At a local auction - some sort of instrument in a wooden crate - I haven't a guess as to what it is - anyone .. ?
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John T.OT What-is-it device
Jun 16, 2023
Last reply: 3 years ago
10 Replies
Captain Optics thinks it's a old, old range finder.
We were both frustrated by our inability to read the words printed on the right-hand sight thingy, and the labels on the outside of the crate.
My guess was also some kind of old range finder .
For surveyor's or for sighting guns .. or what ? I'm trying to google search it but rangefinder cameras keep hogging the hits .. John T.
He didn't have enough information to conjecture.
Put -camera in the search terms.
i A search for "antique range finder telescope". turned this up.
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It really isn't all that similar, though.
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Most of the coincidence or stereoscopic rangefinders look like a piece of pipe with apertures and knobs.
I think maybe Clare got it - transit set-up for laying farm field drainage tile. I'm going with that. John T.
I think it belonged to Rumplestiltskin and was for laying out bowling alleys.
Just going by where the auction was, and some of the other stuff in the auction I think I know what the owner used it for. Either farm drainage or concrete barn foundations - both of which would require a simple transit to lay out and level.
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