(reply copy to cavers, in case anyone else is interested, such as for recon work).
Linda, The Bosch is good for short stuff, up to 160' or so. The Disto is interesting and accurate. I still have mine and don't use it because of its size -- I'm certainly willing to sell it for really cheap (case, attachments, and all), if anyone's interested. It's just too big, heavy, difficult to use, and of course is (was) really expensive. For long boreholes it can't be beat, as long as you have plenty of porters carrying equipment. Otherwise, take shorter readings. We previously used a Bushnell Yardage Pro 400 (20-400 yds) and liked it, but alas, it's hiding somewhere in the field trying to become fertilizer or a historic artifact. We replaced that with the Bushnell Yardage Pro 1000 (20-1000 yds) and like it very much. Accuracy is about +/- 18". It's now our long-distance backup. So, we now use a Bushnell Yardage Pro Scout, a much smaller, uni-ocular (if that's a word, monocular?) unit that practically fits in your pocket (not a T-shirt), with a range of 10-700 yds. I see now that Amazon has lots of different Yardage Pro's, mostly around $240 (a fraction of a Disto), but you can check the Bushnell site for details. The Bushnell Scout is essentially all I use now, even for rough interior mapping of archeological sites (+/- 18" is okay for rough mapping of 40 acres worth of tipi rings). For caving, these things would be used for reconnaissance, not detailed cave mapping (which is why God invented the Bosch unit). John ----- Original Message ----- From: Linda Palit To: 'John Greer' Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 9:59 AM Subject: RE: [Texascavers] Sale on Digital Laser Range Finder - Today only What about longer range ? or what do you mean by short range. I ordered one, and no gripes with the great price. I just wanted the benefit of your testing. I’ve used a disto for long distances in big straight caves with great results, and just comparing. Thanks. Linda From: John Greer [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 5:45 PM To: 'texascavers list' Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Sale on Digital Laser Range Finder - Today only For those who don't have info on the Bosch DLR165K -- BoschTools.com -- see below (if it comes through). We've tried several but still like these best for short range. Looking around the web, it appears that Amazon (Prime=no shipping charge) is a great price = 64.99. ** Look at WarehouseDeals.com (Amazon) -- 60.99 + free shipping. Listed as "used" because of minor box damage. New unit. (good description too). John
