The maintenance of surveying equipment is imperative for the accuracy of a project. Surveyors depend heavily on accurate readings from their tools, or the entire project could be disastrous. Total station calibration services are done by professionals, but there are certain checks that you can do on your own to ensure that your equipment is performing optimally. If these checks prove that there are issues, you’ll need to send the equipment for survey equipment calibration services.

Total Station Calibration: Checks You Can Do Yourself

Total stations are renowned for their accuracy, but even the most accurate total station can provide inaccurate results if the supporting survey equipment is in bad shape. Survey equipment calibration services will keep all of your surveying tools in tip-top condition, ensuring the best accuracy. In the meantime, there are certain things that you can do to ensure the most accurate results.

Check the Total Station Tripod

Being the foundation of the total station, the tripod needs to be sturdy and balanced. It’s often overlooked as part of total station calibration issues, but it should be one of the first parts of equipment to be checked.  It should be set up on firm, stable ground for accuracy. Pay close attention to loose fixings and any signs of damage. If you’re unsure of your tripod’s balance quality, it’s a good idea to take it in to professional survey equipment analysers so they can adjust it accordingly.

Re-level the Total Station

Re-leveling your total station is important when you’re not getting your desired results. You can often recalibrate by completing the setup over again; perhaps there were steps missing in the previous setup and it resulted in flaws in accuracy.

• Check the ground conditions it has been set up on. Soft ground and hot tarmac may cause the tripod legs to sink, thereby affecting the balance
• Check the tripod fixings and clamps. Sometimes when these are loose, they will affect the balance and may even cause the total station to fall (which can cause severe damage, so avoid this at all costs)

Total Station Calibration Services

Afgen has an accredited custom-built service centre that conducts services, repairs and calibrations on all brands of survey equipment. This will include dumpy levels, automatic levels, theodolites, total stations, robotic total stations, GPS, construction lasers, survey accessories, laser distance meters, and more. Contact us for more information.