[GRASS-user] Data Capturing

[Darrel Maddy]

Here at Newcastle University we encourage students to gather data using simple, cheap, hand-held GPS. Most modern handheld GPS cannot only record points but they can upload files directly to a PC. If you want reasonable accuracy then an EGNOS enabled handheld is desirable (although most modern GPS have this as standard). This can be setup to record using national grid coordinates. Obviously the points recorded need to mean something and hence a notebook sketch/notes are essential (and remember to tell your students to give the points memorable names!). Pen and Paper are ALWAYS needed - I tend to write down GPS coordinates anyway, over the years I have seen too many datafiles become corrupted.

If you want to record GIS shape data (polylines, polygons etc) directly in the field then a windows mobile device running ArcPad is ideal. This is a more expensive option (ESRI options are always expensive)  - and therefore not one that we would necessarily want students playing with unattended however!

If you have lots of money then a differential GPS system is best, we would NEVER let our undergraduates use one of these without staff in attendance (something we learnt the hard way when one of our students 'left' a rover GPS 'somewhere' on a sandur in Iceland :(

Darrel

Prof Darrel Maddy
Chair of Quaternary Science
Newcastle University
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/gps/staff/profile/darrel.maddy


>-----Original Message-----
>From: grass-user-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
>[mailto:grass-user-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Markus Neteler
>Sent: 09 October 2008 16:06
>To: Joe Kitchen
>Cc: GRASS user list
>Subject: Re: [GRASS-user] Data Capturing
>
>On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 3:55 PM, Joe Kitchen
><jkitchen at netherhall.cambs.sch.uk> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> The Geography department where I work has been considering
>whether or not to use GIS in their lessons with the primary
>focus on collecting data during field trips and modelling this
>over the top of the Ordnance Survey data sets of the UK. What
>is regarded as the most appropriate data capturing hardware..
>GPS systems? Dataloggers? Even pen and paper?
>>
>> Any feedback at all would be greatly appreciated.
>
>I would be interested, too. What about creating a dedicated
>page in the OSGeo Wiki since is of wider interest to several
>(OSGeo) projects?
>Something like:
>"Best practice field data sampling"
>
>I am sure that we have sufficient knowledge among us.
>
>Best
>Markus
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