Useful context for the instrument on the bench.

Abney Levels

An Abney level is a handheld clinometer used by surveyors, engineers, and foresters to measure slopes, determine elevations, and calculate tree heights. It…

Adhesive Targets

Adhesive targets (also known as reflective sheet targets or survey stickers) are cost-effective, retroreflective markers used as an alternative to glass pr…

Alignment Telescope Base

An alignment telescope base is a yoke-style mount that lets alignment telescopes and collimators be positioned and locked at various angles, attaching to standard cup mounts and spherical mounting systems for vertical, inclined, and inverted setups.

Alignment Telescopes

Alignment telescopes (also known as "line scopes") are precision optical tooling instruments used to establish and maintain a perfectly straight reference…

Auto Collimation Eyepieces

Autocollimation eyepieces are high-precision optical tools used to align optical systems (telescopes) or measure small angular shifts by projecting an illu…

Automatic Levels

Automatic levels (or "auto levels") are professional optical instruments used to establish or verify points in the same horizontal plane. They are a standa…

Builders Levels

Builders’ levels (also known as Dumpy levels) are manual optical instruments used to establish level lines across a construction site. Unlike the Automatic…

Clinometers

A clinometer (or inclinometer) is a precision professional tool designed to measure the angle of a slope, elevation, or depression relative to gravity. Ess…

Compasses

Compasses are navigational instruments that use a magnetized needle to align with the Earth's magnetic field, providing a constant reference for North. In…

Data Collectors

Data collectors (also known as field controllers) are rugged handheld computers used by surveyors to store measurements, manage coordinates, and control in…

Drum Clinometers

Drum clinometers are high-precision mechanical instruments used to measure surface elevation, depression, and tilt in aerospace and industrial metrology. T…

Durability and Precision

All working parts are effectively enclosed in a dust-tight case, assuring abrasion-free contact between the accurately ground arc and worm gear. This desig…

Electronic Digital Level

Electronic digital levels are high-precision measuring tools that replace traditional bubble vials with electronic sensors and digital displays. In surveyi…

Electronic Theodolites

Electronic theodolites are precision optical instruments used to measure horizontal and vertical angles with high digital accuracy. Unlike traditional tran…

Eyepieces

Eyepieces for surveying and industrial metrology are specialized optical accessories designed to enhance the viewing capabilities of instruments like total…

Field Books

Field books (or survey log books) are specialized, highly durable notebooks used by surveyors to record site measurements, sketches, and observations. Unli…

Gammon Reels, Plum Bobs

Gammon reels and plumb bobs are the classic "gravity-based" duo used to establish a perfect vertical line (plumb) or to center a survey instrument exactly…

GPS Systems

In professional surveying and construction, "GPS" is more accurately referred to as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), as modern receivers track mu…

Hand Levels

Hand levels (also known as sight levels) are compact, handheld optical tools used for rough leveling and elevation estimation. Unlike high-precision total…

Inclination Measuring System

An Inclination Measuring System (also known as a Tilt Measurement System) is a collection of sensors and instruments used to monitor angles of slope, tilt…

Instrument Optical Accessories

Instrument optical accessories are specialized components used to enhance the viewing capabilities, safety, and versatility of precision tools like Total S…

Instrument Power Supplies

Instrument power supplies for surveying and metrology include a range of internal batteries, external high-capacity packs, and specialized benchtop units f…

Invar

Invar is a specialized nickel-iron alloy (36% nickel, 64% iron) prized in metrology and surveying for its uniquely low coefficient of thermal expansion. Es…

Laser Detectors

Laser detectors (also called laser receivers) are essential accessories that allow you to locate laser beams in bright conditions or over long distances wh…

Lasers

In professional construction and metrology, lasers are essential for establishing precise reference lines, planes, and points across large areas. Modern sy…

Lateral Slides

Lateral slides make the small horizontal and vertical moves needed to align an instrument’s line of sight with an absolute reference point, including compound dual-axis slides that give travel in both X and Y.

Level Rods

Level rods (also known as grade rods or leveling staves) are graduated rods used in conjunction with optical or laser levels to determine differences in el…

Lighting/Illuminators

In surveying and industrial metrology, lighting and illuminators are used to make instrument reticles (crosshairs) visible in low-light or night conditions…

Magnetic Locators

Magnetic locators are specialized metrology tools designed to detect the magnetic fields of buried ferromagnetic objects like iron and steel. Unlike standa…

Measuring Tapes

Measuring tapes for professional use are categorized by their material and mechanism, ranging from compact pocket rules to long-distance survey tapes. For…

Measuring Wheels

Measuring wheels (also known as surveyor's wheels) are professional metrology tools used for fast and efficient distance measurement over various terrains.…

Micrometers & Adapters

Optical micrometers are precision metrology attachments used to measure lateral or vertical deviations from a line of sight. By displacing the line of sigh…

Mounting Adapters

Mounting adapters are critical components that bridge the gap between different instrument thread standards and mounting systems. In surveying and industri…

Mounts & Bases

In metrology and surveying, mounts and bases provide the essential stable interface between high-precision instruments—like alignment telescopes or total s…

Nails, Monuments, Brass

In surveying and land metrology, nails, monuments, and brass markers are the permanent or semi-permanent physical points used to define property boundaries…

Optical Alignment Fundamentals

Optical instruments increase alignment accuracy and decrease measurement time by providing stable, repeatable reference lines with no deviation, and there are three methods of optical alignment: collimation, auto-reflection and auto-collimation.

Optical Camera Adapter Kit

Optical camera adapter kits are precision accessories that convert traditional optical instruments—such as alignment telescopes, theodolites, and total sta…

Optical Inclinometers

Optical inclinometers (also known as clinometers) are high-precision sighting instruments used to measure angles of slope, elevation, or depression relativ…

Optical Instruments

Optical instruments are precision devices that process light waves to enhance images for viewing or to analyze material properties. In professional fields…

Optical Mirrors

Optical mirrors reflect a line of sight back at right angles so perpendicularity and flatness can be checked by auto-reflection or auto-collimation, available as magnetic and larger-area front-surface mirrors.

Optical Rentals

Optical rentals in the Philadelphia area are primarily categorized by their industrial or creative use. For precision metrology and surveying, North Americ…

Pocket Rod

A pocket rod (or pocket level rod) is a compact, retractable grading tool designed to function like a tape measure but serve as a rigid vertical leveling r…

Precision Automatic Level

Precision automatic levels are professional-grade optical instruments used in surveying and construction to establish extremely accurate horizontal planes.…

Precision Lifts

Precision lifts give fine, controlled vertical motion for optical tooling set-ups, providing roughly a half inch of travel to fine-tune instrument height after coarse stand adjustment.

Prism and Range Poles

Prism and range poles are fundamental surveying accessories used to hold prisms, GNSS antennas, or visual targets at a specific height for accurate measure…

Prism Pole Accessories

Prism pole accessories are essential for stabilizing equipment, mounting data collectors, and maintaining the long-term accuracy of your surveying setup. T…

Prisms

In surveying, prisms are specialized retro-reflectors used to bounce light signals from total stations back to the instrument to measure distance and angle…

Reflective Targets

Reflective targets (or reflector sheets) are low-cost, retroreflective markers used as an alternative to prisms for total station measurements. They are pa…

Repair, calibration, and customization

NASS repairs, calibrates, and certifies surveying and optical tooling instruments, including NIST-traceable and ANSI Z540-compliant work plus custom optics and camera modifications.

Scale Holders & Levels

Scale holders and levels are critical for ensuring that high-precision tooling scales are held perfectly vertical (plumb) or securely attached to the machi…

Scales

In industrial metrology and surveying, "scales" refers to high-precision measurement artifacts used to verify distances, calibrate instruments, or establis…

SMR Target Holders

SMR (Spherically Mounted Retroreflector) target holders, often called nests or sphere mounts, are precision-machined accessories that securely hold a laser…

Stands

n metrology and surveying, stands are the critical stable foundations used to support high-precision instruments. These range from portable, lightweight su…

Stands Extensions

Stand extensions are used to increase the height or versatility of your instrument support, allowing for sightings over obstructions or offsets in tight in…

Survey & Construction Instruments

Survey and construction instruments are precision tools used to measure angles, distances, and elevations to create accurate site maps and structural layou…

Swivel Heads

In metrology and surveying, swivel heads (and their associated mounts) are critical for orienting instruments and targets to capture specialized angles tha…

Target Centering Kit

A Target Centering Kit is a specialized metrology toolset used to precisely locate the center of internal or external diameters—such as bores, shafts, and…

Targets

Targets in metrology and surveying are precision-engineered markers used to establish coordinate points, measure distances, and maintain alignment across l…

Telemetric Alignment System

A telemetric alignment system collects tilt measurements from sensors placed up to 1,000 meters away, sending data back to a hand-held collection device for monitoring structural alignment.

Telescope Mount

A telescope mount holds and precisely positions 2.25-inch barrel alignment telescopes, combining a T-slotted base, cones, and V-block for stable line-of-sight work.

Testing & Calibration Equipment

Testing and calibration equipment in surveying and metrology ensures that high-precision instruments—like Total Stations, Theodolites, and Levels—maintain…

Theodolite Accessories

Theodolite accessories are specialized components used to enhance the precision, stability, and versatility of angular measurements. Since a theodolite onl…

Theodolites

Theodolites are precision instruments used primarily for measuring horizontal and vertical angles. While they look nearly identical to Total Stations, the…

Tilt Mounting Base

A tilt mounting base carries alignment telescopes and collimators on two bronze Vees with a tilting range of about 1.25°, while the instrument carrier rotates a full 360°.

Tooling Scales

Tooling scales are high-precision measuring artifacts used primarily in metrology and industrial alignment. Unlike standard rulers, optical tooling scales…

Total Stations

Total stations are the primary surveying instruments used to measure both horizontal and vertical angles as well as distances simultaneously. They combine…

Tribrach Adapters

Tribrach adapters are precision components that serve as the "bridge" between a leveling tribrach and your surveying instruments, such as total stations, p…

Tripods

In surveying and metrology, tripods are the essential stable foundation for precision instruments. They are categorized primarily by material—wood, fibergl…

Tripods, Stands, Accessories

In professional surveying and construction, tripods and stands provide the stable foundation necessary for accurate data collection. These instruments are…

Using a plumb bob

Video eyepieces

Video eyepieces (also known as digital or electronic eyepieces) are specialized camera attachments that replace or augment a standard optical eyepiece. The…

What NASS carries

A tour of the equipment groups North American Survey Supply distributes, from total stations and levels to optical tooling, with the brands seen most often in the catalog.

WYE Rotating Base

A WYE rotating base supports 2.25-inch alignment telescopes in two wyes, with four leveling and slow-motion tangent screws for reliable positioning of the line of sight.