Control Point Tutorial: CONTROL POINT AND TOOL LOCATION BEST PRACTICES

Here are 9 best practices that will help you station your total station on accurate control points on your jobsite.
0. 0:00 Beginning
1. 0:22 Quick Reminders before working
2. 1:50 Center your tool and have clean angles
3. 4:35 Have access to 4-5 control points if possible
4. 6:22 Make sure your control points encompass your layout area
5. 7:44 Identify secure (unmovable) and stable control points
6. 9:34 Set up secure back-sight prisms
7. 10:48 Keep the prism low on the prism pole
7.1. Here is a video on how to calibrate your prism pole: • Total Station Misc - C...
8. 12:13 Make sure your total station is set up securely (not sliding/vibrating)
9. 14:11 Station over a point if possible
9.1. Here is another video on how to station over a point when using an angle (instead of a point): • Video
10. 17:28 Review

[@adamarditi82]

Thank you very much. You did a awesome job of explaining best practices. Well done and much appreciated.

[@sarujansrikumaran5092]

Can you explain more about stationing over a point?

[@omegma87]

Thank you!

[@DroneMappingTools]

Your videos are very helpful. You also have some of the best you also the best audio quality of any videos of this nature on RUclips. Do you have any tutorials that talk about using GNSS for establishing control points and and then how to properly use the GNSS data for Setting up the total station over a known point? Does the GNSS data have to be converted to grid? This can be very confusing for someone new and a video on this topjc will be very helpful. Thank you again for your great videos.

[@measuringsystems869]

Hey, thank you for the question. I actually don't work with GNSS - I always use site coordinates or coordinates given to me by a surveyor or GC.
However, I think the answer to your question would simply be that yes, the GNSS data you acquire can be translated to your architectural file if you do some sort of alignment in CAD. It's possible, for instance, if you know that points obtained from GNSS are a specific offset from a grid line intersection.

[@Adiyasa2011]

Great video!
Could you point me to some references explaining why solid angles are best to work with?(3:45)

[@gameromg5312]

Really good explanation I m going to watch all your videos for educational purposes as it very good I'm wondering if you will up load videos from your field work when you utilize your techniques

[@measuringsystems869]

I may - thank you for the kind words. Need to see if I'm comfortable on those jobsites to show them yet.

[@Felipe302GT]

I’ve realized no matter how much we try to be accurate it never fails that other trades will go and create their own “control” and screw up the job. Lol.

[@Felipe302GT]

Also I’ve realized resection for me at least isn’t as accurate than setting up on a known control and doing a back sight from there I can check the other control points so on and so forth..

[@amandadjukic9349]

If I station over a point with a 180 tool, do I only select one other control point to station? I do not use 2 other control points?

[@measuringsystems869]

correct, you can ONLY use one other control point.

[@anilbasnet9171]

Do i have to worry about encompass layout area if i used station over point method?

[@brendan8761]

@@anilbasnet9171 There is no simple answer to that. However a good practice is to keep for foresights (layout) shorter than your backsight. This will minimize the impact of any angular error.