BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

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xyzsystems
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by xyzsystems »

Matt Young wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2017 7:46 am
dhirota wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2017 9:26 pm
pburrows145 wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2017 4:22 pm It does not have a USB port. It has a diagnostic port which is covered over. Just wanted to clarify.
A quote from an email that I received
"This is an internal USB C port which can only be used in production and service."
That's interesting - USB C (likely to replace the old USB soon) has the potential to transfer a lot of data very quickly. If it is there to get data (software/Firmware) onto the scanner, then surely it can be used to get data off?
i understand that the port is currently set for diagnostic purposes only. the very fact that it exists indicates then the firmware could (and should) be programmed to allow for transfer via same. it would be sweet if you enabled the charging as well through a usb source!
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by Hobbitfoot »

I called the (official) software dealer we procured it from and they sent me a link to a tutorial that looks like stolen Leica class notes on some Australian architectural firm's site. No kidding!

:lol: I've the same notes dug up from google. Mind you they're not half bad. Cyclone Help menus are almost totally useless, very poorly indexed and completely unintuitive. As for self-learning, I'm almost 6 months processing data with a veteran user of cyclone and we're both still learning new stuff hence the mad googling for some sort of useful notes! Good luck!
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by jamesworrell »

As much as I try to love the blk .. I just can't .. I've been using Leicas + Cyclone for 5 to 10 years .. so not new to the rodeo.

And maybe that is half the problem. If you were picking up the BLK for the first time and getting into scanning I can appreciate it would be gobsmacking. Mind you - you would have no idea what you are looking at data wise.

I just can't get the results I want. Have done probably 200 scans, over 5 to 10 sites .. actually on our second unit - first one admittedly might have been dropped but we got all manner of weirdness coming from the first one.

All the stuff people bring up here .. no return on dark; slow wifi; too buggy; not level enough; data is too noisy; cloud regos are a joke with Rego or Cyclone .. and my software provider honestly says that I "have GOT TO use the ipad app" then it will work .. Recap desktop certainly failed miserably with a cloud-to-cloud - and that particular batch was about 30 scans less than 5m apart (each) .. don't get me started on the tripod.

To be fair we normally target/traverse all of our work and are very used to the compensators, clean data and seeing low single figure mm's for constraints..

Currently it is a $25k paper weight .. I have almost no idea what I will use the thing for.

Not the only one it seems - at least a couple on ebay down our way ... anyone want a good deal?? ;-p
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by Rikore »

I see the BLK360 as a tool to augment our scanners. Getting into tight confined spaces, etc. It's great for a few scans of a room or a small site. I see it as a good tool for an architect wanting a office scanned for redesign. It is after all marketed not as a laser scanner, but as an imaging laser scanner. I would not but a $2000 car and expect it to be like a $50,000 car. Just saying you get what you are willing to pay for. I think the BLK360 has its purpose, but maybe not to replace a P40 or C10. I agree there could be a better way to transfer data, and a better tripod maybe, but overall it does what Leica is marketing it as.
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by tbwester »

+1 to Bruce.

I find it to be usable in certain situations, even the best possible tool in some areas. Its certainly not a "do-all" scanner, but has on many occasions added value to projects.
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by jamesworrell »

And I totally agree .. didnt expect it to replace a C or P.

But when surfaces end up being 20mm thick or narrow hallways end up twisting etc .. it just doesn't work.

We wanted it for lease surveys .. but a disto is infinitely faster and more accurate ..

We had hoped to maybe use it for in-ceiling spaces .. but nowhere near accurate enough .. again a beam has points 7mm or more either side of the surface from a single scan ..

And an M70 is a few bucks more .. especially when you factor in the ipad.

My dealer said I have to use the ipad app .. if I wanted to use recap and a $1000 ipad .. well the m70 is looking damn good. 2mm laser for starters.
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by Jamesrye »

We wanted it for lease surveys .. but a disto is infinitely faster and more accurate ..
Have you tried the Zeb-Revo?
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by tbwester »

jamesworrell wrote: Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:24 pm

We had hoped to maybe use it for in-ceiling spaces .. but nowhere near accurate enough .. again a beam has points 7mm or more either side of the surface from a single scan ..
We just used the BLK for in-ceiling (tied back to p20 on the floor) - floor was around 40,000 SQFT. I'd say its good +/- 1/2 inch (6-7mm) after getting tied down to the p20 data. Would probably quote 1 inch accuracy to a client. It is what it is...

Not pumping the BLK, as we have had our fair share of trouble too - but there are plenty of applications for it - probably not many if your skill-set already involves pxx scanning though.
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by jamesworrell »

Yep have looked at Revo ..

I guess I see all these rave reviews, the videos doing cloud-to-cloud auto align regos in 360 etc - and I just can't seem to make it work as easily as I had hoped.

I see other surveyors on Instagram showing them doing warehouses and steel trusses etc and I think "are you f#@#$ing mad?"

So I started wondering what am I doing wrong?

We have had some success, but that was with black and white targets up for example .. and then the little things start to creep in - it can't see C10 targets which was a real shame and a surprise, the early bugs in Cyclone cost us time, the downloader now is great to have .. so the "ecosystem" is improving - but given the thing was announced like 2 years ago, some of this stuff should have been well sorted .. like I tried to do a rego in Recap the other day, it can't import *.blk files yet - had to suck in to cyclone and did e57's out only to find Recap needed ptg .. take 2 .. every time I turn around I hit these little walls and it only adds to my frustration. Even thermal, HDR .. not working out of the box .. the experience was not up to the level I am used to from Leica to be brutal.

I am sure we will get there - but I had higher expectations.
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Re: BLK360 wifi issues and a general pfffffttt! to leica

Post by dhirota »

jamesworrell wrote: Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:41 pm Even thermal, HDR .. not working out of the box .. .
I promised no negative comments...
Dennis Hirota, PhD, PE, LPLS
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