Lost a tripod/tribrach/R8 into the Monongahela River today. Strong storm came up suddenly and blew it off a wall into the river.
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and I just found out that data from the last couple of days as well is resting on the bottom.
No sandbags?
What are the prospects for retrieval?
probably can fish it out with grappling hook from a boat.
The walls have wire railings on both sides, but this one was at the end on a bull nose, and was outside the railing. We have been doing this for 11 years, only once had it happen with a tripod with prism in another freak storm, but we got that back because the lock chamber was dewatered for repairs. New rule...use metal cable to attach to wire railing if outside of the railing.
Dealer said if it was on it is most likely fried, if it was off it MIGHT still be good. Unfortunately it was on. In any case, we can't get it out (or at least try) until Monday.
It was at the far end of this wall...
John Hamilton, post: 387210, member: 640 wrote: probably can fish it out with grappling hook from a boat.
The walls have wire railings on both sides, but this one was at the end on a bull nose, and was outside the railing. We have been doing this for 11 years, only once had it happen with a tripod with prism in another freak storm, but we got that back because the lock chamber was dewatered for repairs. New rule...use metal cable to attach to wire railing if outside of the railing.
Dealer said if it was on it is most likely fried, if it was off it MIGHT still be good. Unfortunately it was on. In any case, we can't get it out (or at least try) until Monday.
It was at the far end of this wall...
If it is fried, would the files still be downloadable?
Dave Karoly, post: 387211, member: 94 wrote: If it is fried, would the files still be downloadable?
I would expect so, I think most receivers these days use standard data cards.
Dave Karoly, post: 387211, member: 94 wrote: If it is fried, would the files still be downloadable?
I would think not, but then again NTSB gets data off of black boxes after they have been in the ocean for weeks. Although a black box is probably way more hardened. R8 uses internal memory of some kind, not removable. But not a real loss, I can do without the data files, would not have to go back and redo anything. They were just some occupations to strengthen the deformation network at another project, a lot of times we don't do any GPS, we just started doing that since we are there anyway and have GPS units to spare.
P.S. This is one of the reasons I download daily on campaign-style projects. It adds some cost, but in the event of catastrophic equipment failure the damage is limited to 1 day's lost work. (Of course, some of my receivers are so old that they can't store more than a day's days anyway.)
what is strange is they didn't think the wind was real strong, but there was a heavy downpour. I checked nearby weather stations, no gusts more than about 10 mph. But these summer storms can be very sudden and localized.
John Hamilton, post: 387200, member: 640 wrote: Lost a tripod/tribrach/R8 into the Monongahela River today
How come you didn't jump right in after it?
John Hamilton, post: 387215, member: 640 wrote: I would think not
I've never opened an R-series receiver, but I wouldn't be surprised to find an SD or CF card inside. It's not like the old 4000 days, when RAM was soldered to the motherboard and required an internal battery to retain data between power-ons.
It's my guess that your R8 will light right up when you get it back. Those things are well sealed.
Sergeant Schultz, post: 387220, member: 315 wrote: How come you didn't jump right in after it?
I wasn't there!
They took cover inside an operations building, there was some lightning too.
The have a gore-tex like membrane in a small vent hole. Lets air in but supposedly keeps water out. Dealer said when on it heats up, and that opens a bit, but who knows. It was 10 years old. I have 2, one is original and the other was rebuilt after the main board went bad a few years ago, not sure which one it was.
Jim Frame, post: 387217, member: 10 wrote: P.S. This is one of the reasons I download daily on campaign-style projects. It adds some cost, but in the event of catastrophic equipment failure the damage is limited to 1 day's lost work. (Of course, some of my receivers are so old that they can't store more than a day's days anyway.)
I have downloaded every day ever since I lost 10 hours of very tedious topo because the SDR (not the 33, the little one, can't remember what it's number was) rebooted itself about 2 hours into the second day. The SDR had volatile memory. It had a bad connection so that when the dead battery was pulled out the connection was broken to the backup just long enough to wipe the data collector. The equipment today has non-volatile memory but I still don't trust them, could get stolen, run over, blown into the drink, etc.
It is easy now. My routine is export to a CSV file, then export to an RW5 file, then copy the project folder onto a USB flash drive, this is done at the end of the day while still out in the field. If we are doing static GNSS then I download the receiver to the TSC3 before we put it away then when all receivers are put away and the files are on the TSC3 then I copy the project folder to the USB flash drive. That later gets copied onto my laptop in the hotel room and the folder renamed to the date thusly: "2016-08-19".
I learned to export to an ASCII file several times a day, which takes seconds, after a sudden electronic burp wiped out a morning's work. The flash cards are almost indestructible.
Fail on the float test. Water looks bit deeper than a meter. Have any scuba buddies?
Fierce weather for it to clear the guard rails.
It fell in the worst place for whirlpools and fast current.
I feel your pain. Really. I would (probably against my better judgement) swim for it. Flashlights, High powered ones... and even 12" PVC tubes, with clear plastic glued to the ends, and weights tied to them. Use them from boats, (Weight makes them zero buoyancy, at certain depths) So, you need to be able to add and remove weight. With lights attached, you have a probe, to probe the bottom.
My best idea. (maybe not as good as some, but, low tech, and maybe possible.)
Hope you get your data.
N
I know a real good surveyor in California that would hire college students to watch his GPS equipment so something like this would not happen.
Could you not find anybody to hire for the day?
JOHN NOLTON
