@johnymal I would consider those to both be excellent instruments. I never used the Sokkia but they have a good reputation. The Sokkia has the adva...

I always measure horizontal angle right (HAR) regardless of the direction I am travelling. Like Norman said these days I would take my observations f...

Great work. Thank you for digging into these questions that a lot of us have. I feel I was taught quality practices, by a phenomenal surveyor, when I...

Full disclosure, I have no experience with products for either of these manufacturers, that being said I don’t think that you will have any issues. ...

I've struggled with this since I was first handed a robot. I was taught in the age of booking double angles. When I received my first Yellow robot, ...

Here's a post recently with some discussion on optical levels: Precision Levelling - Strictly Surveying - RPLS.com

My Wild NAK2 (manufactured in 1980, before the name change, but still the "new style") is my pride and joy. I have absolutely no regrets or complaints...

I don't double all of my observations with the (expressed) intention of cancelling out any systematic error in the plummets/poles. My intent is to add...

That is interesting. I hadn't considered that before. I always tended to think that my estimation of millimetres, on a metric E rod (in non-precision ...

In theory I get that but I only ever use 360 prisms for rough work (aka pole work), if I'm getting that close the to the ground then I'm likely using ...

I'm curious as to why they put level bubbles on them at all.

Beautiful.

Thank you for the quick tutorial. I sometimes forget that there are people that might not be familiar with these instruments, or the nomenclature. I ...

That sounds like a fascinating project. The man who taught me most of what I know used to work for the provincial government here doing control work a...

I'll be right there! (It's only 2000 miles, one way.)

"Fingertip tight." That's how I was taught and I'm regularly surprised that others (apparently) didn't receive the same lesson.

I regularly check and adjust all my gear, especially before running control. My goal is to always do all the cross ties available, but do them twice....

I would always "measure rounds" as Trimble calls the routine. Once you are already set up the turning of additional rounds adds almost no time to the ...

I wouldn't count on Access knowing any more than the prism constant. I've never seen anything written (either in manufacture' literature or elsewhere)...