California Surveyors Forums

Topcon QS-3 Robotic. SN P10173
Stolen in Hunters Point Area today. They got only the instrument and the 1 battery.

As a robotic user, I'm always interested in learning the circumstances surrounding equipment stolen in the field so I can better defend my own gear. Can you provide details, like distance from the operator, was the operator in visual contact with the gun, were any locking devices in use, etc.?

I use light weight chains and small locks... this only prevents the most lazy thieves..... and face it that is why people are thieves because they are lazy

Isn't this a repeat for you?

I hate thieves.

I use light weight chains and small locks.

I use a length (8'?) of 3/32" stainless steel wire rope with a swaged loop at each end, plus a regular Master lock. The wire rope is light and coils up easily, but I think it will keep casual thieves at bay. I thread it between the tribrach footscrews, and I filled the hole in the tribrach release lever (after running the retaining screw all the way in) with a flush rubber plug. The plug isn't difficult to remove with a small sharp tool, but anyone not familiar with tribrachs probably wouldn't know why the latch doesn't operate. I also run the wire rope through smaller closed wire loops I installed on the battery, radio, and comm cable, and through the tripod legs. If there's something solid nearby I'll use another cable to loop around that.

Paranoid? Maybe. But I like being able to be out of sight of the gun for short periods without worrying too much that it's not going to be there when I get back.

So far, so good.

Bruce,
It would be informative to know the circumstances of how the thieves were able to abscond with the instrument.

My technique to protect my 1 person systems is to use 2 people. If I know my 1 person crew will be in an area where the equipment will be exposed to possible theft, I send a 2 person crew. Any urban environment, small town or big city, is an opportunity for thieves to operate. The cost of an additional person is far less than the loss of a day’s work, the time and expense of dealing with insurance companies (assuming it’s insured), not to mention the additional stress. This works out especially if you’re working out of town where travel time and/or accommodations is a consideration. The added benefit is that the 2nd person, usually a chainman, will gain experience with the robotic or gps system.

I never bought robotic equipt for that reason, still need someone to watch it. And here to take advantage of the car pool lanes you need 2 people.

No, this is not a repeat, but it is why I do not like 1-man crews (other than losing the training opportunities).

The instrument was set up in the C/L intersection of a newly constructed street. There were no locks. The surveyor was about 250 feet away at the backsite. The thieve(s) were in a car, apparently casing the area for any other construction tools to steal. They were filmed by 3 new surveillance cameras. They drove up, unscrewed the instrument, jumped back in the Honda and drove off.

I think we'll look into those locks.

This is exactly the situation my security measures are designed to address. A determined thief, armed with sufficient knowledge, tools and time, can defeat just about any antitheft scheme. But I believe that a modicum of hardware properly applied will deter the opportunistic malefactor.

Need some trained rattlesnakes.

land butcher wrote:Need some trained rattlesnakes.

Not if you don't want to be charged with setting a deadly force boobytrap.

I would be looking into Hondas.

Stephen Johnson wrote:Not if you don't want to be charged with setting a deadly force boobytrap.

They give out a warning before striking.

Besides they are native to CA and who knows who it belongs to, the snake isn't telling.

land butcher wrote:They give out a warning before striking.

Besides they are native to CA and who knows who it belongs to, the snake isn't telling.

There is that, but how do you explain that you have them corralled?

They are trained remember.