Low Tech

Low Tech
by James C. Christensen

Flight, particularly to the stars, for centuries lay solely in the realm of man’s imagination and dreams. It was, therefore, not so far-fetched that NASA should turn to master fantasy artist James Christensen to contribute his vision of man in space.

For Christensen, it was logical that before there was High Tech, there had to be Low Tech. There isn’t an engineer, programmer or IT specialist today that can’t identify with or see in themselves the indomitable spirit of the space age barnstormer that built the space program, designed the desktop and envisioned the cloud.  Nor could they escape the feeling of having to do it all with duct tape and spare parts found in their or their parents' basement.

This framed print was given to me by my old friend and boss Dr. Bruce Bugbee back in about 1990. In our lab where we built hardware for NASA plant science research, we took pride in our motto, "Not high-tech, not low-tech, but just the right amount tech!"

I'll always treasure it as a most thoughtful gift, and it is hanging in my office once again.  Thanks Bruce!

Getting The Most Out of Your GPS Receiver – Consider Geotagging

An alternate title for this story could be, "Using GPS in Genealogy, A Marvelous Tool, Part 2"  See Part 1.

We are fortunate to have tools such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) to help us navigate anywhere in the world. Initially for military use, and then expanded to commercial shipping, the technology has evolved to the point where every person on the planet either owns a GPS “device” or is directly affected by one. A feature on today’s cameras and smart phones often overlooked and underappreciated, is attaching GPS location data to ordinary images which is called geotagging.

At the bottom of this story is a challenge with a prize.  I encourage you to read on and go for it!

The ubiquitous influence of this technology can be seen in a car, on the news and even in social media. Who could have ever realized that the Russian flight of Sputnik, the first man-made satellite launched in 1957, could lead to a geotagged selfie of a person on Facebook®? Consider what technologies are utilized in this example. Being used to send this image is a marvel of hardware and software including a mobile telephone, a GPS receiver, the internet and complex programming for the sender and the receiver of this information. But besides entertainment, are there other ways we can use these tools for self and public benefit, and how did GPS get to be so accurate? Of course!

Timeline of GPS Accuracy

Between 1978 and 1985, ten NavStar satellites were launched as the first GPS system for military use. In the 1990s the first consumer GPS units became available and were accurate to about 100 yards. The inaccuracy was due to Selective Availability (SA) which is programming of the GPS signal to make them less accurate for nonmilitary use. During the 1990–91 Gulf War, the shortage of military GPS units caused many troops and their families to buy readily available civilian units. Selective Availability significantly impeded the U.S. military's own battlefield use of these GPS, so the military made the decision to turn it off for the duration of the war. On May 1, 2000 President Clinton turned off SA completely. Since that time, because of more sophisticated satellites, systems such as the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) to augment GPS, and land based beacons accuracy has increased to less than 1 inch!

Geotagging

The word Geotag is derived from geo, referring to earth and tag which means to mark. Closely related to geotag is the term waypoint. Waypoints are sets of coordinates (north or south and east or west) that identify a point in physical space referred to as longitude and latitude. If a person leaves the Earth they could also measure altitude. A geotag is that waypoint that has been attached to that application, photo or message. Depending on the technology and software, the geotag information may be more or less accurate. Accuracy however is relative to the needs of the user, in that a person looking for a restaurant, or car in a parking lot needs less accuracy than someone searching for something very small such as a property line or utility cover under snow. These two examples although practical, do not enrich our lives per se, so why should we know more?

It is helpful to know and to refer back to where location information was collected years later, and we can if we attach compass coordinates to our data (text, image, video). Examples include coordinated attached to:

• A beautiful plant or historical marker you want to show to someone else.
• A grave stone or historical landmark for genealogical purposes.
• A pothole in the road to notify public road or utility companies.
• The perfect fishing spot you found on your last outing.
• A quick reference to your location in an emergency situation.

To enable Geotagging on your electronic device go to the Setup menu and look for an option to adjust your location parameters to enable or disable it. Once it is enabled, proceed to take a picture and then review the picture in your image gallery. In the image gallery open the picture and look for the option to show picture details. You should see a screen similar to the one left. Notice in the picture details is the filename, date, time, etc., but most importantly, the information we need in under location where it shows exactly where the picture was taken. This number can then be recorded and then back referenced in Google Earth or other mapping software to find its exact location. Easy! Right? It does take some practice, but the information you can get from this simple feature may be very useful in the future.

Tip! To enable "geotag" on your phone camera, open up your camera app and check the Settings there if it is not in your general Settings.

Here is a challenge with a prize!  In the photo left are the coordinates North 28.359655°, West -80.780788.  The first person who emails me with the nearest city and cross streets to this location I will personally send a prize and highlight them (if they wish) on all my social media streams. My email address is guskoerner@gmail.com. (I know I'm a nerd.)

Maps for Going Afield

Navigation has always thrilled me using maps, a compass, GPS or the stars. Using a standard USGS topographic map is especially a pleasure because it is like hiking through the woods holding a piece of art. They are as beautiful to me as the surroundings themselves and often contain treasures on the landscape that do not show up through other methods of navigation.

About 1976 I learned this skill of laminating the map on a piece of natural cloth, making it more durable and I've always wanted to do it again and share it with folk like me. so here it is...

Maps for Going Afield

An original article by T. Fegley, Field and Stream Magazine, 1971. Reproduced verbatim, and by permission for preservation of this skill.

With more and more people taking to the out of doors and many wishing to get away from it by all exploring new territory, topographic maps have gained a new popularity. Similarly, hunters, fisherman, hikers, backpackers, snowmobilers, and Jeep-born navigators rely on their maps in the field and constantly use them for reference. As new trails are discovered and plotted, the map becomes a tool matching the compass in value. 

Although the cost of a topo map is small, constant replacement of heavily-used maps is unnecessary if you take 30 minutes or so to reinforce them with a cloth backing. It is easy and inexpensive and will give more mileage to your valuable silent guides. 

Basic equipment for mounting your topo includes scissors, a yardstick, razor blade cutter, two pans, commercial wall paste, paintbrush, and backing material such as an old starch-free muslin sheet. The sheet must be larger than the map since it is stretched and tacked along the edges. A smooth, tight surface can be had by fitting the sheet over a straight edged piece of plywood and tacking it on the opposite side after stretching. 

Fold the map so that it fits conveniently in your coat pocket. Unfold and cut the map carefully along the folded lines with a razor blade. Since the larger 7 1/2 minute maps may require more folds to get to pocket size, only the creases of the larger sections need to be cut. It is unnecessary to divide the map into too many small segments. 

Float the pieces in a pan of warm water for about a minute. With a brush, apply the paste to the back of each section and position them on the sheeting about 1/8 inch apart. The paste should be completely free of lumps before applying. 

After mounting the sections in their proper order, clean off the excess paste with a damp cloth. A gentle pressure will assure a contact between the paper and cloth. The map must be allowed to dry slowly and thoroughly for 24 to 48 hours depending upon drying conditions. 

When the map is completely dry, cut it from the board and trim along the papers edge to keep the cloth from fraying. Should any of the maps edges lift after use, a bit of white glue will do the trick. 

Your reinforced map is now ready for many hours of use and should stand hundreds of foldings. Along with a compass it will provide pleasure and safety for your travels into the wild. 

As an alternative, the map may be mounted in one piece by applying moisture to the back with a damp cloth to soften the paper before pasting. The map is then mounted and cleaned by applying pressure from the center toward the edges with the moist cloth. When dry, the map is folded to fit into the pocket. - Tom Fegely

References for Topographic Map Lamination to Cloth:

• Tom Fegley, “Maps for Going Afield”, Field and Stream Magazine, June 1971, page 150.
• William Hillcourt, “Your Hiking Pals”, Boy’s Life Magazine, October 1947, page 11. “I’m happy when I’m hiking, pack upon my back, I’m happy when I’m hiking off the beaten track…”, an old Boy Scout tune.