GPS Sample Project Exercise

This project is designed to assist you in learning the tools of GPS. For our sample project, we will locate and map the Emergency Telephone Stations located around the USU main campus. With the various construction projects around the campus, it may be that one or more of the stations is inaccessible or missing. That's not really a problem for us, the project is flexible enough to allow some variability. You may also save some time by not locating all of the Emergency Telephone stations, but just the ones that are closest to each other. Whichever you decide to do, the steps involved are essentially the same. (Portions of this page adapted from Trimble's GeoExplorer II Operation Manual)
 

1. Planning

Time & Effort: The sample project is a relatively simple exercise, but it will still take some time to complete. You should plan to spend at least an hour walking around collecting points (if locating all ten stations), maybe more if you aren't familiar with the campus. Be sure to check your batteries for a sufficient charge for the project. Plan to spend another half hour or so in the lab for post-processing.

Coordinates & Units: It's best to determine in the beginning what coordinate system and measuring units you will be using. This prevents you from having to make conversions later in the process. For our project, we will use UTM and meters as our standards. Be sure to check your GPS unit and adjust the settings accordingly.

Know your Study Area: This should be very simple for our project--it's the USU campus. Here's a map of the Emergency Telephone stations in PDF format that you can print out and carry with you to find the stations. (Note: Be aware that some of the Telephones have been moved by recent construction.)

QuickPlan Software: Though the NAVSTAR constellation is complete, the number and quality of satellite signals vary from hour to hour each day. Trimble's Pathfinder Office program includes a planner called QuickPlan that can aid in determining the best times to collect data for your location.
 

2. Data Collection & Processing

Collecting Points Without a Data Dictionary: Since we are only collecting a series of point locations for this project, not much set-up is required. If you want, you can simply grab the GPS unit, head outside and start gathering data right now.

Using a Data Dictionary: If you want to collect points using a Data Dictionary and Pathfinder Office, follow the link Using a Data Dictionary.

Data Transfer: Once you've created a Data Dictionary or after you've collected your positions, you'll need to transfer the data between the GPS unit a computer.

Differential Correction: To increase the accuracy of your data, use differential correction.

3. The Final Product: the Map

Creating a Map with ArcView: Now that we have collected our GPS data, we will create a map using ArcView. (Note: This part of the tutorial assumes a basic knowledge of ArcView and UNIX.)