GPS help???

Don't worry about some of these old, crotchety, surveyors. They're just jealous you have two good eyes. Keep asking away.

GPS isn't hard to learn and make money with. The problem with GPS is that it always gives you an answer, and that's not always a good thing.

Great name BTW

You can start by reading this wiki about GPS.

Hopefully your new job will come with some basic instruction on how to use the equipment. From what I can gather, and I don't use real-time-positioning, it's very complex in its simplicity.

I'm still learning about GPS, but this was a cool site when I was asking similar questions. I have never done pipeline work, so I don't understand how demanding it is, but a robot does work everywhere. I would think GPS is still your best bet.

Edited... Can't figure out how to post a link from my phone. Google "Trimble about GPS"

I am not crotchety. When someone has a handle "stoner" (EDIT: I see that is a knee jerk reaction on my part) and asks a question that is already discussed in depth throughout this forum, I get a little grumpy.

People, like Kent, have spent countless hours carefully crafting posts and responses so that people can search and find these answers. It just seems sureal.

I am so very sorry my last name is STONER!

It isn't you that frustrates me, except for the using us as google, which we all do.

I am frustrated at the situation, that it is highly likely that you will be handed a black box and put to work.

That isn't your fault.

Perhaps even more frustrating is that there is a 99.999% chance it will work out fine. And that is a little scary for our profession.

That is my bad. Fine last name, but coming from WA, I thought it might be political.

🙂

Surveying Quote of the Decade

> ...it's very complex in its simplicity.

Whenever the BeerLeg big book of survey quotes gets published, this should be on page one. (Along with Nearly Normal's "redundancy is ignorance in reverse" from the old rpls.com)

I read a lot of dire predictions about our Profession on this site. Most of them relate to our eliminating the next generation through our business model. I say it runs a bit deeper than that.
Any more if a guy admits he isn't superman, it's an invitation to a flamethrower contest. I recently noticed a long-time poster stepped up and asked what many of us consider a basic question. I commended him for it and the thread died.
I have no issue admitting I was once dumb as a post regarding Surveying. On some subjects I am right there still. You only get past that point by asking questions and digging for answers. It's not rocket surgery...
As for the subject, spend some time reading on the NGS site. Start here- http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/pub_index.shtml
There are some awesome papers on basic procedure and concepts.
Good luck, Tom

MR 1826
Down at the bottom of the main page, under the information heading, is the search function. As others have said, do a search, there has been much discussion about GPS.

This can be a great site for information on many topics for "New Guys on the path"
Glad you are on this path as I am about to fall off the other end. We need new Surveyors.

Joe

Maybe so, but then why post anything new on this site...I mean, we've all talked about various aspects of surveying on this site, just do a search function.

So often a good resource will suddenly become passed by, simply because that great resource has such a snarky, condescending, wholler-than-thou attitude towards those who are simply searching for some guidance.

If the longtime practitioners are so scared their profession is doomed, then why? Oh why, do some insist on being so awful towards their "replacements"?

I once read on THIS SITE that "you don't need to swing at every pitch." I like that advice, yet I find myself in this instance feeling the need to "swing."

MR 1826
Down at the bottom of the main page, under the information heading, is the search function. As others have said, do a search, there has been much discussion about GPS.

That was the first thing I did. I searched "GPS books" "learning GPS" GPS resources" "GPS beginner" and found nothing.

I promise I will post more reluctantly next time.

I had a meeting with the construction company and survey company that will be stamping my as-built plans. The decision has been made I will use a robotic total station to locate the pipe and connections. There is existing control that was used by the topo crew for the design. I also learned it is a water main.

However, I did order the book suggested and printed the information from the NGS website and will start learning.

Thanks again for the help