The CSCC is holding a Surveying course at the Wessex on the weekend of 18/19th Febuary

This course follows the same format as the very successful weekend run in South Wales last month. Three people used the word fun to describe  surveying

It will adapt to all levels of surveying but the aim of the weekend is for people who have surveyed before to convert to the use of Paperless surveying. Once tried you will not go back.

Examples of what can be done do see

http://www.ubss.org.uk/cave_survey_archive.php

(you will need Therion and/or survex installed for the 3d models)

It will take you through the process of connecting the DistoX to a pda, and calibrating it.
There will be a practical session to collect some data, so bring some caving gear. followed by basic processing and introduction to some of the advance features such as morphed surface overlays, and managing large projects, with a team that are in different locations.

Program for the Weekend

Saturday
10:00 Overview of the Paperless surveying
lunch
Collecting data (caving)
19:00 (ish) Producing 3D centreline, then pub

Sunday
9:30 Drawing plans and producing 3D models
        Connection multiple surveys

13:00 (ish) Surface overlays, including other tools needed
                  Google earth overlays
                  Other fancy outputs


Accommodation is available on the Friday

12 spaces available. There maybe up to a ?10 charge to cover costs however it is hoped that this will not be needed. This does not include the accommodation.
Contact Graham Price as CSCC Chair, who is organising places

http://cscc.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?id=aboutfficers

You are encouraged to bring your own computer, if you could let Graham know what operating system you have, we can try to bring everything that you might need. (Please note that macs are not well supported and I have little knowledge of how to fly them.) Bring your own DistoX and pda would be useful, however, we will have 4 sets if you do not have any.

Hope that covers everything.

This survey technique wins in so many ways, both underground and in terms of the finished output.

Note that as well as the 3d models, the link that Andrew includes now has the "drawing" version of Charterhouse/G.B. as a pdf file as well. I'm merely pointing this out for those who dislike "computer output" cave surveys - go and take a look.

The joke is, however, that for our current project we are having to revert to the techniques and equipment of sixty years ago!

graham said:

The joke is, however, that for our current project we are having to revert to the techniques and equipment of sixty years ago!

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No teasing please! Are you saying that magnetic survey instruments cannot be used for this project? Or just that the DistoX cannot be used? I am curious.

footleg said:

graham said:

The joke is, however, that for our current project we are having to revert to the techniques and equipment of sixty years ago!

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No teasing please! Are you saying that magnetic survey instruments cannot be used for this project? Or just that the DistoX cannot be used? I am curious.

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We are re-surveying Gough's Cave as Willie Stanton's data, being 60 years old cannot be tied to fixed points "on the ground", despite my best efforts. The DistoX works OK in most of the cave - providing the electricity is turned off - but in two areas where there are a lot of iron handrails, the anomalies are too great and we are having to use a non-magnetic survey. Fortunately, UBSS never throws anything away and so we shall be using the theodolite that was used in 1948 for the G.B. survey. It still seems to function perfectly well.

Has anyone else signed up for this?  I sent an email to the Chairman of the CSCC as soon as it was announced and a follow-up email, neither of which have been acknowledged.  I understand that Andrew has been trying to reach the same person to no avail.

I'm asking because I have important business commitments which I am trying to postpone to keep the weekend free.  Furthermore, I have offered to give a presentation on underwater cave surveying so don't want to invest time on this if the course is a non-starter.

Duncan

Yes me and JMC have sent mail to the address on the CSCC website but had no reply......

Is it happening or not?

Having spoken to said person last night there are 8 people attending (that probably includes the above). There are spaces for 12.

So it is happening but there are still spaces if anyone else is interested.

Would be good to get a reply as we have looked to plan other things for that weekend as we had assumed the course was full since we had not had a reply.

Agreed.

The Chairman's phone number is here.

I recommend you phone him rather than email him.

PS
I reckon it'll be an excellent session. I would be attending myself if I was in the country. 

I've now had an acknowledgement from the CSCC chairman who has been having email problems.  Its on.

Your course tutor entering data into the PDA during a "paperless surveying" session yesterday evening.



I think this would be a fairly easy Mendip Wezzit?

And Mr Boycott entering data into the "paperful surveying" system.  :doubt:

Cookie  said:

And Mr Boycott entering data into the "paperful surveying" system.  :doubt:

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Backup. You can't trust 'im with technology. 

There are still some spaces on this course.

Most embarrassingly the it appears the person that agreed to do the admin for this has not replied to anyone, or told me who is coming on the course.

Therefore if you have asked please assume you are on the course, and either email or PM me.

I am pleased that Duncan Price has also agreed to do a bit on dive surveying, that I am sure will be useful to many of us that have to deal with this data.

In addition in your message, could you indicate if you are bring a

• computer
  • what is the operating system
  • does it have therion on it
• DistoX
• pda -does it have PocketTopo

hopefully we will be able to help with most of these things on the weekend, and we should have internet to aid fixing things, but the more we know the easier it should be. If you have a choice between a mac and another, bring the other as well as the mac, as mac is the least supported and we have little experience of them.

Don't forget your caving gear, suspect it will be Goatchurch, as it has a nice loop, other suggestions welcome

Andrew

Having just found out that I may be free from child care duties this weekend I am interested to hear if there is still space on this course, and if there is space to stay at the Wessex hut this weekend? If I was able to make it I would come fully equipped with a laptop (Windows7), DistoX and PDA.

Also is anyone coming from Cambridge who I might get a lift with?

Are there any plans to do any courses up north, as in the Peak District / Yorkshire?

Mr Mike said:

Are there any plans to do any courses up north, as in the Peak District / Yorkshire?

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Not hosted by CSCC I would guess. 

I suppose DCA or CNCC might run one. Or even the Cave Surveying Group perhaps.

Les W said:

Mr Mike said:

Are there any plans to do any courses up north, as in the Peak District / Yorkshire?

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Not hosted by CSCC I would guess. 

I suppose DCA or CNCC might run one. Or even the Cave Surveying Group perhaps.

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Both this one & the Welsh one have been/are being run by the Cave Surveying Group on behalf of the relevant RC.

Thanks for the info.