Rover rods

Not active now, but when I ran my solo operation 95% of the work was an extendable rod. Very useful, much more than a fixed rod. On the other hand, for walking back and forth taking topo shots every 25', pretty much has to be a lightweight fixed rod.

I use the same rod for both TS and RTK:  a Seco carbon-fiber unit with a standard screw-based friction lock.

For GPS Rover I'm going for a fixed height rod. I'd want a 1 piece if such a thing existed. Especially since you are going out to "put out fires" you want to eliminate every potential source of error you can.  Durability is big for me. If you are going to be carrying the thing all day, everyday, I suppose the light weight of a carbon fiber pole would be very  desirable. But for the kind of work you are describing I'd want one that was rugged and reliable.  

The one deal killer for me in an extensible pole is the compression sleeve type "lock" mechanism. If you get one grain of sand in those threads the thing is irretrievably seized forever. Every one I've ever seen outside the showroom has been so. Don't waste your money.

For prism target rod I really like the Leica style with bayonet mount paired with Leica prisms, so the the target height can be reliably read off the scale on the rod.  If you are not using Leica prisms I'd go with the red/white candy cane SECO rod with the bolt and knob type locking mechanism.

Replace the pointed rod tip when it gets blunt. And use a topo shoe when appropriate.  

I prefer a fixed height rover rod because the diameter of the extensible part of my two-piece rover rod is too small to accommodate my pole clamp for my data collector cradle. I prefer my data collector cradle to be positioned at almost eye level for easier viewing of my data collector screen and to prevent neck strain.

@norman-oklahoma 

With the exception of the propensity to be crushed by clamps, I find carbon fiber to be far more durable than aluminium when it comes to rods.  Aluminium rods are susceptible to bending, ever so slightly, when the hit the ground with a rover or prism on top.  Carbon fiber does not.

As for preference, I like a collapsible rod with physical locks at a given height.  GeoMax make a nice one along with the Leica GLS12.

Carbon poles are lovely and light - but not indestructable. If they crush or crack the broken fibre ends are really hard on your hands.

For a novice or ham-fisted crew aluminium will probably last longer.

I like the poles that are drilled for a pin at 1.8, 2 and 2.4m - no chance of slipage

And I hate those stupid poles that are marked such that they are only correct with a particular specific prism - I've run out of counting the number of times I've had to sort a 135mm bust thanks to that. Still it does teach the crews to check with tape measure everytime

@jimcox what we dd to prevent crushing was take a 1" section of steel pipe with an inside diameter close to the pole diameter. Cut a section out so it can flex, de-burr and sand the edges smooth and then open or close it just enough to slide over the pole. Now when you tighten the clamp of the "collar" it compresses on the carbon fiber pole not just in one point but the entire contact surface.

Thanks a lot of good information for sure.  We have the two piece ones carbon fiber. The reason I don’t like them is on larger sites where I am running around so in and out of the truck to navigate it doesn’t fit well in the truck so constantly taken it apart is a headache but doesn’t take to much time. I had one at another company that would extend in like 2 or 3 heights. It had push buttons on both sides and also a screw lock as well. It was nice to get in and out of truck and was great when you needed to trample through woods and briars to get across a site to another area as it could collapse easily and didn’t catch on everything.  But I do see the problem with a busted height if one were not paying attention for sure. The one I had had a 10” vial I believe vs the typical 40” vial. I remember it being extra sensitive when I adjusted it the first time. But whatever brand it was it held up well. No one else liked it so I used it when I would go out. The crews named it the old man rod because I was the only one using it. But it was nice. I was on a job a rural farm so going through fences barbed wire and thickets were a lot better. I used a one piece aluminum as well. But it just didn’t fit well into the trucks we had. And some knucklehead bent it trying to pry on a MH lid. 

Here are some pictures of  what we  made.

On my trip to Ecuador this year I was trying to cut back on baggage, so I bought a collapsible rover rod. I usually travel with an orange canvas bag for my 2 m two piece rover pole (Seco 5128-00) with "3 legged bipod". I also put a bunch of other stuff in the bag, like vest, topo foot, cables, etc. But going into Ecuador I don't like to draw attention to myself at customs. 

This was not cheap, around $500. It cracked at a joint within 15 minutes of starting to use it. I used duct tape and a rebar to get it so that I could use it, but it was very disappointing that it was so fragile. My usual 2 m two piece rod has held up very well, and it gets checked as baggage all of the time. It has a strengthened section where the clamp attaches, so it has never been crushed or anything like. Highly recommended. 

I despise a fixed height rod except of course that it is idiot proof.  Kentucky terrain and foliage does not lend itself to carrying around something nearly 7' tall.  Javad even made a collapsible rod that goes down to about 15", great for crawling through the briars with.  I was crawling through the briars last week next to a junkyard and made the acquaintance of a large angry Rottweiler.  We both left none the worse for wear but I had decided that if he was going to eat me, I wouldn't taste good because I was going to fill my pants at the first bite. 🙂 

Carbon fiber for sure for GPS work.  I started out with adjustable rods and they were fine, but later on I was able to use both collapsible and 2-piece fixed height rods and they kinda grew on me.  Now-a-days I'd probably go with a 2-piece carbon fiber fixed height rod if I had a choice.