Point of Beginning articles from September 2007

Point of Beginning archives from September 2007

Online outlets.(editor'spoints)(Editorial)
September 1, 2007... About a decade ago, the "dot.com era" introduced a slew of new Internet-related companies-and in short time-a bust for many of those companies. During and even after that time, circles spoke of print dying out to Internet offerings. A few...

Traversing the law: August 2007.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... I'm writing this letter to the readers, as well as the editors, of POB. In my August column I wrote an article about a California appellate court case, Knerr v. Mauldin. The column has received considerable attention and I need to correct at...

Technology benchmark: June 2007.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... I found the activity among state boards that you describe to be extremely disturbing. I work for a contractor in the Southeast who is a regional leader in the adoption and implementation of 3D technology. We have helped to pioneer the practical...

An Educator's Forum: A recap of the XXI North American Surveying and Mapping educators conference.(Conference news)
September 1, 2007... From July 11-13, the Surveying Engineering Department at Ferris State University (FSU) in Big Rapids, Mich., hosted the 21st North American Surveying and Mapping Educators (NASME) Conference, a biennial event. More than 60 participants from...

Florida unveils new geomatics engineering program.(newsline)
September 1, 2007... Florida Atlantic University's (FAU) College of Engineering and Computer Science in Boca Raton announced a new four-year geomatics engineering degree program. According to Dr. Donald Leone, the school's interim director and visiting...

HP commemorates its first handheld calculator.(Awards list)
September 1, 2007... In commemoration of the world's first handheld scientific calculator, the HP-35, Hewlett Packard unveiled the retro HP 35s Scientific Calculator. As part of its year-long 35th anniversary celebration of the company's entry in the handheld...

GeoEye prepares for next-generation earth imaging satellite.(newsline)
September 1, 2007... Dulles, Va.-based GeoEye is preparing to launch the world's highest resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite, GeoEye-1. Contracted by GeoEye and designed and built by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems of Gilbert, Ariz.,...

Calendar of events.(Brief article)(Calendar)
September 1, 2007... SEPTEMBER 6-7 VSLS 43rd Annual Meeting Vermont Society of Land Surveyors Ludlow, Vt. 877/239-8757 vsls@sover.net www.vsls.org 9-12 2007 APWA Congress ...

Optimizing Oak Creek: survey and construction technology connect to carry out Wisconsin's largest private construction project.
September 1, 2007... The year 2010 will be a huge year for the Oak Creek coal-generating power plant in southeastern Wisconsin-both physically and figuratively. By that year the Oak Creek Power Plant will have two new 615-megawatt generating units, a new coal...

GPS confirms the tallest mountain in the Americas and the tallest volcano in the world.(the TOP of the AMERICAS)
September 1, 2007... In March 2007, a team of mountaineers and engineers set out to determine--within centimeter accuracy--the tallest mountain in the Americas and the tallest volcano in the world. The expedition was, in a sense, one of man versus nature. ...

A firsthand account of surveying in Iraq.(PROTECTING THE TROOPS)
September 1, 2007... When U.S. troops in Iraq fielded indirect fire on their bases, the military turned to the experts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to develop a solution for protecting high-density facilities. The Overhead Coverage System (OCS) was...

Pinnacle series by eagle point software: a server-based power suite of programs designed to help organizations manage business processes.(in REVIEW)
September 1, 2007... The Pinnacle Series by Eagle Point Software is a server-based power suite of programs designed to help organizations manage the processes used by their workforce. In addition to the Process Server, there are three component parts to this power...

Scanning in motion: for dynamic terrestrial scanning, put a fast scanner on a fast vehicle.(Column)
September 1, 2007... Because I am an end user of laser scanning technology, I get excited whenever a manufacturer comes out with something new. Some advances are more exciting than others, but the most thrilling development I have seen in the last five years...

Zoning in the United States.(onthelevel)
September 1, 2007... Of all the laws and regulations important to surveyors, zoning laws and ordinances are a daily concern to those professionals involved in land planning and subdivision. Zoning has been employed for almost one hundred years as a device to...

Fantasy boundary dispute.(traversingthelaw)
September 1, 2007... I can't make this stuff up, folks. My imagination isn't that great. If it were, my name would be Walt Disney. Everyone knows that Walt had a fantastic imagination and was able to make fantasy come to life. This is exactly what our...

Prescription for reviving the surveying profession.(thetechnologybenchmark)
September 1, 2007... In keeping with the latest theme of going where the conversation takes us, I want to discuss the current state of the field of surveying, as a career and as a profession. Many of my recent conversations with surveyors from around the country...

Company planning for the future, part 1.(thebusinessside)(Column)
September 1, 2007... I have written numerous times about the importance of company planning. With the many changes in our profession, we need to take a more in-depth look at the importance of charting out the future of our careers and our companies. ...

Tool tips for optical plummet tribrach errors.(giaamailbag)
September 1, 2007... Q: How can I quantify the errors inherent in optical plummet tribrachs? A: You don't actually say what you are doing with your optical plummet tribrach. However, there are two kinds of principal errors to be aware of. The first relates to...

Z+F USA Inc.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2007... Z+F USA INC. relocated its headquarters to Bridgeville, Pa. The new location contains a larger area for stock items, a calibration room for laser scanners, and show and training rooms. The new headquarters is located at 700 Old Pond Road, Suite...

Survcon.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2007... SURVCON, Houston, appointed Jay Canine, RPLS, as president of the firm. Over the past decade, Canine has managed business operations and has been a key contributor to the development of the firm's business strategy. He brings 30 years of...

The National Museum of Surveying.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2007... THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SURVEYING, Springfield, Ill., appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees: Dale Beeks, a noted collector and purveyor of antique and scientific instruments; Dr. Richard Elgin, a respected educator, student of...

Larkin Group Inc.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2007... LARKIN GROUP INC., Kansas City, Mo., promoted Derek J. Klinkenborg, PLS, from survey group manager to associate. Klinkenborg has experience in minor topographical surveying for the development of major design information involving GPS,...

Chas. H. Sells Inc.(turningpoints)(appointment of Damien J. Raffle, John M. Hale and John Araneo)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Damien J. Raffle joined CHAS. H. SELLS INC., Brighton, Mass., as project surveyor. Raffle has a background in construction layout, topographic surveys and boundary analysis. Also, CHAS. H. SELLS INC., Hamilton, N.J., hired John M. Hale,...

Spalding Dedecker Associates (SDA) Inc.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2007... SPALDING DEDECKER ASSOCIATES (SDA) INC., Detroit, named Catherine M. DeDecker, PS, as marketing manager. In her new role, DeDecker coordinates and manages all marketing activities in support of SDAs core departments, including municipal...

Kappa Mapping Inc.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2007... KAPPA MAPPING INC., Bangor, Maine, added Rob Strong to its staff. Strong has six years of experience working with planimetric and topographic compilation, digital orthophotography, digitization of tax maps and gas pipelines with ArcInfo and...

Admar Supply Company.(turningpoints)(appointment of Michael C. Momrow)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... ADMAR SUPPLY COMPANY, Rochester, N.Y., hired Michael C. Momrow as machine control and survey sales and support representative to its Albany, N.Y., operations. Momrow has more than seven years of experience as a party chief surveyor and is...

The Pennsylvania Chapter of MAPPS (PA-MAPPS).(turningpoints)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... THE PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER OF MAPPS (PA-MAPPS) elected its first board of directors including President Ashis Pal from GEOGRAPHIT, Lancaster, Pa.; Vice President Michael Shillenn from PHOTO SCIENCE INC., West Chester, Pa.; Secretary Frank "Fritz"...

National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS).(turningpoints)
September 1, 2007... Chad Norman (survey technician), Cindy Kuglar (office manager), Will Rice (rodman), Adam Silva (party/crew chief), Glenn Barnes (party/crew chief) and August Thick (field crew supervisor) from DRMP, Jacksonville, Fla., passed the Certified...

The Sunshine State One Call of Florida.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2007... THE SUNSHINE STATE ONE CALL OF FLORIDA recognized Christopher J. Stalder, a subsurface utility coordinator with DRMP, Orlando, Fla., for his excellence in locating underground facilities and in appreciation of his efforts in damage prevention....

Wilsonmiller.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2007... WILSONMILLER, Sarasota, Fla., appointed Vice President and Principal Millard J. Yoder, PE, as regional manager of the firm's Development Design Business Unit. Yoder has more than 27 years of civil engineering experience and oversees the...

Tripod Data Systems.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... TRIPOD DATA SYSTEMS introduced the Nomad series data collector. The Nomad features Survey Pro software and comes standard with an 806 MHz processor, 128 MB of memory and integrated Bluetooth technology. It also features a 5200 mAh rechargeable...

Topcon Positioning Systems.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS released the GPT-7500 and the GTS-750. The new total station series features rugged, small, light units with increased performance at the same price as older models. The total stations have a 400 MHz Intel processor...

Trimble introduced the Trimble SPS730 and SPS930 universal total stations.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... TRIMBLE introduced the Trimble SPS730 and SPS930 Universal Total Stations. With Servo, Autolock, Robotic, DR Reflectorless and ATS modes of operation, the total stations are designed to satisfy all site measurement, stakeout, reflectorless...

Spectra precision introduced the Robotic focus 10 total station.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... SPECTRA PRECISION introduced the Robotic FOCUS 10 Total Station. The servomotor-driven FOCUS 10 comes standard with long-range, reflectorless technology allowing surveyors to increase staking speed and measure remote objects without a prism. By...

Leica Geosystems.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... LEICA GEOSYSTEMS announced the Leica ScanStation 2. The pulsed laser scanner is housed in a lighter, lower-profile design, and is capable of a maximum instantaneous scan speed of 50,000 points/second, more than 10 times that of its ScanStation...

Berntsen International Inc.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... BERNTSEN INTERNATIONAL INC. announced the Bosch 36-volt Lithium Battery Rotary Drill and the 2" Countersink Drill Bit. The two products used in tandem cut the installation time of any two-inch concrete marker in half. The new Countersink Drill...

Applanix.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... APPLANIX introduced the POS LV 610, a compact, easily transferable, and fully integrated turnkey position and orientation system. Even under the most difficult GPS conditions, reflected (multi-path effect) or otherwise limited, continuous...

Carlson Software.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... CARLSON SOFTWARE released Civil 2008. New features include LotNet for quick and easy subdivision design; SiteNet for automated earthworks; and RoadNet, StormNet and SurvNet to streamline steps to get jobs done quickly and easily. Other...

Hemisphere GPS.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... HEMISPHERE GPS released Crescent R100 Series DGPS Receivers that support RTK technology. The Crescent R100 Series Receivers use both GPS and SBAS (WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS) to provide rapid initialization, improved reliability and realtime centimeter...

Autodesk inc.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... AUTODESK INC. unveiled Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise 2008 and Autodesk Topobase 2008. MapGuide Enterprise 2008 improves enterprise users' ability to integrate design and spatial data from a variety of sources, develop new geospatial...

Tri-Ped Corporation.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... TRI-PED CORPORATION introduced the Tri-Ped, a tripod stabilization system that attaches and anchors to the feet of a tripod, bipod or backsight to resist wind and other unstable conditions. The three-weighted feet grip surfaces with traction...

Safe Software.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... SAFE SOFTWARE announced Oracle Database 11g and Oracle Spatial 11g. Initial support is for the enhanced GeoRaster capabilities of Oracle Spatial 11g, followed by support for Oracle's new 3D spatial type. With the release of Oracle Database 11g,...

Pipehorn Utility Tool Company.(new&notable)
September 1, 2007... PIPEHORN UTILITY TOOL COMPANY introduced the Pipehorn 800 Series, a pipe and cable locator. The Pipehorn 800 Series features the same high frequency (480 kHz) performance as the Classic Pipehorn. New simultaneous conductive transmission of both...

Surveying solutions.(funandgames)(Reprint)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... 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 below the problem, in a shaded box. We hope you enjoy...

Hand-drafted maps.(Remember When)(Quotation)
September 1, 2007... "The old hand-drafted maps were the best. The real old ones that were [done in] part calligraphy are beautiful. The hand drafting told how much pride the surveyor took in his work. A good-looking map usually meant the field-work was good too,...