Eric D. Colburn, PLS

Just a few land surveying photographs and images from the USGS I thought were interesting. I hope you enjoy them, too.

Professional Land Surveyor Source

USGS

High Standard Alidade

Cast Bronze Benchmark

Leather Boots The soles of made of heavy-duty rubber with metal studs

Professional Land Surveyor News

Yesterday, January 18, 2009, Reuters India reported from Beijing, China that over the past weekend China launched the third BeiDou (Big Dipper) or Compass satellite in an effort to build its own global satellite positioning (GPS) system. This latest satellite is part of  a proposed constellation of 35 Chinese GPS satellites to be in orbit by the year 2020.

China is competing in space with the United States and Russia, and in addition to these BeiDou or COMPASS satellites also has plans to land on the Moon in 2012. While this instills a great deal of national pride within China, and is increasing the prominence of China in the space arena, this initiative and the overall China space program has alarmed some western counterparts. Within the region, rival India, in response to China’s space ambitions, is now working to increase India’s space program.

As reported, the China BeiDou or COMPASS GPS network will provide the following services:

• Read the rest of this entry →

Milton Denny marks and documents a previous “Ellicott?mound” he discovered. The Ellicott mounds once served as the border between the U.S. colonies and Spanish Florida. Photo by Justin Schuver.

The following news story is a very interesting article I found about Professional Land Surveyors participating in an Auburn University-sponsored workshop, “Locating the Ellicott Mounds Along the Alabama/ Florida Boundary”:

Andalusia starting point for ‘mound hunt’

Professional surveyors look for centuries-old markers of Alabama-Florida line

By Justin Schuver (Contact) | Andalusia Star-News

Published Friday, December 4, 2009

More than 35 professional surveyors and engineers are visiting Andalusia this week to take part in a “hidden treasure” hunt. But in this case, their treasure is literally nothing more than piles of dirt.

The professionals are participating in the Auburn University-sponsored workshop, “Locating the Ellicott Mounds Along the Alabama/ Florida Boundary.” The Ellicott mounds were established in 1799 by Andrew Ellicott and a team of both Spanish and American surveyors, and were used to mark the 31st parallel and show the boundary between Alabama and Spanish-owned Florida.

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China Compass (Beidou) Constellation Planned by End of 2010. Source: InsideGNSS.com

Here’s an article I found China Daily about the Chinese Compass, or Beidou (Big Dipper) Global Navigation Satellite System which is expected to challenge our U.S. developed GPS, the EU’s GPS and Russia’s GPS.

This Compass GPS is planning on providing regional service to China with 12 satellites in 2011. By the year 2020 China plans to employ a total of 35 satellites in this Compass navigation satellite system.

Also reported is that all four Global Navigation Satellite Systems are negotiating compatibility amongst their civilian-use technologies.

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Land Surveying Display

LITTLE ROCK, AR—Secretary of State Charlie Daniels today announced the opening of the summer State Capitol exhibit, Lines on the Land, which celebrates both the art and science of land surveying as practiced in Arkansas for almost 200 years.

The exhibit features images from the archives of the National Geodetic Survey’s archives, plus a generous selection of surveyors’ equipment, both vintage and modern. Lines on the Land demonstrates that while the profession’s tools and, to some degree, techniques have changed, its emphasis on accuracy and precision has remained constant. Read the rest of this entry →

Magellan Triton 2000

While not necessarily thought of as a tool for Professional Land Surveyors, the , none the less, is a very handy tool for Professional Land Surveyors and outdoor enthusiast, alike. The Magellan Triton 2000 has proved to be a good tool to have in any Professional Land Surveyor’s tool box.

What I liked about the Magellan Triton 2000 is:

1. The full-color display. It was easy to read and the touch-screen worked well. While it was easy to read in full sun light, the real strength is using the Magellan Triton 2000 in low-light conditions, like under heavy tree canopy. In the woods, the screen is very readable, I think even better than out in the brighter locations.
2. The Magellan Triton 2000 takes 2 megapixel photos with geographic locations in the field. This can be a great way to take photos of the monuments you find in the field, and then be able to distinguish between them geographically back at the office. With a regular digital camera, if you’re not careful, it can be hard to tell what the photos you took in the field actually represent. With the Magellan Triton 2000 you now have a way to incorporate these photos into your project GIS.
3. The Magellan Triton 2000 comes Read the rest of this entry →

Suunto X9i Wrist-Top GPS Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, Compass, and GPS (Military)

Suunto X9i Wrist-Top GPS Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, Compass, and GPS (Military)

Product Description

Features: Compatible with digital maps, it is the perfect tool for planning routes in advance and storing the best ones for re-use Navigational functions calculate your present heading, remaining distance and time to finish, distance to the next waypoint and your drift from the planned route Mark home-find home function allows you to mark your home position easily and click find home when you decide to head back Compatible with National Geographic’s TOPO! State Series digital maps for route planning before the activity PC software gives you a graphical representation of your performance Altimeter-barometer functions include current altitude, vertical speed, weather alarm, 6-hour barometric trend graph, and 7-day weather memory so you stay in tune to incoming weather Time features include 12-24 clock, dual time display, calendar, 3 daily alarms, GPS time synchronization and a stopwatch with 29 split times USB recharger and PC connector included Specifications: Weight: 27 ounces Increments: +– 2-3 degrees Declination adjustment to Clinometer to Altimeter: Yes to Yes to Yes Battery type: Rechargeable Li-ion battery Battery life: 45 hr (1 sec GPS fixrate) to 12 hr (1 min GPS fix rate) to 2 weeks (manual GPS fix, 500 locations) to 2 months (in time and alti-baro modes) Channels to Waypoints to Routes: 12 to 500 to 50

Product Features