This past weekend I went on a map-accuracy field trip in the Moble, AL area. We took a couple of precision GPS's and a really cool laser EDM that has some sort of electronic gizmo that can tell up, down, and azimuth with about a degree error. (It looks like a Buck Rodgers pistol, so I'll call it a gun so I don't have to retype "Buck Rodgers Gun" 10 - 15 times). You log a point with the GPS and shoot the target with the gun and the GPS software provides a coordinate for the remote position, +/- 1 degree to about 400 meters. At 400 meters that's about a 15 cm error and since our check polygons are about 0.5 ha minimum area, 15 cm ain't worth thinking about. The gun is Bluetooth compliant but the GPS's are not (Trimble Pro-XR with Asset Surveyor I or ASII).

We also log what we think the polygon label should be and what the label is on the map we're checking. In the evening we count all the various totals of different categories and give them by voice on a land line to the statistician back at the ranch who will modify our search criteria for the next day.

The system works fine and is a huge improvement over the pre-GPS, pre-gun, pre-cellphone world. But I'm thinking, wouldn't it be cool to take the shot, enter the data, and squirt it to the statistician while we're in the field so that we could modify the search as needed rather than once per day? Also, I'd like to dump the Asset Surveyor and go directly to a ruggedized laptop. The sol'n I've seen so far look like about a $5K upgrade and are in the ESRI environment. I hate ESRI products and have hated them all since Arc/Info on a Unix workstation back in the late 1980's, since ported to various Winders platforms including XP. On the XP, ArcMap is more stable than any other version I've used, but it still crashes, especially when in the field using the GPS toolbox. But ArcMap is the standard and you just about have to own a copy if you make maps. Like Winders is to general business. A piece of canine poopie that everybody must carry in their shirt pocket.

Any comments?

B

If you want a runnger tough laptop, get a Panasonic Toughbook. Very durable and rigid, almost indestructible. However you need to pay a programmer to go through and work all the bugs out of the software, so its stable in the field.

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
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it's automatic.

If it makes a difference, the range that I see most often advertised for Bluetooth devices is 30ft (10m?) - that may mean that your laptop wont see another power source (vehicle ?) for as long as you are out taking shots with your gun.

I can see guys in the next office over with their laptop bluetooths transmitting (about 100ft, through a wall or two...) but thats much more than I see advertised.

-John

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(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

Panasonic Toughbooks are very rugged computers, I've played with them personnally. Theres another brand name that makes mil-spec ruggedized computers but I don't remember the name; it's in my stuff at work, nor have I played with those but as I remember they're cheaper than the Toughbooks. I had no OS bugs on the Panasonic but wiping the system and putting what you want on (more importantly getting what you don't want off) is no big deal.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you want to do with blue tooth. Data input to PC via bluetooth and then uplink said data via wireless, whichever method, would work. Only thing I can say is that not all blue tooth devices are particularly easy to configure. I've had the best luck with Toshiba drivers. The Blue Soleil drives suck hard.

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-livin' in the terminally flippant zone

Thanks for the Toughbook heads-up (and thanks to justinwrock). Also, I like the idea of dumping everything from the HD and reloading it only with what is necessary. Though I have never seen it, I can imagine that XP is a lot faster and more reliable when stripped lean, unburdened by lots of software and network demands. It's far and away the best Windows version I've ever used.

The reason I'm unclear in what I want to do is because I am unfamiliar with Bluetooth's capability--I don't even have it on my cellphone! Until I have it in my sweaty hands, it's a mystery to me how it works. Also, my employer is extremely sensitive to data security. Not sure how they'd react to promiscuously squirting data over the air--but that's not a Bluetooth issue, that's a policy issue.

Thanks for the Toughbook suggestion. I'll definitely look into it.

B

Bluetooth can control:
Modems
Printers
Transfer data between almost anything

I would consult the guns manufacturer about the BT capability and what is needed to decode the data. The range of the BT depends on the puter-device ability to talk to each other my blackberry seems to find and talk to all kinds of stuff at over 30 feet while my old treo had trouble at 6 ft.

I would love to see that device BTW it sounds very cool I wish that tech was available years ago we had to to that stuff with compasses, grid map and rithmaticK. .

http://www.ruggednotebooks.com/

I think you could get a away with a simple PDA and tranfer the data to a puter at the office.

I use this little BT puck to transfer GPS data to my BB.

http://www.polstargps.com/html/products.html

Click on the PBT-238 its the size of a shot glass.

Here's the thing itself.

http://www.lasercraftinc.com/

Select via drop-down "products" then "mapping and surveying"
It is the Contour XLRic. That's me in the picture.

As you immediately surmised, it has other uses. I have no doubt as to it's origin.

B

Funny you should post this. I was going to list two Toughbooks on ebay this week. One slightly used and one brand new in the box. $1000 for the used one and $1350 for the brand new one. They are both W4's and the brand new one has a 100 gig hard drive. PM me if interested Bot.

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99 ML320
94 SL600
92 SL500
95 E320 Cabriolet
87 560SEC
86 300SDL Grease Car
80 380SLC Euro

13 Fiat Abarth
02 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa
00 BMW Z3
90 Rolls Royce Silver Spur
80 Ferrari 308 GTSI
88 Jaguar XJS12 H&E Edition
99 Land Rover Discovery

Thanks for the offer but I work for an outfit that purchases under Byzantine rules. No, that insults the Byzantines. Suffice to say that you're better-off not wasting your time with me.

B

Understood. I work for one of those outfits also.

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99 ML320
94 SL600
92 SL500
95 E320 Cabriolet
87 560SEC
86 300SDL Grease Car
80 380SLC Euro

13 Fiat Abarth
02 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa
00 BMW Z3
90 Rolls Royce Silver Spur
80 Ferrari 308 GTSI
88 Jaguar XJS12 H&E Edition
99 Land Rover Discovery

LaserCraft, based in Norcross, Georgia, now offers Bluetooth wireless technology with its Contour XLR series of handheld laser rangefinders for mapping, survey, law enforcement, and military applications.
Bluetooth provides wireless connectivity and simple data output flow between GPS handheld receivers, data loggers, personal computers, and personal digital assistants.



B, I am not sure exactly what your need is but I have to think that a good PDA would be sufficent to grab the data. I am sure pobonline has the info you need.