patrick_g
Elite Member
Marty, I think I know what you mean now. Wireways on ships are often done out in the open for good access. The support members transverse to the direction of travel of the cables are sort of "C" channel but heavier than typical "C" purlin material for steel buildings. I never toss out a broken tape measure, even when I seem to be accumulating them entirely too fast. I cut them up and use them for various projects.
I don't ordinarily use the angle readings on a transit. I have used an astronomical sextant held sideways for reading angles really precisely (way better than most transits will do.)
I don't recall what class it was, some sort of physical science or physics survey course (I was a freshman) that actually sent us out around the campus in teams of 3 with a transit to survey and reduce the sightings with trigonometry but that was a long time ago, in an earlier century.
I too use the 3-4-5 thing and equal diagonals as the fastest most practical way for me. and I do use a water level to good advantage. I have a 100 and 300 ft tape and have used then simultaneously to good advantage. Bought a $10 laser level but the "dot" seems to expand with distance as fast as a cylinder bore shotgun firing #9.
HomeBrew2, About the triplicate message... I worked at a Government (DoD/Navy) lab so I'm used to triplicate. I ate one copy and burned one copy for security reasons and posted one on the bulletin board as a part of our new OPEN COMMUNICATIONS POLICY.
I make no claim whatsoever to having ever been a surveyor. I have been exposed to those who were and if pressed could do something resembling survey work (sort of.) Not all card carrying members of the surveying priesthood are particularly good at what they do. My abstract deed has a less and except section that describes a 350x150 ft "cookie bite" out of my property that is registered separately. If you assiduously follow the instructions you don't find the pins because the PROFESSIONAL surveyor made an error. He ASSUMED this section to be a mile by a mile but it is LARGER. He missed the mark by nearly 6 ft. The area enclosed is correct just nearly 6 ft off E-W. This has been a PITA off and on for 7 yrs but may be resolved soon.
The IR units require a detector to read beam height. Some think that is a hassle. Many pros don't. All my subs use some sort of rotating self leveling laser than is not visible in daylight (mostly didn't try at night.) The usually less expensive visible LASER units are hard to read in bright sunlight much of the time, even with the "MAGIC" red glasses if you are very far from the LASER. They are terrific in subdued light as you can see the rotating spot quite well. I have never seen any of the big time outfits use them. Don't know why.
I have built LASERS in my garage years ago you could see in the bright daylight. Even a blind man could find the beam as it was about 6-10 thousand Watts peak power and would raise a blister on flesh like you had touched an oxy-acetylene torch to it. It was a pulse output and would only fire once every several seconds but it could have reached all over a building site. You wouldn't need special glasses or subdud lighting. It would make its own mark, you wouldn't need a pencil or soapstone.
Pat
I don't ordinarily use the angle readings on a transit. I have used an astronomical sextant held sideways for reading angles really precisely (way better than most transits will do.)
I don't recall what class it was, some sort of physical science or physics survey course (I was a freshman) that actually sent us out around the campus in teams of 3 with a transit to survey and reduce the sightings with trigonometry but that was a long time ago, in an earlier century.
I too use the 3-4-5 thing and equal diagonals as the fastest most practical way for me. and I do use a water level to good advantage. I have a 100 and 300 ft tape and have used then simultaneously to good advantage. Bought a $10 laser level but the "dot" seems to expand with distance as fast as a cylinder bore shotgun firing #9.
HomeBrew2, About the triplicate message... I worked at a Government (DoD/Navy) lab so I'm used to triplicate. I ate one copy and burned one copy for security reasons and posted one on the bulletin board as a part of our new OPEN COMMUNICATIONS POLICY.
I make no claim whatsoever to having ever been a surveyor. I have been exposed to those who were and if pressed could do something resembling survey work (sort of.) Not all card carrying members of the surveying priesthood are particularly good at what they do. My abstract deed has a less and except section that describes a 350x150 ft "cookie bite" out of my property that is registered separately. If you assiduously follow the instructions you don't find the pins because the PROFESSIONAL surveyor made an error. He ASSUMED this section to be a mile by a mile but it is LARGER. He missed the mark by nearly 6 ft. The area enclosed is correct just nearly 6 ft off E-W. This has been a PITA off and on for 7 yrs but may be resolved soon.
The IR units require a detector to read beam height. Some think that is a hassle. Many pros don't. All my subs use some sort of rotating self leveling laser than is not visible in daylight (mostly didn't try at night.) The usually less expensive visible LASER units are hard to read in bright sunlight much of the time, even with the "MAGIC" red glasses if you are very far from the LASER. They are terrific in subdued light as you can see the rotating spot quite well. I have never seen any of the big time outfits use them. Don't know why.
I have built LASERS in my garage years ago you could see in the bright daylight. Even a blind man could find the beam as it was about 6-10 thousand Watts peak power and would raise a blister on flesh like you had touched an oxy-acetylene torch to it. It was a pulse output and would only fire once every several seconds but it could have reached all over a building site. You wouldn't need special glasses or subdud lighting. It would make its own mark, you wouldn't need a pencil or soapstone.
Pat
Purely from my perspective, I know of no visible-light [rotating] laser levels that are "usable" without a detector for the rod. Of course, one "can" get away using one in subdued light, without a detector, as you note ... great for in the house or while watching submarine races 
