Survey

[Rob Tucker]

I have used, as was very pleased with, the GPS locating abilities of Christian Rygh, Creative Mapping Solutions. 640-8599

[1voyager1]

As Usual for me, I am coming into this conversation a bit late.
And, I have not read every post in the thread.
But, here is my input to the OP's question.

The previous owner of out property had a "Boundary Corner Verification" done in 2005.
It was done by The independant Hawaiian Surveyors, LLC of Hilo.
The surveyor was Niels Christensen.

The total cost for locating the corner posts on a 100' x 435.6' lot was $729.17 tax included.
The survey report included a diagram [map] of the lot with bearings and distances as recorded and as found.
As found locations were verified as being within 0.56' of the recorded.
That was good enough for me.

Using that report and its information, I wanted to visually confirm the locations of my corner posts.
I have a good backcountry navigation GPS that I had used for land and water recreational backcountry travel in Alaska.

I needed and acquired a $90 recreational metal detector to help locate the two rebar corner posts along the street.
After locating them, I refined their location, then projected waypoints for the back corner posts from both front post to each of the rear posts, giving me 2 projected waypoints for each rear post.
I did need to do a little bit of trig to get the lot's diagonal.

That got me to within 20' of the first rear post when I saw its marker, a white PVC pipe with red and blue surveyor's tape on it sitting upright on the rebar corner pin.
I then, refined its location and projected a 3rd waypoint for the remaining corner post.
It was the most accurate because it was only through 100' instead of the 435' from the front posts.

Points to ponder:
A GPS is not a surveying instrument.
It can get you to with in 15' to 30' of your objective.
The more waypoints you can project to it, the better you can estimate its location.
Hacking your way through ulu'he on an uneven lava flow with thin soil on it can be a very educational experience.

I took my time in completing the location task.
I did it in stages over about 6 to 9 months.
Now that I have laid hands on each of my corner posts, I have begun to brush my property lines.
Again this will be done in stages, quitting when I get sick and tired of hacking ulu'he.
And starting up again when I want to get more of the property lines defined.

I found the first rear corner post before Iselle blew through.
It was located under the root ball of an albezia on the neighbor's property that was blown down.
The PVC pipe was buried in the rootball and pulled off the rebar post when the tree was uprooted.
But the rebar post was still in its original location.
I pulled the PVC pipe out of the rootball and stuck it back onto the rebar.
That could have complicated the search for the corner post if it had happened before I began the search.

It has been a complete and total DIY project.
Total cost so far:
$90 for the metal detector, the cost of a few band-aids and fuel for the brush cutter.

[kalakoa]

A GPS is not a surveying instrument. It can get you to with in 15' to 30' of your objective.

I used a more expensive GPS; it got me within 18".

[terracore]

New hyper-accurate centimeter GPS systemp

http://scienceblog.com/78228/new-centime...U0TlkTp.97

[1voyager1]

quote:

---

Originally posted by kalakoa

A GPS is not a surveying instrument. It can get you to with in 15' to 30' of your objective.

I used a more expensive GPS; it got me within 18".

---

Why is it everything on PunaWeb seems to degenerate into a "Mines bigger and can pee further than yours" type of contest.
All I was trying to do was to illustrate how I got the job done that lavalinda said she wanted to accomplish.
She expressed concerns about the cost quote for a survey.
I got my task done for $90 and change.
While my GPS is no longer being made, it is still selling online used for less than $200.
Plus, the corner post verification had only cost the previous owner $750.
Although, it was on a smaller lot.


Now, to go back to the "Mines bigger and can pee further than yours" contest.
The reason for the degree of inaccuracy is not that the GPS cannot locate more accurately.
All found corner posts were located to within 3' in the refining process.
I could have gotten it closer.
For my needs that was close enough.

Where the inaccuracy comes in, is in projecting the waypoints.
You cannot input surveying level accuracy of bearings and distances.
That's where the 15' to 30' error through 435' comes from, and why projections through shorter distances are more accurate.
I seriously doubt if you can project a waypoint to within an 18" accuracy without a survey grade instument.

That's it.
I'm done with the contest.
I will only comment further if someone wants information that bears on the OPs original post.

[kalakoa]

Mines bigger and can pee further than yours

I guess.

doubt if you can project a waypoint to within an 18" accuracy

Maybe I was lucky, maybe it was because I used a scientific-grade GPS with a built-in compass. All I know is, it worked better than expected.

[terracore]

"Mines bigger and can pee further than yours".

I thought we were talking about a new centimeter GPS system?

[kalakoa]

Bottom line is, no matter how accurately you can survey the lines or find the pins, you'll end up paying for a real survey anyway, because County won't take your word for it.

[Tink]

I believe the OP stated she was "just double checking" and not needing another survey for legal purposes. If legal documentation is needed, of course pay for a licensed surveyor to provide the documents.

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