September 2005 Volume 25 Number 9
Feature: Accessories: Little
Things Mean A Lot
Gerald L. McGray, RPLS
Many would agree that one of the Achilles' heels in a survey crew's fragile
assemblage of equipment is the "minor" accessory. Such as cables, brackets,
batteries, and connectors of all kinds. Seldom do we forget the GPS receiver or
the total station. But a means to hold the data collector, or a unique cable?
Much more likely to be overlooked.
 In this space we'd like to point out some gadgets that you might not notice
otherwise. By no means do we imply that this is an exhaustive look at the world
of surveying accessories; obviously there are many more. But these products
reflect the fact that there are folks out there who do give some real thought
about the surveyor's real-world challenges. And maybe, just maybe, give you
thoughtful reader/surveyors some ideas for ways to make your work simpler, more
efficient, or just better.
DaySaver—Aptly Named When Battery Support is Called For
Admittedly, that subhead was typed with tongue firmly in cheek. As in, "Pray
tell me what surveying operation doesn't need battery support?" California
surveyor Bruce Jahn, whose frustration with undependable batteries led him to
invent the DaySaver series of connectors and more, says, "Although the tiny
DaySaver adapter (basically a cable splitter) was the idea that started my
business, the use of the dry cell has truly changed the reliability of the
system." Here's what he's getting at: an instrument's having only one data port
kind of dictates that the port be dedicated to the data collector. If another
port were available, an auxiliary battery could be connected, thereby solving
the problem of on-board batteries which develop memory, have a short life and
are proprietary with regard to fit and connection. So Jahn developed the little
splitter that allows both a data collector and an external battery. He continued
to develop versions for more and more brands and models of instrument, until
currently offering a product line for pretty much all major instrument
types.
That's the simple story of the DaySaver splitter series. The next logical
step was, "All right, now that we have bypassed the proprietary on-board
battery, we're free to develop and use a better battery." And so he did. Unlike
the typical on-board battery, the PS-90 is a dry-cell battery and has, for many
surveyors, completely replaced their instrument battery with the external
dry-cell. Or if the battery that came with the instrument still works OK, the
PS-90 can just stay under the seat until, as Jahn says, "that terrible day when
it truly turns out to be your day saver also." More not-too-painful news: while
a few of the splitters bounce around the $100 price point, most are less, and at
$155, the full-blown dry-cell PS-90 tops the price list. There are of course
plenty of auxiliary connectors, cigarette lighter plugs, and chargers to
supplement the primary products. If you've never experienced battery
difficulties you either deserve hearty congratulations or an accusation that you
haven't spent a lot of time in the field. If you're not in that category, check
out www.daysaver.com.
(To read the entire article, click here.) |
