Surveying Articles

Episode 252 - Chad Maxwell, PLS

Strap in and grab your Trimble, because Episode 252 of The Geoholics takes us on a globetrotting, tech-loving, swamp-sloshing survey saga with none other than Chad Maxwell, PLS—a man who’s mapped more terrain than your Roomba on espresso.

We kick things off with the usual “Jake Owen sings while KG wings it” intro, followed by breaking news from the land of satellite miners, career advice from the GeoSearch crew, and an ESRI pro tip that may or may not involve chair-based motivation.

Then it’s time for the main event: Chad “Every Mode of Transport” Maxwell. This guy has surveyed from 200 meters in the sky to 3,000 meters under the sea, possibly while simultaneously filing expense reports and dodging alligators in a swamp buggy. He’s done geomatics work inside a jet engine, which raises both safety concerns and curiosity about what his LinkedIn endorsements look like.

Highlights include:

A “remote-sensing-first” mindset that could make drones blush.

A heartfelt plea to ditch outdated habits (we’re looking at you, paper field books).

A shout-out to the ASPRS standards that got more love than most people's fantasy football teams.

And a lighting round that proves even surveyors enjoy filling in the blank—especially when the blank is “The future of surveying is _______.”

From nuclear reactors to the Grand Canyon, Chad Maxwell proves that the future of surveying is just one swamp buggy ride away.

Episode 251 - "TopoDot" Ted Knaak

In this data-drenched episode, Kent, Producer Sean and Russ Hall bring the heat with updates, promos, and a life-altering reminder that you can impact anyone within 3 feet…unless you’re holding a GNSS rover—in which case, give them a little more room.

Enter Ted Knaak, the President of TopoDOT and certified geospatial Jedi. Ted takes us on a journey from Jersey Shore roots to launching Riegl USA in the 90s, and then mic-dropping the geospatial world with TopoDOT in 2011—because clearly, satellites weren’t ambitious enough.

We talk TopoShare (data governance’s cooler cousin), reality capture, point clouds, paradigm shifts, ROI (Return On Innovation?), and how TopoDOT is turning surveying into a high-resolution lifestyle. It’s basically Shark Tank meets Star Trek for surveyors.

Song of the Week? Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m Goin’ Down,” which ironically pairs well with LiDAR elevation points.

BONUS: If you like brain-twisters, there’s even a boundary survey quiz, a GEODNET miner count update, and enough acronyms to crash your COGO.

So buckle up, grab your Emlid kit, and prepare to be inspired, educated, and just confused enough to start googling “blockchain RTK.” TopoDOT didn’t just draw a line—it rendered the entire surface.

Week 150: Lost Corner Restoration Methods - One, Two, and Three Point Control

Episode 250 - Dr. Samuel Ariaratnam & Dr. Firat Sever

This week, the Geoholics hit the big 2-5-0, and what better way to celebrate than digging deep — literally — into the glamorous, pulse-pounding world of trenchless technologies and underground infrastructure! Our guests, Sam "The Sultan of Subsurface" Ariaratnam and Firat "The Pipeline Picasso" Sever, taught us that real heroes don’t wear capes — they wear hard hats and dream of pipes bigger than your average minivan. We learned that Urban infrastructure needs trenchless tech like a millennial needs Wi-Fi...Misconceptions about underground work abound — spoiler alert: it’s not just giant moles and angry dwarves down there...UESI isn’t a secret society, but it might as well be, given how it’s saving cities one buried utility at a time...Sam schools us on trenchless technologies (because who actually wants to dig giant holes anymore?)…While Firat flexes his resume by casually mentioning he built the world’s largest composite pipe — no big deal. If you ever thought digging holes wasn’t rocket science — well, it turns out it’s worse. It's way more complicated. Love the planet, love your pipes, and if someone hands you a shovel — just politely ask if they’ve heard of going trenchless. Music by Rush!

Week 149: Overview of Outreach 101 & Crew Guides created by the NSPS Workforce Development Committee

Episode 249 -Sean Gorman & Zephr

Apologies for the audio challenges...it was one of those nights!!

In this episode, the Geoholics crew sits down with serial startup whisperer Sean Gorman, co-founder of Zephr.xyz—a company so cutting-edge it probably triangulated this podcast before it aired. Sean, who grew up everywhere from Germany to the Philippines (basically Carmen Sandiego in reverse), shares how a life of constant relocation and rowing (yes, actual rowing) shaped his journey into geospatial tech superstardom.

The conversation navigates GPS spoofing, blockchain-based RTK, and turning your phone into a location-locked superhero—all while trying to make sense of GNSS like it’s not just a Scrabble score. We also learn that Sean has exited three startups and still had time to accidentally go viral for a dissertation. Casual.

From Sofi Tukker’s “Purple Hat” vibes to the WingtraGround setup that even your intern could master, this episode blends tech, travel, and topography in a way only The Geoholics can. One thing’s for sure: if location is everything, Sean’s been everywhere.

Moral of the story? Always bring a base station…and never underestimate a former rower with a PhD and a passion for satellites. 

Episode 248 - Colin Sellers

The guys were joined in-studio this week by Colin Sellers—land surveyor, father, veteran, and part-time GPS wizard—joined us to discuss how moving around Georgia, joining the military, and raising a kid named Ragnarok (yes, like the Norse apocalypse) all led to one thing: a love affair with surveying that might just rival his affection for coffee.

From dodging camels in Djibouti to resurrecting section corners like Indiana Jones with a data collector, Colin shares tales of grit, GPS, and generational wisdom—especially the time he and his son turned a Nebraska project into a family bonding moment worthy of a Pixar movie.

He also dives into For The Quest, a geo-RPG that turns map-hunting into a noble pursuit, proving once and for all that surveyors can be adventurers too… just with more sunburns and fewer dragons.

And of course, it all wraps up with a dose of philosophy, family values, and a reminder that the best education often comes from the dirt under your boots—not the letters after your name. Music by Tengger Cavalry!!!

ASPRS Gulf South Region 4th Annual Geospatial Conference - Part 2

Check out these highlights from this year's awesome event!!!

01:05 - Nathan Jones, UAS/GIS Department Lead @ AG3 Group LLC

18:50 - Will Alexander, Geospatial Specialist @ Centurion Planning & Design, LLC

29:50 - Scott Dunham, Geospatial Director @ Gorrondona & Associates, Inc.

38:28 - José A. Pilartes-Congo, Jr., Ph.D. Research Assistant @ MANTIS Lab (Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying & Science)

ASPRS Gulf South Region 4th Annual Geospatial Conference - Part 1

Check out these highlights from this year's awesome event!!!

00:40 - Vladimir Serkov, LiDAR Manager @ Poznecki Camarillo, LLC

17:30 - Alex Sorrells, Student @ Texas A&M University

31:15 - Terrance Ranney, Drone Services Manager @ UNICO Engineering, Inc.

44:25 - Stephen Anthony, Principal Geospatial Data Engineer @ CoreLogic

53:50 - Sally Holl, GIS Professor @ Austin Community College

Week 148: Whittier Tunnel 3D As-Built Surveying Case Study

2025 Pacific Rim Geospatial Conference - Day 2 (Part 2)

Check out these highlights from Day 2 of this year's awesome event!!!

00:32 -  Elisse Deleissegues, GIS Analyst at Hawai'i Geographic Information Coordinating Council (HIGICC)

17:10 - Beverly Pascual, Civil Engineer at Engineers Surveyors Hawaii, Inc.

29:12 - Clare Mamura, Owner of Pacific Geospatial Services and President of Hawai'i Geographic Information Coordinating Council (HIGICC) 

42:58 - Jim Reinbold, Regional Sales Director at Carlson Software 

57:14 - Meyer Cummins, LPLS State of Hawaii 

2025 Pacific Rim Geospatial Conference - Day 2 (Part 1)

Check out these highlights from Day 2 of this year's awesome event!!!

00:30 Alika Garo, Project Surveyor at Sam O. Hirota, Inc.

10:02 Cliff Yim, Licensed Land Surveyor in the State of Hawaii

20:38 Joey Furlett, Realtor-Broker & Attorney (HI+IL) and Commercial & Residential Real Estate Expert 

35:55 Sarah Falzarano, Strategic Planner at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

52:42 Loren Slentz, Operations Manager at Maui Land Surveyors

1:03:12 Edward Carlson, Pacific Region Geodetic Advisor at National Geodetic Survey

2025 Pacific Rim Geospatial Conference - Day 1

Check out these highlights from Day 1 of this year's awesome event!!!

01:00 - Victor Rasgado, Senior Surveyor at Stantec Consulting Services

12:09 - Heath Huovinen, Land Surveyor at The Independent Hawaii Surveyors   

27:05 - Sarah Halpern, Geospatial Scientist  

37:47 - Puiemau Paopao 

49:32 - Michelle Alvarado, Geospatial Scientist    

1:01:15 - Stephen Ambagis, Partner Air Data Solutions / Resource Mapping Hawaii

Week 147: A Real-World Look at Ethics & The Professional Surveyor

Week 146: Ground to Grid / Grid to Ground - Simple, Right?

Week 145: Stage II of the Boundary Survey Process - Conducting Field Work the NLC Way

Week 144: The New YSN Mentoring Program

Week 143: Land Surveyor Safety

EP203 - Carl R. C.de Baca - Surveyors & California Fires

This week's episode of "Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast" takes on the serious subject of surveyors and their role dealing with wildfires. Our guest, Carl C.de Baca, a professional land surveyor with R.E.Y. Engineers, Inc. from Folsom, CA. Carl and Tim recently sat down to discuss conditions of performing parcel tracement in post-disaster condition, biohazards to consider, and compilation of records research and data collection processes. A can't miss conversation so check it out today!

NSPS Foundation Disaster Relief Help Available!

The Foundation is a tax deductible 501(c)(3) organization.

DONATE NOW to the NSPS Foundation Disaster Relief Fund here:

https://nsps.us.com/page/DisasterRelief

Week 142: Key Strategies for a Successful Land Surveying Business

EP202B - NSPS Young Surveyors Network (YSN) Election 2025 - Meet the VP Candidates

Get ready to fill your NSPS Young Surveyors Network (YSN) ballot for new officers! How? Listen to this episode of "Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast" for a terrific conversation with the two candidates for Vice President, Farrah Etcheverry (Arizona) and Jon Geffre (South Dakota). Lots of great insights to the collaboration of this exciting group, so check it out today! YSN members are eligible to vote, so make sure you are signed up today. Elections close on December 31st!

EP202A - NSPS Young Surveyors Network (YSN Election 2025 - Meet the Secretary Candidates

Get ready to fill your NSPS Young Surveyors Network (YSN) ballot for new officers! How? Listen to this episode of "Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast" for a terrific conversation with the two candidates for Secretary, Stacy Pollock (Michigan) and Adam Thayer (Idaho). Lots of great insights on the collaboration within this exciting group, so check it out today! YSN members are eligible to vote, so make sure you are signed up today. Elections close on December 31st!

Week 141: Time-Dependent Coordinates in the Modernized NSRS

EP201 - Patrick Veraguth, Minnesota County Surveyor

This episode of "Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast" asks the question: what does a county surveyor do? It turns out to be much more than we anticipated! Patrick Veraguth, County Surveyor for Douglas and Grant County (MN), and current president of the National Association of County Surveyors (NACS), joined Tim Burch to discuss the role and much more. Pat shared the day-to-day responsibilities of the country surveyor as well as their role in informing AND protecting the public. An informative conversation, so check it out today!

https://www.countysurveyors.org/

https://surveyorsays.podbean.com/