FINAL GPS PROJECT REPORT

WOODLAND PARK MAPPING JOB

Providing history and information for Robert Beall

CREATED AND MAPPED BY:

JERALD J. SABOL
12/09/03
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ______________________________1

MATERIALS AND METHODS___________________________1,2

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION____________________________3,4

CONCLUSIONS________________________________________4
 INTRODUCTION:

Woodland Park was researched and mapped for the sole purpose to give the

public some history and information about a premiere location just minutes away from

anywhere in the Kalispell area. The project will provide maps and information about the

park.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The park is located in Section 8, T.29N, and R21W. and consists of 38.5 acres. To

the north of the park runs a set of Burlington Northern Railroad tracks, to the west is

Woodland Park Drive, the south Conrad Drive and finally to the east sits Woodland

Drive.

This project was quite large and predicted to take some quality time to produce

the results expected by my instructor and myself. The actual visual scoping of the job

was easy because I have spent many hours in the park walking and taking pictures over

the last few years. I predicted that gathering my data with the GPS would take six hours

and I was very close to that figure by the time I was done, 5.5 hours. Manipulating the

data in Pathfinder Office and ArcView took just over one week’s time and the report took

three days.

The Trimble Company manufactures mapping grade GPS units, which will be

used for the data collecting process in the project. The model I used was a GeoExplorer

3, and with it the software needed to create and produce maps. This unit has an accuracy
of +/- 2 to 5 meters and carries a cost of three to five thousand dollars. Pathfinder Office

and ArcView are the software programs that will be used in unison with the GeoExplorer

to accurately and correctly develop the maps.

After data is collected with a GPS there is a correcting procedure that follows.

This procedure is used through Pathfinder Office and a CBS station. A Control Base

Station (CBS) is a facility that logs data 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The CBS

station then takes the data and corrects for any possible errors that may exist. These

errors consist of items such as timing error due to clocks aboard the SV or the clock

located within the GPS receiver being different from each other. There are also errors

caused by many types of atmospheric conditions that raise havoc with signals being sent

to earth. These signals can be deflected in the atmosphere because of changes in the

ionosphere. The geometric position of the satellites can also cause error; this is because

the satellite may be low on the horizon and causes signal to the receiver to travel through

more of the atmosphere. A poor geometric position of satellites also causes problems

because of poor triangulation. Then there is multipath error. Multipath error is caused by

trees or buildings blocking the signal or causing the signal to bounce around before

reaching the receiver.

Spending time and making observations of what the project and map will contain

is the first step you take in this type of project. A person needs to know exactly what he

or she is going to map before creating the data dictionary, which is used to log all

information.

Creating a data dictionary is the next step toward gathering data; it is also the

most important step because if the dictionary does not function properly neither does the
GeoExplorer. Therefore all of your previous planning and scoping is now put to use

through the data dictionary.

Data dictionaries are designed to operate by categorizing the project you are

mapping with features and attributes, the features are determined by lines, points or

areas. Then it is very important to add an attribute to each feature because that is how the

software program ArcView is designed to function properly, this will alleviate future

problems when working in the ArcView program.

Once the data dictionary is created it should be downloaded into the GPS

and tested outside to be sure that the unit will collect data properly. This also means to

bring the unit back to the office and run all data through appropriate programs meaning

Pathfinder Office and ArcView to be sure that all systems will work with one another.

After properly testing the above procedures it is time to log data for project.

In Pathfinder Office you can find a program called quick plan that offers tables and

graphs of available satellites to produce quality signals for your GPS unit. A person is

wise to run quick plan to be assured that upon arrival at project site there will be suitable

signals to map quickly and efficiently. This program has tables and graphs showing the

user how many space vehicles are available and their geometric positions. With that said

a person is able to go to the project site and gather data knowing that most error will be

eliminated. When all data is logged it is taken back to office and downloaded into

Pathfinder Office. There it is corrected by comparing files from the chosen CBS station,

which for me was the MDOT in Helena, Mt. After corrections are made the data is then

exported to ArcView and manipulated and massaged to create the final map.
 Results and Discussion:

I ran into a few problems throughout the experience of this final project. The first

one was caused by not being able to get close enough to the ponds to get the precise

positions I wanted. I solved this by using the offset feature in the GeoExplorer 3, I offset

the pond fifteen feet to my left and walked around the pond in a counterclockwise

direction and got the data I needed quite easily. After getting all data transferred to

Pathfinder Office, it was corrected and then exported to ArcView where I then had

another problem. A warning came up stating, “Number of shapes does not match number

of table records.” Running Shape Checker, a program created by Andrew Williamson

who I am grateful, easily solved this; it saved me from going out and collecting my data

again.

After getting the data into ArcView and looking at it in its map form is when I

could really see some errors. Much of the line and area features were showing large

spikes, which needed to be fixed. I did this by editing them with ArcView, I clicked on

the line, which highlighted grips on the line, and I then clicked on the grips and drug the

line to its correct location. Of course the only way I knew where to drag them was

because I had projected my map data onto an Ortho Photo.

Conclusions:
This was a fun and challenging project, I learned about some of the useful
instruments and computer programs that are available to us here at FVCC. Also after I

had spent time down at the City Of Kalispell Parks and Recreation gathering information,

Lisa Simmer was actually quite interested and was curious about getting a copy of my

final project. I plan on giving her one upon completion.

Metadata Form
Origination1. AuthorJerald J. Sabol2. Date12/15/033. Title Woodland Park Map
project4. Data LayerGPS Data collected with GeoExplorer3, Digital Ortho Photo of
Kalispell5. Coverage Name(s)Woodland Park located in Kalispell, Mt.6. Feature
TypeMap7. Source of datahttp://nris.state.mt.us8. 9. 10. 11. 12.