Here are some pictures from the week.  I think I need a new camera phone.  These pictures are not great.

Chattanooga

Jackson

GEO-Jobe GIS is the Authorized Sole Source Trimble Dealer for Mapping & GIS Solutions in Tennessee and is the only vendor in the State authorized to handle Trimble Sales, Training, Service, Support and Rentals. GEO-Jobe GIS is also an Authorized ESRI Business Partner, Consultant, Reseller, Developer, and offers Authorized ESRI Training throughout the State. In addition, GEO-Jobe GIS is the Authorized Reseller for LaserTech Laser Offset devices and LizardTech MrSID technology.

The Trimble Seminars will be held in Johnson City, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville, Jackson, and Memphis. We will be giving away a free 1GB iPod Shuffle to one lucky attendee at each of our seminars.

Each half-day seminar will include the following:

• GPS Theory Basics
  • What is GPS
  • Real Time vs. Post Processing
  • Learn about GLONASS (Russian), Galileo (European), and other satellite constellations
• Trimble Product Reviews
  • GeoExplorer 2008 Series (GeoXM, GeoXT, GeoXH)
  • Pathfinder Series (ProXT, ProXH, ProXRT)
  • Nomad
  • Juno ST/SB/SC
  • NetR5 Reference Station
  • Centimeter Level Trimble GPS (Trimble R8GNSS)
  • Hurricane & Zephyr Antenna’s for better Accuracy and use in tree canopy
• H-Star Technology Overview
• Real-Time Mapping – Do YOU want a High-Accuracy Real-Time Mapping Solution? – Come see it in action!! Requires no post processing for decimeter-level (4″) accuracy.
• Laser Offset Technology – For collecting assets in low satellite signal areas such as when you are close to buildings or under heavy tree canopy. If you can see it, you can capture it.
• Digital Photography – Our inventory is stocked with BRAND NEW 8 megapixel cameras with WiFi capabilities. These cameras allow you to capture high resolution imagery for assets in the field and then automatically transfer the image to the GeoXH/XT handheld maintaining a permanent link to the asset. As the data is exported out to the ArcGIS environment, the picture and link are automatically maintained and available for viewing back in the office.
• GIS/GPS Field to Finish Solution – Now you can get more done in less time with this turnkey package by GEO-Jobe GIS. Featuring out of the box solutions for Water, Gas, Electric, Stormwater, Wasterwater, Telecom, and more. We bring the complex down to a manageable workflow. With training added in, you’ll be up and running in no time.
• Mobile Editing - With so many handhelds and PDA devices now in the field, updating data in real time is not just possible, it’s now readily available. Access your data out in the field on the PDA and perform edits and updates which allows synchronizing back to the office as often as you see fit.
• In-Vehicle Mapping - GEO-Jobe GIS is a reseller of Panasonic Toughbooks and has already outfitted several utilities with In-Vehicle Mapping Systems. The latest Toughbooks come with internal GPS and broadband cards which provides flexibility for automated locating and updating in the field. This means workorders, for example, can be transmitted to and from vehicles from the office. Plus, add Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technology and your fleet will be more efficient at responding to incidents when they occur.
• Fleet Equipment Management – GEO-Jobe GIS provides complete packages for your crews. From Toughbooks loaded with ESRI ArcGIS and ArcPad to Trimble GPS hardware and software packages, let us help you standardize your fleet so all of your employees are outfitted with the same equipment, fully setup and configured at GEO-Jobe, and delivered ready to go.
• Training – Do you need GIS or GPS Training?  GEO-Jobe offers a wide range of standard and customized Training Programs
  • ArcPad, GPScorrect & GPS Analyst
  • TerraSync & Pathfinder Office
  • Custom onsite Training
  • ArcGIS Desktop I
  • ArcGIS Desktop II (formerly Intro to ArcGIS I)
  • ArcGIS Desktop III (formerly Intro to ArcGIS II)

This year GEO-Jobe is also showing off the latest Trimble gear, the Nikon Wi-Fi cameras that link wirelessly to the GeoXH, and the LaserTech TruPulse 360B which is a great bluetooth laser rangefinder.

Join us tomorrow for the Middle Tennessee GIS User Conference in Nashville.  That is sure to be a fun day as well.

On November 3rd, the East TN GIS Fall Conference will take place in Kingsport at the MeadowView Conference Center.

On November 18-19, the 8th annual MAGIC GIS Day conference will get underway.  More info here.

Finally, on November 20-21, Middle TN gets its chance to shine with the Middle TN GIS User Group conference.  You can learn more here.

So there you have it.  Get out an enjoy the beautiful state we live in.

It is a great privilege to share some news about some Tennessee folks that have completed a rigorous training process and are now officially designated as Certified Mapping Specialists (CMS). In the world of assessment and appraisal, this is quite an accomplishment.

• Barbara Kizer, CMS – Assessor of Property for Lawrence County in Lawrenceburg, TN
• Johnny Stephens, CMS – GIS Coordinator for Maury County in Columbia, TN
• Delton Mayberry, CMS – Assessor of Property for Hickman County in Centerville, TN
• Melvin Huffman, CMS – GIS Technician, State of Tennessee Office of Local Government, Middle TN Region
• Charles Winchester, CMS – Appraisal Specialist II, State of Tennessee Division of Property Assessments

Congratulations to you all.

GEO-Jobe GIS is an IAAO member company with yours truly holding a full IAAO membership. As a company, we are committed to supporting the GIS needs of the Assessment community in Tennessee. We are an ESRI Business Partner and provide Authorized ESRI consulting, software reselling, and ArcGIS training.

Anyone can also now download, freely, the digital orthophotos from the Tennessee Basemapping program as well as the 2007 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery in the MrSID file format on a per-county basis from the Tennessee Spatial Data Server.

Links Straight to the Data:
Click here for the Tennessee Basemap Orthophotos.
Click here for the NAIP imagery.

This month the Southeast Watershed Forum launches a new and valuable resource for land and water protection. The Community Resource Mapper provides a free, user-friendly, on-line mapping service that will help communities integrate natural resource protection into their land use planning efforts.

Visitors to the site can create maps at a county, watershed or state level, that compare impaired streams, impervious surface, protected lands, wetlands, State Wildlife Action Plans and much more. The Mapper is unique in that it blends private data with a variety of public data sources and allows the integration of multiple resource layers for a custom view of your community. Much of this resource data is overlooked in the local comprehensive planning process.

Did you know that the deliverable, a 1″=200′ scale product, is going to be a lower resolution than you are used to in urban/suburban areas (your 1″=100′ scale tile areas). The original TNBMP specs called for counties to receive 6″ pixel resolution imagery in urban areas and 2′ pixel resolution in the rural areas. The new program splits the difference by providing 1′ pixel resolution county wide. Though it will be in color, it will not have the detail and clarity where you really need it. This is one of the trade-offs for getting free imagery from the state at the local level. One image resolution is cost effective and covers the widest area. However, it won’t meet the needs of all local users.

In the picture above, the top half is a 6″ pixel product and the bottom half is a 1′ pixel product. This is a representative sample of what the relative differences will be from what you are used to and what you will be getting for those urban/suburban areas. For many of you this will be OK. Others may find it difficult to perform some traditional tasks that require the quality of the higher resolution images.

As a provider of photogrammetry services, GEO-Jobe can provide custom pricing for your higher resolution image area that follows your 100 scale tiling or even your urban growth boundaries. These would be delivered in accordance with the TNBMP standard with TIF and Generation 2 and/or 3 MrSID deliverables. We also provide ancillary products like updated contours and planimetrics based on the TNBMP standards. And of course we use local TN partners so you’ll keep it “Made In Tennessee”. Got questions? Call us at 615-883-0085.

• April 1-3: Intro to ArcGIS II – GEO-Jobe GIS Training Center (Nashville)
• April 7-8: Intro to ArcGIS I – Columbia State Community College (Columbia)
• April 22-23: Intro to ArcGIS I – GEO-Jobe GIS Training Center (Nashville)
• April 29-30: Intro to ArcGIS I – Gatlinburg, TN (call our office for specific location)

To register for a class, go to the training page at our website. You may also call our office at 615-883-0085 and speak with Tiffany for more info.