Hi all,
I work for the underground water utilities division and we're looking to implament gis and gps coordinates to locate our pipes.
The idea is to record the coordinates of the pipes to be able to map them, and relocate them after. We need decimeter acuracy.
I found the Trimble GeoExplorer 6000 Series
And
2) Trimble Geo7X handheld series
Any thoughts on these for my uses, and or any recommendations? First time user for this type of system. I want to be able to aquire the points. Put them into my computer, display them, save them, them stake the points out at a later time.
Thank you.
Depending on where you are are located the Geo7x can "dial" into a Virtual Reference System (VRS) and provide the accuracy you need. Software will need to be accounted for as well. There are a few hurdles to get over when setting these databases up, but once they are up the maintenance is minimal. Shoot me a PM if you are interested and I can provide some more info to you.
N10,000, E7,000, Z100.00 PLS - MO, KS, CO, MN, KY
I would recommend taking a look at the Leica Zeno 20 on Android. You could start with their Zeno Mobile Professional software, which will allow you to create your features/attributes in excel (no costly office software) or on the device itself. It also offers stakeout capabilities.
Alternatively you could also utilize a software like Esri Collector for ArcGIS to have direct integration with ArcGIS Online/Portal as you start to grow your project.
The internal antenna of the handheld itself is capable of higher accuracy (5cm or better) than the Geo 7X, plus you can achieve 1cm accuracy in a 3rd party software, which isn't doable with the Geo 7X.
Check out the specs of each product as well. There is quite the difference in hardware.
There are several factors that I'd be watching for, as you enter this world.
First, we are all land surveyors, mostly, on this forum.
2nd, the companies producing products, for our application, are also producing products for your application.
So, if it were me, in your shoes, I'd visit a couple of large cities, to see what they did, and maintenance costs, ie, long term viewpoint.
Chances are, you are going to build a long term GIS of sorts, and in 5, 10, 15 years, somebody else, is going to be staking, data that you gathered.
And that's when you (or they) will discover how good the whole big picture was done.
Look good, before you leap. Initial costs, maintenance of equipment costs, keeping firmware current. Good advice at this end, will save the day, in the long run.
Now, having said that, I don't know the best answer for you.
But, some leg work at this end, could save you, (your city) in the long run. And, good training, for data gathering tecniques, could be very valuable later.
Simple is good, for field crews. Knowing what it all means, in the office will be critical, especially after gathering data for a couple of years.
N