I've been reading a lot on here and everyone seem to has their own preference of equipment. I just wanted to share ours: 2 topcon gts bluetooth transits, three wooden tripods, 2 4' expandable rods with single topcon prisms, 1 topcon hiper ga green label rtk unit, tds nomad dc, topcon dumpy level, 25' crain level rod, and other various "tools". We are rather "new" to the gps world, because we do a lot of boundary work, and just recently have began to do site control and some ties with the gps. Just sharing because a lot of you guys seem to be heavy in the gps, and robotic world. We as a company are very young in gps but have been in land surveying since 1968, I, myself, am somewhat new to gps also, but was trained by an old surveyor who stressed the value of learning the "old" way. He started me out on a theodolite and chain, then and edm transit and field book. I am thankful He took the time with me to show me how to survey like that. It wasnt until 2006 that i started using a data collector, I left the field for a few years and some things passed me by(hp 48s, etc.), but i caught on quickly to the tds rangers and nomads. I still to this day follow the procedures He instilled in me of check and recheck everything in the field. This has helped me avoid a lot of mistakes I see some younger guys with our company and other companies make these days. Not bashing anyone just an opinion of the direction of our industry, from tradition to technology. 😉 😀
Good old rules using modern technology. Priceless!
I remember when we got our first edm in the 70's.
The party chief did not trust it so we would chain the distance after the edm shot.
Old party chief would cuss the edm after we missed it by 0.3 or something like it.
i am talking like a mile or something up and down the hills.
GPS is a tool, but what a wonderful tool.
I did not really have the funds when I got my first GPS system (Locus L1), but it changed my business and my life as a surveyor.
Today with the Topcon Hipers and the Leica Robot, I truly can do any job, but still use the old rules every day.
Welcome to the new age of surveying, its good stuff quit fighting it.
Yep!
Just can't beat Quality Control.
Remembering how we always did a control drawing even after we went to Total Stations.
Crew was out-of-town surveying, 300 miles away.
Returned.
I looked at notes (sketch) and said, "Oh Oh".
Crew could not believe it.....
One angle was not shown being turned.
Sure enough, someone had to drive back and turn it.
Too bad they didn't look at that drawing before they left.
Good procedures make for good surveys every time.
yeah we do drawings in the field even with gps. i would like for our company to get more involved with gps/gis/mapping, right now we are heavy in civil, boundary, construction. imo the technology is progressing so fast its hard to keep up. with the economy the way it is now its hard to jump off into new fields.
