LECTURES 3 AND 4: JANUARY 14, 2004 TRANSIT THEODOLITE DEVELOPMENT The Transit Theodolite has been in use since

the 1800s in Europe. It is comprised of a pivoting telescope mounted on a graduated horizontal circle for horizontal angle measurement plus a graduated vertical circle attached on one side (Figure 4a). The best among the early instruments could attain an accuracy of 1 minute in the measured horizontal and vertical angles, while Wild T3 (Figure 4b) precision optical theodolite measures angles at 0.2 second accuracy. The recent developments in instrument design have mainly been in the automation of read-out systems. Optical and manual read-outs have been replaced by photo-electronic, scanning systems of coded circles facilitating automatic digital display and electronic data transfer. These developments are incorporated in electronic theodolites (Figure 4c). Some of these instruments are equipped with bi-axial electronic tilt meters that compensate automatically for misleveling. The accuracy of these instruments is otherwise comparable to precision optical theodolites. Total stations are in use since 1960s are essentially electronic theodolite and EDM combined in one package. An early model of total station such as Zeiss Elta 46 had an accuracy of 3 seconds only in angle measurements.

Figure 4. Theodolites and Total Station CONSTRUCTION OF AN OPTICAL THEODOLITE Components of a traditional transit theodolite are: Telescope (1: Figure 4): can swivel around a vertical and a horizontal (trunnion) axis (2: Figure 4). A telescope with a minimum magnification of 30 is generally preferred. In older instruments the telescope are externally focused, while in relatively modern instruments are internally focused (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Internally Focused Telescope and Parallax Error Vertical Circle (3: Figure 4) is essentially a graduated arc attached to the trunnion axis. The telescope can be clamped to the vertical circle by a vertical circle clamp. Once clamped the telescope can be swiveled more precisely with tangent screw. Two verniers (at diametrically opposite locations of the vertical circles) and magnifying glasses (4: Figure 4a) are mounted on a T-Frame attached to the trunnion axis. Verniers are not used in more modern instruments for reading angles. Micrometers (Figure 4b) or electronic measuring devices (Figures 4c and 4d) are used in more recent instruments. The vertical circle is read precisely using the verniers. The T-Frame is equipped with a bubble tube vial known as altitude bubble (5: Figure 4). A-Frame (6: Figure 4) mounted on the Upper Plate. The name reflects the fact that in older instruments (Figure 4a) the frame looked like an A. In more recent instruments however they no longer bear any such similarity. Leveling Head (7: Figure 4) comprised of 2 parallel triangular plates called tribrach plates. The upper one is equipped with three leveling screws and the lower one has a central hole for centering. A solid inner spindle and a hollow outer spindle snug-fit inside the outer one. The upper plate is mounted on the inner spindle while the outer spindle carries the lower plate or the scale plate (Figure 6). In older instruments verniers (8: Figure 4) mounted at diametrically opposite locations of the scale plate are used to read the horizontal angles. Verniers are not used in more recent instruments equipped with micrometers or electronic readouts. The Wild T3 precision optical theodolite shown on Figure 4b, for instance, is equipped with two micrometers for reading the vertical and horizontal circles. There is one eye-piece in this instrument for reading both micrometers. The field-view of the micrometer reading eye-piece (9: Figure 4) shows the readings from two diametrically opposite location on the horizontal and vertical circles in its upper part separated by a horizontal line. The bottom portion of the micrometer reading eyepiece shows seconds readings. To read the micrometer, the micrometer knob is turned so that the two sets of graduation in the upper window coincide. Double of the seconds reading from the bottom window is added to the coarser reading from the

upper window. The readings between the horizontal and vertical circles are flipped using a knob. The lower plate carries the horizontal circle (10: Figure 4) equipped with lower clamping screw and tangent screws (11: Figure 4) for precise targeting. Upper and lower clamping screws and tangent screws are provided to clamp the upper plate to the lower plate. With the upper clamping screw clamped and the lower one released, there is no relative motion between the horizontal circle and the corresponding vernier. The Wild T3 instrument has, however, only one clamptangent screw combination to control the telescope motion about the vertical axis. Such theodolites are sometimes called direction theodolites. Two plate levels (12: Figure 4, Figure 6), one parallel to the trunnion axis and the other at right angle to the first one, are mounted on the upper plate for leveling the plate, i.e., to make the trunnion axis horizontal. Plate level vials with a sensitivity of 20" per 2 mm graduation or better are generally preferred. When using an electronic theodolite and bi-axial compensator, the instrument can be leveled within 2 minutes of arc. The theodolite is equipped with a provision for accurate centering over the station. In older instruments, centering is done using a plumb attached to the center of the instrument. In more modern instruments an optical plummet (Figure 6) is used for centering. An optical plummet is essentially a small telescope with its eyepiece near the outer edge of the upper plate. The line of sight of this telescope continues to a point on the vertical circle of the instrument before it is reflected vertically downward typically using a prism.

Figure 6. Cutout Section through the Bottom Portion of a Micrometer Theodolite