Point of Beginning articles from November 2008

Point of Beginning archives from November 2008

Looking for the silver lining.(impact and future of economic crises )(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... "What are you scared of, Mommy?" It was a simple question, coming from a 3-year-old. He was looking for an answer like "gigantic centipedes" or "fire-breathing dragons." I didn't disappoint--I mentioned big hairy spiders crawling on me in...

Traversing the law: September 2008.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... Mr. Lucas is correct that many recently licensed land surveyors lack education in land law. As Mr. Lucas knows, some laws differ between states; therefore, why study the law? The problem existing in this premise is that boundary location...

DoD sets end date for codeless, semi-codeless GPS support.(newsline)
November 1, 2008... The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) established Dec. 31, 2020, as the date that support of codeless/semi-codeless access to GPS will cease. "Hopefully, this will be a smooth, natural evolution for the whole industry," said Jason Kim, senior...

ASPRS foundation provides seed money for PBS documentary on mapping.(newsline)
November 1, 2008... The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Foundation Inc. granted $40,000 to Penn State Public Broadcasting (PSPB) in September to fund Phase I of The Evolution of Modern Mapping initiative, a proposed documentary and...

GIS Certification Institute implements GISP renewal process.(newsline)
November 1, 2008... The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) in September finalized the mandatory renewal requirements for Geographic Information Systems Professional certification (GISP) and commenced the five-year renewal process for credentials earned October...

NOAA Corbin Training Center launches its first full year of courses.(newsline)
November 1, 2008... The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) released its 2009 calendar of training courses to be held at the Corbin Training Center (CTC) in Virginia. The calendar represents the first full year of classes at CTC, which was established by NOAA's NGS in...

Calendar of events.(Conference news)(Table)(Brief article)(Calendar)
November 1, 2008... Calendar of events NOVEMBER 6-7 2008 DAS Conference & Expo Delaware Association of Surveyors Inc. Dover, Del. 302/337-7868 info@delsurvey.com www.delsurvey.com 6-8 ASCE's 138th...

The U.S. Open in a new dimension: advanced laser and mapping technologies create a new visual experience for golfers and golf enthusiasts.
November 1, 2008... Well in advance of Tiger Woods' run for another major victory during the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course near San Diego, Calif., the United States Golf Association (USGA) looked to create an entirely different buzz around this...

Turning the tide: spatial imaging technology improves erosion studies on coastlines and waterways.
November 1, 2008... As the 2008 hurricane season draws to a close, it leaves behind a stark reminder that seashores and coasts are constantly changing due to storms and other natural phenomena. Observations and maps from high-altitude sensors provide comparisons...

Preserving China's past: laser scanning opens new market opportunities in historical preservation.
November 1, 2008... Laser scanning technology has created new work for land surveyors, mainly through its ability to gather accurate 3D information rapidly. But in addition to speed, scanning is also noninvasive--the surface being scanned is not touched by human...

After the storm: staying nimble and technologically advanced allows a surveying and mapping firm to play an important role in hurricane-recovery efforts.
November 1, 2008... Within hours after Hurricane Ike slammed into southeastern Texas in September, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District, working in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA and the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association, had...

Reach for the sky: a hands-on exhibit at New Jersey's Liberty Science Center inspires the next generation of surveyors.
November 1, 2008... At the reinvented Liberty Science Center (LSC) in Jersey City, N.J., exhibits go beyond the conventional science center model and seek to actively engage visitors and impact society on a local, national and international level. The center...

Project Tracker Pro Software: An easy-to-use project management software that streamlines administrative work for land surveyors.
November 1, 2008... Project Tracker Pro (PTP) project management software was designed by land surveyors for land surveyors. Developed by Crones & Associates Inc., Kent, Wash., the database program integrates most of the functions a surveyor needs to maintain...

Changes are coming ... eventually.(thegpsobserver)
November 1, 2008... We constantly hear about the speed of technological innovation in today's society. But changes in GPS satellite technology come slowly. Unlike the auto industry, it's not necessary to come out with a different model each year. Over the...

Risk mitigation for surveyors.(onthelevel)
November 1, 2008... Surveyors in private practice need to be aware of ways to mitigate the risk of lawsuits and claims. For those who carry professional liability coverage, participation in an insurance provider's risk-mitigation credit program may not only...

Horizontal accuracy assessment in LiDAR.(fromthegroundup)
November 1, 2008... Project specifications typically spell out accuracy requirements for both the horizontal and vertical components in LiDAR collection. But while a thorough assessment and reporting of the vertical accuracy of the elevation surface is almost...

A house divided.(traversingthelaw)
November 1, 2008... The surveying profession is a house divided. The ultimate ramifications for being in such a state should be well known to us all. In the meantime, however, society still needs us, even though a growing segment is beginning to ask why. (1)...

Trends in aerial LiDAR.(pointsoflight)
November 1, 2008... Trends in aerial LiDAR are driven by the desire for more--more information, more detail and more accuracy. This fact is particularly evident in the trend to collect increasingly higher point densities and to combine other sensors with...

Trimble.(turningpoints)(Trimble Navigation Ltd.)(Rollei Metric GmbH.)(TopoSys GmbH )(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... TRIMBLE, Sunnyvale, Calif., entered into definitive agreements to acquire the assets of ROLLEIMETRIC from ROLLEI GMBH, Braunschweig, Germany, and to acquire TOPOSYS GMBH, Biberach an der Riss, Germany, in all-cash transactions. RolleiMetric is...

Topcon Positioning Systems Inc. (TPS).(turningpoints)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS INC. (TPS), Livermore, Calif., implemented a new business-unit structure in September to provide greater market focus, market-responsive product management, expansion capability, and added opportunities for customers,...

Survcon Inc.(turningpoints)(Hugh W. Clarkson)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... SURVCON INC., Houston, named Hugh W. Clarkson, RPLS, as a principal assigned to its Houston office. Clarkson has more than 40 years of land surveying experience, including 17 years as a director of surveying. He is a past director of the Gulf...

Kuker-Ranken Inc.(turningpoints)
November 1, 2008... KUKER-RANKEN INC., Seattle, hired Kristopher Hartwell as general manager of its Tacoma location. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

F. Robert Bell and Associates (FRBA).(turningpoints)
November 1, 2008... F. ROBERT BELL AND ASSOCIATES (FRBA), Anchorage, Alaska, announced that senior surveyor and lead civil engineer Craig Shavlik, PE, PLS, passed the Alaska registration test to become a professional land surveyor. Shavlik has more than eight...

KPFF Consulting Engineers.(turningpoints)
November 1, 2008... KPFF CONSULTING ENGINEERS, Portland, Ore., named Danny Denning, PLS, as an associate and survey project manager. Denning works with KPFF's engineering disciplines and outside design consultants to ensure quality control in base map preparation...

Also, KPFF Consulting Engineers.(turningpoints)
November 1, 2008... ALSO, KPFF CONSULTING ENGINEERS hired Tod Kelso, PLS, as survey manager. Kelso has 18 years of experience in all aspects of land surveying, including topographic, boundary, construction verification, and research. He specializes in right-of-way...

KPFF Consulting Engineers.(turningpoints)
November 1, 2008... Additionally, KPFF CONSULTING ENGINEERS hired Jennifer Steven, LSIT, as a survey technician. Steven supports a wide range of survey projects, including public works projects and residential and commercial development.

Kappa Mapping Inc.(turningpoints)
November 1, 2008... KAPPA MAPPING INC., Bangor, Maine, announced that Vice President Stevenson W. Sheppard, PLS, obtained his professional land surveyor license in Pennsylvania. Sheppard has been a licensed professional land surveyor in Maine for almost 20 years.

Kappa Mapping Inc.(turningpoints)
November 1, 2008... Also, KAPPA MAPPING INC. announced that Sean Gambrel has joined the staff as a full-time mapping analyst. Gambrel had been working part time for KAPPA Mapping since October 2006. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Gould Engineering Inc.(turningpoints)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... GOULD ENGINEERING INC., Flint, Mich., announced that Geric Rose, PS, PE, successfully completed the testing for his professional engineering license. A staff member since 1997, Rose provides professional services in the discipline areas of...

Merrick & Co.(turningpoints)
November 1, 2008... MERRICK & CO., Aurora, Colo., appointed David A. Sprenkle, PE, to chief operating officer (COO). Sprenkle is responsible for overseeing the accomplishment of the firm's $75 million annual portfolio of professional services. Sprenkle has twice...

Sokkia Topcon.(new&notable)
November 1, 2008... SOKKIA TOPCON released the GSR1700 CSX L1 GNSS receiver with L1 GPS+Glonass tracking capabilities. Its centimeter-accurate measurements are ideal for survey-grade static and kinematic surveys, including topographical and control point surveys....

Leica Geosystems.(new&notable)
November 1, 2008... LEICA GEOSYSTEMS introduced the Leica FlexLine series of customizable total stations. The easy-to-use and cost-effective Leica FlexLine TS02 has a single standard keyboard that interfaces seamlessly with industry-standard data collectors. Leica...

Trimble.(new&notable)(Trimble Navigation Ltd.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... TRIMBLE introduced the Trimble NetR8 GNSS reference receiver. The NetR8 operates as a campaign receiver for post processing, a CORS receiver or a portable base station for RTK applications, or as a scientific reference station. It can be used...

Trimble.(new&notable)(Trimble Navigation Ltd. )(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Also, TRIMBLE introduced new Trimble S8 Total Station models. The Trimble S8 Total Station models and Trimble 4D Control software create a powerful solution for real-time monitoring of permanent structures and tunneling applications with...

Trimble.(new&notable)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Additionally, TRIMBLE introduced a new model of its Trimble VX Spatial Station, an advanced positioning system that combines optical, 3D scanning and video capabilities to measure objects in 3D and produce 2D and 3D data sets for spatial...

Trimble.(new&notable)(Trimble Navigation Ltd. )(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Also, TRIMBLE released Trimble Business Center 2.0 with new support for optical surveying data. Version 2.0 verifies and integrates GNSS and optical data into a single file and outputs data to a range of applications, such as GIS,...

Spectra Precision.(new&notable)
November 1, 2008... SPECTRA PRECISION released the Spectra Precision Survey Office 2.0 software suite for processing and analyzing GPS and terrestrial survey data recorded in the field and exporting it to a CAD or GIS design package. Survey data acquired in the...

SECO.(new&notable)
November 1, 2008... SECO introduced an offset bar (#5198-163) prism pole accessory to access difficult-to-reach places and measure sewer inverts in manholes. The offset bar is constructed of 1/2-in-thick anodized aluminum with a brass male 5/8 x 11 threaded post...

Hemisphere GPS.(new&notable)
November 1, 2008... HEMISPHERE GPS introduced the R220 GPS receiver powered by Eclipse, Hemisphere GPS' patented dual frequency technology. The receiver provides accurate, versatile and robust positioning in virtually any environment anywhere in the world. It...

Optech Inc.(new&notable)
November 1, 2008... OPTECH INC. released a new controller for the ILRIS-3D, a fully portable, laser-based 3D ranging and imaging system. The control software enables point clouds to be directly georeferenced from each setup location and provides a fully automated...

ESRI.(new&notable)
November 1, 2008... ESRI updated the GIS Portal Toolkit for ArcGIS. The free tool-kit gives users a Web site starter and all the functional capabilities needed to deploy a GIS portal for an organization's SDI. Enhancements include support for finalized Open...

Eagle Point Software Corp.(new&notable)
November 1, 2008... EAGLE POINT SOFTWARE CORP. released Data Reduction, a software solution built to run directly on AutoCAD Civil 3D. Data Reduction provides a link to import survey data from various manufacturers' file formats into Civil 3D. Whether down-loaded...

Sitecomp Inc.(new&notable)
November 1, 2008... SITECOMP INC. released Version 7.0 of its Survey, Survey/GIS, Civil/Survey and Civil/Survey/GIS software products for surveying, mapping and land development. New features include: Explode Annotations, which turns annotations into editable...

Applanix.(new&notable)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... APPLANIX introduced a major new release of POSPac MMS (Mobile Mapping Suite), a GNSS-aided inertial post-processing software for mobile mapping and surveying applications. The new release adds full functionality for land-based mapping and...

Year-end special with Magellan Professional.(informationshowcase)
November 1, 2008... Surveyors and GIS users can trade in their old mapping or survey equipment (either Magellan's or a competitor's) for a new MobileMapper 6, ProMark 3 or ProMark 500 GNSS system. Get rid of your out-of-date equipment, and upgrade now. Visit...

Sokkia's Series20.(informationshowcase)
November 1, 2008... Extend your surveying field with Sokkia's newest total station, the Series20. A new laser distance meter expands your survey range while the industry's highest environmental protection rating, IP66, protects your measurements. The Series20 also...

New monitoring solutions from Trimble.(informationshowcase)(Trimble Navigation Ltd.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Surveyors looking to add deformation monitoring to their list of core competencies can look to Trimble for a complete, flexible approach to engineering applications. Trimble[R] 4D Control software provides a full solution for processing and...

SOKKIA GSR1700 CSX.(informationshowcase)
November 1, 2008... SOKKIA's new GSR1700 CSX is an easy-to-use GNSS solution for collecting centimeter-accurate survey points: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * GPS + GLONASS: Work in forests and urban areas. * User friendly: One button operation for control...

Topcon new is Imaging Station.(informationshowcase)(Topcon Positioning Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Topcon's IS Imaging Station is a robotic total station with integrated digital imaging featuring: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Dual camera array--One for wide-area visibility, the other a 30x scope view; * I-Scan--Intelligent Scan...

Surveying solutions.(funandgames)(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2008... Each month, we present a surveying problem from the second edition of "1001 Solved Surveying Fundamentals Problems" by Jan Van Sickle, PLS. The answer appears below the problem in a shaded box. We hope you enjoy this exercise for the mind. A...