Land Matters Getting the Benefits of Topcon Technology

Seeing the benefits of the latest GPS technology

Established in 2007, Land Matters is a property management consultancy that works with clients throughout New Zealand, with local and district authorities, and stakeholders such as Iwi, Department of Conservation, Heritage New Zealand and special interest groups nationwide.

In April 2018 the company began using Topcon products from Synergy in their work alongside civil contracting companies, specialising in resource consenting and surveying for land development work.

“A lot of our equipment was around 10 years old and was due to be upgraded,” says Sam Pritchard, director of project management and property planning.

“We hadn’t been using Topcon products, but it was a good time to look at what other equipment and technology were available. When we started talking to Synergy we were just about to have a new surveyor join our team and we were on the verge of starting a few new key projects.”

The new equipment from Topcon has enabled Land Matters to start seeing immediate improvements and efficiencies.

The first investment was the HiPer HR, the latest in GPS technology and part of the Topcon Elite Survey Suite. With its multi-purpose GNSS receiver and T.I.L.T. (Topcon Inertial Leveling Technology) feature, the HiPer HR makes it easy to deal with a range of field challenges and out-of-reach points. Now tracking from all visible satellites and constellations, RTK position is obtained even faster and the receiver will remain fixed in places not able to be reached with older technology.

“This new technology has definitely sped up some of our work, without compromising any of the accuracy,” says Pritchard.

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Better, Faster, Smaller

Land Matters has also switched over to Topcon for its GT Series robotic total station, using it together with their new GPS technology to get the most out of their equipment upgrades. Also part of the Topcon Elite Suite, the GT Series is the fastest, smallest and most technologically advanced total station on the market.

“The benefits to our business operations have been significant,” says Pritchard. “One of the biggest differences is the change from needing two operators on the system to just one. That’s made a large impact in the way we’re working.

“Beforehand, we were using a manual system that needed two people to operate it. Now with the robotic station, we just need one. One-man operations instead of two on site lead to better efficiencies for us and we can allocate our resources differently.”

The system also allows for remote control of data and exchange of files, enabling the surveyors on site to communicate in real time with a main surveyor back at the office. The supervising surveyor can assist the survey technician from his desk, look at his screen remotely, and upload or send through new data files.

“All of these changes add up, making us more efficient, faster, more economical,” sums up Pritchard.

Sam Rye from Synergy Positioning says, “The Elite Suite is exactly that! A full range of the very latest technology that works seamlessly as individual components or in combination to create the most powerful solutions available. With this equipment, Land Matters can utilise the HiPer HR as RTK GPS, two separate network GPS rovers as well as using the HiPer HR in conjunction with the GT Robotic instrument and use hybrid positioning. This gives them the flexibility of GPS with accuracies only achievable with an optical instrument. All of this when combined with the robust FC-5000 Data Controller and Magnet Field Software makes for one unbeatable solution!”

It’s about more than just the equipment

Right from the start, the changes for Land Matters have been about much more than the equipment and the technology. The client relationship with Synergy and their customer care has been a constant factor throughout the changeover to Topcon.

“Our relationship with Sam [Rye] from Synergy was key right from the outset. We had spoken to him initially about machine control for another project. As part of our discussions, he interested us in the new GPS technology and we went from there. We used some equipment temporarily for a particular project and we were convinced.”

This type of customer care is what sets Synergy apart. With three full-time staff members based out of Wellington, Synergy has the people on the ground who can offer prompt and efficient face-to-face support and training to clients in the region.

“Synergy Positioning’s Skynet Base Station Network has also been extremely reliable. We were extremely impressed that Synergy identified a gap in their network around Otaki, and immediately installed an additional base station to cover this area.”

“Sam from Synergy has been fantastic and is always going the extra mile,” emphasises Pritchard. “He went the extra mile getting us on board, and the after-sales support has been excellent. We used to have to send products out of town if we needed help with anything; now we have the support we need locally. The team at Synergy have been very professional, and they do what they say they’re going to do.”