Just wondering over what sort of distance one of the diy laser levels will work? I need to check a level over a couple of hundred feet and suspect that it wouldn't be powerful enough but assume that I could do it in stages by laying out some sort of peg system.
Kevin
Mine will send the little red dot a hundred feet easily if used after dusk. Don't know how accurate it would be though.
Dave
Is the distance too great to consider a U-Tube that is made of normal Wine making type poly tube. I've used this method from inside to the outside of a house with the tube going out of a window. As long as you keep any rises below the two ends you wont have a problem. You can also colour the water with red or blue ink. Remember, both ends must be open to atmosphere when in use.
Chris.
How accurate do you want the level over that distance? The cheap ones quote something like 1mm/m. 200' = 61m you could be 61mm out...
You'll probably have fun in day light but in poor light or at night with a bit white card to follow the spot and someone to (carefully) adjust the level as you move away to the far end it shouldn't be a problem.
That method was going to be my fall back but it looks as though the laser level might do it.
Kevin
It doesn't have to be hugely accurate so it might do the job.
Kevin
hola mira esta pagina interesante
hello it watches this interesting pagina is
There are other factors involved over and above levelling.
I expect the result will be very poor. You'd be much better off with a dumpy level.
Quite right, the light beam will sag over that sort of distance....
If you use the tube method, I recommend getting some with a bigger bore, about 1cm or a bit bigger. I tried this with 5mm bore tub and it's a sod getting the air bubbles out.
Although it's not massively accurate (depends how closely to can sight the meniscus onto what you are marking) it has the advantage it works without much degradation over moderate distances.
Cheers
Tim
Phil - WTF are you on about? Please learn to quote correctly.
It won't send a little red dot a hundred feet. The cheaper units typically have a divergance of around half a milliradian. For less divergance, you need to be able to focus onto an objective, and have a bigger lens. The cheaper ones will do a spot of maybe 5cm at 100m, and this is trivial to see at dusk.
Mine will shine a red dot onto the chimney of a house at the end of the cul de sac, well over 100 ft away. Granted I don't know how big the dot is, but it certainly reaches that distance.
Dave
True - but the dot it sends is not little. At 100 feet, you're looking at 2-3cm or so.
If you're next to the dot at night, you can probably see it perfectly well until the dot gets to well over a meter.
And then - looking towards the laser, it's visible when the spot is many tens of meters wide.
Miles and miles if you can work after dark. The spot is small enough, it's just seeing it.
Otherwise it's still easier to use a telescope to look at a mark in daylight.
I should have mentioned - that I've also used a laser pointer, a bit of
15mm pipe insulation to grab it, and a bit of waste pipe, to slip a laser pointer into accurate alignment with a pair of binoculars. The binoculars then form a beam expander, and greatly reduce the divergance.Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required