Hi, I picked up a Kern DKM2 theodolite last year. 2 questions:
- does anyone know if there is an adapter to fit on a standard tribrach. I would be pretty cool to see how it compares to my topcon for angle measurement.
- I'm trying to figure out the micrometer. The vertical scale has sets o
f index lines close together in 20 min intervals. The Horizontal scale has index marks at 5 minute intervals. (The short lines are the 10 minute mark?). The micrometer spans 10 minutes with readings to 1 ". Do I zero the micrometer, turn the angle, then turn the micrometer so it goes to the previous 10' mark then add it all up? I have been researching the heck out of it but can't find any illustrations that match my scales.
I used to own a DKM2AE, bought it new from Lewis and Lewis in the late 80's. Yes, there were adapters for the Kern to mount directly to a conventional tribrach. I chose to use Kern tripods instead and still use the heads for all of my instruments and backsights. The heads can be adapted quite easily to the Leica tripods. You won't get any better optics than a Kern. IMHO
We had one with the USFS (about 45 years ago), and used the "head" of an Aluminum Kern Tripod, and the "base" of a tribrach prism adapter to create an intake between a tribrach and the instrument (a local machinist put it all together).
We read it just like our T-2s, in that we sighted the backsite, read the "angle", turned to the foresight, and read the angle (FS-BS=angle), and so on and so forth. "Zeroing" the instrument was possible, but a PITA (same with the T-2).
Loyal .
I used a DKM3AX at the Cape for azimuths for IMUs - a great instrument and fun to use for astro- took a while to get used to the broken scope and the plates after using the T3 for just about everything else.