# Ranging rod

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Surveying instrument

Not to be confused with [Measuring rod](/source/Measuring_rod).

Ranging rod and Offset rod

A **ranging rod**, or **range rod**, is a [surveying](/source/Surveying) instrument used for marking the position of stations, and for sightings of those stations, as well as for ranging [straight lines](/source/Straight_line).[1] Initially these were made of light, thin, and straight [bamboo](/source/Bamboo), or of well seasoned wood such as [teak](/source/Teak), [pine](/source/Pine), or [deodar](/source/Cedrus_deodara). They were shod with iron at the bottom and surmounted with a [flag](/source/Flag) about 250 mm2 in size.[2] Nowadays[*[when?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items)*] they are made of wood, metal, or [fibreglass](/source/Fibreglass). The rods are usually about 30 mm in diameter and 2 or 3 m long, painted with alternating bands, such as red and white, red and yellow, or black and white, in lengths of 200 mm (i.e. one link length of metric chain), 500 mm, or 1 foot. These colours are used so that the rod can be properly sighted in case of long distance or bad weather. Ranging rods of greater length, e.g. 3 to 6 m, are called **ranging** or **range poles**, and are used for very long [survey](/source/Surveying) lines.[3] Another type of ranging rod is known as an **offset rod**, which has no flag at the top. It is used for measuring small offsets from the survey line when the work is of an ordinary nature.[4]

## Notes

When the ranging rods are limited, thin sticks 400 mm to 1 m length with white [papers](/source/Paper) in the cuts at tops can serve their purpose. Such sticks are pointed at the bottom and are cut from wood. These are called as whites.

## See also

- [Level staff](/source/Level_staff)

- [Tape (surveying)](/source/Tape_(surveying))

- [Road curve](/source/Road_curve)

- [Survey camp](/source/Survey_camp)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["free dictionary"](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/_/dict.aspx?rd=1&word=ranging+rod). Retrieved 19 November 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Surveying by prof. Cl Kocher in chapter Linear Measurements, page no. 19

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["elementary surveying instruments"](http://www.fao.org/docrep/r7021e/r7021e02.htm). Retrieved 19 November 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Surveying by prof. Cl Kocher, page 20

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ranging rod](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranging_rod) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranging_rod?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.