Prismatic Compass

This compass is made into a box which is circular and 85 to 110 mm in diameter. In the
centre of the compass box, is a pointed steel pivot is used.
A magnetic needle of broad form is balanced over the pivot, and to this is fixed a
light aluminium ring.
The aluminium ring is calibrated in degrees and half degrees. The calibrations are marked
such that zero is at the south, 90 degrees at the west, 180 degrees at the north and 270 degrees
at the east, i.e., the aluminium ring is calibrated in a clockwise direction with the zero at the
south.
The figures showing the readings on the aluminium ring are written inverted, and a glass lid
covers the top of the compass box.
Dioganally opposite the compass box are fixed the object or sight vane and the eye vane. The
latter carries a reflecting prism.
The eye vane is fixed at the top of the prism. The reflecting prism can be raised or lowered to
suit the eyesight of the observer by means of the focusing stud.
A hinge is provided so that the prism may be folded over the edge of the box when it is not in
use.
When the eye is brought near the eye vane, the graduations on the ring are reflected to the eye
and the same can be read.
The horizontal and vertical sides of the prism are made convex so that the readings on the
ring are magnified.
The object vane consists of a metal frame hinged to the box. In the centre of this metal frame
is fixed a vertical horse hair or a tine wire or silk thread.
When the instrument is not in use the object vane should be folded over the glass lid,
covering the top of the box.
When the object vane is folded over the glass lid, it presses a lifting pin which lifts the
magnetic needle above the pivot and keeps it against the glass lid.
Thus the wear and tear of the pivot is reduced by keeping the magnetic needle away from the
same when the instrument is not in use.
A spring brake is provided inside the box to damp the oscillations of the magnetic needle, i.e.,
to bring the magnetic needle to rest quickly before taking a reading.
By pressing the brake pin inward, the spring may be made to come in contact with the
magnetic needle thereby arresting the oscillations.
The object vane may be provided with a hinged mirror which may be slided to any position
on the object vane, and the mirror can be made to incline on any angle.
This enables the surveyor to take the readings to objects which are too high or too low.
Sun glasses are provided to sight luminous objects. They are simply interposed in the line of
sight and reduce the strain on the eyes of the observer.
A metal lid covers the glass lid and the sighting vane when not in use.
In the prismatic compass, the magnetic needle and the graduated rings are attached together
and, therefore, they remain always along the north-south line when the box is rotated.
Procedure of Survey on Prismatic Compass.
For taking readings with a prismatic compass, instrument may be held in hand and turned till
the ranging rod on the next station is bisected by the horse hair when seen through the eye-
vane.
The instrument should be held as nearly level as can be judged. If the needle does not
oscillate, it means that it is touching the glass lid and is not being held vertical.
 It should be held properly, and the brake knob pressed lightly. Then the reading is taken. This
gives the bearing of the line joining the point vertically below the compass and the point on
which the ranging rod is held.
Least Count:
Readings may be accurately taken up to 30 minutes and estimated up to the nearest 15
minutes.
Least count of Prismatic Compass is 30′ minute.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Compass surveying:
Advantages:
 They are portable and light weight.
 They have fewer settings to fix it on a station
 The error in direction produced in a single survey line does not affect other lines.
 It is suitable to retrace old surveys.
Disadvantages:
 It is less precise compared to other advanced methods of surveying.
 It is easily subjected to various errors such as errors adjoining to magnetic meridian, local
attraction etc.
 Imperfect sighting of the ranging rods and inaccurate levelling also causes error.
Errors in compass survey:
Errors can be arising due to various reasons during the process of surveying, they are
classified as:
 Instrumental errors
 Personal errors
 Natural errors
Instrumental errors:
As the name suggests they are arise due to the wrong adjustments of the instruments. Some
other reasons are:
 If the plane of sight not being vertical, it causes error in sighting and reading.
 If the magnetic needle is not perfectly straight or if it is sluggish, readings may not be
accurate.
Personal errors:
They arise mainly due to the carelessness of the surveyor. They are:
 Inaccurate levelling
 Inaccurate reading
 Inaccurate centering
Natural errors:
Natural errors are occurring due to the various natural causes which affect the working of
compass. It has nothing to do with the surveyor and to minimize them, some corrections in
calculations applied. They are:
 Local attraction
 Proximity to the magnetic storms
 declination
 Dumpy Level
A dumpy level (also known as a Builder’s Level) is an optical instrument used to establish or
check points in the same horizontal plane. It is used in archaeological surveying to measure
horizontal levels, for example to demonstrate the difference in height at the top and base of a
slope such as an excavated pit or a surviving earthwork.
In 1832, English civil engineer William Gravatt, who had worked with Marc Isambard
Brunel and his son Isambard on the Thames Tunnel, was commissioned by Mr. H.R. Palmer
to examine a scheme for the South Eastern Railway’s route from London to Dover. Forced to
use the then conventional Y level during the work, Gravatt devised the more transportable
and easier to use dumpy level
Equipment: The level ‘kit’ consists of a level head, staff and tripod. The level head
comprises an eyepiece, bulls eye spirit level, three levelling screws and a focus for the
telescope lens; the base also incorporates a 360 degree compass. The 5m staff is in sections.
Each ‘block’ represents one centimetre, and each ‘E’ represents 5 centimetres. The 10 cm
sections alternate back and forth and between black and white, and the colour alternates
between black and red for each metre. The tripod is composed of aluminium and plastic, with
three extendable/lockable legs and a base plate with screw fitting with which to attach the
level head. There is a canvas carrying strap and a belt to secure the legs together. Benchmarks
and Temporary Bench Marks (BM/TBM) find the nearest OS Bench Mark (BM), which is
part of the national height system for mainland Great Britain and forms the reference frame
for heights above mean sea level. Bench Marks are no longer maintained by the Ordnance
Survey (although Fundamental (F)BMs are), but they should be marked on most maps. If the
height value is not shown on the map Bench Marks can usually be found on churches, but
also on other notable buildings, houses, bridges etc. The database describes where it is and
what type of benchmark symbol is used (usually carved into stone, the centre of the
horizontal groove is the height reference). It is worth finding the nearest BM to your survey
site as soon as possible so that you can establish the best way to transfer the height from the
BM to your If there is no BM nearby to your site you can establish a Temporary Bench Mark
(TBM) at an arbitrary height, for example 100m (to ensure all heights are positive). At some
point you will also need to find the nearest BM, to tie your TBM into and then make your
final level calculations. To set up a TBM: mark an easily identifiable permanent feature
nearby – e.g. a coloured brick in a wall (as in the photograph right), or a fence post; a wooden
stake may also be used but check with the landowner (if it is a scheduled monument this is
not an option). Make a careful note with a precise description describing the location and
nature of the TBM, preferably with a note annotated on a map and a digital photograph (if
you have a handheld GPS use this)
Setting up the level
Set up the tripod where you have a clear sight of the benchmark, at a similar height to but
preferably higher, than the benchmark. If possible, set up in the centre of the area that you
intend to survey, or somewhere that you can see all of the site as well as the backsight/Bench
Mark, with the top plate relatively level. Release the catches on each leg and extend to full
length, close the catches. Space the tripod legs well apart, with the level plate about chest
height of the person who will be reading the levels. NB: the tripod needs to low enough for
the smallest person on site to use the dumpy level! Place the level head on the base plate and
attach it to the central screw beneath the base plate. With the telescope parallel to two of the
foot screws, level off by adjusting the two foot screws simultaneously, turning them in
opposite directions until the level bubble is central. Then turn 90 degrees so the telescope
points towards the third foot screw, and use the third screw to adjust the spirit level until the
bubble is central along this axis. Check again in all directions. Now you should be perfectly
level.
Taking a reading:
Taking the backsight (BS):
 The first measurement that you need to take is the backsight. This will enable you to
calculate the height of the instrument/level (IH) from which all other levels are calculated.
 The person with the staff should place the bottom of the staff level on the BM or TBM,
keeping it as vertical as possible.
 The person at the Level rotates the telescope until the central line/cross hairs are lined up
with the staff; you may need to bear in mind that if at some point you have to move the
level (higher or lower, or to a new location) you will need to re-level it and retake the
backsight reading
 Focus the eyepiece first to see the cross hairs then the telescope focus to see the numbers
on the staff; use the fine adjustment to be perfectly lined-up.
 When looking through the telescope, you take the reading where the central or stadial
cross hairs meet, to the nearest centimetre. For example in the diagram to the right
(above) the reading would be 1.42m. The levelling bubble should be central
Calculating the instrument height (IH) (or height of the Level) In order to calculate the
height of the instrument (IH; i.e. the height of the Level Head telescope) you add the value of
the reading you have just taken to the known value of the BM or TBM that you are using. 3.
Taking Foresight (FS) readings and calculating reduced levels Begin taking height (level)
readings of anything you want to illustrate on your site: top of slope, bottom of slope, break
of slope – to illustrate changes in height and create profiles. Mark the location of your levels
on the plan, starting at 1or the next available number if returning to a survey, and read off
each height reading and record these in a separate notebook. Make sure you write clearly and
record the date, where the survey is, what the BM or TBM is and the initials of the people
undertaking the survey. 3 eyepiece focus eyepiece instrument focus base plate screw and
plum bob hook 360° base levelling screws instrument rotate Each time you will have to rotate
the telescope, sight on the staff in its new location, focus and carefully take the reading,
always check twice that you have read the number correctly Once you have taken all the
levels you want, you will need to calculate the actual height values, or reduced levels (RL) by
subtracting each one from the instrument height (IH). This gives you the ‘real’ height of the
ground at the base of the staff. Example Suppose The Bench Mark value was 8.52m, so a
TBM was created on the concrete at the base of the wall, which was 0.7m below the height of
the BM, giving the height of TBM 1 of 7.82m. This was then used to back sight to, which
gave a reading of 0.3m, which added to the TBM gave an IH of 8.12m (TBM1 + BS = IH). A
foresight was then taken on the new TBM, this reading was 0.16m, which subtracted from the
IH gives a value of 7.96 for TBM 2 (IH – FS = TBM2). BM= 8.52 – BS = -0.7 TBM 1 =
7.82m + BS= 0.30 IH = 8.12 – FS = 0.16 TBM 2 = 7.96m The value of TBM 2 was 7.96m,
the new back sight reading was 0.29m, giving an instrument height of 8.25m (TBM + BS =
IH). A number of foresights were then taken within the survey area and these readings were
then subtracted from the instrument height to give a real/reduced level. TBM 2 = 7.96 + BS =
0.29 IH = 8.25 (IH – FS = RL) Fore sights (m) Reduced Level (m) 1 = 2.25 6.00 2 = 3.62
4.63 3 = 1.92 6.33 4 = 2.18 6.07 5 = 3.19 5.06 6 = 3.09 5.16 4
Points to Remember
 The place of which height is to be measured is called Station.
 Height is always measured with reference to sea level.
 Survey of India established benchmarks (B.M) at several places.
 Ideally the distances should be taken from the benchmark.
 If it is not available then we can select point on the map whose distance from sea level is
known as the reference.
 We can fix any suitable point as Temporary bench mark and all heights can be measured
from that point. We can fix any temporary bench mark , but if its MSL( at temporary BM)
is not sure , then before starting the surveying permanent BM reading should be clear.
 Now we will learn how to take actual readings. Please observe below figure carefully.
Some notes on taking care and use of the equipment:
 The staff can be difficult to steady in high winds; you do need to keep it vertical and still.
Do not use fully-extended near overhead power cables.
 Always pull out (and return) the sections one at a time, and put the staff back in its sleeve
after use. Keep mud and grit off it as much as possible, as this will scratch the painted
markings. After a survey, dampen the micro fibre cloth supplied and wipe off each
section of the staff as you close it up.
 The level head is a precision instrument, and should be handled carefully. When not in
use it should always be kept in its box. If it is raining please make sure that you cover it
with a bag or rain hood, or preferably unscrew the head and place it in its box. If the level
head does become wet, make sure that it dries out somewhere inside/out of the rain before
being returned to its box. If you don’t dry it out properly, moisture may seep inside which
will result in the telescope ‘fogging up’ and possible damage to the internal parts.
 When your survey is complete, carefully unscrew the level head and place it in its correct
position within the box, close the lid and make sure the catch is secure.
 Please take care not to drop the box, if the level head or box containing the level head is
kicked or dropped you must report this to the Jigsaw team as soon as possible as it may
require calibration or repair.
 Undo the catches on the tripod legs and carefully move the retract the legs and clamp the
catches back and fasten the belt. Please ensure that the tripod does not get dented or
damaged, as this may make it unusable.