Point of Beginning articles from March 2002

Point of Beginning archives from March 2002

In an ideal world. (Editor's Note).(POB Online recommended Internet site)(Brief Article)(Column)
March 1, 2002... In an ideal world everyone would know everything. Or, at best, everyone would have access to everything. Well, I suppose that ideal has almost been reached with the invention of the Internet. But, you still have to find all the information, and...

Letters to the editor.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2002... "Editor's Note" January 2002 I read your observations on the dwindling pool of emerging surveyors. What you said is absolutely true. I have been in this field since 1966 and found many reasons for the decline. Here in Connecticut the...

Errata.(Optech Incorporated excluded from Laser Scanner Survey)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2002... Optech Incorporated was excluded from the list of participating manufacturers for the Laser Scanner Survey in the January issue. The specifications of its product, ILRIS-3D, can be found in the exclusive online survey located at...

Government approves record budget for NOAA programs. (The Latest News).(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration programs receive $120.2 million for fiscal year 2002)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Several National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration (NOAA) programs will receive a boost this year as Congress and President Bush have approved a record $120.2 million for NOAA navigation services for fiscal year 2002. The budget includes...

FIG Congress show preview. (FIG Washington 2002).(International Federation of Surveyors)
March 1, 2002... Exciting opportunities for learning. Networking. The latest techniques and procedures. Hands-on knowledge of new hardware and software applications. All this and more will be available for attendees of the FIG Congress and ACSM-ASPRS Conference...

GIS software solutions: Finding the software needle in the GIS haystack.(Boxelder Sanitation District in Fort Collins, CO., and Advanced Professional Engineering Inc. develop Geographic information systems software)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... New land development leads to the need for new databases on many utility fronts. Such was the case with Boxelder Sanitation District in Fort Collins, Colo. When it experienced a substantial increase in population over five years, from 6,000 to...

The value of GIS. (Surveying GIS).(Overview of geographic information systems)(Column)
March 1, 2002... Prologue: Even in the high-tech world of GIS there is still nothing exciting, glamorous or interesting about locating manholes on utility maps. Ergo, the focus of this opus is an attempt to give the reader an appreciation for the value of these...

2002 Total Station Survey: Part 2.(includes specifications of six most popular series of total stations for each manufacturer)(Statistical Data Included)(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2002... As noted in Part 1 of the improved POB 2002. Total Station Survey (February 20021, we have simplified the survey to provide specifications of the six (6) most popular series of total stations each manufacturer offers. An important part of the...

Dilution of Precision. (The GPS Observer).(global positioning systems)(Statistical Data Included)(Technical)
March 1, 2002... Dilution of Precision (DOP) is a measure of the geometrical "strength of figure" of visible satellites. Some of our readers will recall that strength of figure was an important part of the design of triangulation networks; triangulation was the...

Turning points.(appointments and selections: Applanix Marine business group, Arc Second Inc., Leica Geosystems Inc., Lizard Tech Inc., GEOD Corporation)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Peter Canter joined the Applanix Marine business group as a product manager in Marine Applications. He will be responsible for the development and introduction of new products for the marine market. Arc Second Inc. announced the appointment...

Surveying Solutions.
March 1, 2002... Each month we present a math 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 these...

Trimble. (New & Notable).(introduces new optical navigation equipment)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Trimble introduced TS305 and TS315 from its Spectra Precision Optical line of total station products. TS305 and TS315 offer Direct Reflex, a measuring capability that provides the ability to measure without a prism and measures objects up to...

PCI Geomatics. (New & Notable).(launches Geomatica Version 8.2)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... PCI Geomatics released Geomatica Version 8.2. Improvements include user interface enhancements and online help improvements. Features and options include Ceomatica WebServer for displaying geospatial information over the Internet, Geomatica...

Riegl USA. (New & Notable).(launches new 3-D imaging scanner)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Riegl USA introduced the upgraded LMS-Z210 3-D imaging scanner, which includes greater range and a new True Color Channel enhancement that improves texturing of 3-D models by gathering additional color data. The scanner quickly and accurately...

Rust-Oleum Corporation. (New & Notable).(expands its line of spray paints)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Rust-Oleum Corporation expanded its line of Industrial Choice Multi-Purpose Spray Paints to include Precision-Line Inverted Marking Paint. Industrial Choice Precision-Line Marking Paints feature a precision-line applicator tip and dry in less...

Z/I Imaging Corporation. (New & Notable).(introduces flight simulation software)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Z/I Imaging Corporation shipped ImageStation Mission Planning, a photoflight mission planning module. ImageStation Mission Planning incorporates CAD and GIS technologies, providing a rich data environment that can access scanned raster maps,...

XYZworks' Fieldworks. (New & Notable).(software now compatible with Panasonic data collection device)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... XYZworks' Fieldworks data collection software now works on the Panasonic Toughbook 01. It features a bright sunlight viewable color touch screen, a 38-key keyboard, a removable camcorder style battery and Windows CE 3.0. The magnesium alloy...

A Tribute to Mark Deal.(surveyor)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 1, 2002... "It is amazing how much a person such as Mark can enrich your life...He has left a mark on the world no surveyor that visits here will forget...If you stop and think about what he has done here alone, it is nothing short of astounding." ...

Rpls.com connection.(remembrances of the late Mark Deal)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Great memories of Mark Deal, creator of www.rpls.com. Posted By Bob Manley on 1/9/2002 at 8:52 PM This afternoon the world lost a great surveyor, and I lost a friend. Mark Deal passed from this world this afternoon after having...