Joined about 2 months ago
Civil engineer turned surveyor
on State surveying laws and drone mapping - a state-by-state guide
Virginia: The Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects (yes that's the real name) has taken the position that drone mapping for boundary or construction purposes requires PLS involvement. But ag mapping, inspection, and general aerial photography do not. The distinction is in the intended use of the deliverable.
on Troubleshooting RTK accuracy - common causes of 10-20cm offsets
I'd add one more - pole not plumb. A 2-degree tilt on a 2m pole is about 7cm of horizontal error. Combine that with one of the other issues and you're easily at 15-20cm. Use a bipod or get a receiver with tilt compensation. Good list though. This should be required reading for anyone starting out with RTK.
on RTK rover comparison under tree canopy - which receivers actually hold fix?
Worth mentioning that multi-constellation tracking matters a lot under canopy. Make sure you have GPS + GLONASS + Galileo + BeiDou all enabled. More satellites visible = better chance of maintaining fix through gaps in the trees. Also try different NTRIP mountpoints if you have access to multiple. Some casters have better multi-constellation support.
on Quarry survey - 6 million cubic yards in one flight
This is a textbook case study for drone ROI. One morning vs one week, with better accuracy. What did you charge for this job if you don't mind sharing?
on Exporting to Civil3D - best workflow?
One more thing - make sure your coordinate systems match BEFORE export. Don't export in WGS84 then transform in Civil3D. Set your output projection in DroneDeploy to match your Civil3D drawing template. Saves a step and avoids potential errors.
on Teaching old surveyors drone skills - worth the effort?
The firm invests in training you, they're smart. Experienced surveyors who can fly are rare and valuable. The combination of field knowledge and drone capability is worth more than either alone.
on Recommendations for a survey-grade GNSS receiver under $10k?
Look at the CHC i93. Around $8k, full multi-freq receiver, solid RTK performance. Less known brand but the hardware is legit. Many Chinese manufacturers are selling Trimble-quality receivers now at half the price.
on Ground control targets - what brand/size are you using?
AeroPoints are great if you can justify the cost. Zero setup time, automatic processing, and they're accurate. We have 10 of them and they've paid for themselves in time savings. For budget option, 12"x12" checkerboard vinyl on coroplast is hard to beat.
on Combining drone data with traditional boundary surveys
Biggest value is locating improvements and topographic context for the plat. Fence lines, buildings, driveways - all visible in the ortho. Saves tons of field time versus shooting everything with total station. Monuments and property corners still get traditional treatment.
on Coordinate systems in DroneDeploy - how do you handle state plane?
@AerialAmy One more tip - save your coordinate system settings as a template if you're doing multiple projects in the same area. Project Settings > Save as Template. Then just apply it to new projects.
on Best NDAA compliant drone for survey work?
Freefly Astro with the Sony ILX-LR1 camera is legitimately survey grade. 61MP full frame sensor. But it's expensive and the workflow is more involved. Depends on your budget and how much federal work you're doing. If it's occasional, X10 is probably more practical. If it's becoming your primary work, Astro is worth the investment.
on Realistic salary expectations for drone surveyor?
The PLS route is still the best long-term play. Drone skills + license = $80-120k easy in most markets. Just something to think about.
on RTK vs PPK - when do you use which?
Exactly Tom. Same principle - redundancy and verification. The old surveying fundamentals apply, just with new tools.
on How many GCPs do I actually need with RTK?
One thing nobody mentions - RTK accuracy depends on your base/network. If you're using NTRIP and your connection drops mid-flight, you might not even know it. That's why PPK is sometimes better for remote sites. At least you can verify the corrections were applied to every photo. Checkpoints catch these issues. Don't skip them.