Sufficiently Small

In this application I'm using the equipment to map the damage-zone of the Moab Fault at classic outcrops in Bartlett Wash in Utah. The equipment was supplied by Schlumberger-Doll Research and the project undertaken by Rock Deformation Research. Photograph : Eddie McAllister

The device shown here is a modified ranging pole, antenna, data-logger and receiver and radio-modem from a Trimble 4700 GPS Total Station setup.
If you look carefully at the picture to the left, towards the top of the yellow pole, just below the black-and-white antenna you can see the custom-built modification to the equipment in sky-blue and white membrane.

The high-tech taut skin construction, reminiscent in design to the Millennium Dome provides adequate protection against the searing heat of the midday sun for mad-dogs and Englishmen alike. The device also gives good protection against rain, although only at low wind-speeds, as inclining the pole into the prevailing wind is not recommended for reasons of survey accuracy. A further benefit is the improved readability of the display on the data-logger in high-brightness conditions.

The high quality of the design is indicated by the optimal clearance between the outer edge of the shade and the position of the whip-antenna on the radio-modem on the back-pack.