“What is your all time favorite surveying instrument”

Plane table alidade.
Nothing quite like drawing the plan on the spot.

> I would like to say that my favorite surveying instrument is Leica TCRP1203.

:good:

For all-around surveying I couldn't agree more.

I know you are talking about TSs only, if you consider data collection as well Trimble becomes a not-distant second - but IMO their instruments (& the company) have a few fatal flaws.

I will say, though, that I've never used the new TS15, I suspect I would vote for it once I got used to it.

Zeiss Th2 and Kern DKM2-AE

K&E Paragon transit, 20" instrument, then the Leica TCR 1105.....

a gravity induced vertical indicator, preferably 32 ounce

hmmm...a real total station if you think about it. (and no batteries necessary)

For aesthetics, innovation, quality, and other similar reasons, the Wild T-2. As something I'd use day-to-day now, a Trimble S6 with Vision and a TSC3 running Access. I like the Tablet for its screen but wouldn't want to pack it around on a robotic pole.

For direction, a Warren Knight Sipe Sumner Pattern staff compass.
For angles, a Wild T-16 theodolite.
For distance, a 100 foot Lufkin Highway Nubian steel tape.

DDSM:beer:

K&E Paragon transit - 20" circles

'All Time' would be the Wild T2. Rock solid and a work of art..

Wild T-1AE.

First theodolite I worked with that had the automatic vertical collimation and I preferred the repeating to the direction theodolites. Probably a holdover to my years of transit operation.

It is a compact, accurate, simple to run instrument with, arguably, the best optics. Obviously, for long range work it has to give way to its big brothers.

+1

Have a soft spot for the Topcon GTS 210 5" gun. Simple and reliable instrument and light enough to pack a long way all day, unlike the S6.

I agree 100%, not had any problems. The only service that I have had done was to get the reflectorless tweaked with the cross hairs.

For Boundary work:

Sokkia SDM3E manual total station. I can still turn angles when the batteries go dead.

For distance when the batteries go dead, a 100 foot Lufkin Highway Nubian steel tape.

For Direction, a Wild T-2E with the Elgin Knowles Senne Astro Rom for an HP41, with my custom clock calibration routine to use for solar observations.

For topo work, a K&E Self indexing aledade and a good plane table, along with Randy to run it.

If it has to be done in CADD, a Leica TCRP1201+ R100 with a Leica CS15 Data Collector running Smart Worxs.

If it has a lot of detail, a Leica C10 Scanner

For Static GPS, the CHC X90 OPUS GPS unit. They are small, light weight, simple to use and have a low power consumption, and low cost.

For RTK work, the Leica GS15 with a CS15 Data collector.

For 3rd order leveling, a Leica DNA10. For 1st or 2nd order leveling a Leica DNA03.

Lietz SET-2. The heavy metal ones. I could turn accurate angles all day with one. 🙂

> Wild T-1AE.

:good:

K&E P5136 mountain transit

Wild T1-A

I remember once, after using a Sokkia SDM3E10 for months, then going back to the Wild: I put my eye up to it for the first time to check something out and I literally jumped back because it was SO bright, and I'd gotten used to the very dull Sokkia optics. GREAT gun!

Of all time ... my 26(?) power, precision tilting level, with the split bubble and jeweled pivot.

I always had fun using this bugger and it never failed me.

Now ... my favorite instrument for the time when I used it ... I'd have to say the first theodolite I ever bought ... a Pentax PDX-TH20(?) ... the "green" colored Pentax.

Had the separate eyepiece for the circle reading and read to 20 seconds ... interpolation to 5 and actually less).

If I remember right the window showed the entire degree(I think).

Anyway, this was back when rods were used for stadia, and I could run an entire project to about 1/2 minute(or less),by leaving the horizontal lock loose(it had just enough friction to hold a reading), and to only use the vertical lock for elevations and stadia distances

It had the mirror for setting light on the circle and(I hate my lack of memory), for polaris(which I loved to use), the mirror would illuminate the crosshairs(... no batteries).

The next instrument I got(also Pentax), had a special battery pack for illumination.