I mostly can't stand working on laptops.?ÿ I think it's OK if you have a docking station and real monitors but when it comes to screwing around on them in a truck I'm not a fan.?ÿ Plus, you can't pull a laptop out of your vest and look at it, so... needless to say I prefer paper.
Anyway, I know Trimble has the cloud stuff now so you can pull files out of it with the data collectors, so if I were you I might look into these kinds of options.
Too many guys who waited till monday morning to send friday's data, when on some occasions I'd planned to work on it on saturday.
Ha....
We had as many as 15 or so people collecting gravity with GPS and if the boss didn't get your files and scans before bedtime you'd get a call, a knock on the door, a pounding on the door and then a hotel manager to check out why you weren't answering the call etc.
At 1-2000 dollars a day charged to the clients, you didn't last long of you didn't get your data off the DC and to the PM prepped and ready.
Good field people are worth their weight in gold( we did gold exploration too) and marginal or poor field people wash out not fast enough usually.
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Laptops and a laser printer capable of printing standard and 11x17" sheets.?ÿ If the laptops will have any CAD programs, it will not be a savings to go cheap on the processor, graphics card, or RAM.?ÿ If you don't have your crew chief plot deeds, then include dxfs of all deeds on layers that match the names of the PDFs you send.?ÿ If you provide phones, simply have them use their phone as a hotspot.?ÿ If two man crews, instruct the passenger to download and send the day's data while driving home at the end of the day.
My favorite field setup was an IPad mini with cellular service with Bluebeam loaded.?ÿ The office could create projects on the cloud and upload all paperwork.?ÿ I could access the projects and make mark-ups in the field or even call in and ask for additional info.?ÿ They'd upload it, I'd do a refresh and there it was.?ÿ Just make sure you wrap that Ipad in a good case and screen protector!?ÿ
Another thing I loved having is cellular on my TSC's.?ÿ I hate carrying that extra hotspot.?ÿ It's just another battery to charge or go dead and another connection to deal with that sometimes gets to be a hassle.?ÿ?ÿ
As a solo guy that occasionally runs a crew or two.?ÿ I've gone away from paper and now carry a Surface and Android tablet.?ÿ The tablet fits in a vest pocket and was only a couple of hundred dollars so I'm not really worried about it.?ÿ The surface is for doing calculations if needed.?ÿ For boundary work I review and mark up my research then load it to my OneDrive.?ÿ If warranted, I will create a DXF with search coordinates.?ÿ This works for me as a solo guy and when I'm overseeing several crews in the field.
One thing you need to do is brief and debrief on a regular basis.?ÿ You still need to maintain reasonable charge over your crews.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, I don't have crew members doing field calcs.?ÿ And I don't really want them squinting and panning through stuff on a 2"x5" screen.?ÿ So a fistful of paper prints works the best where I am
I use a TSC7 and because it's a 7 inch bright screen with Windows 10, I have not used paper for 2 years now.?ÿ All the references I need come electronically already, so it's far easier to put them in my project folder or on onedrive and I have all my references with me.?ÿ Never have to unfold a big plot when it's windy, forget plots in the truck. Plus I can easily markup a PDF on the TSC7 checking off what I've looked for, checked, etc.?ÿ Also haven't used a paper field book in 3 years.?ÿ Mostly what it had was instrument/base point numbers and heights.
@john-hamilton Hi John, good to connect again!?ÿ Thanks for the input.
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Thanks for all the replies.?ÿ It was an interesting mix of paper vs digital.?ÿ We'll probably stick with them having a laptop and printer at their houses and print out the prepared "PDF Field Packet".?ÿ I am leary of making too many changes all at once.?ÿ I really like the idea of mandatory end-of-day email check-ins.?ÿ Thanks again for your ideas!?ÿ Liz
Hi, Liz
Tablets & PDFs are the way for the modern surveyor. Getting current now will be less harder than doing it later when there may be multiple level of leaps the get current.
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Tablets and PDFs are the way for some jobs, paper for others. The idea one must surrender one tool to pick up another is at best silly. Painting it 'modernisation' doesn't make it any more valid.
Surveyors who toss aside proven practice and tools in favor of everything new are doomed just as those who refuse to try anything new.?ÿ
I am a solo operation and I have a lap top with cad on it 99% of the time. I also print a paper file of all of the deeds and plats for a job. I prefer to be able to calc any points I need to set while I am in the field as well as being able to draw any structures etc., while I am there looking at it. Its a huge time saver for me not having to run back to the house to calc, plus my drawings are about 80% done when I do get back.
Hi Liz,
I'm a field guy and prefer paper, but rarely get it these days.?ÿ I use a TSC7 with a SIM card and additional SD card for storing most files.?ÿ I can manage field files fairly effortlessly with it.?ÿ With the SIM card I can get internet in areas with cell service.?ÿ I use my phone to scan field notes and sketches and we use a cloud service (onedrive, dropbox, etc) for photos.?ÿ One drive has proved to be better on the field guy end since our company phones are iphones and they utilize HEIC photo files and upload fairly quickly to that cloud service.?ÿ The collectors can also store and attach photos and can be sent in attached to each job file.?ÿ We have also tried using Trimble's Connect to send files back and forth, which was fairly convenient.?ÿ We stuck with sending files via email because of the server back up it lends.?ÿ?ÿ
~Eric
The collectors can also store and attach photos and can be sent in attached to each job file.?ÿ We have also tried using Trimble's Connect to send files back and forth, which was fairly convenient.
We have the crews take photos of their field notes with the data collectors, and attach them to that day's job, so when they change job status to "Field Work Complete" at the end of the day, the field notes are pushed with the raw data (and any other attached photos/files) to the cloud and can be downloaded by the PM or office tech.
The cameras in the TSCs are not as good as they could (should) be, but with a bit of practice the crews are able to take clear photos. Then we have everything for that day's job located in the same place when we download.
@rover83?ÿ
We implemented the aio scanners/printers back in 2005 prior to smart phones for the same purpose.
Well trained personnel and planned field operations evolved from good operators suffering lackluster events in previous organizations I suppose.
There's always different flavors, but there are only a few right ways to do things, and then there are the rest....
