About eighteen months ago, I purchased three Emlid Survey Poles for an excavation project in Greece. Fieldwork runs about 8 weeks during the summer months. Unfortunately, the poles did not last into the second summer of fieldwork. They would often come apart in sections and had to be put back together using an Allen wrench. They do not seem to be built for extending and retracting on a daily basis. Eventually, we simply keep them fully extended to 1.80 m. But even here, they were not reliable. My team had to measure the actual pole height daily, to be sure. Sometimes it was 1.82 or 1.81 or worse. I own 6 Reach RS2+ devices and have been very happy with them, but the survey poles are a very different story. For next season we will be purchasing other poles, more reliable at nearly half the price. I don’t know if any one else has had similar issues with Emlid’s poles, but I would not recommend them for daily fieldwork use.
Buy good quality SECO brand survey poles/bipods. Stay away from carbon fiber construction of rods. From my experience, they crack eventually and don’t last long for field use.
But they are so pretty? 
Disagree.
Been using my Carbon Fibre rod + Aluminum Rod twice-weekly (8 hour field days minimum) since 2016
As reliable as day 1 besides a few minor glitches.
Hi @jcd,
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I’ve reached out to you via personal message, as further communication will require sensitive information.
Which brand and model is the rod? I could see certain types of carbon fiber cracking and shattering like a fiberglass Corvette in a wreck.
They were not conventional brands. I bought them lightly used off ebay and seemed to have been branded by the company that had purchased them.
I’ll take pics when i get back from vacay. I think there is still some branding on them
ENJOY THAT VACATION @adrian.levy99 !!! 
Suggestion for Emlid
I love the tripod, its light, quick and compact for travel with a phone. But in contrast it’s not consistent with the target high accuracy market and potentially introduces its own vertical uncertainties.
There is no lock or even any indication of where it’s actually set. So you have no idea if you really are 1.80m, or 1.72m, or 1.64m, or…
It needs:
- At least an indicator line, etched in so it doesn’t rub off over time. And maybe at a couple at common marked heights. I’ve marked mine with a permanent ink pen for confidence as a start:
- Ideally it would have holes and locking pins like other extendable poles in the industry. I understand this would change the aesthetics from the clean look style, but I think certainty and accuracy is more important in this target market.
I’ve made up my own pin sets ready as a plan B if I get desperate enough to drill the holes. It is possible to buy generic pin sets but I found them a little too thick and short for this application.
Hi Wombo,
Thank you for sharing your idea! I’ve noted it and will pass it on to the team.
Couldn’t agree more with @EBE111057 !
And how about the assembly instructions?
Hi @petehernandez,
I reached out to you via personal message regarding your question. Could you please check your inbox when you have time? Thanks!
Have the poles currently on sale solved these problems?
Hi @step
Just to clarify, are you referring to the issue mentioned by @jcd, or are you talking about the idea @Wombo suggested about adding markers on the pole? Let me know so I can better understand and assist!
I’m referring to what was written by @jcd
Our Survey Pole is designed to be compact and lightweight because we saw that this was something that wasn’t available on the market. If you need to get out of the car quickly, unfold the pole, take a few shots, and put the receiver and pole back in the car, it’s the perfect solution. You can even take it on an airplane. This is one of our most popular products, and we get a lot of positive feedback about it, but it is not without compromise. It does require that the hex screws on the locks be tightened from time to time and that it be used with care. It is not as strong as a classic pole. If you need something that can really take a beating in the field, it is better to choose a classic survey pole. It all depends on your priorities and needs.
Well said
Thanks I did.
I completely forgot about this post.
My Carbon Fiber Pole was actually a SECO.
Still holding up great