New member from southern california

Welcome to the forum.?ÿ There are several surveyors from Cali on this site.?ÿ This is a great place to discuss situations you may not have seen and need advice.?ÿ It is more likely than not, that someone has experienced a like situation. Post your stories, questions, recommendations. If someone doesn't understand your situation, they will ask for more information. Take it as intended, someone wanting to help needs more information in order to give the correct advise.?ÿ Good luck.

First, welcome to this forum. As Kevin said, it is a great place to learn, ask questions, and get exposed to things you would not normally encounter.

Second, congratulations on getting your LSIT. Many lifelong surveyors never even consider taking that step, which means they will never attain licensure. It also opens other doors for employment opportunities where an LSIT is required to be hired into a surveyor classification, such as at Caltrans, Department of Water Resources, CalFire, and State Parks.

What "program" are you in?

Welcome, friend.

@spmpls?ÿ

Iƒ??m part of IUOE local 12, and as part of the surveyors union here, the SoCal joint apprenticeship committee has a schooling program that we must complete to journey out.?ÿ
5 months away from being finished.

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Thanks for the replies. My skin is fair but not thin. So I think Iƒ??ll be okay.

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I do have a several questions. But Iƒ??m going to hold off for now and do some further digging. If I keep getting stuck Iƒ??ll reach out.?ÿ

Posted by: @native1

@spmpls?ÿ

Iƒ??m part of IUOE local 12, and as part of the surveyors union here, the SoCal joint apprenticeship committee has a schooling program that we must complete to journey out.?ÿ
5 months away from being finished.

Nice! That's the same program I went through in the 80's and 90's. 🙂

1. @wendell?ÿ

No kidding, thatƒ??s cool.

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My instructor was the first class in the early 80ƒ??s with this curriculum. And he says itƒ??s the same exact stuff weƒ??re doing now hah!

Welcome! ?????ÿ

Posted by: @native1

I do have a several questions. But Iƒ??m going to hold off for now

Don't hold off. There are a number of people here who get satisfaction out of imparting their wisdom or knowledge. Granted there are others who would rather you attempt to figure it out on your own first, but they don't have to answer your questions. Ask away.

@lurker?ÿ

okay,

is this a good idea to calibrate a level bubble?

?ÿ Set up total station and electronically level it. Pop out TS, leave tribrach on legs. Pop in the ƒ??puckƒ? from a diff tribrach and put a short (6-12ƒ?) rod extension in the center with a peanut prism on it. Now level the bubble on it and use that mini prism as the master going forward for the other rod bubbles.

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In the field, is this the easiest way with one person? Iƒ??ve searchEd this and read about different methods, but some donƒ??t make sense to me, require further purchase of brackets/etc or they require maybe two people.

I need to get all of our equipment tighter for upcoming multi story building work. Thatƒ??s another set of questions I have hah!

Make sure the sensitivity of the peanut prism bubble is at least as good as the rod bubbles. I know some peanut prism bubbles aren't very sensitive.

If the tribrach puck lets the prism rotate, how about skipping the TS? Adjust the tribrach until the prism bubble says level. Rotate 180?ø and take out half the error using the tribrach screws. Repeat at 60 and 120?ø and repeat the whole process until the bubble stays put relative to its housing when rotated. Then adjust the bubble to center.

Some folks on the forum say they can check or even adjust their rod bubbles without a formal fixture, by just resting it against something like the truck tailgate and turning it. Fixtures can also be homemade.

@bill93?ÿ

I had read somewhere that the level bubbles on a tribrach need to be calibrated too sometimes? The equipment my chief keeps is so unkept and out of level that I assumed his old tribrach that we barely use would need calibrating.
So I thought the TS electronic level would be a better solution.?ÿ

You can check the total station level using the zenith angle. Once you prove the total station level, you can use it to prove the tribrach bubble. Then the method you described for other bubbles. But as Bill93 said, you should not use a more coarse bubble to try and prove a more fine bubble. I would never use a mini prism bubble (coarse bubble) as a master.

You are assuming the total station bubble is accurate, and it probably is, but if you turn the compensation routines off you can level the total station by making the zenith angle read the same value no matter which way the total station is rotated. This then is level for the total station and it's bubble should indicate the same if it is accurate.

@lurker?ÿ

ahh, interesting.?ÿ
That makes sense. I hadnƒ??t realized the mini prism bubble is a more coarse bubble then say the rod bubbles.?ÿ

The zenith angle makes sense too.?ÿ
Sounds like a good way to ensure the mini prism is good, and then Iƒ??ll seek other methods to level the rod bubbles?ÿ

Posted by: @native1

I had read somewhere that the level bubbles on a tribrach need to be calibrated too sometimes?It?ÿ

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It does. Typically you level the tribrach using a tribrach adjustment puck like the one shown below, and adjust the tribrachs bubble. If it hasn't been done in a few months, at most, it is very likely needed.

A quick check method that requires no special equipment -

1) level up and center the tribrach over a point.?ÿ

2)with pencil, trace the outline of the tribrach on the head of the tripod.

3)loosen and rotate the tribrach 120?ø, tighten it down so that it is exactly in the traced outline.

4) using only the tribrach footscrews, re-level the tribrach.

5) check how you are centered over the point.?ÿ

If the tribrach is in good adjustment you will be pretty darn close (better than a hundreth).?ÿ ?ÿ?ÿ

@norman-oklahoma?ÿ

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Thanks for the advice.

These tips/methods are appreciated.?ÿ

Im just trying to develop good practices going forward.

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