I had a two-mile level run that had to be done on an emergency basis for an important client. I had no one to delegate to the job, so I did it myself, and I had to use an inexperienced rodman, MY WIFE Gretchen! She had never held a philadelphia rod and had never helped me on a survey of any kind. The wind was blowing, and the traverse was in hill land, and we were late getting there having followed a funeral procession. I had not noticed until we were almost to the job site when I saw that Gretchen had on loafers that probably had never even touched grass. I made her put on some size 12 rubber boots I had in the back of the truck (5 sizes too large). I showed her how to hold the rod level, but the wind was blowing. I almost packed up and headed home, but instead I just remained grouchy, and tried to do the work. When I took first backsight when she was on the BM, the rod was tilted, and when I told her to hold it straight, she argued that it WAS straight. I used the vertical reticle to insist that she tilt the rod, and we ran the first leg and closed back just as a check, and it was way out of tolerance. Instead of quitting, I helped her with the vertical reticle guidance by waving my arms (politely), and showed her how to rock the rod back and forth so that I could select the lowest reading that I could see as she rocked it, and I used that. I know that rocking the rod is a good procedure to improve the quality of a level run, but I had never really required rocking it to the extreme that she did. I felt like a bidder looking for the lowest price as I would get her to hold rod vertical, and I'd bracket the high and low and then start seeking lowest reading as she continued to rock the rod. We finished two miles of level run in hills and wind and actually did significantly better than the allowable tolerance. I couldn't believe it, but we did it.
That exercise reminded me of good level run technique, the most important of which is in my opinion, rocking the rod and keeping the foresight and backsight distances fairly close to each other. I had one crew for years that just never could close vertically like the others, and I wonder if he had his rodman rock the rod. I have seen many level run crews, including many that were not my employees, and I never really saw them rock the rod much, if at all. For the very few of you who might not know what I am saying, the concept is that the very lowest reading you can get on the rod is when it is perfectly vertical.
Anyway, we ended up with a good level run and did not choke each other. I cannot say enough about how rocking a rod can help attain an accurate level run, not matter how great or little experience the rodman has--way better than a level vial. Wanted to pass this silly little thing along in hopes that many will be reminded to rock the rod! 🙂
That must be some important client to be risking divorce for.
Did you have a bubble level on the rod?
Frank Willis, post: 404712, member: 472 wrote: way better than a level vial
I wouldn't go that far. Aside from the fact that digital levels have relegated rod-rocking to the "remember when?" category, a properly-adjusted bullseye bubble in the hands of a competent rodman will allow results as good as those from a rocked rod.
If I'm reading higher than 1 section I have them rock the rod. Use a rod bubble to get it close, then rock it. Using a 25' fiberglass rod in the wind can be an adventure. Had another guy checking some settlement platforms while I was at Dimensions and he had to get a laborer to rod. Apparently he let out all 25 feet with it parallel to the ground and then raised it up. BM was on the shoulder of the road, and when he was pulling it up in a strong wind it broke over at the first joint and fell across the road. Just as it was falling The top of a semi trailer caught it and finished off the rest of the joints.
AHEM! AHEM!
That is "rod person", not "rodman".
I would take my wife over some surveyors I know.
On my first survey job there were wetlands to locate. My daughter helped at least one day, bu when it came time to locate the wetlands my wife was along. I thought I would be easy on her and I taught her to point, focus and push the instrument button. I had planned to do them in order and did not need her to enter the point numbers. As I guided her on the radio I could hear her getting frustrated over the process. The third time I came out to retrain her, she said, "Gimme that rod and charged off." I felt sorry for the multi-flora rose.
She was an accomplished pack mule when I was doing three tripod traverses. She easily handled two tripods, a rod bag with two tribrachs, sights, stakes, nippers, locator and a rod pole. She could set up a bipod perfectly over a point and could set up a three legged bipod for GPS, turn it on and off. I do not do much 3 tripod traverse work anymore, but she still occassionaly handles the rod, and recovers bipod backsights. More often than no she is just a lunch companion.
Watch out for white haired grandmas wearing blaze orange or lime green.
Paul in OA
Paul, that is FUNNY. hahahaha.
To old timers like me, rocking the rod is the vertical equivalent of locating a house corner, where the crew would swing the tape and when the instrument operator looking down the property line read the minimum amount he knew it was a perpendicular tie to the property line. That was in the old days when crews (plural members) used a tape, actually looked through an instrument down the property line, and wrote the data down in a field book. Those were the good old days.
Tha knows, I would be apprehensive to do that with my wife. I'm afraid the baby might get cold.... 🙂
Nate The Surveyor, post: 404748, member: 291 wrote: Tha knows, I would be apprehensive to do that with my wife. I'm afraid the baby might get cold.... 🙂
I'd be afraid if you got your wife out in the woods you'd need a bigger van in less than a year....;)
Ever rock the rod horizontally?
Long ago we had a house someone built too close to the line, so many angles on this house it was a pain, so we set a TS on the front corner and sighted the back. then 2 guys walked a rod back and forth for the horizontal rock to figure out how far off the line it was.
Trig levels with the robot every time.
I usually prefer having the rod rocked but I have found that inexperienced helpers have trouble with concept. In those cases using a rod level seems to be more efficient. Assuming the rod level is close to in adjustment there is probably no difference in accuracy.
If you don't have a rod level a good trick is to have the rod person try to balance the rod on the point before they start rocking.
Frank Willis, post: 404712, member: 472 wrote: I had a two-mile level run that had to be done on an emergency basis for an important client. I had no one to delegate to the job, so I did it myself, and I had to use an inexperienced rodman, MY WIFE Gretchen! She had never held a philadelphia rod and had never helped me on a survey of any kind.
My wife is the best rodman I have ever worked with and is my first choice if something has to be right. Only problem is, after about 5 hours she starts telling me what to do and how to do it.
James
My takeaway is that before leaving the office check your crews choice of footwear. Perhaps stopping at a local shoe store may have gained Frank a more eager helper. She seems like a trooper anyway.
[USER=292]@JaRo[/USER]
That's about 4 hours and 58 minutes longer than Mrs. Cow gives me under identical circumstances. I blame it on having been the first born child and only girl in her family. Those three younger brothers have been replaced with an old man. Of course, her being a school teacher contributes to the issue.
Communication is critical when asking the wife for assistance. My wife did much better than a young engineering graduate from the university. I had asked the graduate if he had run levels before and he assured me that he had. I gave him a large screwdriver to use as the turning point since we were headed across an open field with no solid points. We got about a mile into it and I was reading low for the first time. I told him to put the rod on the screwdriver since I could see he had the rod setting off to the side on the ground. He asked me why the rod needed to be on top of the screwdriver? Start over...
J. Penry, post: 404829, member: 321 wrote: Communication is critical when asking the wife for assistance. My wife did much better than a young engineering graduate from the university. I had asked the graduate if he had run levels before and he assured me that he had. I gave him a large screwdriver to use as the turning point since we were headed across an open field with no solid points. We got about a mile into it and I was reading low for the first time. I told him to put the rod on the screwdriver since I could see he had the rod setting off to the side on the ground. He asked me why the rod needed to be on top of the screwdriver? Start over...
I had that very same conversation 20-some years ago, only in my case it was a masonry chisel instead of a screwdriver. Apparently my new assistant thought the purpose of the chisel was to call attention to the spot in the soft dirt where he plumbed the rod. Start over...
We have a failure to communicate here..............................
Happens far too often. Neither party is fully at blame but both should feel bad about what occurred.
