I stumbled onto an online app for Designing Low Distortion Projections. It's fairly automatic and has nice graphics. Here's a PDF that shows you what it can do:
http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc14/papers/999_700.pdf
Go to their Website and you can get a free one-day pass. Here's the page to get started:
https://geo.ldpdesign.com/support/getting-started
It walks you through the design, even starts you out with a Grid Scale Factor based on Ellipsoid Height from their Topo Map:
And gives you a nice graphic to show you the PPM limits of your projection:
A bit pricey, but I can see the value. It's nice that they give you options:
Dave
i think i have corresponded with the developer in the past, and seems a solid operation. good for them
I just re ran some static through TopCon Tools using a nearby private CORS (6.4 miles from my own CORS). The 3 distances: 33653.491, 33653.582, 33653.420. Does it really matter which is grid, ground and geodetic? It's nice to be near the meridian within 100' of sea level and 100' of the ellipsoid.
Being on flat ground at or near the ellipsoid definitely makes life a lot easier when it comes to GPS.
Michael Dennis is a principle in this company. He was instrumental in helping design the LDP's that are now in the Oregon Administrative Rules.
If you need his services, I would not hesitate to contact him. He did an excellent job for Oregon.
I forgot to post the Oregon LDP website.
And he wrote this most excellent white paper that I found this morning:
Ground Truth: Design and Documentation of Low Distortion Projections for Surveying and GIS
John,
In that link, under Manuals and Documents >> Basic Surveying-Theory and Practice is an excellent source for every Surveying Formula you could ever want. And a nice Glossary of Terms, too.
Dave