I started out using bound field books, and have done so ever since (35+ years). Nowadays I wind up scanning all the field notes, which is a bit laborious.
I am thinking that using a loose leaf book with insertable pages would be a better way to go. I don't do the kind of work where I am likely to ever wind up in court. I heard that is the reason for bound books, although I don't know if that is true. I had also heard that notes should be in ink, but I never did that.
One advantage I see is that I could create different kinds of pages for different types of work. Right now I use a custom log sheet for GPS (which I have printed in tablets of 50 pages 1000 at a time), and we use the same style of field book for levels, traverse, mon recovery, references, etc. Also, much easier to scan, put a bunch in the sheet feeder and scan automatically.
I would like to hear some thoughts pro/con.
I use a bound field field book myself. I like the loose leaf book for my helper. Mainly so I can have his notes while he still uses the book.
I use both. Small jobs might get the loose leaf paper for field notes. Larger jobs that span a long time get the bound books.
It works for me.
Only one client ever gets field books, I just asked and they are fine with loose leaf. They have 2700+ field books, and quite a few of the old ones are MIA. So having scans is a way to avoid that fate.
I did some work with City of Philadelphia survey department many years ago (monument network), and they showed me field books they had from the 1700's. On the other hand, the City of Pittsburgh threw out all of their field books with triangulation and traverse data in the 60's, so that all that is left now are coordinates on index cards (for 18,000 monuments). I have asked them about the possibility of scanning the index cards, but of course manpower/money is an issue.
I am not a fan of loose leaf field books...don't like trying to write with the rings in the way. If I'm using a field book I prefer a bound book.
I use custom forms printed on card stock. Letter size on a clipboard although have some that are setup to fold in half for backwoods work. The advantage is the original notes can go in the project folder.
Bound books for me/us. I am left handed and the rings in a loose leaf book are annoying. Tradition!
Dave Karoly, post: 384629, member: 94 wrote: I am not a fan of loose leaf field books...don't like trying to write with the rings in the way. If I'm using a field book I prefer a bound book.
I use custom forms printed on card stock. Letter size on a clipboard although have some that are setup to fold in half for backwoods work. The advantage is the original notes can go in the project folder.
I should mention that I would probably use the loose leaf paper on a clipboard, then put it in the book, I recently had the cover on standard field book almost disintegrate in a heavy rainstorm.
I have used the loose leaf books for years. It is handy to keep them in the job folder. I number the pages as I go to help keep things in order.
I am a lefty, and have use the book backwards to keep from dealing with the rings. The pages are 'upside down' if placed in a conventional book, but it works for me.
Ken
Looseleaf and bind with a staple or a brass plated fasteners.
That way they are in the job folder.
With other companies needed book was all to often out with another crew and/or we had to copy notes to take with us because another crew needed the book to complete their job.
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Both
An old timer in this area used to call them "lost" leaf field books
I like loose leaf of working on multiple jobs, bound if it is one big job. I like the idea of templates for loose leaf but have never used one, seems like it would be great for predictable tasks like monitoring, control etc.
I do not like the practice of storing loose leaf notes paper clipped together in the job folder though, I think a better system is to keep copies in the job folder and archive all notes in binders.
If I forsee the job being a big job, I'll start a binded book. otherwise, any handwritten notes go in a loose leaf book. I keep much better digital notes, my handwriting sucks, the wind plays havoc with pages. But, loose leaf allows me to use what I need. Many of today's loose leaf binders don't last like they used too. they just wont close up tight. I'm starting to put more pictures with my digital notes, but that's still in the learning phase
I've never used a bound field book -- just loose leaf so the notes can go into the job folder, and I've never heard of a Maine court case where the field notes were even introduced as evidence. But in my salad days, in 1980, I did have an incident where I left a loose leaf binder replete with two months' worth of notes of the roof of the truck and we thought we'd have to do the project over again for free. Returned to the site to find the notes scattered up and down a one mile stretch of Route 1 in Scarborough, Maine, some in trees, some in culverts, and so forth. Found every sheet but one, had to run levels for about 45 minutes for free. Most instructive. In retrospect a bound book would have been less likely to fly apart and might have been recovered intact.
Cee Gee, post: 384888, member: 451 wrote: I've never used a bound field book -- just loose leaf so the notes can go into the job folder, and I've never heard of a Maine court case where the field notes were even introduced as evidence. But in my salad days, in 1980, I did have an incident where I left a loose leaf binder replete with two months' worth of notes of the roof of the truck and we thought we'd have to do the project over again for free. Returned to the site to find the notes scattered up and down a one mile stretch of Route 1 in Scarborough, Maine, some in trees, some in culverts, and so forth. Found every sheet but one, had to run levels for about 45 minutes for free. Most instructive. In retrospect a bound book would have been less likely to fly apart and might have been recovered intact.
Bound books get lost too. I had one pop out of my back pocket in Paterson, NJ in the mid-70s. We never found it. No one turned it in. Lost 2 days worth of work on that job, and the records of the other jobs in that book. A big loss.
Ken
Ken Salzmann, post: 384891, member: 398 wrote: Bound books get lost too. I had one pop out of my back pocket in Paterson, NJ in the mid-70s. We never found it. No one turned it in. Lost 2 days worth of work on that job, and the records of the other jobs in that book. A big loss.
Ken
been there, done that... but I had xerox of the whole thing in the job folder. I made a bound copy and put it on the shelf with the other book, but it never looked right.
in more recent years we scanned everything for archive
Cee Gee, post: 384888, member: 451 wrote: I've never used a bound field book -- just loose leaf so the notes can go into the job folder, and I've never heard of a Maine court case where the field notes were even introduced as evidence. But in my salad days, in 1980, I did have an incident where I left a loose leaf binder replete with two months' worth of notes of the roof of the truck and we thought we'd have to do the project over again for free. Returned to the site to find the notes scattered up and down a one mile stretch of Route 1 in Scarborough, Maine, some in trees, some in culverts, and so forth. Found every sheet but one, had to run levels for about 45 minutes for free. Most instructive. In retrospect a bound book would have been less likely to fly apart and might have been recovered intact.
When I was in business in Wyoming, 1969-1988, loose leaf was all we used. We did many miles of route surveys, either buried telephone cable or pipe lines for oil or gas. Loose leaf was the only way to go, so at the end of the week when the crews were back in the office, the field notes coukd be left for the office personell to do the calc's, plotting, etc. Using a bound book for these jobs would not have been feasable in order to keep the pages in order and not get separated and these were filed in the job folder(s). One job would have a measuring crew (EDM), a chaining crew (for slope measurement and trench details for the buried cable surveys), and a crew locating section corners and making ties to the monuments. A lot of a buried cable survey job would cover a vast area and more than just one set of a crew were on the job working different areas. In 1975, we did over 600 miles of telephone and pipe line routes all over the Eastern portion of the state,. I had 24 people in the field and 11 in the office so we could get all the drafting and mapping done.
Once in awhile if the client requested it, we would use a bound book, usually a duplicating one.
For my whole career I've worked for companies and in offices with separate field crew and office staff, often multiples of each, and everywhere it's always been loose leaf. Since scanning became readily available c.2000 they have always been scanned as a backup.
For the last six months, at my current place of employment, I've been the sole surveyor. And I've been using bound books. That has been handy because wherever I go I've got the notes from the last trip on hand. I scan the notes periodically as a backup.
I have been using loose leaf "Rite In The Rain" since I started my business over 18 years ago and I don't think I would ever go back to bound books. In this day and age our paper notes do not contain a ton of info and GNSS observations are recorded on a forms separate from the field books. The crews keep the pages in 1/2" hard plastic binders while in the field. To avoid the problem of hitting the rings when using the opposite side of the page we just flip it over. When the crew gets into the office they place the notes in a in box/binder where the office staff reviews the notes while processing data. Once the data is processed the notes are stored in thicker binders by job number. Now days I scan the notes for archive (as a bonus the scanner auto-rotates the notes). I also have a portable scanner that the crew uses to send notes when away from the office. I've even considered not storing the notes once they are scanned and backed up.
When I had multiple crews and office staff this worked out great and I seen no reason to change now that it is just me and the occasional part time crew.
