Replies

• 

  Billy Brooks September 13, 2017 at 5:38pm

   Hi Bernie,

  Thanks for sharing this, I haven heard (mils) used in along time. Once a young surveyor saw it in my calculators conversions equations, I had stored and ask me what is mils. Then the Internet was n't a Data Base like now. But even now, knowledge sometimes gets lost in technology,as it moves on.Old school or once upon methods, we show our roots,but we live in both worlds. As he asked me why do I need it?,My reply was, it is not that I needed it,but that I know it.As he did not know anyone used it in this case not that it was old then.I then told him, "Remove not the ancient landmarks which thy fathers have set" this applies too more than a stone monument in surveying. Know it ,you may never use it,but again you might someday .Accuracy of older methods are as good or better,in some cases, than one's you can find even today.As I founded out , the one's used before mine still applied, even when I was a young man. I love to here stories like you just told.

  stay in touch,

  Thanks again,

  billy
• 

  Billy Brooks September 12, 2017 at 12:47pm

   Hi Bernie,

  lol, My wife has help me a lot on some tough surveys,cutting brush,I had to get her a wife size Kaiser blade.

  She help me chain a lot of sections in,and came in handy making  lunch everyday.Plus I could count on her being there every morning. She was very good at her survey work and enjoyed it. It is hard to find help like that,nothing was easy then. She knows what being a surveyor means,she been there. lol bee's Hornet's snakes,mosquitoes and everything else. We had a good time back then, a lot of memories.
  • Retired Surveyor

    Bernard Loeffler > Billy Brooks September 13, 2017 at 1:26pm

    HS (heavy sigh) I hear you. Some of the most difficult and memorable surveys I've done have been in the Mojave Desert in CA, and the jungles and mountains of Viet Nam. Learned alot of short cuts, but got a deep appreciation for accuracy...We didn't want to do those more than once! Our required accuracy was 1:20,000, but with the T-2 Theodolite (mils) doing triangulation, we often got accuracy greater than 1:100,000. The 10tst Airborne told us once that with our field surveys, they could put an 8" artillery shell in your back pocket at 30Km (20 miles) on the first shot. Quite a complement (especially from the 10st).

    In those days (1969), the closest thing we had to anything like GPS was the Azimuth Gyro. What an amazing instrument. Only used it three times, twice in Veit Nam, too sensitive for a combat zone.

    I don't  remember who taught me, but I learned how to check the accuracy of a survey (used later for property surveys) without a calculator in 10-15 minutes, regardless of the shape or method.

    When you start reminiscing, it's amazing what you remember. Even the hard times seem softer than they were.
• 

  Billy Brooks September 12, 2017 at 4:07am

   Hi Bernie,

  lol, I used one of these guns,they were made alright. But sorry for your bad luck,you think there would be laws against these people. but it has happen to me also. Do not give up I will keep you in mind and we still might find one. I have seen these manuals and the gun for sale. You are lucky to have one ,it is a treasure.

   Asked him if they were not made,then what is it doing in this Museum.

  scroll down till you see it. AG2 1964

  stay in touch,

  Best Regards

  Billy

  http://www.topcon.co.jp/en/positioning/museum/theo/index.html
  • Retired Surveyor

    Bernard Loeffler > Billy Brooks September 12, 2017 at 11:00am

    Thanks Billy. 

    I'm going to San Diego in two weeks to shoot a topo of a piece of land I bought, I wanted to calibrate before I use it again (it's been awhile), but for what I'm doing I'm sure it'll be fine. My wife agreed to be a rod man for a day or two. I have another transit, I'll shoot one or two shots to check it. Yep, still doing it the old fashioned way!

    Let you know how it goes.

    Bernie
• 

  Billy Brooks August 30, 2017 at 1:14pm

   Hi Bernie,

  I found more, that redirected to this same site. Was you just wanting the manual to your Gun or was there 

  a reason you needed it. To adjust or repair? Maybe I can find a manual on adjusting Theodolites of this type.

  http://www.pcimmesir.com/topcon-ag2-manual.pdf

  http://www.pcimmesir.com/topcon-ag2-manual.pdf
  • Retired Surveyor

    Bernard Loeffler > Billy Brooks September 11, 2017 at 7:07pm

    Thanks for all your help Billy,

    All these sites say they found the manual and it's ready for download, but want me to load all kinds of apps on my computer (malware). I did this on a computer that's easy to clean, and when I signed up and applied all they wanted, the manual was not available.

    An update though:

    I received an e-mail from a technician at TopCon informing me that they did not make an AG-2 Theodolite, and I must mean an AT-G2 Level. He sent me the AT-G2 Level Manual (Not even close) and closed the ticket. He also sent me the name of the dealer in New Mexico to assist. Who does he think sent me to him? Anyway, I sent him some pictures of my theodolite  with the bold lable TOPCON AG-2. I've had this theodolite since God was a little boy, I just lost the manual and I want to break it down to clean it. I don't like taking something apart without knowing what's inside first. I'll give it a try, wish me luck. If it's like the Wild or K &E, I can use the army TM.

    Again, thanks for your help.

    Bernie
• 

  Billy Brooks August 30, 2017 at 12:22am

  Hi Bernie,

   I check my data base I did not have it ,this is a 1964 Manual it is hard to find. As you may have checked Topcon does not offer it any more. I did find some sites, and this is not all of them I will keep looking. The sites that I am a member of does not have it, One site has a very large  selection of Topcon manuals but not this one but many from this time era some even older. But maybe you like to join these sites to get one. One has a 14 day free membership. It has the manual. But you can also look at the others. and some with the same offer.

  https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A86.JyQANaZZx2YAoJIPxQt.;_...

  https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=mtb&q=topcon+...
  • Retired Surveyor

    Bernard Loeffler > Billy Brooks August 30, 2017 at 9:17am

    Thanks Billy,

    I'll take a look. But you're right, it is very hard to find. Can you tell e which of the sites has the manual? I don't mind joining for 14 days. 

    Thanks

    Bernie