Javad marketing/training: An idea

[Patrick Garner]

I just received an email from Trimble. They're pitching what they call a "Power Hour Webinar." Essentially, it's a free webinar on grid and ground coordinates. But really, the topic doesn't matter. This is a marketing exercise, plain and simple.

So it struck me immediately that something similar offered by Javad would be an ingenious way to market the LS. The topic could be, "The Javad Triumph-LS, A Revolutionary Receiver," or something similar. The LS, the T-2 and radios could be featured. Attendees could be limited to 200, or 500, or 1,000. There would be no cost. The webinar could be announced in the next POB/Amer Surveyor centerfold, as well as on Javad's website.

Whoever conducted the webinar--and it could be more than one person--would have preparation time, but from Javad's point of view it would represent a new and highly inexpensive way of allowing large numbers of surveyors a virtual "hands on" chance to see the LS at work.

Thoughts?

 

[Nate The Surveyor]

Many Surveyors do not understand:

1.) Projections
2.) State Plane Coordinates
4.) Grid to ground Combined Scale Factors
4.) Geodetic vs Grid bearings

For many surveyors, until these aforementioned items have value, the underlying concepts in the LS will be lost on them.
For years, Trimble Equipment did these things, BUT, also allowed a novice user to AVOID knowing about them. ie, many surveyors who use TDS, have been able to "function", without knowing what is going on, "Under the table, and in the background".

The Javad LS, makes you "basically need to know those above items".

Therefore, anything Javad can do, to "Move Surveyors Forward", with knowledge" will help the WHOLE thing. In some ways, it could be seen as a "Contribution to the Profession".

Nate

 

[Patrick Garner]

For years, Trimble Equipment did these things, BUT, also allowed a novice user to AVOID knowing about them. ie, many surveyors who use TDS, have been able to "function", without knowing what is going on, "Under the table, and in the background".

Yup, that's been debated here. I think I proposed a two-level interface with J-Field (for the slow and incurious, of course).

But my point with the webinar is simply that it's cheap marketing that over a single hour can make personal and "hands on" contact with 100s of surveyors. It's brilliant marketing and Javad can sure go head to head with Trimble on this sort of thing.

 

[Nate The Surveyor]

I have been observing that many of the magazines have Trimble "infomercials".
Subtil advertisements, that don't really do business in details. The details that count.

 

[Patrick Garner]

Short on details, but what these "infomercials" do is keep the Trimble name in your face. They create the sense that Trimble is the indisputable leader in GNSS technology and innovation. It's a con but it's also classic marketing. Say it enough times...

 

[Darren Clemons]

Short on details, but what these "infomercials" do is keep the Trimble name in your face. They create the sense that Trimble is the indisputable leader in GNSS technology and innovation. It's a con but it's also classic marketing. Say it enough times...

....wave the watch back and forth.....you're getting very sleeeepy.....and you will buy a Trimble system......verrrrry sleeepy.....

 

[Nate The Surveyor]

I remember when I first got my Topcon Legacy E system. My FIRST question was HOW do it get it to OPERATE on GRID bearings?
I wound up asking alot of questions. It really bothered me, that my questions were not "Readily answered".
I learned to set it up, with an autonomous coord. Grid brngs, and ground distances. (CSF at the base). Good enough, to "Get me by". But, I knew I would eventually need to move on...
I did opus. I did a few airport ties. I learned a bit. It was all too clunky.
Then, I bought a Javad...
Too clunky NOT to dpos it! (YAY!)

N

 

[Jim Campi]

I'm an engineer that does limited surveying. Javad and the 5 PLS have provided invaluable tech and and made it understandable. It always surprises me when a seasoned surveyor doesn't understand what I mean when I ask what coordinate system are they using for the project.

 

[Nate The Surveyor]

What coord system is this job on?
Um, there in the data collector.
Ok, but is it tied into spc?
Um, it's just whatever came out of the data collector!
Ok, but do you know what that is?
Yes, it's a Trimble. Top of the line. Industry standard!
No, I mean the coords.
It's just whatever that thing generates!
Ok, who started the job in it?
He's no longer with us.
Where is your base station?
Which one?
Well, we've been using 3 base sites.
There's some sort of difference between them, but it's not alot. Less than a foot.
Were not sure why... Maybe if you figure it out, we can move 2 of them, to fit one...

Ah, the joy!

All the above has been done!

N

 

[Jim Campi]

Nate, you are obviously yanking my chain, right?

Jim

 

[Nate The Surveyor]

No, unfortunately not... I've had it several times
N

 

[Nate The Surveyor]

Some are on spc... (autonamous ones!)
But, they don't know that...
They only know about ONE kind of those...
Where'd these coords come from?
From the satellites!
(no joke)
N

 

[Jim Campi]

That is remarkable. Sounds like a joke and I bet it's funny, at first - then annoying.

 

[Jim Campi]

Knowledge is power.

Initially I thought it was me. Then I started to wonder if coordinate system information was being witheld purposely.

After several years of this I lost interest and obtained the information in other ways.

I suspected that the other party may not know what I taking about but immediately dismissed it.

This has been very helpful Nate. I now know that in some cases I am asking a question that isn't going to be answered.

It's laughable that in my early days of inquiry with my surveying colleagues that I would ask about localization.

This also sheds some light on a related topic. I occassionaly mention the Javad system to colleagues. Most don't seem impressed with JField's coordinate tools. Again, this explains why some surveyors aren't interested - they don't precisely know what I'm talking about.

Please note that my comments are just matter of fact. I know that the surveyor's I work with could easily "get up to speed" in this area of practice if they so chose (and purchased an LS)!

Thanks Nate. Very informative.

 

[Patrick Garner]

This thread has taken a great tangent--good discussion. But the original thrust was to discuss Javad marketing ideas.

 

[Phil]

How do I add another State's state plane system into my LS. Right now, I have Nebraska and South Dakota South, but I may want to add Wyoming soon. I never used to use State Plane until about 10 years ago. Now, it is what I use almost always. It is simple and you have coordinates for monuments from previous jobs that you can check in to and use for searching. RTK and State Plane and Javad and Carlson is tough to beat. I learned that after my competition was beating the hell out of me for a while. Phil

 

[Matt Johnson]

How do I add another State's state plane system into my LS.

See pages 16 and 17 of the Quick Start Guide:

 

[Charles Craft]

I do not understand Grid to Geodetic bearings. I trust my LS, but the bearings are opposite of what my common sense tells me. I work in Mississippi East Zone Grid bearings and rotate to Geodetic when the job is complete. My education and training is in aircraft maintenance, so that may be the problem. I would love to have some training. I would like to have more Javad users in Mississippi. I only know of one other in this state. My e-mail is charlescraft@bellsouth.net.