Latest total stations feature unique Topcon technology for faster surveying, more accuracy, greater security

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Topcon Positioning Systems has released two new reflectorless total station series featuring unique new technology allowing surveying to be carried out quickly and accurately with one of the fastest electronic distance measurement (EDM) rates on the market.

The new reflectorless total station series, the ES series and the OS series, incorporate five exclusive new features designed to increase productivity, accuracy, speed of measuring and work, and security.

According to Garry MacPhail, survey manager with Position Partners, Topcon’s national distributor, both new total station series offer a range of features making them suitable not only for general surveying, but also for specialist requirements in mining, road maintenance and construction, and civil construction.

The ES series is available in 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 arc second accuracy models, while the OS series is available in 1, 2, 3, and 5 arc second accuracy models. Both series have a non-prism operating distance of 500 m, and 4000 m with a prism.

In addition, the OS series features Topcon’s new on-board MAGNET® Field application software, based around an on-board MS Windows CE6 computer.

The five exclusive features on Topcon’s new total stations are:

  • Surveying dark and/or wet surfaces at long range
  • Surveying from the pole without using radios
  • Measuring tight corners and narrow objects
  • Saving time through best-in-class EDM rate
  • Instant software/firmware updates in the field, along with remote location of a lost or stolen unit.

Surveying dark and wet surfaces at long range: Both the OS and ES series total stations can accurately measure dark objects to long distances up to 500 m away in reflectorless mode.

“This capability is ideal for anyone needing to easily measure dark surfaces, such as coal mine applications, bitumen roads, wet pavements and dark roof areas,” said MacPhail.

“Traditionally these sorts of surfaces are challenging and difficult to measure accurately, but Topcon’s new technology makes this very simple and straightforward.”

Surveying from the pole without using radios: Using Topcon’s new LongLink technology, based on Bluetooth Class 1 wireless technology, users can remain at the pole to take measurements from 300 m away without using a radio.

The total stations can also be combined with a Bluetooth-enabled data collector such as the Tesla, so users can accurately attribute points (at the curb, for example), further reducing jobsite errors.

Measuring tight corners and narrow objects: Both new total station series feature a very narrow beam that enables users to accurately measure tight corners and thin objects such as wires.

This feature also allows measuring beyond objects such as chainlink fences, saving survey and measuring time by not having to navigate the fence itself.

Time-savings through best-in-class EDM rate: Both the Topcon ES and OS Series total stations have a 0.9 second measurement time up to 500 m in reflectorless mode and 4000 m in standard mode, ensuring accurate, rapid measurements and saving time on the job.

“These total stations have the most powerful and the most accurate reflectorless EDM in their class, with the pinpoint EDM beam spot ensuring precise measurement, especially at shallow incidence angles that outdated technology simply cannot provide,” said MacPhail.

Topcon releases CR-G5 ‘full wave’ geodetic choke ring antenna

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Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) has released the new CR-G5, a high performance choke ring antenna based on the company’s TA-5 full spectrum GNSS antenna element.

Topcon CR-G5 Full Wave Geodetic Choke Ring Antenna

Topcon’s new TA-5 technology incorporates an array of vertical convex dipoles to provide “full wave” tracking for all existing and future GNSS signals, said Gavin Docherty, Position Partners GNSS Infrastructure Product Manager.

“This premium geodetic antenna has excellent vertical phase center stability over the entire GNSS frequency band, providing superior performance in tracking low elevation satellite signals,” he said.

“It is environmentally designed for the long-term installations required for reference network and monitoring applications.”

 

In addition, it is shock tested to withstand repeated 1m drops onto concrete, and is IPX7 waterproof and IP6X dustproof rated.


Further information (Australia): Position Partners, ph 1300 TOPCON (1300 867 266), email info@positionpartners.com.au, website www.positionpartners.com.au

Latest Topcon GNSS antenna delivers improved satellite tracking

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Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) has released its new PN-A5 GNSS antenna, combining the company’s TA-5 full spectrum GNSS antenna element with a newly designed semi-hemispherical convex impedance ground plane – significantly increasing its ability to track satellite signals.

According to Topcon, its unique ground plane design provides improved multipath mitigation and a significant increase in ability to track signals from satellites located near to the horizon.

Topcon PN-A5 GNSS antenna

Based around Topcon’s new TA-5 antenna technology, the PN-A5 provides “full wave” signal tracking for all existing and planned GNSS signals through its use of vertical dipoles for sensitive and stable signal reception, said Gavin Docherty, Position Partners GNSS Infrastructure Product Manager.

“This best-in-class geodetic antenna has an IPX7 waterproof and IP6X dustproof rating,” he said.

“It is ideally designed to meet the evolving requirements for reference network and infrastructure monitoring applications.”

 

Further information (Australia): Position Partners, ph 1300 TOPCON (1300 867 266), email info@positionpartners.com.au, website www.positionpartners.com.au

New Topcon grade laser offers accuracy and range for big jobs

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Topcon RL-SV2S Dual Grade Self Leveling Construction Laser

Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) has released the RL-SV2S, a new dual grade, long-range, self-levelling construction laser incorporating multi-use features.

According to Ben Davis, National Construction Product Manager with national Topcon distributor Position Partners, the RL-SV2S is capable of handling any general construction or engineering project, including earthmoving and site preparation.

“With an operating range of 800 metres diameter, it has the power to cover even the biggest job sites,” he said.

“Designed for multiple types of applications, this laser can be used in horizontal, single grade, dual grade or vertical job applications.

“The RL-SV2S is also ideal for machine control applications,” Davis said.

It handles slopes up to ±15 degrees and can be used in either the X or Y axis. For added versatility, it can be turned on its side and used for layout and alignment.

“A user just needs to lay it down on the built-in mount or attach it to a tripod and the laser will electronically self-level for fast and accurate vertical applications.”

He said the laser incorporated a range of features, designed to give users increased efficiency on the job, including long battery life (100 hours/alkaline and 60 hours/rechargeable Ni-MH), height-of-instrument alert and electronic beam-masking shutters.

“All these features can be accessed through the front control panel or using the remote control device that comes standard,” said Davis.

“The remote radio controller has the same interface as the RL-SV2S itself, so it’s familiar straight away.”

The RL-SVS2 also includes Topcon’s LS-80L 11-channel receiver as standard, complete with graduating arrow and dual LCD screens.

“In addition, the laser has been designed to be extremely rugged, with large ergonomic handles, so it can take the bangs and bumps that inevitably occur on job sites.”

The RL-SV2S also features industry-leading environment proofing including a water/dustproof rating of IP66 and operating temperatures from -20C to +50C.

Davis said the new laser was the latest in a long line of high quality economically priced laser transmitters from Topcon.

“These Topcon lasers combine high performance with lower cost, plus users will quickly realise the additional in-built value of this instrument through its versatility and time savings.

“And as with all Topcon lasers now, the new RL-SV2S comes backed by Topcon’s industry-leading five-year warranty as standard, when purchased through an authorised distributor in Australia,” said Davis.

“This gives contractors peace of mind that the product they are investing in is built to last, with quality Japanese manufacturing.”

 

Further information (Australia): Position Partners, ph 1300 TOPCON (1300 867 266), email info@positionpartners.com.au, website www.positionpartners.com.au

Monitoring the Costa Corcodia with Topcon Total Station

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With 14 decks, the Italian-made Costa Concordia cruise ship was a gargantuan-size vessel by any accounts. It measured 290 metres long, 35.5 metres wide, and weighed 114,500 tons. It was the biggest of a half-dozen “dream class cruise ships” owned and operated by Costa Crociere, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc.

Unfortunately, on January 13, 2012, one of Europe’s largest cruise ships and the largest Italian cruise ship ever built, the Costa Concordia struck a rock in the Tyrrhenian Sea just off the shore of Isola del Giglio, near the western coast of Italy. This accident tore a 49-metre-long gash in her hull. With water flooding in and listing, the capsized cruise ship drifted back to Giglio Island, where it grounded, lying on her side in shallow water on an underwater ledge with much of the vessel’s structure above water, but in danger of shifting and sinking due to a nearby drop off in the ocean floor. The damaged ship came to an uncertain rest.

Local authorities with the Italian Civil Defense, who lead the rescue operations, contacted land surveyor Mauro Alessandroni and charged him with the task of monitoring possible minute movements of the ship. They wanted to prevent danger to the rescue teams who were searching for survivors still stuck inside the wreck.

Less than two days after the catastrophe, during the urgent search efforts, Alessandroni initiated the checking stage for movement of the wreck by using an optical-mechanical total station, installing two prisms on the ship, one on the prow and the other on the stern. For triangulation, two additional prisms were placed on nearby land.

In the following days, he performed manual measurements every 15 minutes. Alessandroni recorded the data, downloading it into calculation software to determine any movements.

Recognising the urgency of the need and knowing that there is a less labour intensive, reliable alternative, Geotop Ltd., based in Ancona, Italy, offered Alessandroni an alternative – the Topcon QS Quick Station robotic total station.

The QS robotic system offers the unique one-touch, Quick-Lock feature and dual laser integration, which is designed to expand remote control coverage in order to speed up prism search and lock operations. The new robotic total station automated the data acquisition and provided a link to a remote computer, which improved the reliability of data quality and the ability to monitor any movements of the ship.            

On January 18, five days after the catastrophe, Alessandroni brought the Topcon QS to Giglio Island. There was no location where a stable concrete or steel pillar could be set, therefore a tripod was used. A checkpoint was established on a sailing boat moored inside the harbour at a distance of about 800 metres away.

Additionally, to ensure that Alessandroni was getting the most from the Topcon system, a meeting was held which included Geotop Monitoring Technical staff, led by Giuseppe Perrucci, Geotop deputy technical manager. It was decided that the:

  • Topcon QS Total Station was performing at the required accuracy.
  • Polifemo Monitoring Software, from Geotop’s subsidiary, Geopro Software House. Polifemo consists of two parts: the Acquirer, which can record data with a pre-set frequency or set on continuous, and the Monitor, which receives in real time the information from the Acquirer, and can also use the data for charts, analysis and studies. It was decided to:
  •  
    • Mount the Polifemo Acquirer software onboard the QS Total Station 
    • Install the Polifemo Monitor on Alessandroni’s PC (with Windows XP OS) located on the boat moored in the harbor.

The communication system selected was a Satel Satelline radio modem, connected via RS232 to the total station, powered by a 12 v, 12Ah battery,

  • that also powers the total station and that is installed in a waterproof box that was named “IRIS.”
  • An AC/DC connected to the power unit charges the battery of the IRIS.
  • The total station is mounted onto a tripod with the legs all lowered and braced by a rope secured to the ground.
  • On the boat another IRIS Kit was installed, same as the one described above, connected to the PC via a USB cable.

Alessandroni reports that the installing operations for the Topcon technologies were carried out without difficulties and according to the business plan. Particularly important has been the Polifemo software feature that  automatically generates graphical reports of single or grouped points hysteresis, according the X, Y, Z, XY, XYZ components. These reports were required by the department of Civil Defense.

The monitoring is still being performed and is expected to continue for several months, until people researching the cause of the catastrophe are no longer on the wreck.

There are still many question as to why the Costa Concordia cruise ship, which had departed from Rome and was heading toward the northern coast of Italy had changed course to pass near Giglio island. The thought was that the captain wanted to give both passengers and islanders a visual treat. The tragedy claimed 32 lives of the 3,229 passengers and 1,023 crew who were on the huge ship.

Gatewing UAV helps save on survey costs for Sibelco Australia

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Mining and quarrying company Sibelco Australia has recently purchased a Gatewing X100 unmanned aerial system to carry out aerial surveys on its minesites around Australia – and in the process now realises savings in contract survey costs.

Sibelco specialises in production of raw materials that form the building blocks for things used everyday. Sibelco is the leader in several of its main product categories, including silica sand, high purity quartz, feldspar, clay, olivine, lime, limestone, zircon and rutile.

In December 2011, Sibelco purchased a Gatewing X100 unmanned aerial system (UAS) specifically designed for mapping and surveying applications.

The X100 provides high quality image capture and mapping functionality, as an alternative to time consuming land-based surveying and expensive aerial photogrammetry.

According to Steve Talbot, a surveyor with Sibelco Australia, the company typically utilises contract surveyors to ground survey and aerial survey at a number of its sites around Australia.  “At times this expense can be considerable,” he said.

 “Because of this, we were looking at finding a cheaper way to survey all our sites; Gatewing seemed to be – and has in fact turned out to be – a very good and also a safer solution for our needs.

“The fantastic thing about Gatewing is that you can use it whenever you want, so I can come out on any day and do an aerial survey – whereas with traditional aerial surveying, they can’t fly over the area if there are clouds in the way, and they can only fly at certain times when they are in the area.

“That means this system is a lot more flexible; I can simply do a flyover of any site I wish to do, whenever I want,” said Steve Talbot.

Steve Talbot with the Gatewing X100 UAVHe said another key factor with Gatewing is safety.

“In terms of safety, mine and quarry managers today are really minimising people walking around pits, around machinery and so forth.

“Using Gatewing minimises the danger of getting hit by a truck or falling over a face, or tripping or falling anywhere in the quarry, so it is a very safe way of surveying.”

 “Prior to the initial Gatewing survey, we spent a day setting up photo control in and around the site – we wanted to install and coordinate low maintenance, permanent targets to make future surveys quick and easy.

“You then have to allow about 40-45 minutes of setup time before a flight; you have got to find a landing site and a launching site and then go through the step-by-step process that Gatewing sets out in the manual and checklist.”

Steve Talbot said a typical Gatewing flight on one battery over a mine or quarry took 30-40 minutes and you can cover large areas with multiple flights.

“For example one of our sites covers two square kilometres, and I’d do about three flights, and you’d probably be looking at about one and a half hours of flight time,” he said.

Steve Talbot said the learning process for the system was very straightforward.

“Once we’d bought the system, I went through three to four days of training with Position Partners in Perth, and after that I was very confident about flying the plane,” he said.

“And the training was great, educational and a lot of fun, hands-on as well, so you are actually getting out in the field and using the Gatewing.

“Since the training and taking delivery of the system, I’ve flown about four or five flights; we’ve only had it for about a month and it’s been fantastic: no troubles at all.

“Every flight has gone according to plan so far,” he said.

Once the aerial survey has been carried out, Steve Talbot uses Gatewing’s Stretchout software for in-office processing.

Stretchout, which is fully integrated with the Gatewing UAS, delivers georeferenced orthophotos and DTMs with a high degree of accuracy.

“Using Stretchout is a very simple process,” he said.

“It’s just a step-by-step procedure and it is very easy to use, particularly compared with a lot of other surveying software that I have used.

“The system gives you three options: you can process the data rapidly, which gives you a rough solution; you can do a longer version, where you leave the software running over night and which gives you a very accurate solution, or you can upload it to Gatewing for cloud processing, where you pay per project and the data is processed for you.”

Aside from the Gatewing training provided through Position Partners, no additional training is required, although Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is looking at setting up a UAV licensing program.

“Certainly under current CASA regulations, you are not allowed to fly in populated areas – but most of our sites are away from populated areas,” said Steve Talbot.

“Gatewing is a good solution for the majority of our sites,” he said.

Position Partners to tour Australia with dedicated Technology Roadshow

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Position Partners has announced an Australia-wide Technology Roadshow that will see the company’s custom-designed display trailer travel across every state and territory over an eight-month period.

“With so much development in civil infrastructure and mining across regional Australia, we feel it is important to take the latest technology right around the country as well as state capital cities,” said Martin Nix, Position Partners CEO.

“As a company, we are uniquely positioned to help our customers across their survey, GNSS, machine control and spatial technology needs, and our custom-trailer provides the perfect forum to showcase our project solutions and discuss individual requirements,” he said.

Each roadshow event will include live product demonstrations and presentations on new technology such as aerial and mobile vehicle mapping, Tokara fleet and site management solutions, AllDayRTK Network RTK positioning, plus the latest in Topcon machine control and survey systems.

CPD points will be awarded where eligible, and all attendees will go into a draw to win one of eight Apple iPads.

In addition, Position Partners is offering free UHF Radio Licensing Workshops to update customers on the latest industry developments.

The first roadshow for the year will be held in Canberra on May 1-2. From there the trailer will travel into Western NSW, to Sydney’s CIVENEX show in mid-May and up through Norther NSW into Queensland.

Queensland shows will incorporate key development areas including Roma, Emerald, Moranbah, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Mt Isa. The trailer will make its way through the centre of the country, then down to Alice Springs, Roxby Downs, Adelaide and Whyalla before heading to Western Australia.

WA shows will be equally extensive, with events in Kalgoorlie, York, Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, Kununurra and Darwin in the Northern Territory. The trailer will travel to Victoria and visit Bendigo, Albury, Geelong, Warrnambool and Sale and then cross the Bass Strait to Tasmania with final shows in Launceston and Hobart during November.

Click here for more information about the roadshows and to register for an event near you

Position Partners appoints new National Product Manager, Machine Control

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Joel Seddon, National Product Manager Machine Control

Seddon brings a wealth of technical expertise and sales experience to his new role with Position Partners, having worked in product development and major accounts management with another major supplier for a number of years.   

Originally from New Zealand, Seddon has a degree in surveying from the University of Otago. He began his career working for a global positioning systems manufacturer as an applications and product specialist for machine control, based in Christchurch, New Zealand.

In 2009, Seddon moved to Shanghai, China to work as technical sales manager for machine control and site infrastructure products with the same company. During his time in China, he was involved with establishing new dealerships, technical training, sales and support and OEM relationships, before relocating to Melbourne late in 2011.

“Joel’s expertise both at a technical and business development level make him an ideal fit for the team at Position Partners,” said Martin Nix, Position Partners CEO.

“Machine Control is an exciting and constantly evolving industry and I am confident Joel will do a great job, working with our machine control teams around Australia and Topcon Positioning Systems to deliver superior solutions to our customers.”    

Commenting on his appointment, Seddon said: “I am very excited to be working with Position Partners, Australia’s leading supplier of machine control technology, with a reputation for offering the highest levels of service and expertise in the industry. I look forward to driving the company’s machine control business to new heights in Australia, a market that is adopting this fast-developing technology at an astonishing rate.”

Seddon will be based at Position Partners’ National Office in Campbellfield, Victoria.

Fielder Instrument Joins Position Partners

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Martin Nix, Position partners CEO (left) with Gary Fielder, Fielder Instrument Managing Director

Position Partners has announced that Fielder Instrument, a Topcon survey and laser distributor in NSW, has joined Position Partners and together the two businesses will deliver enhanced service and support for customers in the region.

Established in 1958, Fielder Instrument brings more than half a century’s expertise in survey and laser equipment to Position Partners, along with a team of experienced staff with many years’ experience in the service and support of Topcon positioning equipment.

“Joining the Position Partners team is great news for our customers,” said Gary Fielder, Managing Director of Fielder Instrument, who will consult to Position Partners during a transition period.

“The combination of our expertise in survey instruments and Position Partners’ extensive, national sales and support team will mean better service than ever before as Topcon Positioning Systems’ exclusive Australian distributor.”

Fielder Instrument employees Dennis Lalor and Rob Borg will join Position Partners’ NSW team as Service Manager and Service Technician respectively.

Lalor brings with him more than 30 years’ experience with Topcon laser and survey technology.
 “I am delighted to welcome the team at Fielder Instrument to Position Partners,” said Martin Nix, Position Partners’ CEO.

“Their long-standing experience with Topcon equipment and knowledge of survey instruments will be terrific assets in further improving our high levels of customer service and support.

“With this development, we are better placed to meet the needs of NSW customers specifically – but the addition of the Fielder team brings us extra knowledge and expertise for the whole Australian market,” Nix said.

Position Partners and Fielder Instrument will continue to operate from their existing Sydney offices in Rydalmere and Arncliffe, providing convenient access for customers north, south and west of the city.

Position Partners Opens Chinchilla Branch

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Position Partners has opened a new regional office in Chinchilla, Queensland, providing products and services for the general construction, mining, civil and survey industries in the Western Downs area.

Position Partners opens Chinchilla Branch

“With the continued growth of this area of Queensland and our commitment to supporting customers who are engaged in major civil and mining projects, it made perfect sense to open a dedicated regional branch,” said Martin Nix, Position Partners CEO.

“Our Chinchilla office will supply and support the full product range, from laser levels for general construction through to robotics, machine control solutions and GPS.”

Position Partners opens new office in Chinchilla

Heading up the new branch is Peter Hearn, who has ten years’ experience with machine control, GPS and survey instruments.

Prior to joining Position Partners, Mr Hearn was a product specialist for earthmoving and GPS systems, working for Coates Hire in the Brisbane Metro Area. In addition, Mr Hearn has experience with large earthmoving equipment, two-way communication and base stations from his time with Wilson Survey in Emerald, servicing the Bowen Basin.

“I look forward to helping new and existing customers in the area, with all their product and support needs,” Mr Hearn said. “The rate of expansion in the Western Downs makes it an exciting time for the construction and mining industries.”

In addition to local service and support, Position Partners has a team of sales, service and training specialists based in the company’s Brisbane office. Dedicated regional support for the State is also available in Gladstone and Mackay.

“Position Partners is dedicated to supporting our customers whenever and wherever they need us,” Mr Nix added.

The company, which formed in 2009 from a merger agreement between ABC Lasers (QLD), LaserQuip (NSW), Laser Beams (VIC), Stadia Instruments (WA) and Ross Instruments (SA), now has branches in every state and is the exclusive distributor for Topcon Positioning Systems.