Category Archives: Surveying
Steeped in History
Recently I spent a few days with my family at the remote cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where I had retraced an 1876 mining claim boundary two years prior. I wrote about that experience here. Humoring the Old Man During this recent visit my daughters and sons-in-law humored me by agreeing to let me...
East Meets West Meets East
Above is the object lens for the FOCUS 35, one the largest for robotic total stations with the prism directly attached; this differs from the legacy prism stems that can reduce returned signals. Photos: G. Schrock, from a recent tour of the Spectra factory in Shanghai. Multiple, distinguished legacy companies in precision optics and manufacturing...
The March toward 2022
Above: A screenshot of the GPS on Bench Marks web tool mobilized in 2018. NSRS modernization: What NGS is doing and what you can do. “The only thing that is constant is change.” – Heraclitus Although this quote pertains to all of life, its truth is especially painful for professional surveyors and geospatial professionals. But...
Outstanding Geospatial Trends at INTERGEO 2019
INTERGEO, the world’s largest summit in positioning and geospatial tech, wrapped up last week in Stuttgart, Germany, proving that even after 25 years it still can be a great show. It’s the biggest geospatial event of the year where companies around the world showcase their current innovations for the industry, and the xyHt team was...
Passing the California PLS Exam, Part 2
Exam content, lessons from taking the exam, and recommendations for study methods. Are you interested in passing the California PLS state-specific exam and becoming a California Professional Land Surveyor? If yes, then read on! I just passed my California PLS exam in May 2019 and can share my experiences with you. This article covers exam...
Future Prepping
This month is National Preparedness Month, and while we all should take the opportunity to get prepared for emergencies, I’d like to talk about prepping along another line: getting ready for the future of geospatial. If there is any certainty in this life it is this: life is uncertain. The geospatial profession is no exception....
