Point of Beginning articles from September 2008

Point of Beginning archives from September 2008

The winds of change.(Guest editorial)
September 1, 2008... The 2008 ESRI User Conference, which was held in San Diego August 2-8 in conjunction with the Survey & Engineering Summit, painted a distinct picture of some of the major accomplishments in our industry, along with some of the significant...

From the ground up: July 2008.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... I wanted to commend you on your concise but informative article in the July 2008 issue of POB titled "Collecting Breaklines." Generally, I have found it a challenge finding articles relating to LiDAR data acquisition that are objective. I found...

On the level: July 2008.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Let me begin by saying how much I enjoy POB. I've been a subscriber for over 20 years, but recently I've noticed a trend in the articles that really bugs me. When I was in school, I was taught that if the gender was unknown the writer should...

Technology benchmark: June 2008.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... As it pertains to Mr. Ward's article on higher education for surveyors, his citing of the requirements to become a licensed land surveyor in New York State is incorrect. One can still obtain a license by experience only. Had Mr. Ward read one...

Traversing the law: June 2008.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... I'd just like to tell you that I've been really enjoying the articles by Jeff Lucas. I believe that the surveying profession as a whole has to realize the legal aspects of land law. I agree with Jeff that mathematical answers to boundary...

Trimble buys SECO Manufacturing Co. in all-cash transaction.(newsline)(Company overview)
September 1, 2008... Trimble acquired privately held SECO Manufacturing Co., of Redding, Calif., in July. SECO is a leading manufacturer of accessories for the surveying, mapping, geomatics and construction industries. The purchase marks Trimble's second...

NOAA adds new GPS stations to CORS network.(newsline)
September 1, 2008... NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS) incorporated 43 new GPS tracking stations into the Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) network in June, including 13 new stations established by the Federal Aviation Administration as part of...

New Grant Program enables government agencies to enhance GIS Programs.(newsline)
September 1, 2008... Geographic information system (GIS) software developer ESRI and Xplore Technologies, a manufacturer of rugged mobile computing systems, launched the 2008 ESRI and Xplore Technologies Mobile Government Demonstration Project Grant Program in...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
September 1, 2008... SEPTEMBER 3-5 2008 Annual General Meeting Manitoba Land Surveyors Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 204/943-6972 amls@mts.net www.amls.ca/Meetings.htm ...

Conference 2009.(Calendar)
September 1, 2008... NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) April 26-29 * Washington, D.C. American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM)/National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Conference Feb. 20-23 *...

Pushing the boundaries: staying on the technological edge can help you reach new levels of success.
September 1, 2008... As a professional surveyor, do you apply the latest surveying advances to help your clients and their projects? Are you routinely buying new surveying technology? Do you actively seek out new industries, markets and clients that could benefit...

Tracing the evidence: high-definition laser scanning aids disaster site investigations.
September 1, 2008... When catastrophe strikes--especially in a highly populated area like Manhattan, N.Y.--rescue workers, city officials, police officers, firefighters, onlookers and others throng to the spot, often knowingly and unknowingly altering the exact...

Surveying a nation: dedicated individuals with advanced equipment are forging ahead to give Iraq a new geospatial reference system.
September 1, 2008... At least one commodity in Iraq is more important than oil: water. In the arid region of Western Asia, water is always a concern. Getting any available water to where it is needed--for agriculture, industry and consumer consumption--is a primary...

A powerful network: a national geodetic network is helping Costa Rica meet renewable energy goals.
September 1, 2008... Costa Rica is a small country; at 19,960 square miles, it takes up less space than West Virginia. But Costa Rica has lofty goals to match its mountainous terrain. It was the first country in the world to abolish its army constitutionally in...

Mapping out the winners: efficiency, ease of use, rapid acquisition and online organization underscore the 2008 MAPPS awards competition..(Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors)(Fugro EarthData Inc. )
September 1, 2008... In only two years running, the Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS) Geospatial Products and Services Excellence Awards have become highly coveted in the geospatial profession. The competition, which was...

"It's not easy bein' green." We all know how Kermit the frog struggled with being green. Of course, today, being "green" means different things to different people.(thebusinessside)(Survey)
September 1, 2008... For some, it means chaining themselves to a tree; for others, it's shutting off the lights when they leave a room. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Many surveyors are green in spirit because we enjoy the world that we are surveying. We...

Apathy and myopia in the surveying profession. Over the past several months, I have been approached by friends as well as complete strangers for help selling their surveying businesses.(professionaltopography)
September 1, 2008... These people are owners (sole, partner, shareholder, etc.) who are approaching that time in their lives when they wish to retire. This can be a trying period for a business owner. When they contact me, it's to seek help on how to find someone...

Paving your road to retirement. When you are ready to retire, high gas prices may not be the only reason you struggle to drive off into the sunset. Your dreams for the future will only be realized as a result of a detailed plan on your part.(insuranceforesight)
September 1, 2008... In my last article, I focused on how to protect the current assets of a company. But you must also protect your future assets if you want to live your dream. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Avoiding a Fire Sale Whether your business is a...

Tool tips on GNSS receivers and satellite coordinate systems.(giaamailbag)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... Q: It has become common in the last year or two for manufacturers to offer GPS receivers, Glonass receivers and GNSS receivers. Are these receivers different? They seem to look the same. A: As most people in surveying know, GPS stands for...

A license to survey property boundaries. Should every surveyor with a license be allowed to survey property boundaries? Clearly, the answer to this question is no.(traversingthelaw)
September 1, 2008... For the last year or more, I have been making the case that not every surveyor with a license should survey property boundaries. I have given example after example of surveyors working with property boundaries who don't have a clue about...

Green zoning. A little more than eight years ago, I wrote a column for POB about the surveyor's role in the new public ethic of sustainable development.(onthelevel)(Column)
September 1, 2008... The most reasonable definition for the term, at least in my mind, is "utilization of the world's resources in order to meet our needs without inhibiting future generations from meeting their needs." As we see demand for resources increasing...

Geoshack.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2008... GEOSHACK, Cleveland, Ohio, consolidated its Twinsburg and Canton stores into a new state-of-the-art facility in Stow, Ohio. Associate Editor Wendy Lyons compiles "Turning Points." Contact her at 248/786-1620 or lyonsw@bnpmedia.com.

Bosch Group.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2008... BOSCH GROUP, Stuttgart, Germany, acquired CST/BERGER, headquartered in West Lafayette, Ind., from The Stanley Works. Associate Editor Wendy Lyons compiles "Turning Points." Contact her at 248/786-1620 or lyonsw@bnpmedia.com.

James W. Sewall Co.(turningpoints)(David Levine, Aaron Weston and Gary Mullaney appointed)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... JAMES W. SEWALL CO., Old Town, Maine, formed GEOSPATIAL SOLUTIONS (GS), a GIS-oriented technology group that develops and delivers products and services to Sewall's government and industry clients. David Levine leads the GS team as GS vice...

CLC Associates Inc.(turningpoints)(Cameron Watson promoted)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... CLC ASSOCIATES INC. promoted Cameron Watson, LSIT, to survey manager for its Denver, Colo., office. Watson oversees Denver's land surveying team in interpreting, organizing and scheduling land surveying assignments and continues his role in the...

Landpro Surveying and Mapping Inc.(turningpoints)(Larry Knight promoted to director of research )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... LANDPRO SURVEYING AND MAPPING INC., Woodstock, Ga., promoted Larry Knight to director of research and development. Knight has more than 25 years of experience with emerging technology in electronics and measurement science. He is responsible...

Tiger Supplies Inc.(turningpoints)(Helene Hoffer appointed as customer service manager)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... TIGER SUPPLIES INC., Irvington, N.J., appointed Helene Hoffer to customer service manager. Hoffer oversees and trains all sales personnel at the Irvington location. She has more than 12 years of experience in the surveying, appraisal and...

Ludgate Engineering Corp.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2008... LUDGATE ENGINEERING CORP., Reading, Pa., appointed Timothy L. Lincoln as director of surveying. Lincoln is responsible for managing survey operations and quality control and is also involved in business development for the survey department....

Precision Laser and Instrument Inc.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2008... PRECISION LASER AND INSTRUMENT INC., Pittsburgh, Pa., hired Kevin Chappell, PLS, PE, CP, as the director of mapping and surveying. Chappell has more than 20 years of experience in the mapping and surveying industry. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

C&S Companies.(turningpoints)(Steven Calocerinos, Brian Clark and Robert Curtis appointed)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... C&S COMPANIES added Bruce Clark, PE; Brian Clark; Steven Calocerinos, PE; and Robert Curtis, PSM, to its Orlando, Fla. office. Bruce Clark is the regional office manager responsible for managing all technical operations in the Orlando office....

RBF Consulting (RBF).(turningpoints)
September 1, 2008... RBF CONSULTING (RBF) promoted Richard Carrell, PE, to senior vice president of land development in its Irvine, Calif., office. Associate Editor Wendy Lyons compiles "Turning Points." Contact her at 248/786-1620 or lyonsw@bnpmedia.com.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).(turningpoints)
September 1, 2008... THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF CHARTERED SURVEYORS (RICS), London, announced that Peter Goodacre, has been inaugurated RICS president for the 2008-09 term. Max Crofts has been elected as senior vice president. Associate Editor Wendy Lyons...

American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS).(turningpoints)
September 1, 2008... The AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING (ASPRS), Bethesda, Md., announced that Chad Lopez is the first remote sensing technologist to complete the requirements for the ASPRS certification program for technologists. Lopez...

Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS).(turningpoints)(ABC Lasers)(Ross Instruments)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS (TPS), Livermore, Calif., announced the formation of POSITION PARTNERS, Melbourne, Australia. The new company unifies five independent Australian TPS dealers and creates one of the largest Topcon distributors in the...

The Schneider Corp.(turningpoints)
September 1, 2008... THE SCHNEIDER CORP., Indianapolis, Ind., appointed Brady Whitesel as chief financial officer. Whitesel is a certified public accountant and internal auditor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Associate Editor Wendy Lyons compiles "Turning...

Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS).(new&notable)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... TOPCON POSITIONING SYSTEMS (TPS) introduced a lightweight, compact robotic A7 prism series and mounts. The A7 prism series supports the ability to mount a GPS receiver on top of the A7 prism for an integrated robotic and GPS rover solution....

Topcon.(new&notable)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Also, TOPCON introduced the FC-120 field controller. The FC-120 is a powerful, compact and affordable field controller featuring a 520 MHz XScale processor; Windows CE.NET 5.0 operating system; Compact Flash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) media...

Leica Geosystems and North West Geomatics Ltd.(new&notable)
September 1, 2008... LEICA GEOSYSTEMS and NORTH WEST GEOMATICS LTD. announced a formal collaboration to develop Leica Xpro, an enhanced processing system for pushbroom line scanning airborne sensors. Ground processing with Leica XPro covers the entire line-sensor...

Leica.(new&notable)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Also, LEICA introduced the Leica ADS80 airborne digital sensor, the Leica ALS60 LiDAR system and the Leica RCD105 medium-format digital aerial camera system. The Leica ADS80, available in two configurations, acquires co-registered image data...

SECO Manufacturing.(new&notable)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... SECO MANUFACTURING introduced the 3015-Series front-locking prism assembly. The 3015-Series features an all-metal tilting holder with an improved brass front locking lever. The anodized aluminum holder and fine-point steel target are designed...

Carlson Software Inc.(new&notable)
September 1, 2008... CARLSON SOFTWARE INC. introduced Simplicity "Sight" Survey 2009. The first new release in seven years, "Sight" Survey 2009 provides simplified methods for solving commonly encountered coordinate geometry and construction surveying problems. The...

Eagle Point Software Corporation.(new&notable)
September 1, 2008... EAGLE POINT SOFTWARE CORPORATION released its SMI Construction 2008 field survey software. Built to run on most devices using Windows Mobile and Windows CE, SMI 2008 allows users to operate it from the device keyboard or the touch-screen....

Intergraph.(new&notable)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... INTERGRAPH introduced the RMK D medium-format digital aerial camera. The RMK D is designed to replace film-based technology for smaller mapping and remote-sensing projects and high-resolution engineering projects. Features include high...

Whitestar Corp.(new&notable)
September 1, 2008... WHITESTAR CORP. unveiled its Enhanced Unlimited Grid Access (UGA) mapping product, which supplements the Standard UGA map database by filling in land boundary gaps in the U.S. Public Land Survey. WhiteStar will offer new and renewed...

Autodesk Inc.(new&notable)
September 1, 2008... AUTODESK INC. released Autodesk Topobase 2009 software. Autodesk Topobase is built on AutoCAD Map 3D and Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise software and integrates infrastructure design and management. It has more than 50 new utility features,...

Surveying solutions.(funandgames)(Reprint)
September 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...

Surveying shots.(funandgames)
September 1, 2008... Odin, son of Mike Femenia, LSIT, of Boise, Idaho, gets excited when his dad brings the truck home. "He crawls around inside the back looking for anything that he hasn't seen or played with yet, pretty much doing his job as a 5-year-old...