The best all-around instrument ever made, in my opinion. I started with a T-2 (old style) doing triangulation. A good I-man and a good notekeper could crank out some angles. I also ran many miles of traverse using the T-2 and an HP3800 (or was it 3805?) After using a T-2 for about a year or so, I had to learn a K & E transit-a bit of a transition, and I kept losing the magnifying glass. Finally I just started using the glass on my swiss army knife-harder to lose, easier to find.
I have a T-2 (new style), a T-3, and a Kern DKM-2. Rarely used. But, when that nuclear explosion goes off, and the EMP knocks out everything electronic, the T-2 will still work.
There is (was) a T-2 cut in half to see the inner workings at the Smithsonian.
some kind of right angle dark eyepiece (for welding maybe? what you think?)
For a few years before I started surveying I worked as a pipe fitter at a shop that made portable gas refineries. So when I saw the dark glass in the T-2 case I figured I could use it for welding. Didn't work too well. Then I figured I might use it to look at another bright object and that worked much better.
Pin Cushion,
Are you serious? I get the sarcasm (joke), but if you really have several T-2's, and you consider them old and useless, you might consider selling them. I am sure there are a lot of guys who would appreciate them on this site alone.
When the guys in Birmingham have one come through at the right price in the right condition, I'll replace my T-16 with a T-2.
There are times when I need a glorified string line, nothing better than one of the oldies. Have to spin in something 20' away that got knocked out and the 'bot is set up on the other side of the job, I can still get it done.
The zombie apocolypse conspiracy theorist in me still wants a mechanical instrument with stadia hairs that doesn't have to be charged. They make really cool spotter scopes as well.
Perhaps that dark-lensed right-angle eyepiece would have been used for solar observations?
Roeloffs prism...
perhaps?
solar observations?
Holy smokes, I should've thought of that!
Mighty
:good:
Mighty
yeah yeah yeah. ok, beat me up on it, but this particular eyepiece is built in, it doesn't look like an accessory
Moe
NOT trying to "beat you up" at all...
Could you post a picture? Somebody will know the REAL answer for sure.
Loyal
Moe
i will dig it up tonight. t2 is at the hacienda. if i am lucky, i might be able to pull off a macro shot through the smoke lens. maybe daryl will loan me his photo savvy for a few key shots...
Wow John a T3! Do you ever use it?
Someone on this thread is going own up soon to owning a T4!
There's a T4 on ebay, been there for ages, 112 lbs of steel brass and glass.
Last proper job I used the T2 for was a 10 mile traverse along the coast to locate and install transponder stations for a hydrographic survey, no gps of course. Guys in jeeps spent all day swopping and charging tractor batteries to keep the transponders running.
Wild T4 theodolite
I'd love to have a T-4, but @ $26,500 it ain't gonna ever happen!
The only one that I have ever seen in person, was at the Jedi Temple (NGS HQ) in Silver Spring.
I have a friend who has offered me a T-3, but I haven't saved enough moola yet.
Loyal
The company I worked for, back in the olden days, used Wild T2’s and HP 3800/3805 Distomat’s to do a 110,000 acre boundary survey in Flagler and St. Johns County’s FL.
That project is currently known as Palm Coast, Florida.
Have a great weekend!
Wild T4 theodolite
This Spring semester is when I take out my T-4, DKM-3A, BC-4, etc. and let my students find out what "turning a set" means. I also take out LSU's T-2 at the same time.
The Wild T3 theodolite
We have 2 Wild T3 Theodolites in our arsenal. The guys used the primary one on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights this week. We keep a spare just incase something happens to the primary one. We use it weekly for about 3 months each year. It is a fine instrument. I have a Pair of T2 tat I plan to display on the fireplace mantel, but SWMBO has nixed that.
The Wild T3 theodolite
> I have a Pair of T2 tat I plan to display on the fireplace mantel, but SWMBO has nixed that.
Better a brace of T2's on the mantel than a felt painting of a red eyed unicorn.
DDSM
Moe
Moe, I'd like to see that picture also. I didn't mean to give you a hard time; I just thought we were all joking.
I spent quite a bit of time using the T2 to observe the sun. Now with GPS that has all gone away. Oh well. But I've got to think that you have a solar 90deg eyepiece.
We have a monitor project we have been running since 1981 with the same T-2 every visit. The instrument is otherwise unused, but I do have a T1A that comes out for projects around the homestead.
In case anyone is unfamiliar with it, I have to give credit to - and highly recommend - the Wild-Heerbrugg.com website, (www.wild-heerbrugg.com). The website is a tribute to the individual effort of Mr. Jürg Dedual, whom I've had the pleasure of meeting in person-he can do a much more thorough job of describing anything related to the Wild T-2 (or any other Wild-Heerbrugg item) than I could in this forum.
The dark, right-angled eyepiece is indeed an accessory, 90deg solar filter/eyepiece-it screws into the telescope in front of the eyepiece- it was included in the issued US Army T-2 accessory kits, -there was also a daytime filter set with selectable filters for use in different lighting conditions. The eyepiece filter is # 15 in the chart below, as shown at the website: http://www.wild-heerbrugg.com/various_accessories.htm#Accessories ; there is also a more convenient right-angle 90deg eyepiece (# 17/18 for telescope and optical micrometer), along with Roelof's solar prism, (item # 5)
Finally, if anyone's interested, there is a small users group of people who have used/ worked with/ or own a Wild T-4... it's not very active, primarily just an occasional email list of individuals to use for correspondence. I can send more info if interested. I'm also collector of Wild-Heerbrugg and Kern instruments, and have been fortunate to be able to acquire several of the aforementioned instruments... don't have any occasion to actually use them for work, but they make for wonderful display items.
