We stopped at Cordelia (at the I80/I680 junction) to drop off some biologically processed coffee, fuel the car, and get more coffee. There's one of those antique mall there so we went in. They have a pretty good collection of stuff. At one place in there I see a dip needle, $24 + tax; it obviously needs a good home.
I found some instructions on the internet, and tried it. I have a 12" spike in my front lawn somewhere. So I tried to find it, no luck. I put it on the 3/4" iron pipe in the street C/L, not much dip, 5 or 10 degrees. So I find the spike with my subsurface locator. Then I very slowly ran the dip needle over it and it dipped almost all the way. So it works but takes practice, a real art.
It's like the difference between my transit and a total station. Transit takes skill to operate accurately or at all. Total station you just read the numbers or better let the controller store everything. This thing you have to have a pretty small search area then go really slow.
Maybe it will work better with fresh batteries.
It is important to point the correct end north.
They are excellent in finding monument rods next to chain link fence and around pipe fence corners.
You pretty much have to have a psychic connection with the magnetic disturbance of the universe.
May the force be with you............:earth:
WOW, now that's a blast from the past!
Used those back in the EARLY 1970s a few times. Like Mr. Harris indicated, they require a certain amount of cosmic connection to work well.
Loyal
I regret that I passed up one in a secondhand shop, figuring no one would want it and I could get it after the half-price markdown that was due on it in a couple weeks. It sold before I got back, so I've never played with one. Good for you, being inquisitive.
I have one just like it. Bill, you can pick them up on ebay all the time. I bought mine off of ebay several years ago to put in a display case. I think I paid about $20 for it.
I do need to find some instructions for mine.
I've had several dip-needles over the years and used them when I was younger. They conveniently had a leather strap attached so when you got frustrated with the damned thing you could sling it around and around a few times and let it sail off into the brush.
Some of you may remember a surveyor named Mark Deal. Mark had a shelf at his office by the front door that had some old surveying mementos. I donated one of my dip-needles for his shelf, but Mark wasn't there when I dropped it off.
The next time I saw him he was asking me how to get "that crazy compass to work".....
Jimmy Cleveland, post: 398606, member: 91 wrote: Bill, you can pick them up on ebay all the time.
Heck, you can still buy a new one.
Mark Mayer, post: 398609, member: 424 wrote: Heck, you can still buy a new one.
$284 without the case...I got a good deal 🙂
The only time I saw one in use was in 1977. I was a brand-new apprentice, and the chief was trying to find a monument in a busy intersection. It worked, but it took a long time to find the spot. Not longer after that I was on loan to another crew that had a Schoenstedt. Once I saw that in action I never felt the need to consider using a dip needle.
Jim Frame, post: 398612, member: 10 wrote: ...Once I saw that in action I never felt the need to consider using a dip needle.
Jim, all they really did was make you feel good about guessing.... 😉
I would never want to go back to having to rely on one, but they did have a good feature. The very first thing you did at a new site was pull out the dip needle and see which way was north, as it only worked when properly orientated. You knew which way was "up."
You spent less time digging up junk with those, because it was harder to find. Less time finding points too.
I'll stick with my Subsurface.
Ken
I destroyed one once. I was on my knees searching around in the grass so completely absorbed that I didn't hear the mangy dog approach until he snarled right next to my ear. I swung the box by the leather strap and broke it across the dog's head. He left me alone but I had to explain to the boss why we needed a new Dip Needle.
Andy
I have always carried one with me....use it mainly around chain link fence posts or wood post with wire....has saved me a lot of digging in the wrong place....
Dip Needles work great. So does a common pocket compass.
I remember vividly when we got the first Schoenstedt. Cousin Dick took off solo for the day. He came back reporting several monuments were found at last... we had to go back on a couple projects and fix things.
I have one in storage. Why would anyone put out $284 for one today is beyond my comprehension. When it was all we had, it was the best we could do. If you were not on your hands and knees, you were not really looking. Today's magnetic locators are as much of an advance as a total station over a compass.
My boss must have really been old school... I used one of those regularly in the early 90's. But then I had to convince him that using the HP48 for data collection was much better than just using field books.
It works best when calibrated for temperature, humidity and pressure.
I still have and use mine from 1974.
I found that the key is to move it very slowly. It is easier to pack than its modern counterpart.
