Activity Feed › Discussion Forums › Strictly Surveying › Any tips or tricks on leveling the bubble on a rover rod?
Any tips or tricks on leveling the bubble on a rover rod?
chris-mills replied 2 years, 7 months ago 25 Members · 42 Replies
I think you might also want to replace the muffler bearings on your survey chariot, too.
I hope everyone has a great day; I know I will!- Posted by: @beartow
the rod always hangs plumb when attached.
Only if everything is symmetrical. I suppose the bubble assembly is light enough you get away with it sticking out.
any competent machinist could pop these out without too much trouble.
Probably so. In the average home shop it’s going to be hard to drill the holes at a perfect 180?ø in a round cap. My version would be a 5/8 hex nut with holes drilled partway in at the middle of opposite faces, and stiff wire bent to form the bail. The apex of the bail needs to make a well-defined exact center point for it to hang properly. If the holes don’t go all the way through the nug, you can check whether things change after screwing the rod another half-turn into the nut.
. - Posted by: @dave-karoly
don’t do this with your wife’s heirloom handwoven wool Persian rug
Is there a story there, in the manner of Paden’s dishwasher story?
. The work truck has a cummins turbo-diesel. It’s turbo is big. The turbo serves to quiet the motor, and has bearings! It’s got ’bout 500,000 miles on it. I’ve never changed the turbo muffler bearings.
There is no point in trying to “adjust” a “range pole” (rod) UNTIL you check the runout.
Most all pole have some, some have a LOT.
Loyal
And what’s the solution here other than to throw the pole out?
Do not hesitate to retire or re-purpose a rod/pole that has too much runout or a loosey-goosey center connection. Those rods/poles may be just fine for topo shots, but don’t try and work around defective/wornout/banged up POS.
Even high end graphite rods are “cheap” when you consider how much money you have invested in Total Stations/Robots/GNSS equipment.
Don’t skimp on the least expense link in the chain.
Loyal
Agree that any pole with significant run out or a worn tip you can’t unseize to replace it should be relegated to holding up the GNSS radio aerial. Just sounded from your initial comment you may have found some way to the rehab poles that were a bit off.
I remember reading a post of Mark Silver’s some time back about finding it hard to find any pole with less than several mm of runout. From your testing is a particular brand or model better or pole by pole basis? I’m a fan of Leica stuff but have found dealer doesn’t always calibrate before sending, that or courier stands on them at some point in transit. Geomax carbon/alloy pole using currently is 2mm ish runout. For me anything really accurate should be done using peanut prism or super quality (and adjusted) tribrachs.
Total station and 100 meters
@dougie blinker fluid may help as well…
Installing fuel injected floor mats will definitely help. too…
I hope everyone has a great day; I know I will!Bill, if you look closely you could see an o-ring that should provided the same results. Some bubbles actually have a little nib to pivot on.
- Posted by: @dougie
I think you might also want to replace the muffler bearings on your survey chariot, too.
Here’s a video explaining how to do it:
. - Posted by: @mark-mayer
but a lot of PLS’s have never learned.
I count myself in that group.
Thank you, fella, great video.
Does this work on the rear blinkers as well.
I wish I had know about the synthetic stuff a couple of years ago. I got rid of a crew rig that contently leaked out half off the fluid. Oh well, live and learn.
@loyal nothing worse than a bent or warped rod. Back when I had crews, I had to threaten termination if they did not stop hitting them with a manchette while brushing.
I personally will not use a rod for control since I can set up a tripod just about as fast. If you rod does have a significant run-out, you can minimize the error by keeping the rod collapsed if you used the method of resting the rod and rotating. If you use one of the hanging techniques then keep the rod at the same height you adjusted it.
Apart from failing to mention you first need to confirm the pole is not bent (bipod and instrument for that) I’ve found a slight refinement which also works in field with bipod.
1) Plumb up pole as best you can in bipod/jig using pole bubble.
2) Using a torpedo level, check on all quadrants and fine tune your pole plumbing.
3) If pole bubble is out then adjust.
4) Repeat until your happy with differences.
@mark-silver Yep, tripods used to come with a stedi-rest. I keep one in the truck, because I am usually in the field when I notice the vial is out a little. Just loosen-adjust, 180?ø, tighten-adjust 180?ø tighten-adjust usual puts it back in order. Twenty years ago I used four tripods and one rod, now one tripod and five rods.
I like the nail above door jamb, mark on the floor (preferably with a dimple), and a plumb bob over the pole with bipod. Fast, easy, cheap. Rarely do you get all three of those together.
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