A block level stabilizes survey equipment for accurate measurements. It can be used with locking nuts to fix levels at different angles. It should not be confused with Locke’s level, a tracking tool. Technical documentation provides information on use and care. Locke’s level is a portable observation tube for gathering information about surroundings.
A block level is a device people use in surveying to improve the accuracy and reliability of their measurements. Survey equipment may include a locking level to allow individuals to secure the sensing level in place with the use of a locking nut during data collection. Surveyors can use multiple locking nuts to fix levels at different angles, gathering a variety of useful data about a site’s topography. It’s important to avoid confusing this term with a Locke level, a tracking tool developed by American inventor John Locke.
In the course of carrying out a survey, people take a variety of measurements to gather as much data as possible about an area, from their workplace to the top of a mountain. The surveyor uses pointing and measuring tools to determine things like the degree and slope of the topography, and can use a block level to level the measuring tools to take multi-part measurements. The equipment typically mounts to a pole or tripod and can be used by a single person or a pair of surveyors taking coordinated measurements.
When a piece of equipment includes a lockout level, it will specify it in the technical data along with other information about the equipment’s characteristics and most suitable uses. Technical documentation usually includes a manual that provides information on how to use and care for the instrument so people can make sure their reading is as accurate as possible.
The lockout level improves survey accuracy by stabilizing the instrument when the surveyor finishes measuring. The locknuts are very precisely machined so that they operate smoothly and easily, eliminating problems such as disturbing the measurement while trying to tighten them securely. It is important to make sure they are cleaned and oiled regularly, as debris in the mechanism can disturb accuracy. Surveyors may also calibrate using other tools to make sure the measurements taken by a piece of equipment are accurate.
Locke’s level is a portable observation tube that people can use to gather information about their surroundings. It is also possible to mount it on a staff for some types of measurements. Using a viewing tube provides an opportunity to look into the distance and take accurate measurements. It is possible to create a simple Locke level at home, and this is sometimes an exercise in science class when students are learning to make sensing.
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