rumor has it Kent did a topo once, then a dust storm blew thru the next day and his contours were all off.....
Always use the right tool for the job. Maybe it's setting a pair in the open with a connection to the NSRS and then using the gun. Maybe it's not. That's my go-to tool.
Kent McMillan, post: 375650, member: 3 wrote: Except when the question is whether the practice of a profession really is any different than selling chicken wings or brake jobs, there are obvious wrong answers.
It's discouraging to watch Texas licensees actively try to turn the practice of a profession into just a list of franchise operations with catchy-sounding names and discount coupons.
Except there was no question until you made a rude and unprofessional jab at an upstanding member of the surveying community.
Well, does it really matter whether you want to crack out the GPS or the total station first if the entire profession is on a downward trajectory under the completely foolish marketing model that seeks to turn surveying offices into just another franchise deal like a chain of oil change shops?
paden cash, post: 375838, member: 20 wrote: I get the impression Kent sticks with boundary work. I might be wrong.
Actually, I try to only do work that requires some land surveying expertise. Topographic mapping is routine work that more than seven out of ten surveying firms should be able to crank out and I'm usually willing to pass it along to them. It's the sort of work that doesn't lead to anything worth doing aside from ... more topos.
paden cash, post: 375783, member: 20 wrote: One can measure the temperament of our general audience by the altitude of the outlandish statements to which an individual has to resort to obtain a reaction.
I see it as harmless.
Believe it or not, I thought this thread was pretty well petered out on the original topic when I just noticed that Shawn Billings had apparently struck off in surveying practice on his own and was shocked to see that he'd chosen such a flakey name to operate under. I'm sure it makes sense to him, but if you want to assemble a list of reasons why the public is so confused about land surveying, I'd definitely rank styles of practice that create the illusion that the surveyor is just there to sign maps churned out by a well-oiled machine a starring role.
It was only later that the awkward fact of having two Billingses operating firms in the same city occurred to me as the most likely reason why Shawn had opted for Dependulum Surveying.
I always have seen Kent as an agent of change for the improvement of the profession be it about survey procedures, techniques, LSA, legal descriptions, and many other topics. The problems arise when he doesn't let up and starts flaming others with a biting wit. People get offended.
People see him as rude or a troll but they don't see the picture.
Plus, his opinion is only his opinion be it right or wrong.
This latest word squabble has merit on each side of the argument
Look at it this way. This generations Pendulum Surveys might trend into the next generation as Purple Pendulum Surveys or other extreme non-traditional names.
There is nothing wrong with tradition.
Robert Hill, post: 375867, member: 378 wrote: Look at it this way. This generations Pendulum Surveys might trend into the next generation as Purple Pendulum Surveys or other extreme non-traditional names.
There is nothing wrong with tradition.
There are generational standards in play, too. Here is one Texas engineering firm's approach to marketing their services to a younger generation with shorter attention spans.
http://www.bigreddog.com/&apos ;">Big Red Dog Engineering
One won't forget their name once you hear it. It might even appeal to my daughter, who grew up with Clifford books. I hope that by the time she's old enough to be evaluating which consultant to hire she has the good sense to pass on the ones named after colored animals.
A high quality shovel and magnetic locator...
Jason Graves, post: 375781, member: 9531 wrote: I haven't participated in this board very long, but I've seen one person cause 2 very heated discussions .....
I've participated for many years, and in that time there have been plenty of people who have been downright abusive. Kent is merely provocative and some people are a little sensitive, IMO. If you are going to state opinions on the internet you better have a thick skin.
FWIW, when I first read your post I thought you might be speaking of me.
Wow, the pot ain't been stirred this vigorously in months! 😉
Mark Mayer, post: 375904, member: 424 wrote: I've participated for many years, and in that time there have been plenty of people who have been downright abusive. Kent is merely provocative and some people are a little sensitive, IMO. If you are going to state opinions on the internet you better have a thick skin.
FWIW, when I first read your post I thought you might be speaking of me.
I have to wonder how many lurkers avoid more active participation on this board because Kent is "provocative". What exactly is he attempting to provoke by the way?
I think he probably just has a provocative nature and is humored by kicking the fence and watching the dog on the other side slobber and bark. Or he might really be stricken and suffering from mathematical OCD. Whichever it is I think he's probably been that way a while and won't be changing anytime soon.
I use to work with a fella that would watch me eat lunch every day and then critique the way I went about it. Drove me nuts and Kent reminds me of that guy. The worst thing in the world anyone could do was try and either shut him up or argue with him. I had no idea a chainman knew so much about diet and digestion..
What would really drive him nuts was to see me eat mayo on a sammich that had sat in a brown paper bag all morning on the dashboard. He would almost pull it out of my hands! He was convinced I would be dead by sundown.
That was when I started chewing with my mouth open just for his benefit. :whistle:
Nate The Surveyor, post: 375395, member: 291 wrote: I have a cool tool.
N
:clap::clap::clap:
So, back to the original post;
The first items out of the truck are the Metal detector and the shovel.
The project is going to determine the method, whether it be instrument or GPS/RTK.
foggyidea, post: 375976, member: 155 wrote: So, back to the original post;
The first items out of the truck are the Metal detector and the shovel.
The project is going to determine the method, whether it be instrument or GPS/RTK.
OK. I agree. But here's a serious question: Do you carry a roll-up chain or tape also?
Reason I'm asking is because my hands drive me nuts with their "pacing". Now granted we all ought to be able to pace 50 or 60 feet when kicking up pins and not be too far off. But when I pull and see a PC and his hand 600' from a known point and they're out there waving the Schonstedt around like a magic wand...and they don't have the slightest idea where they are really at. Drives me nuts...And I hate it when I tell them to "pull 50 feet off that nail" and I look and he's pacing away....
All my guys know they better carry something to measure with....
We will get the "long tape" out, on occasion. We pace pretty well, and if we find a point we may tape if there is a lot of other metal in the ground. Once we find two points we'll shoot them, translate and rotate to them and then start shooting for others.
But you have to keep in mind that 90% of my work is on single lots, around an acre big, and we are in a recording state with piles of record plans, some better than others.
Shawn Billings, post: 375966, member: 6521 wrote: I have to wonder how many lurkers avoid more active participation on this board because Kent is "provocative".
Remember when the board format changed and Kent refrained from posting for awhile? How many people commented on that, posting their laments, and even pleaded with Kent directly to come back?
Now and then I, too, have been the target of Kent's provocations and I know that he can "sting like a bee". I usually had it coming. I don't take it as personal.