Just like your car, your total station needs a professional tune-up at least once a year. Though some surveying tools are quite rugged, total stations are highly precise instruments that are delicate by nature. The service center can catch any calibrations that are drifting away from their specs before they become a problem for you. Beyond simply tightening a loose screw, any repairs or significant adjustments to your equipment should be done by professionals.

At least every 2 weeks, calibrate your instruments against control points while you are in the field. Experts recommend that you run the software included in your total station to do a basic calibration at every site setup. At the same time, visually inspect your instruments for any cracks or dents; check that the screws and clamps are moving smoothly and there’s no grinding sound when operating. Take a look at your lenses and make sure they are clean, dust-free, and free of scratches.

How you handle your surveying instruments will affect their functionality and accuracy, so it’s important to take care when casing and uncasing them. If you’re keeping your equipment onsite overnight, be sure to leave your instruments in their cases inside a vehicle so that they are not disrupted by the cold temperatures. Likewise, remove them from their cases or any areas where high temperatures could negatively affect them. Take careful note of how the instruments are placed within their cases; they must be returned later in the same positions. When you remove an instrument, be sure to grip it with both hands, avoiding the vertical circle standard or anywhere where pressure can damage the tubular or circular level vials.

• Make sure your survey equipment is protected and stored in carrying cases, both in the field and during transport.
• Secure the cases inside the vehicle so they don’t slide around.
• Put all cables, batteries, chargers, and receivers in appropriate cases — don’t try to squeeze them in the equipment cases, as that may lead to instrument damage.
• Use cushioned compartments inside the vehicle to store instruments securely.
• Never carry a tripod-mounted theodolite or electronic distance measuring equipment (EDM) on your shoulder when you’re on a job site. The instruments should be taken off the tripod first and stored away in their cases when they need to be moved.

Clean your tools after every use with soap and water or alcohol wipes, if you have them. Total stations need a little more TLC: make sure the lens cap is always on when it’s not in use, and clean the lens regularly using only a lens-specific cleaning cloth. Other types of cloths or wipes can scratch the delicate lenses.

Developing a regular practice of testing procedures can avoid gross errors in the field. These should include checking the level, optimal plummet, and tripod, as well as calibrating your total station and GPS receivers against a control point. Adjustments should be made only when necessary; it’s better to have them serviced professionally than risk damaging the instruments.

Though survey tools are designed to withstand a variety of weather and job site conditions, there are a few common-sense precautions you can take to protect them. If you are experiencing heavy rain, a rain shield is necessary to protect the instrument from water getting into the mechanical joints. Excessive cold or heat can interfere with calibration, so it’s important to store your instruments overnight (or when not in use ) where the temperature will not plummet or soar to dangerous levels. Whenever instruments are not currently in use, store them in their cases to protect them against dust and dirt.

One important tip to care for and maintain your instruments is to stay current on all software upgrades. As with other technology that utilizes software, survey tool upgrades are pushed out several times a year to fix bugs and improve overall performance. Staying current on the latest version will help ensure everything is working properly and running smoothly.

It’s also important to care for each instrument according to its specific needs and requirements:

THEODOLITES AND TOTAL STATIONS

Care should be taken to lift the equipment out of the case with both hands on the micrometer knob standard and base (on older models) or by the carrying handle with one hand and the other hand supporting the base. If it’s necessary to move the equipment by hand on a job site, keep it vertical and well-supported; however, in most cases, it should be re-cased before moving to a different location.

EDM DEVICES

The care and maintenance of EDM devices are very simple: keep them clean and keep them dry. Although they are water-resistant, remove them from their cases and allow them to dry out thoroughly after they have been exposed to moisture and rain. Like other instruments, they should not be stored in excessive heat — doing so can cause the components to deteriorate and the readings to become erratic and inaccurate. Don’t store them in the vehicle on hot days, and give them a few minutes inside their cases to acclimate to drastic changes in temperature when taking them out of an air-conditioned vehicle into the hot sun. Never point them directly at the sun — the sun’s rays can cause irreparable harm to the interior parts.

TAPES

• Avoid storing them in damp conditions.
• Be careful not to overwind them; it can cause stretching and stress points.
• Keep them clean with soap and water after normal use and dry them thoroughly before storing them.
• You can clean rust with fine steel wool and a cleaning solvent; however, it’s better to avoid rust altogether by oiling them lightly after cleaning and allowing them to dry before putting them away.

TRIBRACHS

Avoid over-tightening the tripod fastener screw, as it can damage the leveling plate. Extra care is needed when transporting the tribrachs. Because they are a necessary part of your precision equipment, each piece should be secured separately in containers or compartments to protect the optical plummet eyepiece, base surface, and bullseye level

TRIPODS

Your tripod is essential for accurate, precise measurements of angles, and as such, it needs to be stable and level without loose joints. Tighten the leg screws just enough for each leg to bear its own weight, but never tighten so much as to risk stripping the screws or damaging the surrounding wood. You can protect the wood from the elements by keeping it varnished or painted at all times. Keep the top cap on when not in use, and make sure the tripod shoes are free of dirt or other debris before storing.

LEVELS

Regularly check the bullseye bubble to make sure it is centered, both transversely and along line-of-sight. Protect the compensator from hangup by taking care not to bounce or spin the pendulum levels, seeing that the level is free of dust, and checking that the bullseye is where it needs to be. If the compensator seems to be hanging up, don’t try to fix it yourself in the field — send it in to be professionally repaired.

LEVELING RODS

Keep them clean and dry, removing any dust, dirt, or debris after use and making sure they are completely dry before putting them away. Be careful to only touch the graduated faces when necessary and keep them from coming into contact with any other tools or objects that may damage them. Regularly inspect the screws and hardware and check the accuracy of the rod by fully extending it and checking its scale with your tape. It is recommended that you check the accuracy when you begin control level surveys.