The Definitive Version of How to Set up a Theodolite
Definitely the best one I've seen. And I didn't understand a word.
The setups you describe are fine for flat ground and academia (videos you posted below in this thread) but real works situations sometimes call for other setup steps.
I plant one leg and carefully dance with the other two slightly up with the TS attached while sighting through optical plummet to rough center on station.First job as Iman was in Ozark Mts in very steep hollows where this method was the best way to get set up. Then working in S. Louisiana where you would think setups would be easy, the soil conditions in wetlands, marshes,swamps and mud make for very difficult setups. (Picture 5 in the photo contest is a common setup on jobs here)
Just saying that the world isn't flat for perfect procedures at times. One could find yourself with one very short leg on a steep grade or all legs fully extended in a wetland environ.
Leaving the box open was my pet peeve with Ipersons. It just wasn't going to happen no
mstter how rushed or fast that they thought they were.
> The setups you describe are fine for flat ground and academia (videos you posted below in this thread) but real works situations sometimes call for other setup steps.
> I plant one leg and carefully dance with the other two slightly up with the TS attached while sighting through optical plummet to rough center on station.
I find that a very serviceable technique is to use the hollow 5/8 x 11 bolt on the tripod head as an plummet to center over the ground mark. It works well if you lift the slotted arm that holds it so that it is in contact with the tripod head and approximately level.
Probably the most challenging setup is one against a net wire fence where one leg of the tripod has to extend through the fence. There, it is surpassingly important to have the tripod as nearly centered as possible, otherwise, you'll need to demount the instrument to shift the fence leg through a different opening in the wire.
Slopes are not really a challenge if you adjust the length of the legs (shorter uphill, longer downhill, obviously) before trying to set the tripod up.
As long as you get the rough centering of the tripod close, the rest of the setup will be a snap and the method described, i.e. pointing with tribrach footscrews and adjustment of leg lengths to center bubble if needed and shift to center, works perfectly fine. I never lift a tripod leg once the instrument is mounted (and I mean never). It just isn't necessary if you take ordinary care with the rough setup.
> ...I plant one leg and carefully dance with the other two slightly up with the TS attached while sighting through optical plummet to rough center on station...
That's how I was taught to do it and that is how I do it. As you say, there is no better way when setting up on a sidehill (short, planted leg on the up hill side). When setting up on the flat this little dance lasts no more than a couple of bars. But I still do it that way.
As I've said before in other threads, I do all this with the tribrach only. The instrument goes on only after the tribrach is levelled up and centered.
The cased instrument should be brought to within reach of the tripod. When moving the instrument from the box to the tripod, there shouldn't be any walking involved. Then as soon as the instrument is locked in place on the tribrach, the next thing is to close the box. In the Pacific NW one reason for that is to keep the box from filling with rain water.
Thanks. That's 9:08 of my life that I will never get back.
> > ...I plant one leg and carefully dance with the other two slightly up with the TS attached while sighting through optical plummet to rough center on station...
> That's how I was taught to do it and that is how I do it. As you say, there is no better way when setting up on a sidehill (short, planted leg on the up hill side). When setting up on the flat this little dance lasts no more than a couple of bars. But I still do it that way.
The alternate method is to estimate the height difference between the points where the uphill and downhill legs will rest and to shorten the uphill leg by that amount before splaying the tripod over the ground mark. The rest of the setup proceeds normally if the tripod head is approximately level and approximately centered over the mark. In very sloping terrain, I'd lay the hand level that I carry in my vest pocket on that head just to make sure that it is as close to level as appears.
Then, it's mount instrument, point plummet with tribrach footscrews, etc. Usually an extra iteration or two of point, level, and shift is needed on steeply sloped ground.
I was thinking a double speed clip with some Benny Hill Music behind it would actually be more useful.
Everything about that clip is WRONG. wow.
TNAI
U of K is in Kentucky. KU is in Kansas. Otherwise, you have mastered the analysis perfectly.
It helps to understand that only the feebleminded underachievers of the world are forced to attend such an inferior institution when the ultimate in academic excellence is available less than 90 minutes to the west.
BTW, I was within 3/4 of a mile of Learned Hall on Tuesday evening. That would be 7.1 smootvillas in RockChalkLand.
