How wet is too wet to survey

Posted by: holy cow

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Anyone keep surveying through these conditions?

Not on your life.?ÿ Drying out levels and theodolites was bad enough "back in the day"...but after paying for new DC screen because of working in the rain, I decided to stay indoors when it's wet...too expensive.

Did I mention sending my Topcon GR5 to the shop because rain shorted out the on-off button??ÿ

Haven't you heard of the 10 drop rule? A true fair weather surveyor says when 10 drops of rain or more hit the windshield you don't get out of the truck! ???œ?ÿ

Personally I work through light rain, but when it gets to the point lathe gets too wet to write on, paint don't stick to anything, and the data collector screen is unreadable I call it a day. In light rain I just wear a Carhartt rain coat. It's pretty nice and keeps the light sprinkling rain out of my pockets and off my head.

It's never too wet to survey in Oregon/Washington. It does, occasionally, get too windy/thunder/lightning. But it rarely rains that drenching thunderstorm downpour you see on the plains.

Our equipment gets wet almost daily in winter and it is hardly ever a problem.?ÿ ?ÿ?ÿ

As mentioned in another thread I got rained out today, but that was mainly because I was running the receivers on an extension cord from the house and the office support module isn't as rain resistant as the receiver and antenna.?ÿ I have collected GPS data in serious rain but the result wasnt usable, probably due to different conditions at the CORS.

The OR and WA guys will be along shortly to laugh at us.

Edit: even before I got my post done ....

Don't stay out any longer than you would if hunting, stranded and walking miles to your home, you are part reptile and/or the force of the storm knocks you off your feet and especially when you find it difficult to breath because there is more water than air.

When lightning appears, rain or shine, pack it and leave asap.

Remember, your equipment costs are part of your budget. The old TDS HP48 environment case came with a tube of gel to coat the o-ring between the body and cover. Seals need cleaning or replaced for warranties to stand and for proper protection Today's gear has maintenance needs too for it perform in nature.

I worked with a fellow one time who said, "The first drop of rain that hits you is God's fault, the second drop that hits you is your fault because you're not in the truck."?ÿ I'm not quite that bad but never did like working in the rain.

Andy

I'll run the equipment through a light rain but if it begins to come down steady I'll pack up everything with a battery and switch tasks.?ÿ With good gripping gloves, I can cut line in the rain and flag traverse points.?ÿ The locator doesn't seem to mind getting wet, so I can look for corners too.?ÿ Wet gravel is easier to dig through.?ÿ The only thing that irritates me about working in the rain is keeping my glasses clear.

When working in a cold rain I make sure only wool or some form of moisture wicking clothing touches my skin.?ÿ I wear rain jackets with adjustable neoprene cuffs (so water is stopped before it can soak my arm), I bring about half a dozen pairs of cheap mittens or gloves and cycle through them over the course of a day.?ÿ I'm not a fan of rain pants (unless I'm on a boat) so I usually just bring two spare pairs of work pants.?ÿ I bought some of those Duluth brand fast drying pants and they work well as long as you don't expect them to be warm.

As Norman says. In the PNW, if you don't get out in it, you ain't gonna get nothing done. Plus, it keeps the dust down most of the year and the ground is not to hard to drive a hub into.

Nothing wakes you up more on a dark, winter, Monday morning than putting on the cold, damp rain gear you forgot to take out of the rig on Friday afternoon and hang to dry. 

I am a believer in the one drop rule. If one drop of rain hits me its Gods fault if a second drop hits me it's my fault.

Now last week I did get caught in a sudden shower while in the woods about 300 yards from the truck and I knew it was coming but I had one more shot to get so I got drenched. The first time in nearly 15 years.

Wet happens, but when your shoe/boot gains 1# with every step, then it is time to stop.

Paul in PA

We'll rain out if we know it's going to be really bad, and all crews have 100% stop work authority. I don't care if the equipment gets rained on as long as they keep the inside of the cases dry and don't pack anything in a case until it's thoroughly air dried.

I love surveying in the rain, keeps the mosquitoes and cheechakos at bay and besides that, it's not snowing. Cotton candy surveyors wouldn't make it here.

Freckin' touch-screen data collectors are worthless in the rain.?ÿ But then again, so am I.

Part of what I was mentally picturing with the Amish woman's situation was urban surveyors working anywhere close to traffic. ?ÿThe spray from the water-laden streets could last for hours after the rain.

One does learn to organize the work flow around such things. And move the control back as far from the travelled lanes as is possible.

Fog is far more troublesome than road spray or rain.  

I worked with a party chief that had a brick in the truck.?ÿ When it started to rain he would throw the brick on the ground.?ÿ When the surface of the brick got wet it was time to pick-up and get in the truck.

Rain often comes with electricity, it's time to leave when that happens.

Lost a radio for the base from static build up.?ÿ It was fried.

Probably been 20 years ago, I was surveying on Mt. Mitchell ( NC) when a cloud came up. I was about a mile out from the tower. Lightning struck somewhere nearby. I remember the flash but not the thunder. Don't know how long I was out but when I came to I was tingling all over for probably 2 hours. No other effects that I can tell although my wife may not agree.?ÿ Never had a drop of rain, just the lightning.

I agree with that. I work in the rain, but not in an electrical storm.