Survey with laser instruments

[Wookey]

On 2008-07-15 12:19 +0100, Andy Waddington wrote:
> Sometime before sending, Wookey typed (and on Tuesday 2008-07-15 sent):
> 
> > The nominal accuracy of the laser tapes is better than analogue tapes.
> > The nominal accuracy of the SAP is worse than compass/clino so in fact
> > the optimal leg length should be shorter - probably around 3m in
> > theory (handwave, no sums done). 
> 
> How does that relate to the surface surveys in Austria, Wooks ? The fixed
> points were obtained by laser theodolite surveys with leg lengths of up to
> several kilometres. Presumably this works because the angular accuracy of
> these legs is very small (apart from the one obvious blunder we spotted:)
> and this is not the sort of laser intrument that Graham is asking about ?

Well, I don't know. Perhaps that's what he meant, but I was assuming
he meant the new generation of (relatively) cheap laser tapes and
laser-aimed electronic compass/clino. No doubt Graham will clarify.

For those that haven't been keeping up you can now get 
SAP + skil laser for GBP 250 + 66=316
Suunto compass + clino + tape for 67 + 78 + 15=160

So fancy surveying is still twice as much as analogue but it is a
_lot_ nicer and quicker, and appears to be significantly less
blunder-prone. 

Wookey
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