I use the plumb bob and prism bracket or the mini prism for tight layout. Tribrachs for control work and a prism pole with bi-pod for side shots to property corners and the like. I still use a steel tape for cross checks on layout. That's my 0.04'.
Gammon Reel
Many years ago (~1971 I think), I was setting a Transit over a control point up in the Uinta Mountains using a Gammon Reel. Well, this “ENGINEER” comes over and looks at the Gammon Reel, and asked “what's that thing?”
I tell him that it's a Gammon Reel!
He says (no kidding)...“You can't use that thing, it makes the plumb bob HANG CROOKED!”
There were about 3 or 4 Surveyors, and several other Engineers there at the time, and we looked at him and just rolled our eyes! It took about a half hour to convince the intrepid ENGINEER that the plumb bob was “hanging TRUE.”
Loyal
They don't seem to stay over the point as well as they did 30 years ago. - I think they're hard to adjust to true now-days.;-)
I blame that on those steel points, when they get old they must absorb some anti matter, not enough to see but it destabilizes the whole plumb bob. Makes it much harder to stop the swing.
jud
They recently changed up the string in gammon reals to a inferior product. I guess you can take some comfort in knowing that you have a "genuine product" as opposed to the cheap crap they put out today.
Chaps my hide I tell ya.
They sent me the inferior string years ago.
Braided fishing line is much better quality and comes in glow colors.
I am among those that use whatever is right for the situation.
Backsites and Foresites are tripod, tribrach, prism
Sideshots are with pole, plumb bob/prism or miniprism setup
Everything with a bubble gets checked often and sometimes daily.
The plumb bob is great for those setups on monuments that are in vertical obstructed locations.
Poles
Checked every so often on level calibration brackets mounted on the back wall of our fieldroom.
Haven't used a plumb bob in years, but haven't forgotten how to calibrate one.;-)
At my surveying job before last, we used plumb bobs AND the pole & prism. The string on the bob was what I sighted for angle only. The prism was used for the distance shot. We did that on all traverse & control shots. If I was gunning and had a clear view of the nail head or pin or whatever, I would tell the rodman to forget the string. That didn't happen that often really.
A problem that happened several times was the gunner would forget to zero the gun after lining up the angle. Me and my buddy were sent out several times to find the busted angle. Sometimes we could find the cuprit pretty quick - i.e. a couple of setups. Other times it might take us 2 days. In the end, we always found it and would give a call back to the office with the new angles.
Taking a direct/and reverse set of angles not only allows taking a mean of two sets, it definitely helps catch blunders like that. (Measure twice, cut once)
Those little tripods as shown by Clearcut are brilliant.
I use combination to suit.
At times I use a plumbob with a reflective card attached.
It's very useful in tight spots and can be hung/attached easily to fences etc where poles won't or can't reach.
Holding a pole still is only as good as its calibration. As far as I know plumbobs don't suffer like poles do and go out of whack, even if pounded into the ground by a truck running over them. My pole didn't like that at all.
For accurate work closeup (<140± metres) I use reflective targets made from the 3M stick on stuff they use for signs etc. And sight right to the point. That's not always possible - obviously.
I have aluminium sheet targets 90mm² and smaller ones 40mm². The smaller ones are like angle-iron and can sit upright on own.
Like many say - horses for courses.
