I was visiting the Army Engineers Museum a few weeks ago and I saw this little tool in the surveying section. I was going to trying and source one of these to use in the field.
Then I realised that I could just use a bit of trig to workout the height of the tree, using the formula below. Since I can't program for HP42, I asked the overlord AI to write a function for me, again see below, which I haven't tested yet.
Maybe I'm trying to reinvent the wheel here, but does anyone have a better method for quickly determining the height of a tree?
Now days I just shot it reflectorless or, depending on what I'm trying to measure, scan it. It the old days your trig method was used. You could also triangulate from several know control points
I think the point of this device is that the forestry crews were probable not humping around a transit.
old timer solutions, just tape or pace and sight.
https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/p/36953/12751/forestry-suppliers-tangent-height-gauge
https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/p/59780/14431/english-biltmore-stick
Someone must make a handheld theodolite that one could use to get a rough angle and then do some basic trig to get the height.
Inclinometer is the tool you thinking of.
Disto would work fine