Laser + digital compass

[Aaron Addison]

I have had several people ask where we acquired the laser rangefinder and matched digital compass setup we used to survey Xe Bang Fai. There appear to be at least 3 of these setups available currently on ebay. Probably can be had for less than listed amount.

http://goo.gl/RBxWg

Cheers,

AA

[trogman]

Ouch! $800???!!!
For that much, it should do the sketches and even draw the map for you!
I spent about $30 for my laser- it's a Craftsman Accutrac and it has worked well for over a year now.

I would love to sync it up with my compass and clino, but I don't know how you'd keep the metal and batteries from affecting the compass.

Trogman

[tncaver]

Trogman,
That's a very good price for a laser rangefinder. What is the maximum range for your unit and accuracy level? Does it allow you to
skip using a reel tape completely? And which unit are you using?

[trogman]

It might be a good price for the product, but it is a lot more than I can see myself spending for something that essentially does what I already have the capability to do- albeit in a slightly more primitive fashion. Some folks gag when I tell them what I spent on my Sten, so I guess it's just a matter of what is important enough to you to spend that kind of money on. It's also relative to your yearly income, which in my case is not that high.

My Accutrac unit is Model 48298. It's range is 150', with an accuracy of +/- 3/16". It seems that this model has been discontinued.

Trogman

[tncaver]

My Accutrac unit is Model 48298. It's range is 150', with an accuracy of +/- 3/16". It seems that this model has been discontinued.
Trogman

Darn. Discontinued. Maybe they have an improved model. I'll have to look online. Seems like your unit would be a real time saver
and also could eliminate the need for two tape personnel. If you had a unit like the $800 one you mentioned, you could basically
survey a cave all by yourself (not recommended for safety sake).

[tncaver]

I am amazed how many laser rangefinders that can be ordered from Sears.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10153 ... nge+finder

None for $35. $104 is about the cheapest one. Three pages of units.

[trogman]

I got mine on ebay. The newer model of Accutrac is available on there as well. It has less range, though. (100')
http://home.shop.ebay.com/Tools-/631/i.html?_nkw=accutrac&_catref=1&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282

It lists new on Sears' website at $100.

I have been amazed at how well mine has held up, given the abuse it's seen. Caves (and cavers) can be brutal to electronic devices. I've been able to protect it some by putting clear packing tape over the laser end; it doesn't seem to affect the accuracy any. It is also a great tool for ridgewalking, because you can shoot the depth of a pit before dropping into it. Of course this only works if you can see the bottom.

Trogman

[tncaver]

The range finder would not only be great for shooting down pits, but also shooting up for ceiling height. That would eliminate guesswork
which can be way off.

I was wondering how close to target your unit will work and also how sensitive the unit is to rough dark surfaces which are common in caves?
I looked up some of the stats on several units. They all seem to have plenty of distance range but most do not say how close to an object
they will work. Some are also water resistant. Putting tape over the end to protect the glass is a great idea so long as it does not affect
the range reading.

[trogman]

I think the minimum is about 1', although I don't have it with me at the moment to test. Texture doesn't seem to have an affect on it, but just being too dark does. If the surface is not lit enough, it will give an error message: "target too dark."

And yes, they are also great for doing ceiling heights.

I assume you are shopping for one? I think you would get a lot of use out of it, whichever model you get.

Trogman

[tncaver]

I think the minimum is about 1', although I don't have it with me at the moment to test. Texture doesn't seem to have an affect on it, but just being too dark does. If the surface is not lit enough, it will give an error message: "target too dark."

And yes, they are also great for doing ceiling heights.

I assume you are shopping for one? I think you would get a lot of use out of it, whichever model you get.

Trogman

I think it a laser range finder would prove to be very useful in an upcoming project this year. I just want
to be sure to get the best one I can for as little money as possible. I'm leary of buying anything on Ebay.

[Aaron Addison]

The laser combo I mentioned is a professional unit. It has a range of well over 1km and is built to military specs regarding impact resistance, waterproof, etc... In XBF we had single survey shots of over 180m, not because we wanted to, but that is where the next available station was located.

My experience with anything related to lasers is that you get what you pay for.

Cheers,

AA

[NZcaver]

You do get what you pay for.

eBay is great for picking up good used Distos at reasonable prices, if you're patient and know what to look for. Heck, if one ever fails you even can auction it for parts. I did this with my first Disto, after upgrading to a newer (used) eBay one.

If I was actively surveying, I'd probably get myself an all-in-one unit with bluetooth etc. The Mapstar looks like a nice unit. And so does the Disto X, for less dollars.

[trogman]

Another great use for a laser range finder that I "discovered" this weekend: I was trying to estimate the length of a very long stalactite, and I had guessed it was ~25' long. I couldn't get directly under it and even with the bottom to shoot the distance straight up, but I was able to take a shot from a point level with the bottom end of it. My laser has a Pythagoras function that allows you to shoot two sides of a triangle and it gives you the length of the third leg. Presto! The stalactite was 29.7' long (let’s just call it 30'). Gotta love modern technology!

Trogman