What is the tallest prism pole available? Hixon makes a 25 footer is there one taller?
You can always add a 4' range pole or two to gain some height if needed?ÿ
What are you up to? Is this a radio mast?
You can buy some quite tall masts for radios... Google, and ebay are your friend...
Those 4ft sections of poles can be stacked up as high as you want to go.
I have 6 of them and at 24ft can hold a prism or GPS antenna steady when guy wired in place between the 4th and 5th sections.
Use a Prismless TS to align the top with the bottom in a setup similar to measuring the flagpole.
The first time I did this with my GPS, took me as long to learn setting on GNSS to accept HI of 24+ft as it did for two of us to set it up.
32' aughta get it...
If horizontal accuracy is not an issue, we have used 25' level poles with a Topcon prism on top for getting ground shots in dense woods.
This works great especially where there is thick brush but the trees are not that high. Had a job in south Jersey where tree heights were 15' to 20' and were able to get these shots very easily since the instrument was set pretty high. Only issue with the level poles is that they sway a lot on windy days when the shots are up high. Still saves a lot of time. Can probably do the same with a GPS unit although i wouldn't want to do that with an expensive one!
Everyone knows about the level rods and a prism.
I have a couple of 45 foot fiberglass rods from at least 15 years ago.?ÿ They are bananas at 45 feet though.?ÿ Looks like they are still available https://www.allenprecision.com/construction/levels/accessories/level-rods/45ft-leveling-rod-lr-pro-w-10ths?___store=ape_en&___from_store=ape_es
I used one of these as a RTK base radio aerial mast, stayed about one-third up, didn't use the end sections as they are too thin:
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Also, looked into, but didn't try, an aluminium painter's pole.
My friend Glenn who is as frugal as the rest of you designed a system with bolts and nuts used as connectors used with electric conduit to build radio masts. 20 feet is no problem with 1/2" conduit. Use 3/4" and 30 feet should be no problem. Stow easily and anybody can erect it. We used it for antenna masts, but I imagine you put a GPS unit or a refector up there also. Pure genius in it's simplicity.
This 29FT ALUMINUM PORTABLE TOWER MAST KIT with tripod base - looks like it would be a good combination with?ÿmy wireless Satel Compact-Proof UHF radio/repeater.
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Alternatively:
@RichardImrie
Wrap that with some prismatic material and you got something. ??ÿ
I was thinking hang the prism from it. Patent pending.
We use these?ÿ
http://www.geodatasys.com/pole3.htm
for both prism poles and antenna masts - they're heavy so you won't be walking around with them extended. They get the most use as antenna masts - you need to give some thought to supporting them. Weighting the bottom is a help in most situations. We look for trees or solid fence posts to sister them up to with some cam straps. You can use a beefy tripod but you need to weight the legs (or bury them or weight and bury) and weight the bottom of the pole (or bury it or weight and bury).?ÿEach survey rig carries one.
We've also used 360 prisms on weather balloons.?ÿ
Both have limited ability to be plumbed over a point but they can save a lot of time in the right situations.?ÿ
