Most of my education has come from HKU (Hard Knocks University of Life) and my career has not exposed me to a great deal of GPS equipment. Is anybody aware of Community College level courses, preferably in the Colorado Springs area, where I could get up to speed in a hurry. I interviewed for a job this morning and the company is still using all the equipment I am familiar with, but they did express an interest in purchasing some GPS equipment in the very near future. I feel it won't be long until an old dog like myself will not be needed anywhere in the field and all I will have is my office skills.
Usually such a purchase would have a training session or two available that is specific to the equipment and supporting software. If you can find a course, take it for the overview.
jud
If it's Trimble I recommend Mike McInnis at gpstraining.com.
One of the best basic primers on GPS I've ever seen from Javad.
A good book is Jan Van Sickle's "GPS for Land Surveyors". I'm sure Larry has it, too. It's not manufacturer specific. A fair portion of an earlier edition of this book is on-line with google books.
The NGS has a great publication by Bill Henning named "User Guidelines for Single Base Real Time GNSS Positioning" which is really useful.
You will find that the line between the study of GPS, of Coordinate Systems, and of Adjustment Computations is a fuzzy one.
It would be hard to imagine that any Community College would offer a GPS type course that would give you what you are looking for. Maybe it would be better to take the continuing education course that is typically run in conjuction with an annual conference. I think that would set you up for some self study you could do after that course to get you where you want to be. It probably will not be in Colorado Springs, but for a few bucks more, you could keep working, which is what you want.
I's suggest what you need to do is a course that covers the systems that GPS uses. One such coarse is offered at Great Basin College. You can do this coarse online.
SUR 440 Geodetic and GPS Surveying (3 credits)
Introduces geometric reference to ellipsoids, ellipsoidal and local coordinate systems, coordinate transformation in 2D and 3D, datums and datum transformations, orthometric heights, the reduction of field observations, effects of the earth's gravitational field, state plane coordinate systems, and GPS network design. The student is expected to design a GPS network, collect the data, and process the data to extend control to unknown project control stations. Prerequisite: Must have completed SUR 281, SUR 330, and PHYS 152.
Learning how to operate the equipment/instruments is secondary to understanding the fundamentals of how the GPS systems works. You should be able to learn to operate the equipment on your own or with the help of the vender or other users.
Most state surveying society annual conferences include a 1/2 or full day session specifically oriented to GPS. Sometimes even sponsor a 1 day seminar. Some are basic, some advanced. I've found that I've learned (or re-learned) something at every one of them.
I'll second the Micheal McGinnis recommendation for Trimble. He'll travel, but he lives in CO (Boulder I think), so that may be a good road trip for you & save some $$.
The vendors will teach you how to use the equipment & basic software usage. But will likely be not so helpfull as to why & how it all goes together, which is where problems start.
Never looked deeply into the NGS website, but I bet there is something there of a basic overview.
Good luck. And like yourself, I liked the world better when it was flat.
I will give another recommendation to Mike McInnis. I took training from him many years ago and still benefit from it. Any training will be worth the investment.
> Learning how to operate the equipment/instruments is secondary to understanding the fundamentals of how the GPS systems works. You should be able to learn to operate the equipment on your own or with the help of the vender or other users.
:good: :good:
Perhaps so, but here is a link to Hinds Community College here in Mississippi. If it's part of the curriculum here in Mississippi, you know that it must be so everywhere else. Click the link and scroll down to "Design and Drafting technology" to class DDT2453. Part of the survey program taught by a friend of mine.
Trimble dealers usually have plenty of classes.
Most Trimble dealers offer the vBooks cloud based online training as well. Those are generally pretty good from my experience.
Another idea is to find some retired DOT guy with experience with static work to help you. Some of them have very rich experience. If you can find a Geodesist in any regional schools, that would be enormously beneficial too.
Like most of the newer technologies, you can use it with very little training. But you won't understand how it's working ("it just does") so you'll be vulnerable to glitches.
Also, check out NGS publications. Bill Henning has done an excellent paper on VRS networks thats on the site.
I would also get in on some of Michael McInnis's training. His company is called System Dividends. I took my first 3 day course from him a couple of months ago and really liked it. He is from the Denver area.
I have also gone through some classes by Matt Nawrocki and enjoyed them also. I have learned alot in both that compliments all of my classes from college.
I see vBooks is now rGuide. Most Trimble dealers will have a link on their site, but it might still say vBooks.
Here's the Seiler Instrument link to the training.
http://seilerinstruments.rguidestore.com/
I've only taken one course, but it was well worth the cost.
Thanks, downloaded the primer and NGS publication for future reference. I will look into the course and/or seminars too. There are no seminars listed at this time.