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WORST surveying equipment ever used

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(@mark-chain)
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A Banjo

Tried it once @ TDD's recommendation, But I thought it didn't do well @ all.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 10:08 am
(@techls)
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A few years back sent in the Nikon total station in for cleaning/calibration, rented a Chinese total station to continue work. The data collector connector was built into the alidade, so when you turned the instrument the cable wrapped around with it. It's funny now, but wasn't then.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 10:48 am
(@deleted-user)
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For me it was a set 3 or set somethingtoo.
Edm slow as molasses and the tick tick clicking like a grandfather clock
Made it more annoying
Bulky heavy like an anchor
I think it had led display also which made one have to weave about to read.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 10:55 am
(@andy-bruner)
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K&E

Microranger, top mount EDM. EXTREMELY poor design. The weight of the unit was borne by the barrel of the gun rather than by the standards. In about 8 months it totally destroyed a perfectly good Wild T1. If the zenith angle was more than about 15 degrees you could pretty much count on the the barrel "creeping" down before the shot was through.

When it went in for service (as it often did) I got to tote an HP 3800, bullet case for a T1, tripod, bush axe, AND the battery for the HP. Thank heavens the HP and battery came in a backpack.

Andy

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 11:32 am
(@plumb-bill)
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Every time I heard the clicking I envisioned some little idiot that lived in the instrument and was counting on his fingers.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 11:49 am
(@norman-oklahoma)
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> Between Norman and Paden, I am beginning to think that all the best "cheap boss" stories begin with, "somewhere in OK..."
Sad to say my story comes from the Great White North - British Columbia. Not a low rent part of it, either.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 11:49 am
(@sergeant-schultz)
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You're right! That IS funny. And so....Chinese.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 11:50 am
(@crashbox)
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Strangely enough, I've always had pretty decent equipment to work with but then again, I work in the public sector...

I did hear about some Dietzgen theodolites that our agency bought years ago that wouldn't double closer than a few minutes no matter what; they were soon disposed of.

We had a Sokkia SET2BII instrument which the EDM was painfully slow, but it was OK otherwise. One time in 1993 it was stolen but we had it back in our possession by the end of the day. We sent it out to Geo-Line who handled Sokkias at the time and it came back better than new- it would even trig level amazingly well.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 11:55 am
(@mark-chain)
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> Every time I heard the clicking I envisioned some little idiot that lived in the instrument and was counting on his fingers.

:good:

Maybe it was that rodman named "Paul" that Roadhand mentioned earlier.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 11:56 am
(@ravelode)
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K&E

Had to use a T-2 and HP3800 for a couple of USFS cadastral jobs, the HP battery was dead so we had to carry the HP case and the battery from our suburban every time we need to take shots:-@

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 12:01 pm
(@foggyidea)
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A Banjo> Mark Chain

haha, I remember that discussion 🙂

I survey with a Banjo a lot now, since my dog's name is Banjo.

Courtesy of Wendell

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 12:17 pm
(@rj-schneider)
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Sad to say my story comes from the Great White North - British Columbia. Not a low rent part of it, either.

I believe I've identified your old employer..

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 2:33 pm
(@dave-ingram)
Posts: 2142
 

K&E

I had #42 - the circuit board was still wire wrapped rather than soldered. Considering other options when it came out it was pretty darn good. But it did get over taken by better in just a few years.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 2:56 pm
(@norman-oklahoma)
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Keep 'yer stick on the ice, R.J.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 3:28 pm
(@steve-corley)
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The worst instrument I used was a K&E Vectron wit an Autoranger. I ad to carry it a mile back to the truck on the 3rd day and get the T1. The boss returned it and bought a Leitz TM6C. The second worst instrument was a Geodimeter 620. It quit on me 3 times. It ruined a thousand dollar bill to fix it each time. The third time it quit I was 200 miles from the office with 1 hour of work left to do. After that we found out what it was really good for. It made a very good boat anchor. Tie a rope around the handle and it is a pretty good an or. We did salvage the tribrach,, it was pretty good.

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 6:46 pm
(@a-harris)
Posts: 8761
 

There have been three guns issued to me that were absolutely wrong for the surveying project.

Topcon enclosed 20sec builder's transit for cross country traverse.

Lietz 30sec transit for layout inside an industrial mill. It may have fit if it had an optical plumb

Unknown maker Dietzen knockoff 30sec transit nicknamed the bullet after the case it was in that absolutely could not double angles even when mounted atop a concrete pillar.

Worked at an engineering company where most of the measurements were taken with a well worn cloth tape.

The only thing I could figure a 6oz plumb bob was good for was drilling it out to make a bolo tie.

I worked at one company that the boss would get a new Caddy every year and never would make the jump to a theo, TS or a computer.

o.O

 
Posted : 05/05/2015 10:32 pm
(@j-tanner)
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Any machete other than a Collins machete.

 
Posted : 06/05/2015 9:49 am
(@nate-the-surveyor)
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Mr Tanner

Poulan Saw....

Cheap Machete

Dead batteries, in ANYTHING!

 
Posted : 06/05/2015 9:56 am
(@plumb-bill)
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Just don't start posting shirtless pictures of yourself in short shorts.

 
Posted : 06/05/2015 11:09 am
(@edward-reading)
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Shudder....

 
Posted : 06/05/2015 11:35 am
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