Total Station.

[Balenza]

Is anyone familiar with this peice of equipment or perhaps has used one before ?.

http://www.leica-geosystems.com/corporate/en/lgs_4547.htm

 

[Balenza]

Thanks for the reply Luke.
The station would be used in a construction environment where distances of up to 100m need to be measured and plotting points laid for the early stages of excavation and later for accurate points for the building perimeter's. And a host of other plotting points within the building.
Levelling and accurate grading levels also need to be set out for foundations.
We are looking at the Leica TPS1200+ series.
Is this OTT for a small construction firm ?. Anwhere between £4k and £7k is our budget.

 

[luke_vibert_uk]

Seems ok, however its been some years (4) since I used one of these last. From what I have seen on the site it does perhaps look a little Rolls Royce for the work you intend to do.

What about this one?
http://www.leica-geosystems.com/corporate/en/products/total_stations/lgs_5123.htm

I've always used the reflector type as you know that you are looking at the right point for a start. I've not used the reflectorless ones.

Get/train a decent chain"person" who also knows and understands the principles of using an EDM and everyhting is hunky dory. At least the target is obvious.

Have you considered hire? Just thinking in terms of amount of usage versus cost, plus calibration (they do go out, I had two go on me) and can get replacement pretty much within the day. otherwise it will go away and what happens to works on site?

Reflectored EDMS need the addional kit though and tripods so extra storage as well.

Would recommend simple dumpy level for most level work...keeps it simple.

 

[Balenza]

I shall keep this one if thats all right mod 5.

Hmmn. The simpler one may well be the best solution . Hiring wouldn't really be an option for us as this would be in use every week.
So when you see " reflectorless" this means NO reflector.And " non-reflectorless" has a reflector ?.
What does EDM stand for ?.
As you can see I am a novice at this.
We want something that is "one" man operation and nobody in the distance running around with a pole.

 

[luke_vibert_uk]

EDM - electronic distance measuring device

Depends in the context of the description. Traditional/more recent EDMs use a reflector or Prism at which you aim at. This is posistioned over a point at which you aim the EDM at point and shoot to measure the distance. You will sight to as near the centre line of this and will give you angle/distance, using the measuring system on the EDM, assuming your chainman is holding it plumb and in the correct posistion. You can also set these on tripods at reference stations which remain in posistion to enable you to close out the survey. This is a way in which you close the survey to see if you have any inacuracy.

The reflector less ones "I assume" you fire at a point and it measure the distance. What I dont know is how you know you are looking at the right point to fire at, and the correct plane.

Practically it is always a two man operation as you look though you need to sight a marker in. You cannot place the marker and operate the EDM at the same time.

Please dont take this the wrong way, but if you have never used a Total Station or EDM before and will litterally picking it out of the box and switching on for the first time, you will not find it as intuative and switching on and tuning a tv in.

Its not a case of switching on and firing away. You need to understand the basic principles and operation of the EDM, you cant just plop it anywhere and start marking out. e.g. how do you know the point at which you set up your EDM is in EXACTLY the right spot? How will this relate to your station points? How do you ensure your EDM is set up correctly? Any error you make on the first reading will magnify until you come to close out the survey. When you finally do you will have to start all back again and take the readings over, in some cases this could take an hour or even more.

In addition to the operation of the EDM there is also the basics of setting out, stations and testing your stations (and survey equip) on a regular basis...machines knocking pegs etc...

I would suggest you choose a make of EDM and see if there are any local one day courses to hand in which will enable you to learn the basic functions of that particular piece of kit. You tend to find the brands differ in functionality and operation and will keep it simple for a beginer.

 

[neilsumner]

You can get Total stations that are suitable for one man use.
Wild make a robotic total station that has motors in the scope which follow the person with the target. The keypad and screen unclipped from the station and clipped onto the target staff. However when I saw them (7 years ago) it was easy for the base station to loose sight of the target. It then had to go 'searching' to try and re acquire the target which kept stopping you from working.
Luke is right that these are not easy machines to work with and you really need to go on a course to get the basics of modern surveying with total stations.

-Neil