Surveying equipment

[Peter Burgess]

An electronic distance measuring device may save a more significant amount of time however, if you don't have to spend time laying out a baseline.

Any recommendation to which device to buy on the market
[/quote]

I was speaking hypothetically. I am a Suunto and Fibron surveyor.

 

[graham]

peter

I know people who swear by Leica distos but I'd strongly suggest paying with one before you buy.

 

[Ed W]

Graham,

"I know people who swear by Leica distos but I'd strongly suggest paying with one before you buy."

Surely NOt paying for one before you buy is theft?

More sensibly, if you meant "pLaying", I couldn't agree more.  I have used distos extensively, and I find that the practical problem of aligning teh spot over long distances often takes longer than using a tape.  If hand held, spot shake is a problem over 15m, which often results in mis-readings, if you use a tripod, well that takes extra time.  I have found however that for taking the passage cross section details they can be ideal - but some racks can prove difficult to get a reading from (particularly wet lava).

 

[graham]

Ed

That's exactly what I meant. 

However, if I were you, when measuring passage detail I'd point it at rOcks, rather than at people's SRT kit.

 

[Bob Smith]

I have found the bosch DLE50 measures well, even off of matt black fabric. and not too expensive at around ?100

 

[anfieldman]

I have found the bosch DLE50 measures well, even off of matt black fabric. and not too expensive at around ?100

I'd agree with that Bob. I use mine every day for my kitchen designs. 
I haven't tested it over very long distances though (obviously I don't design kitchens that are 30 metres long) but it will comfortably measure over 20 metres. Just tested it in my yard. Any passages longer than this you could always measure in stages. I did not have a problem with handshake as I just steadied the measure against something. Not the best laser measure but certainly the best value.

 

[anfieldman]

Quick update. Just measured 48.5 metres.  8) I think this would do for most Mendip caves!
Not much good in Wales though.
Absolutely no good at all for G.B. cave. The biggest chamber in the country! 

 

[truescrumpy]

Quick update. Just measured 48.5 metres.  8) I think this would do for most Mendip caves!
Not much good in Wales though.
Absolutely no good at all for G.B. cave. The biggest chamber in the country! 

Thanks for helping in the research, would any of the digital measurer need to be reset every now and again, or is it set for the lifetime.

.  I have found however that for taking the passage cross section details they can be ideal ).

 

IT seems that the most cost efficent and accurate method  of surveying is a Fibron tape for baseline, a Bosch DLE50 for proper accurate cross section details, and the SAP as it would be the quickest and cheaper for the job it was designed to do then the 'Suunto'.

 

[anfieldman]

Thanks for helping in the research, would any of the digital measurer need to be reset every now and again, or is it set for the lifetime.

Not sure what you are asking here. If you mean does it need to be calibrated every so often then no, not with the DLE50.

 

[truescrumpy]

Thanks for helping in the research, would any of the digital measurer need to be reset every now and again, or is it set for the lifetime.

Not sure what you are asking here. If you mean does it need to be calibrated every so often then no, not with the DLE50.

spot on,

 

[Bob Smith]

although it's worth checking over a known measured length if you give it serious whack.

 

[Peter Burgess]

A tape's electronics can't go wrong, and neither can its batteries go flat.

 

[footleg]

A tape's electronics can't go wrong, and neither can its batteries go flat.

But it does tend to get covered in mud making the scale difficult to read, or easy to misread! (unless you only do your surveying on school campuses)  :ang:

Same applied to digital vs traditional compass/clino. It is easy to misread these, especially when muddy, or when surveying fatigue sets in towards the end of long trips.

 

[Peter Burgess]

A tape's electronics can't go wrong, and neither can its batteries go flat.

But it does tend to get covered in mud making the scale difficult to read, or easy to misread! (unless you only do your surveying on school campuses)  :ang:

Same applied to digital vs traditional compass/clino. It is easy to misread these, especially when muddy, or when surveying fatigue sets in towards the end of long trips.

It hasn't caused a problem in 28 years. I have things called 'fingers' that I find are very good at wiping mud off things (except my spectacles).

 

[footleg]

Maybe it is the nature of the passages I have surveyed 

Flat out beddings half filled with rich chocolate pudding type mud. You wipe it off a bit of tape, and it just gets all over your fingers. Before long you are just smearing mud along the tape.

On a related note, I just came across http://www.speleo.qc.ca/auriga/ cave surveying software for PDAs. I am going to try it out in Matienzo next week. It looks really useful to be able to plot an accurate centreline with loop closures calculated as you survey. Far better to discover errors in site when you can retake those readings than to find them back at base after the trip.

 

[Bob Smith]

I often find it hard to reach a roof over about 8 foot high when measuring with a tape, never had that problem with a disto.  :tease:

 

[anfieldman]

A tape's electronics can't go wrong, and neither can its batteries go flat.

A tape can bend causing inaccuracies. Laser light as we know does not bend. 

 

[Les W]

A tape can also have a piece missing without the surveyers noticing.  :-\

It did result in a concerted digging effort so that the passage was as long as the quoted length by the time the book was published though. 

 

[Cookie]

Name of the passage: Rolling Thunder

Name of surveyor: Couldn't possibly say  :

 

[Peter Burgess]

A tape's electronics can't go wrong, and neither can its batteries go flat.

A tape can bend causing inaccuracies. Laser light as we know does not bend. 

Yes, and only a careless surveyor will not notice that his tape isn't straight!