Using Ubuntu for Underwater Archaeological Mapping

[trulyfree]

I am currently working as an underwater archaeological diver for a company in Florida (see link below), and would like to use ubuntu or whatever other open source for this seasons (and all future) mapping needs. We use a Garmin Differential gps, and presently employ autoCad2000 to produce artifact scatter pattern maps, which must be precisely georefenced for archaeological record keeping, and are produced as we excavate (live) to be a layer in whatever kind of final map we want to produce. Got me? I'm looking for a core group of ubuntu geo pros to help me out with this project. Prefer no noobs like me, but if you know more than me you are valuable. You will recieve as much credit as I can possibly give, and if you are a florida diver, we'll see what we can do... Check out the link below so you know who I am and that this is no BS. I am on the second page of the article in the green hat. SERIOUS POSTS ONLY PLEASE!

http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/adventures/4230711.html

I am still pretty new to linux, but have some GIS training in windoz, and really went to school for untervasser arch... so we can learn from each other. And the pearls weren't the only thing I got to pick up off the bottom last summer either. Check out mel fisher .com or whatever his address is to see some of the other artifacts, and our company site is bwvkw.com. DO NOT contact them or me about being a treasure diver, this post is for serious computing and map experts only, and theirs and my time is valuable, so you will just get ignored anyway, no matter what your credentials are. Actually the Fishers might be looking... call 'em up.

I guess the problems I am so far encountering are importing maps into qgis or gpsman, or should I just use qcad, or maybe get all the way down and use GRASS. I presently have ubuntu Dapper installed problem free on a dell 600 series with 1.4 pentium M, 576 RAM, and have it set up for double boot with windowsXPpro and a shared fat32 partition, but I may be using a company Panasonic toughbook this season... Ideally I would like to have my basemap in place, and be able to walk on the ship, plug in the serial cable, and BOOM have everyone present be blown away by the ease and power of ubuntu. Right?

I am also assigned to the 1715 fleet this summer, so would like to produce a map which encompasses the waters from north of Port Canaveral down to almost West Palm for comparison of all the sites in this area. I have already dwnlded some noaa dems, and much other data, but cannot get it to work. I have documentations too, but I think I'm ready for some people help. Thanks for checking this out. Go.

[timmie]

I don't have time now but maybe we can work it out.

In the mean time have a look here:
http://freegis.org/freegis_tutorial/online/node45.html

There was a harbor mapping example.

[cjdevlin]

http://www.arc-team.com/archeos/index.html [arc-team.com]

http://www.public.asu.edu/~iullah/grass.html [asu.edu]

Both good places to start. I would be interested in assisting you if possible.

[gruhland]

A very powerful collection of mapping tools is GMT of the University of Hawaii. It needs some training maybe but you can do most things you want. Look at
http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu

You should have some kind of map data of your working area, for example some side scan sonar data or echo sounder tracks. It's easier to orientate at work.

GMT is no "click and see" software due to the fact the the result always will be written in a postscript file.
I use it as ship's expedition planning tool (only a few modules of GMT).

[slimdog360]

wow, cool job man. I wish I did that for a living.