Power, Telephone, and Cable companies are constantly upgrading existing pole lines. To do this an engineer/planner must walk the line and note the poles that are not in straight line and the angles turned. These poles have to be guyed and framed properly or the pole and/or associated conductor hardware will bend or break.

By determining these angles accurately the side tension on the poles and hardware can be easily calculated. Obviously the most accurate method of obtaining these angles is with a transit or theodolite. Since these devices are expensive, large, cumbersome, time consuming, and require two operators, they are almost never used. The most popular method used is the tape measure method. This method requires usually two people and is cumbersome, time consuming and very inaccurate especially if there are any obstructions in the way.