Where do I submit new photos of a benchmark?

Go to the NGS site- read up on mark recovery and Download DSWORLD- read up on the naming convention for photos.

NCSpiralGuy, post: 436941, member: 12287 wrote: I have a photo of me with my GPS system at the benchmark

From the mark recovery form:

Photos of questionable quality or content, including possible privacy or copyright concerns, or distracting detail (personnel, company logos, etc.) will be rejected during a pre-load review by NGS.

Bookmarked the Mark Recovery Entry page. DSWORLD is not usable to me; it's a Windows executable and an MSI file, whatever that is. Is the source code available, so that I can compile and run it?

So here's how it went. On Sunday, late in the afternoon, I went to RAINBOW and took pictures looking down at it. Then I got out my pole and found that I had forgotten to take the bipod. It was too late to get it, come back, set up, and take pictures, so I went home.

Yesterday I checked the datasheet for nearby benchmark TURNER and found that it had no pictures at all. I figured I'd get it before or after shopping. I found the road blocked and someone pointing people to the detour next to RAINBOW, so I went shopping. When I got back, the road was open. I printed the datasheet, then went to RAINBOW, set up the pole with the GPS receiver on top just for show, and took pictures. Then I went to Turner Road, parked, assembled the GPS units and entered the coordinates. Some guy asked me what I was doing, so I explained and handed him a business card. It's just outside a border of vegetation next to the fence. I took downward pictures, then while getting the GPS coordinates I took a picture showing the house and another showing the power pole. I got coordinates because the elevation on the datasheet is not precise.

Because I had sent my data collector back to the factory and they had changed the interpolation of geoids, I figured I should get another shot of RAINBOW to get a possibly more correct elevation. Unfortunately, by the time I set up on RAINBOW, the number of satellites had dropped to 8 and I got DOP too large errors. I felt something on my left arm, grabbed it, and found that I had just crumpled a mosquito. Then I packed up and went home.

NCSpiralGuy, post: 436941, member: 12287 wrote: I know a benchmark in North Carolina whose photos need to be updated.

I consider it most important to be sure the to-reach instructions and distance ties are up to date, and don't always worry about photos if I'm doing a routine recovery report. If you are doing GPS measurements, take a minimum of 4 hours and submit via OPUS Share, along with the close-up and horizon photos and updated description.

For RAINBOW, the street sign has been moved since the last time it was noted in a recovery. I measured the distances and noted directions from the three closest poles (the street sign, the stop sign, and the traffic light pole). I haven't checked the tie to TURNER.

I don't know how to do a static GPS that I can send to OPUS. My system is set up to use the virtual reference network. I sent a message to the support guy at eGPS, but he's been busy at a trade show.

What do you do during the four hours you're taking a GPS reading? The high has been and will be at least 30 ?øC almost every day, and I don't want to leave the GPS system unguarded within sight of a numbered highway.

NCSpiralGuy, post: 438074, member: 12287 wrote: What do you do during the four hours you're taking a GPS reading?

Catch up on email, return phone calls, read a book and nap are my usual activities.

I have only done a few sessions out where people might notice, and those in rural or decent urban neighborhoods. I have a cable that I string through things and lock so that it would be clumsy hard to take the whole mess of gear. Then I do as Jim said or go look for other benchmarks in the area.

To catch up on email, I'd have to take my laptop, which means I could also program or draw. I can, of course, use the Jetpack for its Internet connection, but does it make sense to get an inverter or power supply that I can plug into the truck?

NCSpiralGuy, post: 438185, member: 12287 wrote: I can, of course, use the Jetpack for its Internet connection, but does it make sense to get an inverter or power supply that I can plug into the truck?

I don't have a good feel for Jetpack battery life yet, but after using mine (AC791L) for a few hours doing only RTN work the battery indicator is still around the 3/4 full mark. Using it for data-intensive web stuff would probably draw it down a lot more, but 12v auto adapters are cheap and readily available, so I always keep one on hand.

To be clear: the Jetpack is on the pole running the Internet connection for both the data collector (which in its usual mode accesses the RTN through it) and the laptop. The laptop's battery would be connected to the truck's battery if I got the adapter, but the Jetpack's battery is not connected to the truck's battery, although I could connect them, as there's a USB connector in the truck that I have used for charging the data collector.

NCSpiralGuy, post: 438196, member: 12287 wrote: the Jetpack is on the pole running the Internet connection for both the data collector

If you're collecting a 4-hour OPUS session you don't need the RTN -- just record directly to the memory device in the receiver or the data collector, depending on your equipment.

Got two power poles near TURNER; there's only one on the website. The other pole will make it easier to find when the grass is tall.

I'll check some other benchmarks that haven't been recovered recently.

I just submitted the updates and emailed the pictures to Deb Brown, since I didn't see where to upload them. The closeup of RAINBOW is smeared, so I omitted it; the pictures showing the new positions of the signs are more important.

I didn't bother with the elevation of TURNER. RAINBOW is a height modernization station; TURNER is not. If they want to height-modernize it, let them do it!

The high will be 30 degrees Celsius?

When did North Carolina go metric?