Now that you have your data dictionary loaded, lets configure the unit and take it outside

1
GPS- Collecting Data

• Now that you have your data dictionary loaded,
  lets configure the unit and take it outside!
• RECOMMENDED Print this take it outside with
  you!

2
Restoring Factory Settings
First thing that we need to do is to restore the
factory settings on the rover. This step should
not be performed on a unit already in use in
another project as loss of data, data dictionary
and settings will occur. With the rover on,
click on Start and then Programs and look for
a program called TerraSync. As an alternative,
you can tap on the white F1 key to start the
Program. When TerraSync opens up, you should come
to this screen

• Tap on the Status drop-down and choose Setup.
  You will see the screen on the far right.
• 2. Under Current Configuration you should see
  Factory Defaults.
• 3. Tap the Reload button.

3
Restoring Factory Settings
If you dont see Factory Defaults, tap
Change, highlight Factory Defaults, and tap
Load. Your screen should look like this with
Factory Defaults under Current
Configurations.
4
Before you go out into the field to collect data
you need to be a little familiar with the data
that you want to collect. The following slides
have all of the features and their attributes
that you need to collect while in the
field. Feature something that can be mapped
using the GPS e.g. walkway, building, athletic
field Attribute information about a feature
e.g. Walkway Width (feet) 4
Building Name Main Office
Athletic Field Type Baseball
5
These are the features that you will collect and
their attributes.
Buildings (polygon) Name (text type in the
name of the building) Function (menu choose
academic administration or athletic) Athletic
Field (polygon) Type (menu choose football
baseball or intramural) Name (text type in the
name of the athletic field) Flagpole
(point) Responsibility (menu choose student
body administration student organization or
other) Height (number type in the height of the
flagpole in feet) Construction (menu choose
aluminum steel wood or other) Condition
(menu choose good fair or poor) Walkway
(line) Surface (menu choose concrete gravel
or asphalt) Width (number type in the width of
the walkway in feet) Bleachers
(polygon) Function (menu choose athletic
assembly performance or other) Construction
(menu choose wood aluminum or
other) Portable (select Yes or No) Parking Lot
(polygon) Surface (menu choose asphalt
concrete or grass) Use (menu choose multiuse
students or faculty)
This is a very useful page while you are outside
mapping your school.
6
Before you collect your data(Hints for easier
data collection)
You can collect more than one feature in any
rover file (e.g. 3 athletic fields, 10
buildings, 14 walkways, 2 flagpoles, and 5
parking lots) These can all be contained within
one rover file. However you may not be able to
map your entire school in one EAST
class Therefore you need a plan of
action Collect one type of feature (e.g. all
walkways) within one EAST class and move onto
another feature type in your next EAST class.
For example First EAST class collect all of
the parking lots Second EAST class collect all
of the athletic fields And so on until you have
collected all of the features in your
school. You can transfer each individual rover
file to your PC before you begin the next rover
file. (see Ch 6 transferring GPS data)
7
Getting Space Vehicles

• Satellites in the sky are known as SVs (or space
  vehicles). This is the view you first saw when
  you started the rover.
• Change the view menu to Status. You should see
  the screen at the bottom.
• Here, we have a sky plot of the satellites.
  Notice the satellite picture by the view menu.
  It indicates that we can see four satellites
  but there are no coordinates. The bar on the
  screen is below the line indicated by the arrow.
  We wont be able to take readings like this!

Note You need to be outside for the GPS to see
any satellite vehicles (SVs). If you are outside
and the bar is below the line (hollow) then you
may not be holding the rover correctly
8
Holding the Rover

• Your body can block satellite signals, so it is
  important to hold the GPS rover correctly.
• For the best reception
• Hold the rover away from your body.
• Tilt it so that the top of the GPS (the antenna)
  is parallel with the ground.
• Hold it up so that you and the satellites can
  see it. Keep in mind that your friends can block
  signals too, so dont let them crowd you.
• It may also take a few minutes to get a good set
  of satellites especially if the rover has been
  inside for a long time or has never been turned
  on.

9
Good Configuration

• If you have a good configuration of satellites,
  you should have a view that looks like this
• Notice
• The rover has 6 SVs locked
• You need a minimum of 4 SVs to allow you to
  collect data. More satellites may be needed
  depending on their position in the sky.
• You will know that you can collect data when
• The bar is black and above the marker
• The bottom of your screen tells you the latitude
  and longitude of your position
• Now, we can start collecting data!

10
The Data View
To get to the data collection screen, select
Data on the view menu. 5. We want to create a
new data file (rover file) using the data
dictionary that we loaded in the lab. This
screen says that the dictionary that is selected
is Generic, and thats not the one we want.
11
Changing the Data Dictionary
6. Tap on the Dictionary Name drop-down
list. 7. Select schoolmap with your stylus.
Your data dictionary should now be listed in the
Dictionary Name field. 8. Tap Create and
you will see the screen to the right, listing all
the features you have available in the data
dictionary.
12
Collecting Data
After tapping Create your screen should look
like this. You should see a list of types of
features that you can collect when you are out in
the field. You have a choice of five features,
three are polygons, one is a line and one is a
point. This tutorial will walk you through
collecting one athletic field and one flagpole.
Be aware that that there are a couple of
different methods for collecting features. You
should be familiar with these before going out to
collect data.
PLEASE remember that you can collect more than
one feature within a rover file!
13
Collecting Data Athletic Field

• To collect an athletic field feature go to the
  actual field that you are planning on mapping.
• Select athletic field with the stylus.
• Next, under the Options pull-down, select the
  Log Later option. This puts the rover in a
  mode in which it is not collecting position data
  until you tell it to.
• Tap Create. Notice that double-bars appear
  in the upper right corner. We say the rover is
  paused. You should see the screen to the
  right.
• Note We want the rover in pause mode so that we
  can easily change the attributes of this feature
  before we begin collecting position information.

14
Adding and Changing Attributes(Athletic Field)

• For the feature athletic field, there are two
  attributes that need to be added type and
  name. type is a menu attribute, name is a
  text attribute.
• Change the type attribute to the type of
  athletic field that you are about to map.
• To type in a name attribute, either tap in the
  space below name, or activate the on-screen
  keyboard by pressing the keyboard icon in the
  taskbar.
• Using the stylus, tap the name of the athletic
  field. Close the keyboard by tapping the X in
  the upper right corner.

15
Collecting Data

• Notice that the unit is still paused. We know
  what the athletic field is, but not yet where it
  is.
• If your field is rectangular, all you need to do
  is collect the positions of the corners. The
  rover will connect the dots.
• To do this, stand at one of the corners of the
  field, tap the Log button, and wait for the
  unit to record one position (the number by the
  pencil). Then press the Pause button.
• Note this is usually very quick about a
  second!!
• Walk to the next point and repeat the procedure
  by pressing the Resume button.
• This is how you can start and pause the
  collection of data.

16
Collecting Data

• Continue collecting only the corners of the
  field, logging and pausing at each. When you are
  done, push the OK button to close the feature
  and tap Yes to confirm.
• Now, you should be back to this screen.
• You have collected one feature within the feature
  class athletic field.

17
Collecting Polygon or Line features
Polygons You can start collecting and walk around
the feature, collecting data continuously. This
is best for curvy features (like a baseball
field). or You can collect just the corners,
using the log button to pause in between point
collection. This is best for rectangular features
like a building or football field. The GPS will
automatically close the polygon for you (so you
dont need to go back to your starting point).
Hint Line features are collected in the same
way as polygons, except that the GPS doesnt
close the polygon. Lines For curvy sidewalks
collect data continuously. Straight walkways
collect data at the corners, pausing the unit in
between point collection.
18
Collecting Data - Flagpole
Now we are going to collect a point feature
your schools flagpole.
17. Walk to your schools flagpole and on your
GPS receiver scroll down to flagpole, select
Create. 18. Select who is responsible for
the Flagpole, what it is made of and its
condition. 19. To change the height from 50
to another number, tap on the number pad (which
has replaced the keyboard). If you do not have a
number pad double tap on the keyboard icon and
tap on Trimble Numeric Keyboard. 20. To
collect a point tap Log. You need to stand still
until you have collected 120 points (look at the
numbers at the top right of the screen). When
you have done this, push OK and then confirm
Yes to close that feature. (you can tap
Log before you add your attribute information
just remember to stand still!)
19
Collecting Point features
Points When collecting points, the GPS will take
an average location based on the number of points
you collect (when collecting the flagpole you
need 120 points, collecting 1 point each second,
therefore you have to stand still for 2 minutes).
Now you should be familiar with collecting
features using your GPS. You should be able to
map your entire school, using the methods that
have been given as an example in the previous
slides. Remember that you can collect more than
one type of feature within a rover file. After
you have finished collecting all of the features
that you can in the time allowed you can close
the rover file and take the GPS back inside to
transfer the data to your PC. You may need to
make multiple data collection trips to map your
whole school so plan what you are going to
collect before going outside! (see slide 6).
20
Closing your file

• Once you have finished collecting all of your
  features that you can in the time allowed you can
  close your rover file.
• Tap the Close button. The rover will ask you
  to confirm that you are closing the file. Select
  Yes.
• Now, were back to the first screen under data
  collection. The file has been stored, and you
  can now take it back inside.
• Chapter 6 will describe how to transfer your GPS
  data to your computer.