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I have been very impressed with this laser measure. Compared with the 10+ years old Stanley TLM 130 it replaced, it is compact, lightweight and quicker to take readings. I particularly appreciate the better battery life and the inclusion of a tripod mount on the back.
I regularly use laser measures to check construction drawings against new and existing building interiors and also to take site measurements/quantities for estimate preparation where drawings are not available.
The red laser is clearly visible indoors, but I would not recommend this particular model for predominantly outdoor work. I would have liked the GLM50C to have a wrist strap to reduce accidental drops. Mine remains unscathed after a couple of unintended drops onto hard concrete but I don't think it is claimed to be "rugged".
The GLM50C comes with an elasticated cloth belt case which is quite adequate. Initially, the device felt a bit slow to power up (actually just over 1 sec), but this may be no bad thing. I’ve not noticed any problems with accidental power-ons that constantly drained the TLM130's battery.
The GLM50C takes two standard AAA batteries that are simple to replace however I’ve found that rechargeable batteries work very well.
The rotatable colour display is very clear and the functions are intuitive and very easy to use but the standout feature is the bluetooth connectivity which enables measurements to be recorded remotely via a smartphone/tablet app.
That said, the App (I've only tried the Android version 1.6.0) is incredibly frustrating. I know the bar for this type of App is pretty low, but considering this device has "Professional" and "Bosch" on the front, I hoped for better.
The quick sketch floor plan builder is almost impossible to use on a small screen and even simple edit attempts result in insane (*) layouts being created. The app is (sometimes) easier to use with a tablet, but in practice I've found this a bit cumbersome out on site.
There are bugs in the wall measurement functions (used to enter wall elevations), with the app insisting that an entered dimension must be wrong (eg a door opening, which the app considered wider than the wall).
The ability to put dimensions directly onto a photo should be very useful, but this implementation is poor. Dimensions are difficult to position accurately and quite often one end of the dimension will stubbornly remain off screen. The magnified view of the target point "under your finger" would be great if it didn't stray out of sight so often.
Frankly, the only useful part of the App for me is the simple measurement entry/storage/export. Single measurements can be initiated by either the GLM50C or from the App and ultimately exported as xls or pdf. Each measurement entry (grouped into a Project) is date/time stamped and can be renamed, although there's no facility to record GPS location nor select from (for example) predefined room names and measurement types which would have been so easy to implement.
The GLM50C can store up to 30 previous measurements internally and this is plenty in my experience. This limitation does not apply to measurements stored with the App. The internal measurements are retained after a power-off and will even survive a battery swap.
Tip: If you do decide to get a GLM50C, get yourself a cheap selfie-stick with a 1/4 inch standard screw mount to attach the GLM50C. Having greater reach and not having to press the button on the device makes all the difference. With practise taking measurements (via the smartphone app) will be simpler and quicker - even if it won't actually replace handwritten survey notes.
Back to the GLM50C itself, there was really only one negative that I think will impact on the measurements I regularly need to take: I do wish it had a flip-out end-piece (like the Leica Distos) to allow taking diagonal dimensions into corners (especially since the GLM50C has a max/min function that's ideal for measuring into room corners!)
The built-in functions are quite comprehensive (some seem more suited for "outdoor" measurement, so may not be used much), although I do wish that a 3D point-to-point measurement facility was provided somewhere in the range.
Overall, although the current App is a bit rubbish, the GLM50C is thoroughly recommended as an "indoor" measurement device.
(* I wanted to say Escher worthy, but that's a bad example - the App can't do stairs of any sort.)
| Manufacturer | Bosch Professional |
|---|---|
| Part Number | 0601072C00 |
| Product Dimensions | 10.6 x 4.5 x 2.4 cm; 100 g |
| Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Item model number | 0601072C00 |
| Size | Red Laser |
| Colour | Red Laser |
| Style | Bluetooth |
| Material | Plastic |
| Pattern | Bluetooth New + Protective Bag (Exclusive) |
| Power Source | Batteriebetrieben |
| Voltage | 1.5 Volts |
| Wattage | 150 watts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number of Pieces | 1 |
| Measurement System | Metric |
| Measurement Accuracy | 1.5 mm |
| Certification | certified frustration-free |
| Special Features | Tripod mountable, Automatic switch-off: yes, Bluetooth 2.1 |
| Usage | Commercial and personal use |
| Included Components | 1 |
| Batteries included? | Yes |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Battery Cell Type | Alkaline |
| Battery description | AAA |
| Item Weight | 100 g |
