The HP-48x with a COGO card in the slot was a big advance for me; I learned on a Wild T3 theodolite, so advanced total stations with a data colletor such as the Leica were a big step up in productivity as well.
Yep, but the 48 came out a few years later, in the early '80's all we had were 67 and 97, then the 11C that was actually "portable" and with everlasting batteries, the "main" product at the time was the 41 but it was heavier and bulkier (and costed a lot more than the 11C, which was also nearly indestructible, I mean we had a couple of times wheel loaders passing on one of them and it came out only slightly bent in one of these incidents).
Right after the 41 and 11c, but before the 48 came the 28C (which also costed an arm and a leg, but I still have my beloved 28C in use, prefectly working, some thirty years later, so it wasn't such a bad investment ).
Right after the 41 and 11c, but before the 48 came the 28C (which also costed an arm and a leg, but I still have my beloved 28C in use, prefectly working, some thirty years later, so it wasn't such a bad investment ).