Author Topic: Ben Cruachan  (Read 3989 times)

Lyle Brotherton

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Ben Cruachan
« on: November 12, 2012, 11:35:20 AM »
Tomorrow I am off to work in the Ben Cruachan area. The Ben is one of the most magnificent Munros of the Southern Highlands, with a pointed peak (1126m) that towers above its rocky satellites giving great views to Loch Awe and Loch Etive. I am going to try using my Samsung Galaxy S3, both for photography and navigating, using the Anquet Mapping new Android application with pre-loaede 1:25 000 High Definition Ordnance survey maps.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2012, 12:00:15 PM by Lyle Brotherton »
“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance” - Plato

Skills4Survival

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Re: Ben Cruachan
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2012, 07:05:50 AM »
Sounds interesting, specially how long the batterij will hold.
Ivo

Pete McK

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Re: Ben Cruachan
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2012, 08:06:58 AM »
The forecast for the west coast is wet, have you a case for the Galaxy S3, plus have you downloaded maps onto the unit or going to rely on your internet connection?

Lyle Brotherton

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Re: Ben Cruachan
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2012, 08:22:08 AM »
Just making last minute checks that I have all the waterproof gear I need.

No Pete I had not packed a case for the S3, I have a small general purpose Aquapack which I will place it in. As regards to mapping I have both downloaded maps from Anquet and their new Android app, plus I am going to see how well the unit copes with using Google Earth.

As comparators I am taking the Garmin Fēnix and my trusty GPSMAP 62s, the latter has Discoverer 1:50 000 GB installed.

On the Fēnix, using the free software Basecamp from Garmin, I have downloaded a GPX file that somebody has made of the route to Ben Cruachan taking the popular horseshoe route, taking in Stob Diamh, from the Walking Highlands website

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4993

I intend to record precisely the 10 figure grid references for specific locations to compare TTFF (Time To First Fix) and accuracy with all three units. The dam wall will have very accurately surveyed points, usually designated by a yellow plastic triangle, which Scottish Water engineers will use when assessing the structural integrity of the dam and I intend to try and obtain these from this authority.
“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance” - Plato

adi

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Re: Ben Cruachan
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2012, 08:37:54 AM »
How will you check the grid of the benchmarks Lyle (The little yellow triangles)? They only appear on 1:2500, 1:1250 and 1:500 mapping.   Ah ok read your post in fall before posting - you will check with the authority. lol
"We do not belong to those who only get their thought from books, or at the prompting of books - it is our custom to think in the open air, walking, leaping, climbing or dancing, of lonesome mountains by preference, or close to the sea, where even the paths become thoughtful." Friedrich Nietzsche

captain paranoia

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Re: Ben Cruachan
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2012, 07:06:03 PM »
> The dam wall will have very accurately surveyed points

It's very likely that there will be a fixed surveying infrastructure in place, intended for use with something like a Leica TotalStation.  There may even be retroreflectors mounted on the dam to assist.  So, somewhere, there is likely to be a fixed position for mounting a TotalStation in a repeatable (to sub-cm accuracy) position.  It's the relative movement of dam to surroundings that's important, not the absolute position of the dam...

I was on the Tube at Paddington station the other day (Circle line, I think), and whiled away the wait watching the fixed surveying (a TotalStation) doing its stuff, going around the fixed retroreflectors, taking constant measurements.  I assume there must have been some problem with movement that they're monitoring.


Lost Soul

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Re: Ben Cruachan
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2012, 10:26:37 AM »
> The dam wall will have very accurately surveyed points


I was on the Tube at Paddington station the other day (Circle line, I think), and whiled away the wait watching the fixed surveying (a TotalStation) doing its stuff, going around the fixed retroreflectors, taking constant measurements.  I assume there must have been some problem with movement that they're monitoring.



Sounds like the opening scene from a Science Fiction film --- !

captain paranoia

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Re: Ben Cruachan
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2012, 01:00:35 PM »
It would be a very boring opening scene; unless you knew what it was, you'd hardly notice it.  You might see it and think it was a surveillance camera.

Sadly, it doesn't use a visible laser.  That would be much more fun, and much more like a science fiction film...

Pete McK

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Re: Ben Cruachan
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2012, 11:40:40 AM »
How did you phone stand up to the weather and what were your results?