Re: [Texascavers] Shetland Attack Pony

2008-05-26 Thread Robert Tait

That pesky American dollar is loosing value every day!

On the other hand, it IS open source, and all the documentation is on 
line.   A few folks could pool their talents together and bang out a 
half dozen or so for closer to $100 each, I suspect.  Naturally *I* 
am NOT volunteering.


Of course if we started making them this side of the pond, we would 
have to improve it by adding a string on an encoded reel, to 
eliminate the need for a tape.  Then we can sell it back to the Brits!


Cheers..

Rob

At 09:19 PM 5/24/2008, Mixon Bill wrote:

Inexpensive?? The thing costs $550. -- Mixon
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Re: [Texascavers] Shetland Attack Pony

2008-05-24 Thread Mark Passerby
I own one and it is worth every penny here is a side by side comparison
chart we did http://www.cavediggers.com/SurveySidebySideSummary.pdf

Picture using it in Zicafoose a couple months ago
http://cavediggers.com/Zic3292008SenateHall/target14.html

Mark

On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 9:19 PM, Mixon Bill  wrote:

> Inexpensive?? The thing costs $550. -- Mixon
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RE/MAX Real Estate Professionals
Technology Developer
Ph. 517-896-4376
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[Texascavers] Shetland Attack Pony

2008-05-24 Thread Mixon Bill

Inexpensive?? The thing costs $550. -- Mixon
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[Texascavers] Shetland Attack Pony

2008-05-24 Thread Robert Tait

Yah... It's  cave related, its an Inexpensive Electronic cave Surveying Gizmo.

"The Shetland Attack Pony is the first combined electronic compass 
and clino designed specifically for use underground. Field trials 
have shown that it will give a loop closure of better than 1%, 
slightly better than that provided by standard instruments."


See:  http://www.shetlandattackpony.co.uk/about.html

Cheers from Upstate New York.

Rob


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[Texascavers] Shetland Attack Pony-True Pulse-Suuntos-D3 shot comparisons

2008-03-14 Thread Mark Passerby
Last weekend Aaron Bird and I got together to shoot 12 survey shots
using...
1) Shetland Attack Pony(digital compass/inclo -
http://shetlandattackpony.co.uk
2) True Pulse 360 - http://www.lasertech.com/360/
3) Traditional Suuntos sighting instruments
4) New Disto D3(discount code is cavers) -
http://www.laserstreet.com/leica-disto-d3.htm

Aaron and I both shot the different shots independently and wrote the
results down. Here is a link to those results
http://www.cavediggers.com/SurveySidebySideSummary.pdf
NOTE: there is also a link to the .xls file that contains the raw
data at the top of this pdf file.
*OTHER NOTES*: Aaron and I had originally tried this a week earlier
but quickly realized the True Pulse and SAP(Shetland Attack Pony)
needed calibration. The Shetland was shipped from overseas so most
likely got knocked out of calibration on the journey to the U.S.
The SAP(Shetland Attack Pony) however wasn't so easy to calibrate
i.e. the shot process is very simple but the software had
installation issues. I never did get the software to complete the
calibration completely, but instead had to send the raw.txt file to
Phil at SAP. Phil then generated a calibration file and sent that
file for me to load. Hopefully the software issue will be resolved
soon because the SAP is an absolutely fantastic device thus far to
use and worth every penny of the $600. In fact my goal is to have
another unit by year end for backsights.
**Phil just emailed and said a new version is up and running so I will test
this weekend and post if it is successful in running the entire calibration
routine.

*SAP(Shetland Attack Pony) usage* -- Simply hold the device at any
angle...point the laser to the next stationhold the button down
for 1.5 second(this is adjustable via software setting) and read the
results. An extra feature is the recording/saving of a leg # on the
device. This leg# is written down in the survey book with that shot
so that later any blunders in reading the device or in the recording
of the measurement can be discovered!
The SAP is without a doubt the single greatest survey device I have
used and will eliminate many common survey errors.

*Suuntos* -- Both Aaron and I discovered how easy it was to read these
devices wrong.maybe just once or twice in a series of shots but
it was enough for us to recognize the benefits of a device like the
SAP or True Pulse.

*Disto D3* -- An easy to use...ultra small device that delivers what it
is designed to doi.e. distance and inclo!

*True Pulse 360* -- Easy device to use but relegated for use above
ground on longer shots such as a surface survey. Aaron will publish
more on this device.

My adviceget an SAP you won't be disppointed then add an extra
column in the survey book for Leg# and go survey.the data crew
will become so much more efficient that they will have more than
enough time to draw cross sections at each station. This in turn
frees up the sketcher so that the labor is more balanced and the
survey moves forward at an even pace for all involved.

Mark Passerby, InCaveDigitalSurvey.com

--


[Texascavers] Shetland Attack Pony Photo

2007-10-19 Thread Mark Passerby
Here is a photo that Phil Underwood sent me today of the Pony at work
surveying http://www.incavedigitalsurvey.com/pony.jpg

**Peter Ludwig has ordered one as well so we will be getting a firsthand
report soon and I spoken for one on order for December :)

Mark Passerby, InCaveDigitalSurvey.com