How to Use a Mirrored Clinometer
Clinometers, sometimes referred to as inclinometers, are hand-held devices used to estimate the slope of land. This measurement can be stated in degrees, with a 90-degree slope being straight up, or as a percent, with a 100 percent slope being straight up. Clinometers are used by hikers, campers and land surveyors. The mirrored clinometer requires some skill and a steady hand to achieve an accurate reading. Manual tools such as the clinometer and the compass are being replaced by the digital Global Positioning System.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Open the clinometer and extend the sighting arm. Flip the sight found at the end of the sighting arm upright so it is perpendicular to the sight arm and the face of the clinometer. Adjust the mirror to a 45-degree angle to the clinometer face.
-
2
Hold the clinometer with the sight about a foot away from your eye, with the face of the device held vertically. Take a sighting of the hilltop or mountain by lining up the sight at the end of the arm, the axial line in the center of the window in the lid of the inclinometer and the object.
-
-
3
Rotate the clinometer, usually done by adjusting a lever on the back of the device, while observing the bubble in the mirror. Center the bubble by adjusting the lever until the bubble is centered between the two reference lines in the bubble vial.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Repeat the procedure to confirm the reading. If the readings differ, a third or fourth reading may be necessary to confirm the actual incline.
The slope of the ground can be measured by placing the clinometer on the ground and adjusting the lever to center the bubble. Then, pick up the clinometer and read the slope of that particular piece of ground directly from the scale.
The clinometer reading will be the average slope between the current location and the object point. It does not take into account the terrain between the two points. The actual slopes between the two points will vary with the terrain.
