Well, not quite the same, but keep your instruments dry! A while back we had a discussion here about working in the rain and I was shocked that some people would use their instruments in the rain without a second thought - not me.
Well, let me give you an example of why you shouldn't.
Recently I bought a Leitz 1 second theodolite on eBay for next to nothing knowing that it had issues because they said they couldn't see the scales. But, if nothing else, it had a tribrach and that made it worth something.
Well, it came and I started investigating. It had gotten wet at some time, rust all over the inside on the optical path parts and the prisms had rust stains, etc, all over them. Tried cleaning things up and was actually making some progress until I ran into a compound prism assembly where moisture had gotten in between the pieces of glass and ruined them. So, the instrument is parts only and I learned some stuff.
But this is a good example of not letting your equipment get wet.
Once upon a time...........don't you just love stories that start out like that?
Once upon a time I got caught on foot near the center of the section with the vehicle near the east quarter corner. Some humonguous giant decided it was time to poor p*** out of his boot over this particular section. One second the sun is shining, the next rain is hammering down everywhere. My tee shirt was the only thing available to help shelter the gun on the long journey that became slipperier along the way. Once at the vehicle, dry materials were used to attempt to remove all visible moisture from the exterior of the gun. It rode, seatbelted, but not in the case, in the back seat back to the office. A hair dryer was used to make it appear to be perfectly dry. BUT IT WAS TOOOOOOO LATE!
The repair bill was far more than the entire fee for that particular survey.
In the Pacific Northwest; if you didn't work in the rain, you would never get anything done...
It's different being solo; i can pick and choose days I work in the field and days I work in the office. when I worked for a big company; the crews worked every day rain or shine. Never had any problems with a wet gun in 25 years; knock on wood.
1. Seattle Rain Trivia
How many days of rain does Seattle get in a year?
About 150.
How many days of sun?
On average, about 58 per year.
Average rainfall in Seattle?
37 inches Number of cloudy days each year?
About 225.
What cities get more rain than Seattle?
Several! Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and even Portland among them. Portland just edges Seattle out with an annual average rainfall of 37.5.
I have no choice but to work in the rain, all day at times. The gun is never boxed wet but allowed to dry out over night. If the gun can't hack it, time for an instrument that can.
Here in Atlanta we average about 48 inches per year. It just seems ours come in a few events.
Andy
In some ways I miss my old Deitzen transit. Sunshine, rain, snow, sleet and a hungover IMan never held the gun back and with some care care, patience and cleansing all was right again.
Take one capnut off from the bottom of the gun and every part of it would slide off the main shaft allowing the inside scales, verniers, bearings and shafts to be dried and lubed.
Sewing machine oil worked well and during some hot summers I used 30W Pennzoil.
Unscrew the eyepiece and objective lens and let the scope tube dry out overnight in a room with the AC on. Apply some thick thread grease and it was water resistant again.
The trick was to keep a bead of lube around the threads and cap ring to keep out any particles and fluids from entering. Condensation was going to happen because they were far from being airtight.
Can't even think about that with today's TS. I have several TS (electronic and manual) and some get wet and some never get wet. I usually don't take any covers off, the ones I have were well sealed with gaskets and I really don't see how any large amount of fluids can get in them when assembled correctly.
A few of my prisms can be taken apart. For the most part most of them are molded into the assembly. Those can be problematic.
What do we do when it rains? (Asks the new guy from Florida.)
We WORK! (Says the incredulous party chief.)
> I have no choice but to work in the rain, all day at times. The gun is never boxed wet but allowed to dry out over night. If the gun can't hack it, time for an instrument that can.
That's it. It can stand getting wet as long as you dry it properly at the end of the day.
And as long as the seals aren't compromised, of course. If the gun is ever opened up for service the gaskets must be replaced or they won't re-seal properly.
I agree with you Dave. I lost my TDS Ranger T to getting caught in a sudden thunderstorm last spring. Water damage fried the main board.
Being solo, I can determine when I work in the field or office. If it's raining, I can always find research or CAD work to do.
Chris and I were on a job yesterday, The client, a super nice guy, did not come out and say it, but you could kinda tell he was wanting us to stay and finish up. It was getting late, and a band of rain was coming. When I told him we were about to pack it up, and explained how expensive our equipment was, he quickly understood.
Beware below freezing weather. Bringing a cold instrument into a warm environment (the office) can result in condensation, like a glass of beer on a warm day. And condensation, I think, is more insidious than rain.
Worked in an environment where it was always below freezing and we kept the instruments in the "gun shed" (stored firearms there too,) unheated and uninsulated outhouse-like building. Of course, back then instruments didn't have batteries :-O .
Here in AZ we head for the truck and wait it out - sometimes that can be over an hour!
Once every two or three years a hurricane remnant passes through and it rains for several days. Some folks just stay in bed...
