NIST

> My dealer says that they can only do it in their main office (which is in Switzerland!?!?!).

That equipment is WAY to valuable to ship, I'd build the cost to hand deliver it to Heerbrugg (really nice place to visit this time of year) into my proposal.

AS3

Adam

>I have experience with this caveat from working in a nuclear power plant and am absoulutely certain that it does not mean what you are infereing.

> The documentation of the calibration methods is what is of the utmost importance. Calibrations must have statistical modeling associated with their tolerances. That is esentially what the NIST standars impliment.

Understood.

But, did you find that the bureaucrats involved in reviewing this accepted a State Calibration baseline as meeting the standard?

Often, they are more interested in having the piece of paper for their checklist than the actual fact of the calibration.

What did your nuclear contractor accept?

Wiped out

Somehow my post got wiped out, but in short, Yes, it is all about the documentation and the language you use to report the calibration methods. There is boiler plate language out there to help with your calibration report.

AS3

Adam

I would have to look at my files, but I am sure I turned in the calibration report from my local service and repair (Leica) provider, along with an NGS baseline calibration report from a calibration I did on the Total Station 30 days before the project, along with a summary report regurgitating the prime contractors checklist and language.

AS3

Most of the time, your contractor is regurgitating language that was delivered to him from the prime, from the client and has absolutely no idea what the "NIST Traceable Calibration" means.

AS3

We do work for a defense contractor and they required NIST standards, however they did not understand what it meant and we were able to convince them to accept our local Leica service calibration report in which they certified that it met a certain standard (cant remember off top of my head what it was, probably ISO something).

And yes, I was told the same thing about the instrument having to go to back to the Swiss for the NIST.

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/INFO/Policy/edmi_cbl.html

The NGS EDMI calibration program policy statement linked above explicitly states that their baselines can be considered a tie to the NIST distance standard.

Of course, the validation of angular precision is another matter...

That's a great link. Makes sense, as the instruments used by NGS upon creation of the calibration base line are no doubt NIST traceable instruments.

I wonder what its like for other CBL users out there - around here, three of the four closest CBL's are in need of repair, as the marks have been damaged, dug up, filled, or otherwise made questionable.

I am pretty sure this one meets the NIST standards. Isn't it "Not In Survey Trust" standard?

COWBOY

what does NIST have to do with shipment to switzerland? NIST is nat'l institutes of standards and technology, here in gaithersburg,MD. formerly nat'l bureau of standards.
i was lucky enough to lay out a new lab there, and met the gents that work in the distance and angle standardization operation. some very nice setups in there.

Thanks to all for the advice....I think we will be able to work it out.

As for NGS baselines that are deteriorating, in NY/NJ/CT, the State DOT's usually have someone that coordinates the rehabilitation of calibrated baselines with the State LS Society and the NGS.

Howdy,

If you read further in the referenced document in my previous posting you will see how NGS proposes the problem be resolved. If you or your colleagues want a new CBL or to verify/update and existing one, NGS will help as described in the document.

NGS does NOT have a field force tasked to this work.

Contact your state advisor/coordinator for more details.

I worked with the MD Society of Surveyors to set a new CBL and to remeasure an existing one. It is not a one man job. The equipment and software provided by NGS is straightforward to use with good results dependent on careful attention to detail.

Cheers,

DMM