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| "Give me two pronouns." | "Who, me?". |
Can a DIYer use a GPS device to conduct a land survey?
Yes, of course, but there are limitations. But first, you may want to know what the Global Positioning System (GPS) is, and how it can be used for land surveying.
A simple explanation of the GPS as it pertains to this article is that it is a U.S.-owned utility (paid for by the taxpayers) that provides users with positioning, navigation, and timing services. Also, several other countries have their own satellites and systems.
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| Source: GPS.gov website |
If you are interested in more detailed information about how GPS works: gps.gov
This service is available for you to utilize. Of course, you need a device that can communicate with the GPS satellites/system. If you have a smartphone or a navigational system in your vehicle, you are already connected to the system.
Don't get a silly idea about driving your vehicle into a field to try to survey!😏 However, the GPS coordinates might help the tow truck driver to find you and tow your vehicle out!
Most smart phones have a compass app, and you can activate the location setting. This will show you the coordinates where you (your phone) are located. If the weather conditions and several other factors are good, you might be close to the real coordinates. To be accurate, the coordinates shouldn't vary from day to day.
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Unfortunately, close (close may mean 5 feet or 50 feet to some people!) is okay if you are lost and are trying to send your location to someone. But close enough isn't good enough if you are trying to find property lines.
Professional surveyors may use GPS devices to perform and/or aid in the surveying process. A quick search will show you that these professional level devices cost thousands of dollars! These people do this for a living, and buying expensive, reliable, and accurate equipment is a must to operate their business.
If you are reading this article, can we assume that you are not looking to spend thousands $$$$$ on equipment that you may use a few times? Maybe you are just interested in locating your property boundaries so that you can look for pins (monuments) left there by the original surveyor. A moderately priced device and an economical metal detector might help accomplish this task.
So get out your property deed and review the description of your property. If your county has a website that maps and shows property lines, this will aid in your adventure.
For more information on GPS devices and to look at a few that might be in your price range (with the features that you need):
>>>> GPS Devices
