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Your first three questions should be: What kind of work is the laser going to be used for? Have a clear definition. Are you building decks, house foundations, or airport terminals? Is the work indoors, outdoors, or some combination of both? Do you need self leveling? Compared to manually leveled lasers, self leveling lasers provide greater accuracy and the safety of automatically shutting off if disturbed or moved too far out of level. Manually leveled lasers should be checked periodically and leveled again as needed, especially when used outdoors in the sun. Homebuilders, room addition contractors, backhoe contractors, and other small builders can use manually leveled lasers with excellent results. On larger jobs where there are lots or people, heavy earthmoving equipment, and other things that can disturb the laser, self leveling is the way to go. Do you need a visible beam laser? If you work indoors on drywall or drop ceilings, the visible beam is a must. If your work is outdoors, you must use a laser receiver because even the highest power visible beam will wash out in sunlight.The visible beam costs more than an infra red invisible beam, but it is very handy indoors.

Laser Types Straight beam lasers emit straight visible beams. There are both manual and self leveled types, the simplest consisting of a laser module built into a torpedo level. The primary use of these instruments is indoors for cabinets, fixtures, level marks. This type of laser is relatively inexpensive and simple to use for interior leveling and alignment. Line and elevation information are only available when the beam is pointed where the work is bring done. Move off to one side of the beam and the laser must be repointed. In the instance where an area such as a house pad or house foundation is being shot, a rotary laser will be much more efficient. No electronic receivers are available for these units, and the visible beam is hard to see outdoors in the sunlight. Pipe lasers are all visible beam, servo motor self leveled, hermetically sealed units capable of shooting slope up to 40%. They provide level and line control when installing sanitary sewers and gravity flow pipelines. These units provide precise elevation and line control. The initial setup is relatively complex, requiring opening a length of trench and employing a transit to align the beam. In some parts of the country, rotary slope lasers are used to control elevation, although they do not provide line control. Rotary lasers shoot a beam that is rotated around the job site in the same manner that the beam from a lighthouse sweeps around in a circle. This creates a plane of light that is used as a reference for elevation checking. Elevation checking can be done as long as there is a line of sight to the laser, and the work is within the working range of the laser. The most prevalent use of this type of instrument is in the horizontal dead level mode for grade checking or setting foundation forms. The plane of light may be tilted to provide a sloped reference, or may be turned in a vertical mode for plumb and line control. Rotary lasers may be manually or self leveled, and may shoot an infra red invisible or a visible beam. Depending on the job the laser is to be used on, other features such as grade or vertical capability are available on some models. Plan on using a laser receiver with a rotary laser when outdoors.

Definition of Laser Terms Accuracy With the laser set to level or grade, at a given distance, how far from perfection will the laser beam be. Usually expressed as plus or minus a fraction of an inch at 100 feet. (Or ±Xmm at 30m) Accuracy may also be expressed in terms of arc seconds. 10 Arc Seconds translates to ±1/16" at 100'. (±1.6mm at 30M.) Compensator Gravity type mechanism, usually some type of pendulum system to insure that laser beam is level. With this type of self leveling system, the laser must be rough leveled, (a bullseye bubble or level vials are used), so that the compensator can work. Deadband Usually applied to a receiver. This is the distance that a receiver can be moved and still give an on grade reading. If the deadband is too fine, it becomes difficult to get an on grade reading, if the deadband is too wide, it becomes difficult to maintain accuracy. Grade Capability The range of slope that can be dialed into the laser. Expressed as percent of slope. Helium Neon Tube Gas Filled Tube that Produces Red Beam Laser Light, now replaced by the laser diode which is smaller, lighter, and draws far less power. Laser Acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation Laser Diode Solid state light emitting device. Light may be visible or invisible infra red. Manual Leveling The laser is kept level through the use of glass level vials. The user must check these vials periodically, because the level bubbles may move during the day, in response to vibrations and changes in temperature. Operating Range The maximum distance from the laser where the detector will still function. Usually given in terms of an operating radius or diameter. Penta Mirror Device that reflects a light beam outward at a 90º angle in relation to the incoming beam Self Leveling The laser is leveled either with a compensator, or with an electronic servo motor system. If the laser is disturbed or goes out of level, the mechanism will make a correction. If the mechanism cannot bring the laser back to level, it shuts the laser off. Self Leveling Range Expressed as ± x number of degrees or arc minutes. This figure denotes how far the laser can be tilted, while still maintaining its ability to self level.

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