Sokkia Set5W and ProLink

[RDK]

I use a Sokkia SET5F total station and ProLink software to communicate with my PC.

I have had nothing but trouble with this set-up. I realize that it is a basic setup but I find that the communications link is unreliable. I often have to tell the PC that it is communicating with a SDR device rather than the SET5F.

The ProLink software is not a well behaved Windows app. It installs to the c:\sokkia directory rather than the c:\Program Files\Sokkia directory and the default data directory is c:\sokkia\Data rather than c:\My Documents

I have had the total station and cable checked out be a dealer and the report is that everything is OK.

I have used several different computers running Win98SE, Win2000 and WinXP with similar results.

Has anyone else had trouble with this or a similar setup?

Is there any other software that would be more reliable to use?

I only use the station for some basic layout and data collecting tasks so a fancy sophisticated program is not needed. One that would simply transfer txt files back and forth would be OK. I also want to be able to transfer the data to dxf files for importation into AutoCAD LT. I don’t use it very often and so do not want to spend a lot of money on this issue. (a couple of times a year usually)

On a related question, Does anyone know of an easy way to generate contour lines from the data transferred to an AutoCAD file?

Thanks

Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com

 

[tim216]

RICK YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON THAT I HAVE MET THAT USES THE ONBOARD CAPABILITIES OF THE SET 5W. I HAVE TO ASK YOU HOW DOES IT PERFORM. I USE A SET 5W AND A SET 3BII WITH AN EXTERNAL SDR 33 EXPERT. I HAVE USED THIS PAIRING FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS DOWNLOADING TO MY PC THROUGH EITHER PROLINK OR SDR COMMS. EVERY SOKKIA REP THAT I HAVE TALKED TO SAYS THAT THE ONBOARD BASICALY BITES. YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK INTO AN SDR OR MAYBE EVEN THE TDS 48 PACKAGE, I HAVE NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR TDS BUT I SOKKIA ROADING IS WHY I AM USING A 33. THE ONLY SOFTWARE ISSUES THAT I HAVE HAD IS WHEN CONVERTING TO SOFTDESK OR LDD NEITHER PROGRAM IS 100% SOKIA FRIENDLY.
THIS MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR BUT THE ONBOARD FOR THE SET5W WASNT VERY GOOD WHEN IT CAME OUT AND SOKIA PUT ALL OF THEIR RESOURCAS INTO THE SDR SERIES.

TIM