Well, here's the chuckle for the day...
In the process of incrementally expanding my topo control network across my 25 acre "playground", i've often walked to a spot, eyeballed my last point (or two), eyeballed the next point I'm headed to; cut the lines (it's all wooded), and set up the tripod at the spot I've chosen.
Then I shoot my sets (3 to 5, D&R generally), then swap the prism for the instrument and move ahead. When done, I push a spike or rebar and cap into the ground after the fact.using the optical plummet. (I've gotten quite good at doing this).
Well, that works fine, as long as you remember to do it. Last time out I wrapped it up for the day; broke down the setup, removed the tripod and prism, only to look down and realize I'd never set a spike in the dirt beneath my setup.
Well. no more. I'm always going to set the hub/spike in the ground to center on PRIOR to doing the sets; not after.
The upside of this session was that I had moved the instrument BACK to a previous point and established a back sight, so only had to just "stake out" the point without the spike...but in doing so I threw away the redundancy of the previous shots for Starnet. Rookie error #343.:(
Isn't it easier to set the tripod over a mark rather than a mark under a tripod? :p
Seb, post: 399067, member: 7509 wrote: Isn't it easier to set the tripod over a mark rather than a mark under a tripod? :p
What he said, never in 35+ years have I set the monument after I set up, first of all out here in the west, you likely wouldn't ever get it in the ground without some big swings on the sledge and secondly I see no advantage and finally it easier to fine tune the setup than the monument with possible rebound as you try and get it centered under the OP.
SHG
Shelby H. Griggs PLS, post: 399076, member: 335 wrote: What he said, never in 35+ years have I set the monument after I set up, first of all out here in the west, you likely wouldn't ever get it in the ground without some big swings on the sledge and secondly I see no advantage and finally it easier to fine tune the setup than the monument with possible rebound as you try and get it centered under the OP.
SHG
I've been doing it that way, primarily because it sometimes takes moving the tripod very little...sometimes three or four tenths one way or another, to sight through the woods to two or more prisms. Once you put a monument in the ground, you're pretty much stuck with it, and need to just cut brush if some three inch sappling ends up in the line. I can see how it'd be impossible to do this in sandstone though. I'm just going to suck it up though and sharpen my chain saw.
When in the woods it is better to set a point such that a small tree is on line, then take it out so that you have a very clear line.
I get the impression you are sighting too close to trees and the refraction will severely affect your angles.
Paul in PA
Set the traverse first not after the observations.....
Setting up over a preexisting point is a skill that takes some mastering. Nevertheless setting the point first is the common (ie/universal) practice.
When prospecting a point location drop a plumb bob (or set your target rod) over your proposed point. Use that to eyeball for conflicts.
I never would even think of setting the point later.
Mr RFC, You should learn tall stakes.
For real.
I can run solo around 40 acres, with a total station, in the deep woods, in one day, complete and closed.
That's a mile of traverse. Usually I get 1-1/2 miles or more a day.
N
Nate The Surveyor, post: 399104, member: 291 wrote: Mr RFC, You should learn tall stakes.
For real.
I can run solo around 40 acres, with a total station, in the deep woods, in one day, complete and closed.
That's a mile of traverse. Usually I get 1-1/2 miles or more a day.N
OK. I give up. What's "tall stakes"?
Long Story. Made short.
Go buy a Narrow Beam reflectorless, (some disagree with me)
Go buy 4' tall tomato stakes.
Get 8d finish nails.
Use DOT tape, and flagging.
Only use one tripod.
Set nail in top of tomato stake.
Set accordian flag on nail.
set DOT pinch on accordian
It become Inst pt, BS and FS.
N
Nate's tall stakes don't leave you much to come back to, so don't set them exactly vertical. Set them about a half foot out of plumb. After moving up to it, set a spike under the point using the optical plummet.
Except Nate doesn't do that anymore 🙂
I have met surveyors that ran three tripods and swapped out instrument with targets on the tribrach that never set hubs as they went.
Each point had at least two references or more and the property was located effectively, just no hubs or working points left in the ground to come back to.
If needed they would strap them in from the references points and as they said "get close enough".
:plumbbob:
isn't that what a plumb bob is for?
When setting precise offsets for construction control, I will set up a tripod/tribrac on the staked out position. Tie with D&R, then adjust the tribrac accordingly so the measured position and calculated position coincide. Repeat measurements THEN set a re-bar in concrete under the tripod. It's the only way I have found to set points ultra accurately. After that, other people can start eating away at the error budget.
Nate The Surveyor, post: 399104, member: 291 wrote: I can run solo around 40 acres, with a total station, in the deep woods, in one day, complete and closed. That's a mile of traverse. Usually I get 1-1/2 miles or more a day.
I thought TDD was banned from posting 🙂
SHG
I have TDD beat there!
Ha ha ha
I actually did that. It was 40 ac.
West line, woods. South Line Woods
East line Woods and field.
North line, road, and two additional shots, through fields, that brought it up another 1/2 mile.
It is very efficient. (I was telling how efficient the METHOD was, NOT my skill!!
🙂
N
N
Nate,
I'll bet you cheated and drank plenty of water!
Nate The Surveyor, post: 399112, member: 291 wrote: Long Story. Made short.
Go buy a Narrow Beam reflectorless, (some disagree with me)
Go buy 4' tall tomato stakes.
Get 8d finish nails.
Use DOT tape, and flagging.
Only use one tripod.
Set nail in top of tomato stake.
Set accordian flag on nail.
set DOT pinch on accordian
It become Inst pt, BS and FS.
N
Two years ago (in my youth at this), I posted a photo of a 3' stake with a finish nail in it. Kent McM laughed me off the planet. Admittedly, I had not yet truly understood what "Control" even was. Now I do, and I am perplexed at how such stakes could ever be used to develop such a network. In the dirt I'm working with, a few ounces of force sideways on such a stake would move it two tenths. My horizontals are an order of magnitude less than that.
Of course, I'm all in to try something new (except for buying the Narrow Beam reflectorless lol...way out of my budget. Now, what about those L1's you have collecting dust, Sir?
