> today I wrote a memo to myself on my phone with witnesses to a Government corner.
Are you suggesting a need for a FIELD BOOK APP for the phone?
An app with level comps, sketch pad, measure down information, pictures with notes...........
> Are you suggesting a need for a FIELD BOOK APP for the phone?
Great idea, downloadable to PC to be stored with other digital data.
....fits in the pocket of my vest and doesn't require me to carry a clip-board which leaves me 2 free hands. I use a small binder clip to keep an old-school timely template inside the back cover. That way I can write things down as I do them up to and including conversations with contractors, homeowners, etc.
The DC in the Leica has always been reliable enough to let it carry the raw data, use the notes for sketches and descriptions and such.
I just did a job with another HP-calculator-based DC that was flaky about storing points when the battery got low. Believe me, I am wishing for better notes on that job.
Lately I am wishing for one of those ADAPX pens and the dot-background Rite-in-the-Rain paper. Take all the notes directly in star*net grammar, dump it to the PC for processing.
I'm also reading a lot of field notes from the pre-data-collector days. The boss had some chiefs back then who could calc a job on an HP while the rodman was driving there. I always cheer when the first line in the notes is "wiggled in on line between pts 1 & 2".
Makes me want to get to that point, paper notes and an HP35 against your data collector.
You can have my volumes of field books when you pry then from my cold dead hands!
I use them for elevations all the time, they come in handy when I drive up to a job and remember setting a TBM that is closer to the site.
Love field books, need them for sketches, errors, like VH said, and notes, including traverse data (sometimes), instrument heights, rod heights for elevation transfers, level notes, and my static GPS notes. Need to record heights and time of start.
I used to prefer the loose leaf binders but have switched to hard bound. may go back to loose leaf sometime soon..when I run out of the hardbound books.
As others have written, job info, setups, edits, weather conditions, sketches, etc., all go in the fieldbook.
The DC is great for the data, and fieldbook copies go in the job folder.
There's nothing like being able to look up basic information in an indexed fieldbook for a job, when someone calls you about a survey that you did 8 years ago. It's like a diary or chronicle of all your work.
Always have, always will. End of story.
similar to what Rob does - we don't use a separate book for each job (unless required), but have a "library" of indexed field books. having a record of where the base was, HR's, checks, etc is important to verify DC data at times. some clients/project require a field book. we have a standard form we use for manhole details, separate from field books. a quick sketch to complement a digital photo can relly help out the CADD dept.
Mr. Ranger
My clipboard is 11"x17" with S Hook to attach to my belt (over butt). Hands free. Half 8 1/2"x11" is for sketch, the other half for locator map of other info. Data Collector still 48GX SMI version 7.
Carlton
Level runs pretty much about the only thing I use a field book for. print out the final point sheet for the files.. between that, the raw data file and the MAP, I figure anyone can recreate what I did.
Quality field notes on complex jobs can cut drafting time in half.
Always have always will.
I work for a City and we have field books dating back to 1780 or so.
I use them all the time.
When they used to process the data, create a worksheet and toss the rest of hte info.
But the field book is still there.
They loose files all the time!
I record setup info, first and last shots and make sketches.
I try to add as much info for the next guy as I can.
Jim in NH
Exactly!
The only thing not in them is the topo side shot data. That is simply listed as a range of numbers that can then be found on the corresponding sketch on the facing page.
They have been an invaluable resource when trying to find old control or decipher what was done many years earlier.
Yes, there are the electronic records, but trying to get information out of raw data files is a pain, particularly with older formats.
We now (for the last 8 years) organize our field books by a range of sections instead of date. That is we have field book 1-6.1, 1-6.2,,, 7-12.1, 7-12.2,,,31-36.1, 31-36.2,,,you get the idea. The idea was the that way control for similar areas would be in the same book. It does not really work that way, but it is pretty easy to find jobs when the FB was for some reason not annotated correctly or copies not made or lost.
IheaR YA MAN. i AM TAKING MY FIELD BOOK OUT OF THE TRUCK. I AM TOO OLD TO GET MARRIED!