Care Of Survey Instruments
Survey instruments are costly and spare parts are not readily available in Nigeria. Good handling should therefore be accorded instruments used for surveying in order for them to last long.
The following are some of the ways to care for survey instruments:
Tapes:
The steep tapes should be cleaned and oiled after use. They should be wound and unwound gently during use. care must be taken to avoid speeding vehicles running over stretched tapes as this could result in damaging them.
Instruments in Containers:
The covers are not to be forced home. Instrument manuals should be used to know the right position of the component parts of the instruments when parking.
Silica gel is used to absorb moisture in the instruments. Instruments with spirit bubbles should not be exposed to excessive sunlight. Umbrellas should be used to protect them from sun and rain.
Too much force should not be applied to clips and slow motion screws. When transporting instruments which have lens or glass, as parts of their components, they should be carried in foam padded boxes.
At the beginning and end of each day’s work, an inventory of the instruments used should be taken by the chainman to avoid loss of instruments on the field.
