instrument and those servo motors created a lot of torque.
There's a FineLock option that Trimble offers. I'm not sure if it is available for the s5, maybe the s7 ..8 ?
And even though it is tracking your prism - if you're using the mt1000 - you can force it to search for your prism when you really need to be locked.?ÿ that's all i have
