Activity Feed › Discussion Forums › Strictly Surveying › Your personal choice of Instrument, data collector, and data collection survey software please!
Your personal choice of Instrument, data collector, and data collection survey software please!
Posted by Seth Bishop PLS on January 9, 2018 at 5:42 pmGood Morning
We are looking for some current alternative configurations for instruments, data collection, and data collection software. Not so much wish list stuff, but actual personally experienced, well put together, and current combos.
totalsurv replied 6 years, 3 months ago 28 Members · 35 Replies- 35 Replies
Trimble S6, R10, TSC3 (wish they would update these), Running Trimble Access.
Office end: Power GEOPAK SS4 and Trimble Business Center.
For UAS: Phantom 4 Pro airframe and DatuSurvey Software
For scanning: Leica BLK360, and ReCap Pro
Spectra Precision Focus 30, Spectra Precision Ranger 3 (2.4gH radio), Survey Pro (Robotic/GPS); A very satisfied customer
For topo and stakeout: Trimble S6, Trimble R8 models 3 and 4, TSC3 with Access.
For woods traverse: Leica TCR703 (very light and fast to set up), Trimble TSC2 with Survey Pro.
Everything we do gets run through StarNet. TBC may be a necessary evil without having Starnet. I sure would hate to have to use TBC for network adjustments.
Trimble SX-10 and Nikon Nivo M / Spectra Focus 6 for conventional and light duty scanning. I like the new Nivos for their size and weight, and the accuracy seems to be OK. Before we purchased the last ones I compared the specs with Topcon, Sokkia, and Leica and didn’t see anything compelling enough to make me switch. And they work seamlessly with our data collectors.
GPS – Trimble R8-3 and R10 – R83s are all RTK bases now. We also still have a couple R7GNSS laying around. The R10 is fabulous IMHO, and the Louisiana C4G just released some enhancements to their VRS that play very well with it.
Data collection – Trimble TSC3 and Yuma2 tablets running Trimble Access. I try to keep them all current.
Office SW – TBC 4.0 for all data processing, adjustment, QA / QC. I’ve looked at StarNet… it’s great if you like command line driven software that looks like it was written in 1989. For the amount of network adjustments I need to do TBC works just fine. Pix4D for most of the UAS processing.
UAS – Trimble UX5-HP and DJI P4P. Looking at higher end rotary platforms like the Microdrones MD4-1000
I should also mention the Radio Detection RD-8000 / 8100 underground utility locator – those things are awesome.
TOPCON DS-205 Robot, CHC X91+ GNSS Rover, Juniper Systems MESA Controller, SurvCE Complete…
All plays well together
it depends
Since 2011 I have used Trimble 5603 & S6, Lieca TS15, SP Focus 30, and Topcon PS total stations. I’ve used Trimble R8 (various models), Lieca GS14 and GS15, Spectra Precision SP 80, and Topcon Hiper+ GPs/GNSS receivers. I’ve used Lieca VIVA, Trimble TSC/Access and SP Survey Pro dc software.
They all work.
I can’t understand why anyone would like an SP or Topcon anything on any basis other than price. They work, and the data is good – if you are willing to wait for it to happen (slow) and collimate them often. And especially with the SP I just don’t think that the build quality is there in the long run. All of this is commonly run by Survey Pro dc software which would be my last choice.
Leica hardware is very good and I love the way it packs up into it’s case and I love the coordinated accessories. I didn’t love the data collector or the VIVA software so much. Leica didn’t either and they now have something new. So if I was buying new today I’d look at Leica really hard. The LGO office package is good but spendy.
IMO Trimble Access is the data collection software to have. That means using Trimble hardware. And that’s okay. I just wish they would package their stuff better (cases and accessories). They focus nearly zero attention on making the cases match the equipment.
I use StarNet to adjust my data and C3d to map it. I’m a big, big proponent of StarNet. I was a long term user of LDT (going back to the Softdesk days) before that and C&G before that. I also squeezed in over a year using Carlson Survey. Carlson can’t be beat for the price but use C3d if you are collaborating with engineers. I no longer miss LDT. I do still have pangs for C&G when it comes to drafting Records of Survey.
Topcon Hiper V UHF w/ mmGPS
Sokkia GCX2 (Upgrading to GCX3’s soon)
Topcon PS Robotic Total station (I’d prefer a GT Robot if $$ allowed)
Topcon DL-502 Digital Level
Topcon Magnet Field on an FZ-M1 Windows 10 Tablet for use with all the above
Topcon Magnet Tools for Post processing and Network Adjustments
Microstation InRoads (Survey) SS4
UAS – DJI P4Pro w/ Pix4D and TopoDOT
Sokkia SET 2B and SDR 22
(yeah, I’m joking)
My first setup was a Set3, SDR2, and SDR mapping and design.
Trimble S7 robot with Active Track prism
Trimble TSC3 controllers with Access. Each crew has one for robotic and is GNSS capable and one for GNSS (it can run the S7 with a cable but never do that).
3 GNSS receivers, one RTK base and two RTK rovers per crew. One set of R4 model 3 receivers and one set of R8s receivers. We can do RTK or Faststatic on all 6 receivers.
Almost forgot: we also have two Trimble Robotic kits, that is the TCU with a steering wheel type cradle. I rarely use mine. The other Chief likes to use his, mainly for an on-board controller. It’s handy in the woods because it goes in the case on the instrument but for me I don’t like that it is always moving around and I have to scramble around a difficult setup to get to the controller on the instrument so I bring the TSC3 with me, easier.
TBC for desktop processing. We also own two StarNet pro licenses which for some projects is better.
Civil3D, we are up to 2016 right now.
We have a set of Topcon GR3 receivers, one base and one rover but mostly use them to add two receivers to a static network.
For scanning: One Leica ScanStation P40 and one Leica ScanStation C10. We have the Cyclone software, two register licenses, one model, one survey (same as model with the modeling capability), one publisher, and one CloudWorx.
GeoMax Zoom80 2″ robot
Carlson Surveyor+ w/SurvCE v5.0
Parani SD1000 to connect the DC to the gun
Javad Triumph-2 base
Javad Triumph-LS rover
Javad HPT435BT 35w UHF radio
Verizon (Netgear) Jetpack for corrections via cell phone
Plus a boatload of old Trimble receivers and antennas for static networks.
I was always a Nikon guy, but have grown to really like the Leica TS06. I prefer the Ranger with Survey Pro, but am almost as happy with a Carlson DC with SurvCE,
Javad Triumph 2 base
Javad Triumph LS rover.
I havent used a total station or data collector in nearly 2 years.
Oldschool, works very well, why change it.
Robot: Leica. GPS: Ashtech. Data: TDS (yes tds). Office: AutoCad.
Leica TS12 robot, Carlson surveyor 2, and Carlson 2018 Intellicad….
I have Trimble R10, M3 and TSC3 with Access. I use TBC for all processing and drafting (no other CAD use). One file for a project, that’s it other than word processor and spreadsheet.
TS: Leica TS15
DC: Leica CS15 running Carlson or Leica Viva (Carlson probably 99% of the time for its ease of use)
GPS: Leica GS14/CS15 running Viva (I’m adamant on having separate controllers for GPS and gun work)
The only superior evidence is that which you haven’t yet found.Trimble, R10s, R8s, S6, Topcon 301b, Zeiss electronic and Wild auto levels; adjustments and reports in TBC (or by hand for small runs). AutoCAD: 2000 land desktop, 2016, 2018 C3D on the computer. Most used add on programs are probably Google and legal-aid.
I find projecting linework (KML) from my TBC files into Google Earth Pro one of the most valuable analysis tools. Real helpful to see what may or may not fit the occupation and whether any new lines are what a client wants. Helps to figure out what you need to locate for searching for corners. I’m doing it constantly, super easy using TBC.
Log in to reply.