Product Review: Leica Disto 3D
I've never really done a survey of an interior space. On numerous occasions I have set up total stations in the office or in my home to measure interior objects and have always found the process to be a real pain. Finding a suitable location for the instrument that allows me to move .... Read the Article
Product Spotlight: HP50g
Hewlett Packard has been developing products for land surveyors and engineers for four decades. In that time they have earned a well deserved reputation for bringing highly functional, quality devices, such as electronic distance meters.... Read the Article
Product Review: Sokkia SRX
A few years ago, when business was booming here in Texas and across the U.S., the demand for our services was growing. My dad and I realized that we needed to expand our survey operation. There were several routes we could pursuehire more people to help increase production (investing ... Read the Article
Product Review: MicroSurvey CAD 2010 Ultimate
"Good!" Step. Step. Step. Plumb the pole. Beep . . . beep . . . beep. "Good!" So goes the familiar rhythm of any one of a thousand topographic surveys on any given day. Each month, surveying magazines are filled with images of point clouds from laser scans. And each month the average practicing ... Read the Article
Product Review: Nikon Nivo C
Nikon's history stretches back over 90 years. It began as a merger of several smaller firms in Japan along with eight German technicians. Originating as Nippon Kogaku, K.K., or Japanese Optical Company, today Nikon is in a strategic joint venture with Trimble Navigation to .... Read the Article
Product Review: Hemisphere GPS R220
One of the recent trends in precision GPS manufacturing is the enclosed, fully integrated receiver. This is no doubt in response to market demands by surveyors in the field for gear that offers more durability and less complexity in setting up and getting to work. This trend has certainly offered ... Read the Article
Product Review: Altus APS-3
A few short years ago it appeared that the precision GPS equipment manufacturing market was going to be controlled by just three or four companies. Mergers, acquisitions and partnerships consolidated the market at a rapid pace, with no new companies entering the ... Read the Article
Hardware Review: Magellan Professional ProMark500 RTK
It's nice to pick up a piece of equipment that works right out of the box. That was my experience with the Magellan Professional ProMark500 RTK system. Building on the blade technology that made the ProMark3 RTK system such a capable L1-only RTK system, the .... Read the Article
Hardware & Software Review: Carlson Surveyor and SurvCE
If you're in the market for an extremely durable, fast, comfortable and well-equipped data collector, check out the Carlson Surveyor. Based on drafting specifications by the folks at Carlson Software and using the very reputable people at Juniper Systems to make it a reality, this unique data collector merits ... Read the Article
Equipment Review: JAVAD GNSS Triumph-1
In the world of precision GPS, Javad Ashjaee continues to push the industry ahead with new technologies and new options. With roots that date back to the early days of Trimble Navigation, Javad was integral to the creation of the first combined GPS/ GLONASS system. More than a decade ago he was .... Read the Article
Equipment Review: Spectra Precision EPOCH 25 GPS System
The EPOCH 25 GPS System, manufactured by Spectra Precision, is a unique system that markets to a unique customer base. Priced in the neighborhood of $25k for a complete system, the term return on investment doesn't sound so dauntingespecially for those who are only now considering entering the GPS market. Of course, anytime ... Read the Article
Equipment Review: ProMark3 RTK from Magellan Professional
The ProMark3 RTK is Magellan's latest precision, entry-level system, offering real-time kinematic power in a system that is substantially less expensive than dual-frequency RTK packages. The ProMark3 is a rugged Windows CE device (Fig. 1). Other than the operating system itself (CE.Net v4.2), most of the Windows applications have ... Read the Article
Equipment Review: Leica System 1200 (Part 2 of 2)
The Smart Antenna is a lightweight device that includes a GPS/GLONASS (GG models) or GPS-only antenna and receiver. For connectivity, it includes a wireless Bluetooth port, a LEMO port, and a clip port for attaching to the TPS1200+ Smart Station handle. It is powered by the ... Read the Article
Equipment Review: Leica System 1200 (Part 1 of 2)
Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor once said, "You've got a jet engine and you've got a riding lawn mower. It was only a matter of time until someone put those two together." Jet-powered riding lawn mowers notwithstanding, many of the new technological developments going on around us are built on nothing more than ... Read the Article
Editorial: Carlson’s 30th Anniversary
Downtown Cincinnati was the site for the recent Carlson User Conference and 30th Anniversary celebration. Held in the Netherlands Plaza, a gorgeous art deco building built during the Depression, the conference was another success. I found it interesting that the developer of the Netherlands .... Read the Article
The World's Oldest Instrument Manufacturer
I've long had a soft spot in my heart for Germany. My German grandfather emigrated to this country as a child in the late 1800s, his family possessing little more than the knowledge of raising Holstein cows and the strong work ethic, one of .... Read the Article
GIS Enhances Safety + Efficiency at Dow Corning's Midland Plant
While the concept of using GIS to accurately identify and map physical assets is widely accepted in cities, towns and municipalities throughout the country, that approach has not yet found the same level of broad acceptance within private industry. Perhaps because of a misplaced .... Read the Article
Trails of the Mesoamericans in Lakkin Itza (Florida)
Lakkin Itza is the author's play on words, comparing Florida to the more famous Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula. Florida being east of Yucatan, the author located this Mayan glyph representing east in the John Montgomery Dictionary of .... Read the Article
Reconnaissance: ExpressMap--The End of Surveying?
There has been a tremendous flurry of emails flying back and forth across the country over the last few weeks regarding ExpressMap™ and how First American Title is using it to try to put surveyors out of business. This column will try to separate the myths from the facts of ExpressMap .... Read the Article
Product Review: Carlson SurvPC and Supervisor
In 1983, Dad founded J. D. Billings Land Surveying Company. Survey software development was a burgeoning market with the relatively affordable and easily obtainable personal computer suddenly available. That same year Carlson Software was born. In 1985, because Bruce .... Read the Article
Angle Points: The $15,000 Question
The fax arrived at my office on one of those fine, sunny afternoons, one of those days you get up early just to stretch your legs and feel the warmth of the sun. It read: "Finally, it's over!!!!! The Court entered Judgment last Friday...!!!!! I'm faxing it to you--of particular interest to you should .... Read the Article
Footsteps: The "Weight" of Monument Placement
The placement of a property corner monument seems like such a simple act. If your land surveying practice is like mine, you may not remember the last time you set a property corner monument. Or, if your practice is focused on small property surveys, you may set property corners frequently .... Read the Article
FeedBack
Einstein on Surveying: I find "The American Surveyor" a must have publication. However, I am troubled that so much emphasis is placed on the technology and so little is placed on Boundary surveys. I believe the licensing of surveyors is for the express purpose of protecting the .... Read the Article
The Curt Brown Chronicles: A Lasting Legacy
Curtis Brown served as the elected president of ACSM in 1965 and 1966. He also served as ACSM's Chairman of the Task Committee on Education. All the while, he continued lecturing extensively across the country. Amongst his many endeavors, he returned to Purdue University where he .... Read the Article
Vantage Point: Haunted by the Past
They never die. They continue to haunt us long after they should have been retired once and for all. But once approved, old subdivisions and developments often manage to sustain a faint heartbeat years beyond changes in zoning, changes in topography, and changes in how we .... Read the Article
Huge cost overruns and missed deadlines have long been the accepted norm for construction project operations. But as construction starts to pick up after a long hiatus, construction expert Barry LePatner stresses the importance of putting new rules in place to make construction cost containment the way of the future for the construction industry.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama revealed his “Fix It First” plan for repairing the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Infrastructure expert and author Barry LePatner explains why he fully supports the president’s plan.
Note: This article originally appeared on the Machine Control Online website and is the result of a presentation made at the recent Esri/ACSM Survey Summit in San Diego.
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