Surveying Equipment

What Are The Important Features Of Electronic Surveying Equipment?

Electronic surveying equipment, especially electronic distance surveying equipment, helps in collecting data in engineering projects. These data are used to determine the horizontal and vertical positions in projects like construction outlines, claiming and determination of properties.

In order to determine the distance between two straight points (inclined or straight) we use instruments to send an impulse of a particular velocity or technically stating rate of speed and to estimate the time it takes for the impulse to travel the length of the interval between two points. Two types of electronic distance meters mostly used are electro-optical (light wave) and electromagnetic (microwave) instruments. There are different makes and modules of electronic distance meters in use today and to use them judiciously you should study the manufacturer's operation equipment manual.

Electromagnetic (microwave) EDM instruments: Initially used in 1950s the equipment was very accurate to use long distances but it was too hefty and bulky for to be used by the surveyors in the field. With the passage of time the instrument has become much sleeker, smaller and flexible.

Its functionality is as follows: Two similar equipments are planted at both ends of the line that has to be estimated. This line should be free from hindrances but there is no need of intervisibility, therefore you can make observations in fog or in other adverse conditions. The sending equipment or master instrument transmits a continuous series of modulated radio waves to the reception (remote) instrument. The receiving end interprets these signals and sends them back to the master unit that measures the time required for the radio waves. The distance is estimated based on the velocity of the radio waves. Since this velocity is affected by atmospheric conditions, the barometric pressure and temperature are applied accordingly according to the operating instructions provided.

Electrooptical (light wave) EDM measurements: The instrument uses the velocity of light waves to determine the distance between two positions. The earlier of these instruments termed as geodimeter was developed during the same decade as the electromagnetic EDMs. The earlier electo-optical instruments were supposed to be heavy, bulky and not well suited to the needs of a practicing surveyor. The later modern instruments are smaller, lighter, portable and require less power. Now the ongoing instruments are measured 0.3 miles to 3 miles.The range of the electronic surveying equipment using laser light have ranges from 50 feet to 36 miles.