GE211: General Surveying 1 Date: November 15, 2022

Christine Jocel Padernal

Group 1

Laboratory Activity 5: Total Station Setup

Narrative Report

Total Station is an instrument used in surveying. It calculates angles and

distances. This instrument is more versatile and efficient than the previous surveying
instruments. It does not only compute angles and distances but can also log the
coordinates of a specific points. As a future geodetic engineer, it is very important to
know how to set up this instrument. Our fifth laboratory is about setting up the total
station. The objective of this laboratory is to be able to properly set up the total station
on the field in order to avoid large factor of errors and to familiarize the parts of the
equipment.
Last November 15, 2022 we performed our Laboratory 5: Total Station Setup
individually. Our instructor demonstrated first how to properly set up the total station
then we were tasked to practice with our group for about 20 mins. 20 mins was not
enough for us to practice individually but when our one member practiced our group
were helping with each other and observed when setting up. After we practiced, we
then performed the laboratory and scored by our instructor individually. When it was
my turn, it was a bit hard for me to set up since it was my first time setting up a total
station instrument. I have set up a level instrument before but comparing it to the total
station, the total station has a lot of things to be considered. The first thing we did in
setting up the total station was to set up the tripod. First, level your tripod on your chin
then locked the legs and extend. The legs must have a minimum of two feet from the
base point and three feet between the bottom of legs to legs. The tripod must be
approximately level before placing the total station. We must be careful in handling,
getting and placing the total station on the tripod. It must be carried by two hands, one
on the handle and another in the bottom of the instrument. Once it was placed on the
tripod, lock the tripod center clamp. Next is to open the laser and adjust it on the center
of your base point. When the laser was at the center already, step on the tripods foot
rest to make the tripod stable. Next, was to set up the center bubble by adjusting the
tripod leg clamp until it was placed at the center then set up the tube bubble by
adjusting the levelling screw. Lastly, we checked if the set up on all bubbles and laser
are all levelled then tightly locked the tripod wing screws and leg clamp.
After performing this laboratory, I can say now that I can set up a total station
already. This is very important in the future laboratories and on the future work as well
as an engineer. I can now also familiarize the parts of the total station since this was
a part of the scores and I have answered all our instructor’s questions correctly.
 Documentation

Figure 1.0 Setting up the tripod Figure 2.0 Rough levelling of the bubble

Figure 3.0 Question and answer of the Total Station parts