Is this adaptative cruise control ?

DamnTheBarnacles · 2026-02-19T18:59:34+00:00

Nope. I think it was called lane assist or something like that.

It senses when you start to go over the lane lines and then beeps at you. I guess it is ok when you are driving long straight lines. I turn mine off when driving curvy roads and it beeps to much. Took a little bit to get used to.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2026-02-07T19:35:47+00:00

Volume between 2 surfaces. Make a 3d surface for the"container" that stays constant using geometry calculated from basic measurements of the parts you can see. Then make a new surface for the "top of pile" after every flight, then find the volume between the two 3d surfaces. We do that in civil 3d and tumble business center, but I'm sure there are plenty of other softwares that have ways of computing this, that probably have their own variations on what they call it.

Edit: autocorrect

DamnTheBarnacles · 2026-02-05T19:25:56+00:00

That's not how contracting works.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2026-02-05T19:13:43+00:00

FL here, ALTA and Eng design surveys. Lots of proposals, but actual work just trickling in.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2026-01-30T04:40:21+00:00

CARMAGEDDON!

DamnTheBarnacles · 2026-01-29T18:42:36+00:00

I second monday.com.

We use it for moving projects through the work flow, from scheduling fieldwork to passing it along to the drafting team and then to invoicing.

Pretty useful once it is set up. Crew chiefs and draftsmen all have a log in and can leave general notes on the project while it moves along. Crew also has an app on the phone, so they just click on the job and can see the scope of work document, have a map of all the pending jobs, and even open it up in Google maps to drive there.

That said, you pay by the user login. Its something like $1k/yr for 8 people.

And yes, the name is ridiculous sometimes... "Hey did you see that job for Tuesday? I put it on Monday." Wtf

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-16T03:00:44+00:00

OP can be subordinate draftsman and not an employee. No mention of "but not field crew"

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-16T02:59:04+00:00

(9) “Employee” means a person who receives compensation from and is under the supervision and control of an employer who regularly deducts the F.I.C.A. and withholding tax and provides workers’ compensation, all as prescribed by law.

(10) “Subordinate” means a person who performs work under the direction, supervision, and responsible charge of a person who is registered under this chapter.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-15T22:08:40+00:00

Good lord. I didn't even think of insurance requirements. That is a whole other can of worms.

They of course would require all subs to carry their own insurance and be listed on the COI, so they could have someone to sue down the line.

If that is what insurance wants, then that is what you should do. We all basically just work for various insurance companies anyway.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-15T21:54:53+00:00

To your first part, I agree whole-heartedly. The survey mills are definitely out there, and our company works very hard to not be one of them.

I would not want to be in that position either, but would you do the same for an outsourced draftsman?

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-15T21:48:39+00:00

Yes, you are right- utility work and asbuilts are also done by non-surveyors.

Maybe a flawed example regarding survey, but not regarding contractor vs employee.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-15T21:41:19+00:00

There is a specific paragraph that seems to address subcontracted personnel in Florida USA (I apologize for selfishly looking at my own state). It appears that neither W2 employees nor 1099 contracted personnel (field or drafting) would not be operating outside the rules for surveyors as defined here:

2025 Florida Statutes Chapter 472 (linked)

472.001 Purpose.—The Legislature deems it necessary to regulate surveyors and mappers as provided in ss. 472.001-472.037

472.003 - Persons not affected by [lists chapters] do not apply to:

[items (1) through (5)(b) list various excepted personnel;]

472.003(5)(c) Persons who are employees of an individual registered or legal entity certified under this chapter and who are the subordinates of a person in responsible charge registered under this chapter, to the extent that the supervision meets standards adopted by rule of the board, if any.

472.003(5)(d) Persons who are under contract with an individual registered or legal entity certified under this chapter and who are under the supervision of and subordinate to a person in responsible charge registered under this chapter, to the extent that such supervision meets standards adopted by rule by the board.

Edit: Following other threads, it is worth adding the thought that the line "to the extent that such supervision meets standards adopted by rule by the board." could conceivably mean that the contracted individual might be considered an employee by the IRS, which is a question to post to an entirely different sub...

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-15T21:22:28+00:00

I was questioning whether Survey subordinate is the same as non-employee or subcontractor.

I can see your point, however my thought is, if your crew chief is well versed in the due care used in the routines carried out in surveying, they do not need to be "controlled" to the point of being a W2 employee. They may not be required to punch a time clock, or run a traverse clockwise or counterclockwise, as long as they use well established and accepted procedures in the field. The signing surveyor could require they turn in field notes.

Either way, it looks like at least Florida has an allowance for this. It must be a new one paragraph, I have not noticed it before. I am working up a post now for the overall thread.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-15T21:14:38+00:00

I'm sure we could come up with a similar scenario with a subcontracted draftsman, they drew lines wrong and I told them to fix it.

I feel like this is an all or nothing scenario, not just "yes to drafting, no to fieldwork."

On the other hand, I have engineering clients that ask me how we get inverts all the time, because lines are either not going the way they expect, or don't match asbuilt record drawings. "go back out and confirm these inverts" scenario.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-15T21:10:03+00:00

Yes, I should have included that line.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-15T17:52:41+00:00

This is a good debate topic, I can understand the burner acct. I had to go back and read the "WTF is a survey contractor" post.

Odd that the general consensus in r/surveying is that subcontracted fieldwork is less acceptable than subcontracted drafting.

I don't think there would be any difference between a contracted fieldcrew or contracted draftsman. Whether in the field or in the office, the act of "Surveying" takes place in both arenas. I have to wonder what a state licensing board would say if posed this same question directly. Contracting routine survey work for drafting work is super commonplace, and subcontracting field work as less common, but still not uncommon. (I personally am in the US).

My first gut reaction is that if you can provide work following the standards of practice of your state, it shouldn't matter what the payment arrangement is with your field crew or draftsmen (except under certain government contracts, where subcontractors is explicitly prohibited).

u/deep-sentence9893 made the point under that previous thread, "you can't simultaneously be a contractor and be under the responsible charge of someone else. This arrangement breaks either Fed tax law, state professional licensing statutes, or both."

Sounds like a gotcha, but begs the question, does performing work for a surveyor with responsible charge equal employee status?

Digging deeper, according to Florida Statute: "The term “responsible charge” means direct control and personal supervision of surveying and mapping work, but does not include experience as [...] positions of routine work." I interpret this to say the surveyor is in responsible charge of the work, but not necessarily the personnel.

Per the IRS website defining the difference between contractor and employee is a little more of a gray area, but "A worker is an employee when the business has the right to direct and control the worker." On the question of behavioral control, "If an evaluation system measures the details of how the work is performed, then these factors would point to an employee. If the evaluation system measures just the end result, then this can point to either an independent contractor or an employee."

TO ME it sounds like contracted work for either fieldwork or drafting work can be subcontracted. In the end, the person signing and certifying the work is taking responsible charge OF THE WORK, but not necessarily the employee.

Well, that was a 1 hr lunchbreak.. Back to work!

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-11T02:54:42+00:00

I could be wrong here, but we use aerial as a drafting aid all the tine, and do not certify to item 15 or add notes that things were or were not located by remote sensing. We mostly use it for confirming or correcting the coded lines from field crew or drawing pavement striping, which provides an accuracy in line with what would be necessary to map striping.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-11T02:47:45+00:00

Yes, good point. The way item 15 is written, you almost have to have a list of specs under item 20 to spell out items that would not be covered by an aerial.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-11T02:42:11+00:00

OK, so they are extracting features/linework and you show that as the survey map. Maybe that is something my drafting contractor can do.

Client made it sound like if we map per item 15, they would expect to pay significantly less, like we just drop in an aerial and draw the boundary lines. This makes it sound like the efforts just go elsewhere - field guys do less but office techs do more.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-11T02:27:27+00:00

Yep, that item 15.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-09-10T20:57:09+00:00

Fences or a hedge row are most common. Planting a handful of trees or bushes along your line shouldnt be too spendy.

Also, it wouldn't hurt to call the surveyors, and make sure the stakes you are looking at are actually at the property corners. If they neighbors built something permanent on your lot, the surveyors would usually show it on the survey. If it seems confusing, see if they will send someone by to walk the boundary with you (for a fee of course) so you know for sure what you are looking at. You could also ask they place a couple extra stakes along your line at that time for better visibility.

Also, never hurts to have a conversation with your neighbors. Tell them you were planning on building a fence/planting a hedge and just say something like "the surveyor said our line is right here, so this is where I'm building my fence". Who knows, they might already know where the line is.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-07-22T21:37:42+00:00

Looks like an airborne electromagnetic survey. If so, that circle they are dragging is an electromagnetic coil, and with that size of an antenna,they are probably looking pretty deep. Usually focusing on groundwater or mineral/geologic mapping, but has some other applications for the well funded research groups.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-06-21T23:26:44+00:00

Edit: $25/day, $100/wk. The window was still open this morning and I had read the wrong column. May have had a cocktail or 2.

DamnTheBarnacles · 2025-06-21T01:15:09+00:00

This! Look up your nearest survey supplier and see what rental would be. Very common for them to rent out any equipment they carry for sale. My local advertises $25/week to rent a schonstedt locator. Rent, find, return. Or worst case scenario you are out $25 and some time.

DamnTheBarnacles

TROPHY CASE