> I feel that the area MOST in need of advancement is in the data collector. It should be:
>
> 1.) excellent data collector, that works the way YOU want.
>
> 2.) excellent cogo. That allows you to fully calc surveys fast.
>
> 3.) Rugged, and reliable.
>
> 4.) ok, add yours!
Reasonably priced and repairable/replaceable without paying an arm and a leg!
SMI was it.
Then along came windows and someones thought of a magical GUI that would be so mucb better and faster and nicer...blah blah blah.
On my regular job I have Microsurvey Field Genius on an Allegro working with a Sokkia robot and 2700 ISX RTK. Work gets done...
For my private work I run SMI V7 data collection on a Recon, using a reflectorless Nikon. I love this setup!!! Field calcs are much faster! Stake out a breeze!
I turn the unit on... its ready right now!! And it even works as a calculator...right now!! What a novel idea!
EDIT: I read the other posts after I posted this. You other SMI guys know what I'm talking about. Too bad its gone. I also have SMI V7 loaded on an Allegro but I really like the size of the Recon. Its touch screen in not a problem at all.
Tha DC50 was almost there .
What it lacked .
True road package , robotic read out was not streaming , needed VRS support , DXF import .
But was fast and worked all the time . everything from the key board .
> Tha DC50 was almost there .
I know. I bought one and tried it for a year and went back to SMI. While an excelent concept (HP calculator in a very nice box!) the DC50 program required way too much button pushing compared to SMI. I still use the DC50 Field Assistant program on the HP50.. nice program for doing simple little surveying calcs (triangles, curve data, R-P etc).
some of you guys just can't be happy until the thing goes and does the work for you. if you would have told me 20 years ago we would have a 'magic stick' that spits out real time state plane coords on demand and a total station i could run with no iman and a data collector that could draw a map i could see as i collected points and then i could send all of that data back to the office from the field i would have ask you to get back in your flying car and head back to mars before the men in black suits came to get you.
we've got it made.
[sarcasm]if it gets any easier every cad tech and gis goof ball will think they can survey... [/sarcasm]
We have all the tools for surveying one man except a virtual clipboard. I would like cut-sheet software written for the way we work on construction sites. That is put a printer on the data collector like UPS and FedEx has. Stake out point, hit print and have a sticky sheet with all relevant information printed to stick directly on the lath. Then when you get back to the truck have the cut-sheet formatted in excel or other easy to edit program that we can move the data around in an easy to follow format (compared to the random way we may of surveyed the points), then be able to add a header with Company, date, crew,..... And print for the file and contractor. While I am at it, I would also like to be able to do the same thing with a sketch of something I have staked, and add all the cut/fill information to the sketch as I am working.
What takes all the time now is transferring the information from the data collector to a cut-sheet then to the lath when you are by yourself. I know you can do it with some of the archaic programs that are out there in tds and survey controller but non of them work as good as the FedEx guys when he prints me a receipt and mailing label in the field with a box that looks like our data collectors. My two cents, Jp
A DC software that's not riddled with bugs!