Buying Survey Insterments

[NZcaver]

I may be in the minority, but I am very fond of the Suunto Twin (both units in a single block, but includes the prismatic sights). I was finding the standard Suuntos very difficult to read, and have been really happy with the Twin. Its a bit more compact than the Tandem as well.

You and I must both be the minority, then!



I find the Twin great too. Check out this earlier thread - http://www.caves.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1200

[MUD]

My first set of instruments are individual Suuntos....I have velcro on the backs of each to "stick" them together. Then use small cylumes taped to the glass sides for illumination. Wear them around your neck...works great!

I now use the the tandems. Years of cave dust accumulation has made the clino unusable. Recently discovered Forestry Suppliers in Mississippi is the USA repair shop for Suunto instruments. They will make your bad instruments new again. Expensive though....about $80 to repair a clino.

[barcelonacvr]

I use Suunto Tandems for my main and back up/calibration units and actually prefer it to the seperates.All the GEO students and scientists I know use the individuals though but I think it is due to that what was always bought.They have never given me a reason to not use a tandem other than they are not used to it.

I did buy another companies dual model to try it

http://www.aimfast.com/

It worked well and getting spare screw in eyepieces to combat muddied lenses is nice.The dampening was not as smooth as a Sunto though.The price is cheap on Ebay for someone with a small budget but I would certainly calibrate against other known insturments before use.

I do wish all clino's etc came with integral internal lighting though.It should be easy in this LED age.

[chh]

I also have had some beef with my sightmaster/clinomaster. My favorite one was a Suunto Twin, but I use the Tandem now all the time as my twin broke. I think the Twin is easier to read as far as positioning it, and it is slightly more compact, but I like the brighter dials on the Tandem. They seem to reflect a little more light than my Twin. But, the covers aren't nearly as scratched up yet. We'll see. Also I think level line in the clino on the Tandem a little thin for my eyes, but it hasn't been too much of a problem so far.

[Doug McCarty]

Not to buck the trend, but although we have other instruments available, including a Suunto tandem, I prefer using a Nexus, type 80, compass (made in Sweden) with a plastic body, protective rubber case and prismatic lens--used in combination with a Suunto clinometer. I've been using the Nexus regularly in all kinds of cave conditions since 2002 and it has held up really well. It seems counter-intuitive that a plastic compass would hold up, but it does. It is a bit larger than a Suunto, but so are the lines and the numbers. It also seems to me to be slightly more stable. When I'm mildly hypothermic and laying in a contorted position in some nightmarish cave passage it is simply easier for me to read.

This, of course, is a subjective evaluation--but my age-impaired eyes do like it and I will mourn when it finally kicks the bucket. Unfortunately I don't think they (the Nexus/Silva/Brunton/Sisteco company) make the type 80 anymore.

Doug Mc

[Bob Thrun]

The Type 80 is not listed on the Brunton site in the US, but it is still shown at http://www.silva.se . The Brunton people are nice to deal with. You might be able to put in a special order.

I do not like any of the compasses that are read by a prism mounted on top of the instrument. They are hard to read accurately on even a slight downslope.

[Marbry]

I've been using a Haglof digital inclinometer. I got tired of the mechanical ones going bad all the time. Almost brand new ones would sometimes read 6-8 degrees off because they will stick so bad.

http://www.benmeadows.com/store/Navigation/Clinometers/Digital_Clinometers/7779/

It's small and light, and so far everyone that has used it likes it. It's not strictly waterproof, but it's been dunked several times with no ill effects.

Anyone seen a good .5 deg digital compass out, for less than $300-400?

[NZcaver]

I do not like any of the compasses that are read by a prism mounted on top of the instrument. They are hard to read accurately on even a slight downslope.

Try holding it level, then. One slightly fiddly option is to have the person at the other station hold a surveyers pole/stick (or flagging tape) vertical so you have something to sight to. As long as the compass disc is floating properly, it seems to work fine for me...