Surveying equipment

[Ouan]

There are a lot of reasons why your error may have been such, but one particular thing to note, when using a disto with a regular compass clino or a pony, is that the battery from the disto will  cause a magnetic shift when placed next to the compass/pony.
Wave a battery over your compass/pony and  coo in awe at the swaying needle/digital reading....
Its not a major problem , just keep the disto and the compass away from each other when taking the compass reading, about 6 inches was enough (without getting it out and double checking)

The affect the disto has on a compass had been noted before when we had tried to duct tape a regular compass to the back of it to make a survey unit. The compass stops going round, which is OK for surveying a dead straight mine tunnel, but not too good in a cave.

I'm blaming the closure error on a combination of early onset Parkinson's and DTs. 

 

[footleg]

The police and people are jumpy at anything these days!

I know. A friend of mine was coming up to the Dales for a caving fireworks weekend a few (>10) years back, and had made a 4ft long bright yellow missle style rocket. He got as far as Sheffield on the train when the police approached him on the station platform. Apparently a member of the public had raised a concern. He was allowed to continue his journey provided he left the rocket in their care. I expect they had a good police fireworks night that year!

I do wonder what might have happened these days if a similar incident occurred