Setting Up a Level

After you select the proper location for the level, your first step is to set up the tripod.

1. Spread two of the legs a convenient distance apart and then bring the third leg to a position that will bring the protector cap, which covers the tripod head threads, about level when the tripod stands on all three legs.
2. Unscrew the protector cap, exposing the threaded head, and place it in the carrying case where it will not get lost or dirty. The tripod protective cap should be in place when you are not using the tripod.
3. Lift the instrument out of the carrying case by the footplate, not by the telescope.
4. Set the instrument squarely and gently on the tripod head threads and engage the head nut threads under the footplate by rotating the footplate clockwise. If the threads will not engage smoothly, they may be cross threaded or dirty. Do not force them if you encounter resistance; instead, back off, and, after checking to see that they are clean, square up the instrument, and then try again gently.
5. Screw the head nut up firmly, but not too tightly. Screwing it too tightly causes eventual wearing of the threads and makes unthreading difficult.
6. After you have attached the instrument, thrust the leg tips into
   the ground far enough to ensure that each leg has stable support,
   taking care to maintain the footplate as nearly level as possible.
7. With the instrument mounted and the legs securely positioned in the soil, firmly tighten the thumbscrews at the top of each leg to prevent any possible movement.

Quite frequently, you must set up the instrument on a hard, smooth surface, such as a concrete pavement. When you do, you must take steps prevent the legs from spreading. Figure 16 shows two good ways of doing this. In View A, the tips of the legs are inserted in joints in the pavement. In View B, the tips are held by a wooden floor triangle.