What do you do when you don't have backup equipment?

That's one of the reasons why a very good relationship with the dealer's representative is so important. I know if anything goes wrong he will loan me equipment the next day. In your case, yes, get names lined up for fast rental if needed.

I have back-up cables for everything! If the instrument itself goes down then it's a dealer rental (ugh)

I've kept all my instruments from the past.

Best to let the rookies learn how to handle a used instrument before allowing them to turn the knobs on the new gun.

It is good for them to learn some appreciation of what I used in the past to get to today.

It also keeps them knowing if they don't take care of our best equipment they know what they will be using until it has been fixed.

B-)

I use currently use Topcon instruments and would like to use Hayes, but does it matter that they are so far away from me? I have a Topcon dealer near me, but unfortunately in the past they were good at selling but not so good at service and support.

The Bow Tie Surveyor

Call around to get pricing on daily and weekly rental rates, plus shipping costs. Sometimes you can be ahead to stall off a job and spend the downtime focusing on everything else you need to get done besides field work. I haven't been in the field in over a week. The world hasn't come to an end, yet.

I am technically solo, but team up with another solo surveyor on a regular basis.

I have a ton of equipment.

Topcon robot
Topcon RTK GPS (base/rover)
2 data collectors
Topcon total station
2 auto levels
1 Topcon laser level
2 PM3 units

I keep most of this stuff with me if I even think I will have a need for it. (I don't carry two levels, or the two PM3 units if I won't be doing static) but I almost always have the robot, gps, and the total station in the truck. You just don't ever know what is going to happen.

I started out with the Topcon robot and RTK GPS, and one of the auto levels when I opened up. I bought the second auto level when I went on the initial shopping trip to Hayes after I opened up. The price for the used level was just too good to pass up.

I have accumulated this equipment based upon certain jobs I was involved with. I bought the total station while working on a construction job where the robot was overkill, and just too heavy for the multi-story building we were working on. I bought the laser level for doing elevation certificates by myself. I bought the two PM3 units for setting control while I am running the base/rover or the robot.

I was also thinking of adding a crew just before the recession got bad in our area, so that was another driving factor.

Teaming up with a buddy has worked for me, especially on those jobs where you need that extra hand, and both of us being RLS's is just a huge bonus.

I hope this helps.

First Off, Inventory What Equipment You Have

The list what you would like to have to continue working.

Since you say you are solo, I assume you have a robot.

Do you have GPS, static or RTK? etc.

Do you need to own a backup robot? No Occasional rental is OK. Most such rentals come with a data collector.

Do you need a backup data collector? Maybe yes, but does it have to be robot capable?
Probably no.

Are you sending equipment far away for repair? More of a reason to own a backup.

Consider what you can do without your robot. Instead of doing each job, start to finish, reconn, do GPS, measure up buildings. Then get a daily rental and bang out all the instrument work. Even 3 days at daily rate may save you some dollars on a weekly rental. Plan ahead if you can, you do not want to pick up your rental and then let it sit while you reconn.

Let me use myself as an example. I have been a PE since 1985, and a PLS since 2001. I have my father's Kegelman Brothers transit and a Philadelphia rod with 3 targets. We used that to do some long range stadia work back in the early 70s. When I started doing some independant septic design work, I first bought a level with stadia hairs. That was sufficient to get infield topo for design work. A bit later I picked up an optical 20" Topcon theodolite, again with stadia, a cheap rod and a bipod for backsights. I could now get topo in steeper areas. BTW, I have a round metal level rod that can be held with a bipod. From time to time I borrowed a total station from a surveyor I have worked with for 28 years. I bought my first HP calculator in 1972, first computer in 1982, first bought AutoCAD in 1990+/- and Carlson SurvCADD in 1994+/-.

When I got my PLS I started out with some used tripods, tribrachs and Prisms. For my first big job in 2002, I borrowed money and got a reflectorless Trimble 3306, SMI HP 48 data collector and upgraded Carlson Survey. So on day one I had the capability to use a 3 tripod setup. For that job I also borrowed from same surveyor a pair of ProMark 2 L1 GPS. In January 2003 I bought a pair fo ProMark 2s with fixed height robda and 3 legged bipods. On the first job with them I borrowed that pair and soon realized that more was much more efficient. In less than a month I bought a third PM2. I was quite efficent using 3. I bought my first used L1/L2 receiver in 2006 and got 2 more within 3 years.I also added some other L1 receivers.

In 2009 the Trimble had to go back to the factory for repairs. when it was returned it had been dropped by UPS breaking the case so it went back. In that time I rented a Nikon, buying a Nikon data cable. Then I borrowed a Topcon 3B from a firm I worked for on and off over the years. I had projects south of me in an area with a good Topcon dealer and over the repair period rented Topcons 3 different times. The last time I called to reserve one and by the time I showed up he had rented it to a contractor who had a breakdown, so he handed me a brand new Topcon. I had bought a Topcon data cable years before when working with a different survyor as I preferred to use my SMI instead of his TDS. I knew TDs but was just slower with it. Anticipating a future need I also picked up a Pentax cable on ebay, in case I came across a cheap used Pentax on ebay. That never happened. Once I got my Sokkia robot I had more than enough to cover any situation.

But if I had to I would not hesitate even now taking the level and optical theodolite out to gather some data.

So consider what you want, and then get what you need.

Paul in PA

This is a reason to have good relationships with your colleagues. I have had to call to borrow equipment form fellow surveyors and have loaned out equipment when asked. I understand some may not have that option, but for those of us who do, it works well.

This is best answer.

> This is a reason to have good relationships with your colleagues. I have had to call to borrow equipment form fellow surveyors and have loaned out equipment when asked. I understand some may not have that option, but for those of us who do, it works well.

This is the best answer for us solo guys, if you can swing it. Last week a colleague had to send his robot in for repairs and He borrowed my robot and I for two topo jobs. He did not want to be responsible for my equipment, but was happy to cut me in on the money. We also help each other on the occasional job that is to big/rush.