EDM history

The Geodimeter History (1947 - 1997) - where it all began - has been written up in an excellent book, which you can download here:?ÿ

http://www.geotronics.it/public/geodimeter_story.pdf

Enjoy!

Thanks, everyone, for their input!

valuable knowledge.

As a 13 year old working for a local private crew in 1973, when we had need for long distances and triagulation, dad would rent an AGA, which would pretty much take 2 people to tote around, a LOT of set up time, but if you could get long shots and not need to trav through the trees, it obviously was efficient enough for a small business.?ÿ

In 1975 dad brought home a KERN total station with attached EDM on the scope, which swiveled up and down left and right with the scope. I cost the equivalent of 2 corvettes. But it was efficient, a two man crew could traverse through the forest and easily carry the Kern and all necessary accessories. So it could be used by small private companies. I believe this instrument was pivotal in how surveyors today enslave themselves to new technology loans, payments, working your butt off to pay for the equipment, which soon becomes obsolete so throw it away and continue the cycle.?ÿ

In 1978 I was running HP3800. It was worn looking then.?ÿ

I saw an HP catalog from ƒ??76 list price 3805A for $3800 dollars. I thought that was funny.?ÿ

I used a 3805A in ƒ??79. And I just bought one a few months ago. Still hits 1:180K at 1Km.?ÿ

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$3800 would buy a new but not top of the line car in 1976.?ÿ Maybe $25-30 K in today's dollars.?ÿ Surveyors are still paying that for equipment.

I believe a T3 in ƒ??80 cost about $10K. A ford Bronco cost $9.

Also I just bought a GTS3B ?ÿcirca 1995(?) from Dave Ingram . Last Monday I took it to a CBL (2015 remeasured). Not even 1 mm all day long, (1km 430 150m).?ÿ

My 1955 T3 works as well as in ƒ??55. Nearly as can tell.?ÿ

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In 1986 we had 6 crews and 4 top mount edm's.?ÿ The crews would try to beat each other into the office to get the edm :).?ÿ Jp

Thanks everyone!

Very much appreciate the information - and the stories!

Used a Tellurometer CA-1000 in the seventies.?ÿ Pretty dang cool, you couldn't even see the other station when taking long shots.?ÿ A feature was you could voice communicate over the carrier wave with the other operator in order to synchronise the measurement process.

Posted by: Mike Marks

........ A feature was you could voice communicate over the carrier wave with the other operator in order to synchronise the measurement process.

?ÿ

had a range of 150 feet to 25 miles.

Outstanding!

http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_748795http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_748795