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 station....hold 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 do....i.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 advice....get 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 --
