12.3. Setting Up and Operating a Total Station

• Fix the tripod on firm ground. • Mount the Total Station securely on the tripod. • Use the optical or laser plummet to center over the survey station. • Perform leveling using circular and electronic levels.

Setting up a Total Station involves several careful steps. First, it’s important to place the tripod on stable, level ground to ensure a reliable foundation. Next, the Total Station is attached securely to the tripod to prevent it from tipping or moving during measurements. Then, using either an optical plummet or a laser plummet, you need to accurately center the instrument over the survey point, which is crucial for precision. Finally, leveling the device is essential, which can be done using its built-in circular and electronic levels to ensure that the instrument is perfectly horizontal. This ensures accurate angle and distance measurements throughout the survey.

Think of setting up a Total Station like setting up a camera for a family photoshoot. Just like you would ensure your tripod is stable and the camera is level to capture the best shot, a surveyor must ensure that the Total Station is firmly positioned and leveled to take precise measurements.

• Power on the device. • Select the survey job or create a new file. • Input known instrument and backsight coordinates.

Once the Total Station is set up, the next step is to initialize the instrument. You start by powering on the device. After it’s powered up, you’ll either select an existing survey job from memory or create a new file for your current work. It’s important to then input any known coordinates for the instrument position and the backsight point, which is the reference point that the Total Station will use for measurements. This initialization step is crucial as it lays the groundwork for all subsequent measurements.

This step is similar to starting a new project on your computer. Just as you would power on your laptop, select a project, and enter necessary information before you start working, a surveyor does the same with the Total Station before taking measurements.

• Sight the backsight point and measure the angle. • Turn to the target/prism to record observations. • Use single shot or continuous tracking mode for data acquisition.

After the initialization, the surveyor must orient the Total Station. This involves sighting the backsight point, which helps establish a reference direction. Once the angle to the backsight is measured, the surveyor then aims at the target or prism to take measurements. During this process, two modes may be utilized: single shot, where a single measurement is taken at a time, or continuous tracking, where the Total Station continuously measures as the target moves. This flexibility allows for efficient data acquisition tailored to the surveyor's needs.

Think of this process like using a telescope to observe celestial bodies. First, you would find a reference star (backsight) to align your view before looking at a planet. Similarly, the surveyor aligns the Total Station before measuring the intended target, ensuring accuracy in the data collected.

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