Electric Utility

[paleco74]

Hello Members, I join this group to see if anybody can help us mapping our electric distribution facilities (electric poles). Presently we are using e Trex HCx Garmin GPS. We rae not so sure of what we are doing. When we download waypoints of our poles, it does not appear in the location its very far on the actual. Hope you can help me.

[hbt]

Hello Members, I join this group to see if anybody can help us mapping our electric distribution facilities (electric poles). Presently we are using e Trex HCx Garmin GPS. We rae not so sure of what we are doing. When we download waypoints of our poles, it does not appear in the location its very far on the actual. Hope you can help me.

hi welcome to roadguide

paleco of palawan electric cooperative?

i dont have an etrex but try this:
download mapsource and the map here
transfer your pole waypoint to mapsource
edit those waypoint
upload it to your device

HTH

[jspalaroan]

Hello Members, I join this group to see if anybody can help us mapping our electric distribution facilities (electric poles). Presently we are using e Trex HCx Garmin GPS. We rae not so sure of what we are doing. When we download waypoints of our poles, it does not appear in the location its very far on the actual. Hope you can help me.

What map are you using in your E Trex? Maybe you are using the base map. If you can download the free version 1.07- it would definitely help you .

[Borgie]

We rae not so sure of what we are doing. When we download waypoints of our poles, it does not appear in the location its very far on the actual. Hope you can help me.

What map are you using in your E Trex? Maybe you are using the base map. If you can download the free version 1.07- it would definitely help you .

As mentioned by hbt and jspalaroan, the reference map for your marked waypoints is indeed very important as it will give you the impression that the pole locations are accurate or not accurate. And even then, many factors have to be considered like the following:

1. The GPS device's accuracy at the time those waypoints were gathered (usually the best for the Etrex HCx is +-4 meters)
2. The accuracy of the roads in the GPS map for your area/location (in the device and in mapsource).
3. The absence of roads in the GPS map for your area/location.

Imo, you should not only gather pole waypoints but also the tracks (1 second tracks for the roads please) where these waypoints are located. Then download both tracks and waypoints in mapsource and check against the latest Roadguide demo map (as you're not a contributor yet and you should check your data against our latest map). If the tracks are spot on the RG map, then all you need to do is to make minor adjustments to your waypoints, like moving it to the correct distance and side of the street (as mentioned previously, best accuracy is +-4m so minor positional errors are always to be expected). If the tracks are not spot on the roads and are way off, then you need to submit your 1 second tracks to RG so that we can correct said road errors. The next time the tracks of the RG map gets updated, your submitted corrections will be shown already and you can use the RG map more reliably for your pole survey mapping. And did i mention that submitting tracks and track corrections (asides from POI waypoints, not electric poles) will earn you contributor status?

Btw, please check out the "How to's" on how to edit waypoints and submit tracks and track corrections... HTH

[paleco74]

As mentioned by hbt and jspalaroan, the reference map for your marked waypoints is indeed very important as it will give you the impression that the pole locations are accurate or not accurate. And even then, many factors have to be considered like the following:

1. The GPS device's accuracy at the time those waypoints were gathered (usually the best for the Etrex HCx is +-4 meters)
2. The accuracy of the roads in the GPS map for your area/location (in the device and in mapsource).
3. The absence of roads in the GPS map for your area/location.

Imo, you should not only gather pole waypoints but also the tracks (1 second tracks for the roads please) where these waypoints are located. Then download both tracks and waypoints in mapsource and check against the latest Roadguide demo map (as you're not a contributor yet and you should check your data against our latest map). If the tracks are spot on the RG map, then all you need to do is to make minor adjustments to your waypoints, like moving it to the correct distance and side of the street (as mentioned previously, best accuracy is +-4m so minor positional errors are always to be expected). If the tracks are not spot on the roads and are way off, then you need to submit your 1 second tracks to RG so that we can correct said road errors. The next time the tracks of the RG map gets updated, your submitted corrections will be shown already and you can use the RG map more reliably for your pole survey mapping. And did i mention that submitting tracks and track corrections (asides from POI waypoints, not electric poles) will earn you contributor status?

Btw, please check out the "How to's" on how to edit waypoints and submit tracks and track corrections... HTH

Thank you guys, I will try your recommendations and keep you updated of the results. Is Garmin e Trex HCx really fitted in our aim to map our electric distribution facilities? Can you recommend GPS that really fits our objective? Thanks.

[Borgie]

Is Garmin e Trex HCx really fitted in our aim to map our electric distribution facilities? Can you recommend GPS that really fits our objective? Thanks.

Yes, any of the newer model Garmin handheld GPS (with colored screens, like the etrex, gpsmap series, oregon & etc.) are good enough for your survey needs. You don't really need the sub-meter accuracy of very very expensive GPS devices used for land survey. Important things to remember are the limitations of your GPS in terms of accuracy and how you adjust to these limitations and you must have a good map (like the RG map) to serve as a base map for your survey. Btw, what is your objective, asides from mapping your electric distribution facilities? After mapping, then what? Sorry if i'm being more than curious. My thinking is if you need to use your data other than just for showing it in the map, GIS applications would be the way to go...

[d1754]

Hello Members, I join this group to see if anybody can help us mapping our electric distribution facilities (electric poles). Presently we are using e Trex HCx Garmin GPS. We rae not so sure of what we are doing. When we download waypoints of our poles, it does not appear in the location its very far on the actual. Hope you can help me.

Aside from what our experts had said, please check the coordinate system that you are using. If you are using the NAMRIA 1:50,000 as your base map then you have to set your GPS coordinate system on LUZON datum. Most of the GPS like e Trex use WGS 84 as the default coordinate system. Luzon and WGS 84 has an offset of approx 200 meters shifted to the SW. These could be the reason why you are getting far readings.

I recommend that aside from MAPSOURCE you also use the GIS software like MapInfo for your project.

Good luck