Total Station Calibration and Repair, Boise Service Center
We calibrate, certify and repair Leica total stations, GPS and rotating lasers at our own service center in Boise, Idaho. Certified, ESD trained technicians. Certificates against manufacturer specification. Equipment accepted from anywhere in the country.
To send an instrument in, email service@datumtechsolutions.com and we will send shipping instructions.
What we service
- Leica total stations: iCON, TS and TPS families. Complete overhaul and most repairs.
- Leica GPS and GNSS equipment.
- Rotating lasers.
- Kit hardware: tripods, bipods, rods, levels and the rest of what comes with these systems.
The services we offer
Check and Adjust
The routine service. We collimate the angle and electronic compensation systems, check laser alignments and accuracy, check bubble vials and sights, and clean the external surfaces of the instrument.
This is the right service when the instrument is working normally and you want it kept in specification.
Full inspection and certification
A thorough inspection producing a certificate stating that the device currently meets manufacturing specifications and has passed all test procedures and protocols.
This is what you need when the work requires documented accuracy: survey deliverables, legal and forensic work, or any quality system that requires certified equipment. A Blue CCP covers the cost of this yearly inspection and certificate, along with firmware and support for the duration of the plan.
All repairs involving major component replacement automatically include this inspection and certificate.
Extended maintenance
For older instruments, usually three years or more, this is a complete teardown. The focus is replacing grease that has broken down and inspecting moving parts for wear, then reassembling with fresh grease and fresh adjustments.
An instrument that has become stiff, noisy or inconsistent is usually not failing. It is usually overdue for this.
Repair
We can completely overhaul and perform most repairs on Leica iCON, TS and TPS total stations, including after drops and impacts.
How to send us your equipment
- Email service@datumtechsolutions.com. That reaches our service manager and a small team, not a general inbox.
- Answer a few questions about what the instrument needs, so we can prepare for it.
- Ship it using the instructions we send. Keep your tracking number until you have confirmation it arrived.
- Wait for the quote. We quote only after a qualified technician has evaluated the equipment, which means the number is real rather than a range. For a total station needing adjustment and firmware only, that can be a couple of days.
- Approve and we proceed.
Need equipment while yours is with us? We hold a rental fleet and can usually keep you working. See rentals.
How long does it take?
An honest answer, because the useful version has caveats.
The calibration itself is about five hours of bench time for a total station that comes in clean, with no errors and no repairs needed. That is the work, not the wait.
Around that sits shipping in both directions, our current workload, and whatever the technician finds once the instrument is open. A straightforward job with nothing unexpected is typically turned around within a few days of arriving. Repairs, parts, or a full extended maintenance teardown take longer.
We would rather tell you that than quote a number we cannot hold to. If your schedule is tight, say so when you email us and we will tell you honestly where you sit in the queue before you ship.
What makes the service room different
Calibration is only as good as the environment and the references behind it.
Only certified, ESD trained employees handle repairs. The service room is built to prevent electrostatic discharge damaging electronics: flooring, benches, chairs and mats are all ESD safe materials, and we use a dedicated tool to test all of it. Many of the testing devices themselves must be certified through an accredited calibration lab.
We are also required to keep a Silver certified 1 inch instrument in the service room to maintain the collimator and the baseline. The collimator carries the scopes, and the baseline is a maintained, recorded distance that every other instrument is compared against.
Every instrument that ships from our Boise location carries a sticker recording who completed the work and when. That includes every rental unit and every new or used instrument we sell.
How often should a total station be calibrated?
A total station is adjustable on a very small scale, and everyday use and the environment affect those saved values both mechanically and electronically. The instrument will not tell you when it has drifted out of specification.
A good service plan is a yearly certification, supplemented with field calibrations in between. How often you need more than that depends on how hard the instrument works and what tolerance your deliverables require.
Send it in sooner if: it has been dropped or the tripod went over, measurements disagree with a known distance or another instrument, field calibration starts failing or needs repeating more often, or the work requires a certificate.
Full guide to total station setup, care and calibration
Why we built the calibration center
The rest of this page is our interview with service manager Erin Hanek about why the center exists and how the work is done.
What motivated Datum Tech Solutions to create its calibration center in Boise?
Erin Hanek: We recognized a demand in the industry. I believe there is a shortage of service technicians, making turnaround times for calibrations and repairs take longer than anticipated.
We want to make sure our customers don't have to wait. Additionally, Datum Tech Solutions maintains a decent size rental fleet that needs regular servicing. Boise is a great central location, where construction is booming, and it's the homeland of Stanley Lawrence, Datum Tech's Co-Founder.
Why is calibration so important for Leica total stations?
Erin Hanek: A total station, like many other precision tools, is adjustable on a very small scale. Everyday use and the environment will have an effect on these saved values, both mechanically and electronically.
To retain the accuracy of the equipment and confidence of the user, regular inspections and adjustments are advised. How often one needs to do this will vary, but a good service plan would include the yearly certification, supplemented with field calibrations in between.
What should people expect when working with you?
Erin Hanek: Anyone looking for service for Leica total stations can reach out to our team via email at service@datumtechsolutions.com. We will ask a few questions about the service needed and provide instructions for shipping the equipment. Save all tracking numbers until you are sure it has been received.
A quote will be provided only after a qualified technician has evaluated the equipment. This can be as quick as a couple days on a total station that only needs adjustments and firmware.
Other ways to reach us
For service: service@datumtechsolutions.com
Other questions about your total station:
- Product support: productsupport@datumtechsolutions.com
- Sales support: salessupport@datumtechsolutions.com
- Rentals: rentals@datumtechsolutions.com
