Copying Time Machine sparse bundle on NAS
After 2 days of fiddling around, including adjusting the .profile files for easier access to Nano, Midnight Commander, and other programs that are installed with the Drobo but to run you have to navigate to their bin drives, I am now copying the sparsebundle in full.

Even though I am SSHed in as Admin, you cannot see inside the bundle unless you are also Root.  Once Root, you can see inside the bundle, and the copy will include everything.  I am using MC for the copy and moving at 3.35 MB/s.  During this time Time Machine is turned off to prevent changes in the middle of the copy.

I would suggest doing the copy inside of Screen, which virtualizes terminal inside of itself, allowing you to run commands as normal, but then if you lose your SSH connection, on reconnecting you can resume your screen without loss of progress or data.