Equipment Review
What to Look for When Choosing a Total
compatible
Station
software. While many manufacturers are
When choosing a total station, the first thing
to consider is the application. How will the
with
your
data
collection
“open” and compatible with all software
applications, others are proprietary.
instrument be used? How long would you
used that Total Station? How you
will use the equipment will help
Nikon DTM
you determine the angular and
distance accuracies you need, as
Leica Nova
well as range, portability, and ease of
setup.
Leica Builder
Series
Accuracy
Total
stations
measure
in
Leica Flexline
angular accuracy from 0.5 to 9+ arcsecond instruments. The majority of
Leica Viva
TS12P
surveyors use instruments with 5second or better accuracy. In the
construction
industry,
instruments
with a 5”, 7”, or 9” accuracy are usually
adequate. 2” accuracy instruments are being
for track laying in elevated corridor as metro
rail.
Best in class Total Stations
So ensure the maximum permissible error
for your work before deciding your purchase.
Software Compatibility
Software compatibility is the main driving
factor when selecting a total station. While
some total stations come equipped with
internal
electronic
data
storage,
most
models are designed to write measurements
to an external data collector such as a
handheld computer.
When using an external data collector,
application software is required to compute
the results and generate a map of the
surveyed area. Before purchasing a total
station, make sure your instrument is
Price
Total stations are available in a wide range
of
prices,
beginning
at
$4,000
(INR.
2,50,000) and going up to as high as
$50,000(INR. 30,00,000) based on the
instrument’s
use,
accuracy,
capabilities,
range, software compatibility, and much
more. Allen Precision Equipment sells total
stations
from
most
of
the
major
manufacturers, including Leica Geosystems,
GeoMax, Nikon, Spectra Precision and
CST/Berger.