GIS Intern Trimble Management

A bit of advice:
Keep the Trimble check out sheet updated and ALWAYS check the coordinate system
before it goes out and when it is checked back in. For some reason students have a knack
for changing the settings. Then their data is exported in the wrong system, and they freak
out when their points are in Antarctica. Be preemptive.

How to add points:

Make sure Microsoft ActiveSync is installed and updated on the computer. When the
Timble is connected, click on the Tools menu on ActiveSync. Go to Explore Device. A
windows explorer window will open for the Trimble. Create a folder that you want to
dump your data into or you can use an existing one. Copy your all of your shapefile files
into the folder.

How to change coordinates

Open up TerraSync on the trimble. Underneath the Terrasync logo on the upper left
corner you will see a menubar with a dropdown corner. When you first start terrasync it
usually opens up so that the Status screen is displayed and is in the dropdown menu.
Underneath the status logo there should be another menu with a drop down arrow that
says skyplot. You want to click the dropdown arrow on the menu that says status and go
to Setup. This will open up a menu with a series of boxes that allow you to change
certain settings. You want to click on coordinate system. Here you can change the
system. There is a box next to coordinate system called units that allows you to change
the measurement units if you should wish to do this as well.

How to export data

Just as a note, the data cannot be differentially corrected within an hour (sometimes a
little more) of being collected. Open GPS Pathfinder office and always use the default
folder. Once the GPS is connected go to the Utilities menu and select Data Transfer. On
the Device dropdown, make sure the correct device is set. You will see a green check in
between the two computers next to this menu. As a side note, you never want to use
Microsoft ActiveSync to transfer data, but it must be installed and working properly in
order for the device to be recognized. Make sure that you are in the tab that says Receive
and NOT Send. Click the Add button with the arrow next to it and click Data File. Keep
the destination in default. When you have added the files that you want click Tranfer
All.

Now it’s time to differentially correct. Click on the Utilities menu bar and then click on
Diffential Correction. When you click the plus button, the system should automatically
assume you want data from the default folder. Your files should have transferred as .ssf
files. Select the files you just transferred. Hit Open and then Next. Make sure the
Automatic Carrier AND Code processing is selected for processing type. Hit Next
again. Hit Next again. You want to make sure that the Base Provider Search is selected
in Base Data. Hit the Select button. I always go with an UNAVCO station, but it doesn’t
really matter. Select a station and then hit Next. Output the files in the project folder and
make sure the Create a Unique Filename option is selected. Hit Start. It will go though
a long list and bring up a bunch of text in the window. IMPORTANT: Check your
estimated accuracies. Sometimes the computer runs through the corrections and you see
all the text in the window but it does not actually correct your data. You will get all 0%
for you accuracies if this happens. This just means you need to select another base station
and run through it again. If the data is properly corrected, then if should look like the
picture below.

Now you are ready to export your data. Go to the Utilities menu in the menu bar and
click on Export. An export box will pop up. It automatically assumes you want to export
data from the Default folder (one of the reasons it is so much easier to always work out of
the default folder). Click the Browse button and choose the .ssf files that you just
corrected. Now under Output Folder click the Browse button. This is the folder where
your shapefiles will be saved. Now click the dropdown arrow under Choose an Export
Setup and select Sample ESRI Shapefile Setup. Underneath the file format you will see
the coordinate system that the data will be exported. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT PARTS OF EXPORTING FILES. The shapefiles MUST be exported in
the same coordinate system that they were collected in. This is why you should always
check the coordinate system settings before the Trimble goes in, when it comes in, and
encourage students to write it down in their field notebooks. We have had major
problems with students not knowing what they are doing and changing the settings in the
past. The data is then exported in the wrong system, and it will never be in the right place
on the map. You can change the coordinate system by clicking the Properties box. You
will be able to change not only the coordinate system, but the units and attributes
exported within this box as well.