Kris , I was not trashing you .
I agree with RADU, I find writing notes in a field book while shooting topo distracting and leads to more mistakes by me. It's better to concentrate on getting the codes and THs correct in the DC. The only thing I write in the book on topo is the range of point numbers for each setup.
I write a lot more down for control and boundary work.
If it is topo for potential litigation (e.g. trespass lawsuit) then I tend to write down a lot more notes but not just standard topo for the engineers.
Radu
Paul when any one publicly states their assistants are idiots there is cause for concern. I simply stated a remedy that might gain their mutual respect!
RADU
Radu
I think Kris was just using a little hyperbole. We all have gripes when our field guys give us bad or incomplete notes, just as the crews do when the office guys give them incomplete info or a pt sheet they can't read.
Mr. Falk & Mr. Breysacher
Does this have ANYTHING to do solely with a field book? Does the judge see your field book and immediately deduce that you were in responsible charge?
“…How do you convince a judge you were in 'responsible charge' if you can't prove that you decided what evidence was to be recovered or is your field crew licensed and putting their stamp on the survey?...”
I show clients, opponents and judges that I was in responsible charge by displaying detailed knowledge of overwhelming evidence.
I would be happy to never win in court; Because it is my goal to win before you ever get to court.
We book all HI's and HS's, prism offsets point numbers and descriptions with BIG notes and asterisks near known problems- mainly w/ the HI's and HS's.
Topo is a lot more sparse- mainly just notes for future editing.
Well
At least you got my name spelled right the second time you peacock.
> > Does anyone do something similar or am I still in the stone age?
>
> Well, you're in East Texas, right? So there's no way you're in the 21st century.
>
> I use a data collector for logging all measurements on boundary and topographic surveys, but I do keep a field book as well. The field book gets the basic data: HI for all setups, HT for shots. That is exceptionally useful.
>
> The other area where there is no substitute is in mark descriptions. I can write as much as is needed in a field book quite a bit faster than I can key it into the DC. So, "SET.ROD.CAP" in the descriptor field can be logged in the field book as "Set Standard Rod and Cap approximately 0.75 ft. North of Center of old 6 in. Cedar Corner Post (top leans off plumb 1.5 ft. Southerly from base) at approximate center of scatter of six large cobbles found".
>
> Naturally, sketches can be very useful as well and the field book is the ideal place to make them.
That's funny coming from a man that uses 20th century GPS and won't trade up. 🙂
FWIW, we do it like you.
🙂
Steve
You got it dude.
Paul
Glad you got a laugh from it buddy. 🙂
Richard
Someone once said, you cannot polish a turd. That's so true, but it's also possible that you get attached to the turd.
My guys do some dumb ass things now and then. Idiot actions. I get mad but still keep them employed. I have thrown away my can of Simonize Turd Polish though. Gave up on trying to change the turds.
When using RTK GPS you could always read out the ECEF for the vector and write the DX, DY, an DZ in the field book, but I don't. Just look at the DC file later if I need to.
I'd think time would be better spent taking pictures, recording voice messages and properly coding the DC file. I do take some hand written notes about corner evidence though. I have some static GPS occupation sheets with check boxes and a description area. Keep them in 3 ring binders, scan them in when back at the office.
Lay you data collector in front of a judge if you are called upon to prove your work in a cadastral survey and see how far you get.
My pencil never has run out of battery power !
Call me a luddite but ...............
Derek
What would you write down in a field book about the measurements taken by RTK GPS other than maybe the antenna height? You gonna put down all the SV numbers and such? It's all coded into the DC file. The only way to get it in a hand written field book is to transcribe it out of the computer file so if there is a mistake it probably would be in the field book.
A field book can't save you if you measured to the wrong point.
No, but mine has run out of lead, if I don't plan ahead.
I too have to provide a written record of every job for the closeout file, found it is much easier to download each day, then at the end of the week back everything up.
Of course, if something goes to court, I print out every day's raw data file, coordinate list, and copies of field notes, such as they are. I, and most of the other folks here, can provide hard copies of what was actually done.
>
> Call me a Luddite but ...............
OK, your a Luddite;-)
Is that some kind of fish?
Cheers,
Radar
I thought it was stuff they use to make counter tops, but I'm not up on all that newfangled cuisine.
I have never had an Attorney or Judge care about the technical data in my field book.
They are mostly concerned with any notes I have about who I talked to about what and possibly when I did certain things. For example the question comes up in discovery "when did you know the fence was over the boundary?" My notes are useful for figuring out the date upon which I finished mapping the fence. They don't care about my HIs or THs or angles or anything like that. I just put some of that in the book for my own convenience later.
Field Books.. David
Excellent points David
John,
I like that idea! Was I the one that drove you to it? Sorry about that 🙁 ! Working for you was my break!
Thanks, sincerely, THANK YOU! 🙂
I do however advocate the need for field books. There are many reasons but most of all in my eyes, they are a record of all the data collected, times, dates, crews, sketches of details, instruments & equipment used, discussions with pertinent individuals, and so-on. I don't believe one needs to re-record the data already collected electronically but rather supplement it with additional details in the field book. In the construction arena, maintaining a record of the plans used, revision dates and any special instructions are invaluable.
Knowing the frustration of dealing with my own memory at times, I've also taken to keeping project diaries (even if just notes on "yellow dog legal tablets") and leaving myself (and others) 'read me' text files within the stored files, explaining what was done, why and where to find things.
CV
> That's funny coming from a man that uses 20th century GPS and won't trade up. 🙂
Hey, I'll buy some new equipment when I need to. I'm not going to buy it just for the hell of it, though. Besides, the real deals are in buying several generations back. My idea of upgrading would be to buy a Trimble 4700 rover, some Pac Crest radios to transmit corrections from my 4000ssi base and get a TSC-1 with Survey Controller. All for next to nothing.
The reality is that the GPS equipment is only useful so far and then you have to crack out the total station anyway on most projects, at least the ones I do. The reality also is that for finding corners, a handheld with WAAS corrections is perfect for quite a bit of rural work and a helluva lot more portable.
