Help with Compass

[alanf]

I just started to use compass and cant see how to enter depth. I can only enter a depth difference between stations. Maybe it works this way but I can't imagine why for UW caves. I will RTFM but for the time being maybe somebody has a quick fix for me. Any help much appreciated!

[CaveBuddy95]

Hi Alan,
I was thinking when you are about to enter data (Edit Survey) go to "Edit Heading" and there "Edit Settings" go to "Unit" and for Declination you use "Depth Gauge" - when back at Edit Survey you have new column for depth.

I don't know if it's THE way to do it and if it answers your question but I'm sure you will tell me!

Saludos,

[mpoucher]

You can't enter a depth directly with Compass. You have to enter the difference in depth between the stations. Its a pain at first, but you get used to it.

There is an advantage: Many caves fluctuate in depth due to river/lake levels or tides. If you enter depth directly you have to have a reference and correct your depths to it. With Compass, its all relative to the first station and self correcting.

[alanf]

Thanks very much Mike,

I was wondering if that was the case. So if depth is relative I need to be careful to enter -/+ values for the difference. I guess I can import a spreadsheet or something that could massage my raw data first. Maybe I should just pop over to FL and do your course and save a lot of headaches.


Jason, thanks for the input. I guess we are on about the same page :). Hope I bump into you one day out there.

[apitkin]

I guess I can import a spreadsheet or something that could massage my raw data first.

That's not a bad idea, as it helps preserve your data in its original form. Earlier versions of Compass did not accept difference in depth and you had to calculate the inclination for every shot, which was quite easy once you had a spreadsheet set up. I used to do it all on an old Hewlett-Packard HP200LX palmtop running the DOS version of Compass, using the built-in Lotus 123 for the number crunching.

Andy

[Attchoum]

I chip in a plane ticket for Mike in exchange of a workshop on survey and map drawing...

[CaveBuddy95]

Thanks very much Mike,

I was wondering if that was the case. So if depth is relative I need to be careful to enter -/+ values for the difference. I guess I can import a spreadsheet or something that could massage my raw data first. Maybe I should just pop over to FL and do your course and save a lot of headaches.


Jason, thanks for the input. I guess we are on about the same page :). Hope I bump into you one day out there.

oh well, and I thought I had you covered with my explanation!! :rollguy
So far I haven't bothered with depth as I use it for "stick map" more than anything but in the future I will certainly do it!
I heard Matt at Protec has a good course so is Fred at ZG!
Maybe will be on the class together ;)
See you around

[FW]

You guys might have better luck getting Jason Richards down there :-)

[RN]

oh well, and I thought I had you covered with my explanation!! :rollguy
So far I haven't bothered with depth as I use it for "stick map" more than anything but in the future I will certainly do it

Even a 5 foot change in depth is going to have an effect on your distances. Not accounting for it, even in a stick map is going to produce innaccuracies. Several changes and you could easily be off by 100 feet . I started using the older version of Compass and was happy to see they added the depth change. I wish I had the patience to figure out Walls. I hear it's a better program once you know how to use it.

[CaveBuddy95]

Hi Rob,
yes you are absolutely right and it can become critical for gas planning!
It is mainly to get the idea of the cave, for the best view I have to buy the official QRSS map!!:?

[mpoucher]

Thanks very much Mike,

I guess I can import a spreadsheet or something that could massage my raw data first.



As far as I can determine, Compass will not import depth changes (i.e. by pasting data from a spreadsheet) It will only accept an inclination. I'm in the process of converting data from Onstation and I past the data into Compass and us a spreadsheet to claculate the depth changes at each station and use this to manually enter the depth changes. Its a somewhat cumbersome process, but beats re-entering all the data.