Point of Beginning articles from December 2004

Point of Beginning archives from December 2004

Pick-a-Sam.(Editor's Note)(leader for the surveying profession )(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... As this issue is going to press, our nation has chosen its new president for the next term. It's an important element of our country's health to vote for a leader, and it's seen as a privilege to many in this country and other countries. ...

Offsets.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... October 2004 I read with interest the piece by Dennis Mouland in the POB October 2004 issue, titled "Junk Math." This is a topic close to my heart and I have been pushing it through [our] education[al institutions] and at professional...

Letters to the editor.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... September 2004 I would like to briefly respond to Bill Leonard's letter on page 6 of the September 2004 issue of POB. Licensing boards must set requirements for licensing that reasonably assure that surveyors adequately serve the public. A...

BLM launches two web-based tools for accessing Land Use Records.(The Latest News)(Bureau of Land Management)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) deployed two new web-based data tools within its GeoCommunicator website: "Land and Mineral Use Records" and "Federal Land Stewardship." GeoCommunicator (www.geocommunicator.gov) is a website for the...

NSPS opens 2005 Annual Student Competition.(The Latest News)(National Society of Professional Surveyors)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) released the guidelines for its 2005 Student Competition. The competition is comprised of a problem decided by the NSPS Education Committee, which is now available on the NSPS website at...

NOAA dedicates commemorative monuments to honor the Wright Brothers and the Bodie Island Base Line.(The Latest News)(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
December 1, 2004... On Sept. 17, 2004, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) honored the contributions of the Wright Brothers, and the recovery and restoration of the Bodie Island, N.C., Base Line distance measurement of 1848. At a special...

Topcon new headquarters to provide end user efficiency.(The Latest News)
December 1, 2004... Almost three and a half years ago, Topcon Positioning Systems Inc. was formed by a corporate consolidation of its survey, GPS and construction positioning products divisions. This past fall the Japan-owned Topcon Corporation made another move...

Ten years of international reach: Stuttgart hosts INTERGEO 2004.
December 1, 2004... The southern German city of Stuttgart--headquarters of Porsche and Daimler-Chrysler--hosted the 2004 INTERGEO conference and exhibition (known as the trade fair) October 13-15. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the event and the 88th...

Mapping a national memorial: the latest surveying and GPS technology create a complete GIS of a sunken battleship from the attack on Pearl Harbor.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2004... The photograph of the USS Arizona taken after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, is one of the most memorable of World War II. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Engulfed in smoke and listing awkwardly, the battleship had been...

Divided by determination: the trials and tribulations of surveying in Texas in the 1800s.
December 1, 2004... "The Thing That Steals the Land." That was the name given to the surveyor's compass by Texas Indians in the mid-1800s. A box compass with peep sights mounted on a Jacob staff and a surveyor's chain were the tools early Texas surveyors used for...

Honoring the expedition: a pictorial retelling of this year's Surveyors Historical Society gathering in memoriam of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
December 1, 2004... After dreaming for 20 years about exploration of the American continent, President Thomas Jefferson saw his vision come to life when his private secretary Merimether Lewis headed out with Lewis' friend and former commanding officer William...

As-built advances: old and new technology keep an airport expansion project running smoothly.
December 1, 2004... The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle, Wash., colloquially known as Sea-Tac, is a major transportation hub for the Puget Sound area and the Pacific Northwest. In 2003, almost 26 million passengers flew from or into Sea-Tac and...

A legal look: on title loan surveys.
December 1, 2004... For average Americans, the purchase of a home is the single largest financial transaction that takes place in their lives. Even for the most savvy consumer, the real estate transaction can be daunting, to say the very least. The terms and...

Web files.
December 1, 2004... Get all the information you need about manufacturers and dealers by visiting the websites listed here. Find out about products, services, projects, specials, news and events. Get contact information or learn about job opportunities. Simply...

Surveying solutions.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Each month we present a surveying problem from the second edition of 1001 Solved Surveying Fundamentals Problems by Jan Van Sickle, PLS. As in the following example, the answer will appear beside the problem, in a shaded box. We hope you enjoy...

POB 2004 CAD/surveying software survey.(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... PROGRAM/VERSION Autodesk Survey 2005 Autodesk Civil 3D MANUFACTURER Autodesk Autodesk WEB ADDRESS www.autodesk.com www.autodesk.com Price ...

Surveying defined (internationally).(On the Level)(Column)
December 1, 2004... The International Federation of Surveyors, better known as FIG, met in Athens this past May for its annual meeting. In one of its more important actions there the General Assembly revised its definition of surveying for the first time in 10...

Company checkups.(The Business Side)
December 1, 2004... Many men (and women) are slow to get annual health checkups even though they are very important. Many of us have heard stories about people who could have saved their lives by getting to a doctor quicker than they did. Besides your health,...

Sokkia offered a new antenna for the Axi[s.sup.3] L1 DGPS system.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 401 Sokkia offered a new antenna for the Axi[s.sup.3] L1 DGPS system. The new model replaces the existing one and is included with each new purchase of the complete Axi[s.sup.3] system. The new antenna is lightweight (1.1 lbs) and features...

Sokkia released SDR Level 5 v5.52 software.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 402 Also, Sokkia released SDR Level 5 v5.52 software. The new version features support for Two Technologies Inc.'s JETT*ce, EGNOS data format support, additional language support for Latvian, Polish, Russian, Croatian, Estonian, Macedonian...

Eagle Point.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 403 Eagle Point released Version 8 of its SMI field surveying product line. Software enhancements include: Bluetooth support, the addition of more than 4,000 geographic coordinate systems, support for GEOID 96/99/03, improved drivers for...

Leica Geosystems.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 404 Leica Geosystems introduced the SPRINTER 100/100M series of electronic levels. With the SPRINTER 100/100M measurements are displayed and recorded in less than three seconds using a bar-coded staff. The level's electronic eye eliminates...

Tripod Data Systems (TDS) announced it is providing complimentary copies of its TDS COGO for Pocket PC surveying software--a $99 value--through the TDS website.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 405 Tripod Data Systems (TDS) announced it is providing complimentary copies of its TDS COGO for Pocket PC surveying software--a $99 value--through the TDS website. TDS COGO provides a complete range of coordinate geometry tools to allow...

TDS announced a trade-in promotion for customers who trade in any data collector other than an HP 48 for a new Ranger bundle or TDS Recon with Survey Pro 4.0 software.(New & Notable)
December 1, 2004... 406 Also, TDS announced a trade-in promotion for customers who trade in any data collector other than an HP 48 for a new Ranger bundle or TDS Recon with Survey Pro 4.0 software. The trade-in allowance is $600 for a Recon 200/400 or Ranger...

Pacific Crest Corporation.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 407 Pacific Crest Corporation released Sitecom, a field-hardened UHF/VHF radio modem designed to mount on heavy equipment. Sitecom provides reliable radio communication between RTK controlled heavy equipment and RTK reference stations. Its...

Optech Incorporated.(New & Notable)
December 1, 2004... 408 Optech Incorporated announced its next generation ILRIS-3D Intelligent Laser Ranging and Imaging System. The new ILRIS-3D offers many enhanced features, including an integrated 6 megapixel digital camera, automated truecolor point...

DotSoft.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 409 DotSoft announced Legal-Works 1.0, an AutoCAD-based legal description writer that automates the process of creating metes and bounds descriptions using AutoCAD geometry. Working inside AutoCAD 2000 or higher, it is a customizable tool...

Maptech.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 410 Maptech released the Outdoor Navigator, an outdoor atlas for handheld PDAs (Pocket PCs or Palms). Outdoor Navigator provides instant access to more than 60,000 topographic maps and nautical charts for the continental USA. Priced at...

NavCom Technology.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 411 NavCom Technology announced Version 3.0.0 Global Positioning System (GPS) software. This latest software version provides a number of significant product features, including RTK Extend, a technology that combines the capabilities of...

Software by D'Zign.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 412 Software by D'Zign released the Surveying Pac software for the HP49g+ calculator, which runs on a 75 Mhz ARM9 CPU at approximately 15 times the speed of the outmoded HP48 model. D'Zign's Surveying Pac is sold on 32 Mb cards with 30 Mb...

Bentley Systems Incorporated.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 413 Bentley Systems Incorporated released Bentley Geo Web Publisher 2004 Edition, a high-performance Internet server that enables local or regional governments, utilities, communication providers and other organizations to develop and...

MicroSurvey.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 414 MicroSurvey announced a 50% price reduction in its data collection offerings. FieldGenius 2004 is now available as a single version for $995, and includes full robotic control, volumes, contouring, roading and RTK GPS support....

Diversified Brands.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 415 Diversified Brands offered Krylon OSHA Paints, a full line of quality special purpose aerosols with color standards that are approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Act Governing Board. Krylon OSHA Paints dry in 12 minutes or...

UCLID Software.(New & Notable)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... 416 UCLID Software announced that it now provides GIS services including data conversion, geodatabase implementation and GIS training. UCLID's GIS services reduce the workload and ease the burden of implementation, helping its clients...

Ohio State University (OSU) and at East Tennessee State University (ETSU).(Turning Points)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 1, 2004... Dr. R. Ben Buckner, of Johnson City, Tenn., passed away Oct. 9, 2004. Dr. Buckner had five college degrees, including a PhD in civil engineering and an MS in urban and regional planning. He developed the surveying programs at Ohio State...

Dynamix Corp.(Turning Points)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Dynamix Corp., a provider of information technology, GIS and relocation services to federal government entities, has relocated its Landover, Md., office to Greenbelt, Md., to better serve clients and accommodate its growing business. The new...

GIS Certification Institute.(Turning Points)
December 1, 2004... The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI), Park Ridge, Ill., announced the following officers of the association: Lynda Wayne, GISP, president: Nancy Obermeyer, GISP, secretary; and Peirce Eichelberger, treasurer.

Schoor DePalma.(Turning Points)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Schoor DePalma, Manalapan, N.J., hired Michael J. Byle, PE, as the chief geotechnical engineer in the firm's geotechnical department. His responsibilities include project oversight and review of the firm's geotechnical projects, project...

Avenza Systems Inc.(Turning Points)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Avenza Systems Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, announced that Real World GIS, Perth, Australia, has been appointed as the regional distributor of MAPublisher and other Avenza products for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific area. Real...

This month's candidate: Jim "JR" Fisher.(Meet Sam the Surveyor)(Interview)
December 1, 2004... Name: Jim "JR" Fisher Project surveyor, The Schneider Corporation, Indianapolis, Indiana [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] State where you reside: Indiana Responsibilities: CAD production Year you started in the profession: 1986 ...