Thursday, August 23, 2012

Tools

I regret having to post this but........

I noticed something about myself the other day and when it hit I was struck with a sense of disdain.  Here is what happened.  There I was in the hinterlands miles from cellular service on an ATV with my GPS and running wild.  At a particular time of day up here all of the satellites gather together in a tight cluster and chat or something.  Anyway when this happens the GPS goes south and you have to wait it out. So there I am in the wide open waiting for the GPS to settle down so I can gather a shot.

That's when it hit me; If I was traversing with an instrument I would have done and gone.  Sometimes I wonder if all of these little gizmo's and tech-toys are actually making us work harder.  I started thinking about traversing and GPS.  When I was traversing I'd carry a few nails and a range pole with a prism.  GPS, I carry spare batteries, nails, a tape, a bipod, and ax just to guarantee a shot.  Now if your thinking why  the hell are packing all that crap along.  Well as soon as I leave the truck get to my search area; if I left any one of those things behind, that's the one I need.  So the superstitious side of me says better to pack it and not need it than need it and not have it.  By the way for those who are saying just go back to truck; well some days that commute is 1/2 mile horizontally and vertically so for me not an option.  

We used to survey differently also; traversing was along the line your were surveying because that was the shortest route; Toady we hit each end and hardly "walk the line"; be honest.  Also then we didn't limit our abilities based upon the equipment.  Today we do.  Then we cut through brush and traverse into a monument.  Today we get creative to try to use GPS.  Like the other day I saw a guy with a GPS unit on top of a 25' fiberglass leveling rod taking a shot on a property corner to get over the trees.  the base of rod was on the rebar.  The gps head was somewhere over the street.

Sometimes I get nostalgic and wish for the old days of traversing.  Then when I resurvey a section in hours instead of days; I wake up.  I guess my boredom is my own worst enemy.......  

3 comments:

  1. Dan,

    The guy with the 25 foot rod is just classic. And he won't say a thing, and the guy in the office will put a large sum of money on that shot being “bang on”… Nice. You have to wonder how secure the “multi-thousand” dollar GPS Rover was secured to a 25’ fiberglass rod ??? Duct tape ? Bailing wire ? In my mind, if you can get a good shot on it – cool, but if you can’t, you need to set some additional control where you can get good GPS shots, then traverse in. Really profound statement there isn’t it…

    Cutting brush down here – forget about it. We used to, but not any more, well almost.

    Personally, I am a firm believer in “I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it” – any day of the week. Just a sure as you forget something, that something is indeed what you need.

    Getting to traversing, I do indeed miss those days, then of course, you can get around an entire section in (say) 2 hours. Back in the day, you occupied each monument unless it was absolutely necessary to traverse around to it due to obstructions. Field notes prior to data collectors, chaining, wrapping angles, doing an Alta or Topographic Survey while set up in the intersection for most of the day. Remember being handed a set of plans by “the boss” and him saying “go out and stake this”. No AutoCAD files, point plots, imported design text files … I could go on and on.

    Best,

    Dane

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  2. Dan,

    If you had a GNSS setup you would not have had to wait, but GPS makes us surveyors fat cause we work less and wait more.

    T

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  3. Dan,
    A few thoughts on your thoughts…
    Let's combine two of your posts. Had you been packing, and if you are a good shot as I assume you are...you could have taken care of the unit on the rod.
    I worked for an outfit for a brief time that used 6 or 7 line rods stacked in a 3' metal tripod pointed to a hill a mile away. This was the sectional breakdown. The bottom feeders will always find a way to do it in a way to negate any possibility of obtaining proper accuracies. And if the fellow sitting in the office doesn't know the PC's habits, well, that speaks for its own self.
    I particularly enjoyed the 3 man crew traversing days. It was possible to train those coming up. But, eventually so many people were using radial surveys that they never traversed anything. I like GPS because I can walk the boundary without cutting (down here in the land of open skies).
    I am still a believer in two man crews. How do you carry a shovel, GPS, trimmer, field book, ax, pistola, rebar, hammer, nails and flagging all by your lonesome? Who are you training to take the field when you and your Dad are cruising the street with your walkers? And safety is a whole other beast. If we can't afford it, then that’s an issue that will continue until…what…December of this year when one of a hundred and forty-six apocalyptic scenarios is to occur. This one man survey crew does not appeal to me. I do understand your situation and if I had my own business in this day and age, I might be doing the same. Nevertheless, I'm thankful I'm on the end of my time in surveying.
    Keep the chatter going. It is always a pleasure.
    And Cheers,
    J.O.

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