Monday, February 17, 2020
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued the following notice of GPS interference testing that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal:
This test will be centered at 34.902222°, -76.885556° and extend outward and upward like a bowl affecting the GPS signal 61 Nautical miles (NM) away at 50 ft Above Ground Elevation (AGL) relative to the center point’s (CP’s) ground elev (~24 ft MSL), 121 NM away at 4,000 ft AGL, and so on.
The FAA does not provide an affected radius figure of interest to remote pilots for 400 ft AGL. Based on the notice’s data, NCGS estimates this radius to be 73 NM. Since this radius is relative to the CP’s ground elev, the radius needs to be extended by 5 NM for UAV ops at higher ground elevations where the combined ground elev difference (remote site elev – CP elev) + UAV flight elev approaches or exceeds 636 ft, 10 NM for 904 ft, 15 NM for 1,206 ft, and 20 NM for 1,542 ft. NCGS recommends adding a wide buffer (>10 NM) to any radius figure for ops near 400 ft AGL.
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Tuesday, February 11, 2020
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a notice of GPS interference testing in the vicinity of Fort Bragg, NC that may affect GPS signal for surveyors and unmanned aircraft operators. For details and a map showing the affected area, please see the advisory below.
FLIGHT ADVISORY - GPS Interference Testing
FORT BRAGG NORTH CAROLINA (FTBRNC) 20-14
11 - 13 February 2020
Fort Bragg, NC
Additional information is available at the link below:
For unmanned aircraft operators, NCGS estimates (based on FAA data) the affected radius at 400 ft AGL to be approximately 72 NM and recommends adding a wide buffer (>10 NM) to that figure for operations near 400 ft AGL.
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Tuesday, January 28, 2020
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a notice of GPS interference testing in the general vicinity of Fort Bragg, NC that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal. For more details and a map showing the affected airspace, please see the advisory below.
FLIGHT ADVISORY
GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
27 - 31 January 2020
Fort Bragg, NC
Additional information is available at the link below:
For unmanned aircraft operators, NCGS estimates (based on FAA data) the affected radius at 400 ft AGL to be approximately 65 NM and recommends adding a wide buffer (>10 NM) to that figure for operations near 400 ft AGL.
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Monday, December 16, 2019
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The FAA has issued a notice of GPS interference testing in the general vicinity of Fort Bragg, NC that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal. Please see the advisory below for details.
FLIGHT ADVISORY GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
13 - 14 December 2019
Fort Bragg, NC
Additional information is available at the link below:
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Tuesday, November 18, 2019
Please update your NCGS website bookmark
The NC Geodetic Survey website has undergone some recent back-end changes to enhance security and functionality. If you have not already done so, please update your bookmark for the NCGS page to the URL below.
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Tuesday, September 17, 2019
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The FAA has issued a notice of GPS interference testing in the general vicinity of Norfolk Naval Base, VA that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal. Please see the advisory below for details.
FLIGHT ADVISORY GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
18 - 20 September 2019
Norfolk Naval Base, VA
Additional information is available at the link below:
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The FAA has issued a notice of GPS interference testing in the general vicinity of Fort Bragg, NC that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal. Please see the advisory below for details.
FLIGHT ADVISORY GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
26 - 30 August 2019
Fort Bragg, NC
Additional information is available at the link below:
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Friday, April 26, 2019
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The FAA has issued a notice of GPS interference testing in the general vicinity of Fort Bragg, NC that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal. Please see the advisory below for details.
FLIGHT ADVISORY GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
28 April - 02 May 2019
Fort Bragg, NC
Additional information is available at the link below:
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Thursday, March 28, 2019
GPS Week Number Rollover
The GPS Week Number will reset to zero at 23:59:42 UTC on April 6, 2019. Please visit the link below for more information. The GPS Week Number rollover information is at the top right of the page.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2019
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The FAA has issued a notice of GPS interference testing in the general vicinity of Fort Bragg, NC that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal. Please see the advisory below for details.
FLIGHT ADVISORY GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
21 February - 02 March 2019
Fort Bragg, NC
FLIGHT ADVISORY
GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
21 February - 02 March 2019
Fort Bragg, NC.
Additional information at the link below:
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Wednesday, September 12, 2018
High Water Mark Location Collection Tool
The high water mark collection tool can be accessed using the link below:
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Thursday, May 31, 2018
NCGS selects three firms for the aerial imagery quality control (QC) project
The North Carolina Geodetic Survey selected the following private surveying firms for the aerial imagery quality control (QC) project (RFQ #295-01-2018):
• CESI (Concord Engineering & Surveying, Inc.)
• Merrick & Company
• Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers, Inc.
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Monday, April 30, 2018
2022 Datum Information Location
A new category has been added to the library specifically for information related to the 2022 datum change. In the document library, choose the "2022 Reference Frame" category from the dropdown menu. The information can also be accessed directly using the link below:
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Wednesday, March 21, 2018
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The FAA has issued a notice of GPS interference testing in the general vicinity of Fort Bragg, NC that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal. Please see the advisory below for details.
FLIGHT ADVISORY GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING 22-23 March, 2018 Fort Bragg, NC.
FLIGHT ADVISORY
GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
22-23 March, 2018
Fort Bragg, NC.
Additional information at the link below:
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Thursday, February 8, 2018
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The FAA has issued a notice of GPS interference testing in the general vicinity of Fort Bragg, NC that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal. Please see the advisory below for details.
FLIGHT ADVISORY GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING 11-15 February, 2018 Fort Bragg, NC.
FLIGHT ADVISORY
GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
11-15 February, 2018
Fort Bragg, NC.
Additional information at the link below:
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Tuesday, January 23, 2018
NCGS issues a Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
for an aerial imagery quality control (QC) project
The North Carolina Geodetic Survey (NCGS) intends to award multiple Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) contracts to private surveying firms for the purpose of performing aerial imagery quality control (QC) surveys utilizing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and traditional survey methods to support the Statewide Digital Orthoimagery Project.
The purpose of the orthoimagery project, which is funded by the North Carolina 911 Board (http://www.nc911.nc.gov/), is to collect seamless aerial imagery for use by local 911 agencies; local, state and federal agencies; and the public.
The work for this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) would consist of performing horizontal and vertical quality control (QC) survey projects. For more information, please visit the following URL:
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Wednesday, November 8, 2017
A collection of short, informative videos about various topics are now available. The videos can be accessed by clicking the links below:
Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) videos
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Wednesday, September 13, 2017
FAA issues notice of GPS interference testing
The FAA has issued a notice of GPS interference testing by the Air Force in the general vicinity of Cherry Point, NC that may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS signal. Please see the advisory below for details.
FLIGHT ADVISORY GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING 16-30 September, 2017 Cherry Point, NC.
Notice Number: NOTC7365
FLIGHT ADVISORY
GPS INTERFERENCE TESTING
AIR FORCE SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT OFFICE (AFSMO) 17-02
16-30 September, 2017
Cherry Point, NC.
Additional information at the link below:
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Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Expected solar storm serves as a reminder to always check the space weather forecast before doing any GNSS surveying, precision agriculture, or GNSS-guided earthmoving work
The sun had a coronal mass ejection (CME) on September 4 that is expected to produce one or more geomagnetic storms on September 6 and 7. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm watch for this event.
How does space weather affect GNSS work? NASA provides the following response:
In calm conditions, single frequency GPS systems can provide position information with an accuracy of a meter or less. During a severe space weather storm, these errors can increase to tens of meters or more. Dual frequency GPS systems can provide position information accurate to a few centimeters. In this case the two different GPS signals are used to better characterize the ionosphere and remove its impact on the position calculation. But when the ionosphere becomes highly disturbed, the GPS receiver cannot lock on the satellite signal and position information becomes inaccurate.
Geomagnetic storms create large disturbances in the ionosphere. The currents and energy introduced by a geomagnetic storm enhance the ionosphere and increase the total height-integrated number of ionospheric electrons, or the Total Electron Count (TEC). GPS systems cannot correctly model this dynamic enhancement and errors are introduced into the position calculations. This usually occurs at high latitudes, though major storms can produce large TEC enhancements at mid-latitudes as well.
Therefore, please always check the following SWPC webpages before doing any GNSS work:
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Monday, September 12, 2016
Update regarding NGS web services outage
The NGS HQ building experienced a fire event Friday Sept 9. All servers were shut down and limited user functionality such as CORS data, datasheets and geodetic utilities were switched to the backup systems in Boulder, CO. NGS is working on restoring full service sometime Monday Sept. 12.
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Friday, September 9, 2016
A pair of short, informative videos about EDMI baselines are now available. The videos can be accessed by clicking the links below:
The link below allows the user to download the NCDOT EDMI check program as a zipped file.
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Monday, July 25, 2016
Meeting of the North Carolina Boundary Commission
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Friday, March 11, 2016
NCGS selects three firms for the aerial imagery quality control (QC) project
The North Carolina Geodetic Survey selected the following private surveying firms for the aerial imagery quality control (QC) project (RFQ #295-01-2016):
• CESI
• Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
• Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers, Inc.
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Thursday, January 28, 2016
NCGS issues a Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
for an aerial imagery quality control (QC) project
The North Carolina Geodetic Survey (NCGS) intends to award multiple Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) contracts to private surveying firms for the purpose of performing aerial imagery quality control (QC) surveys utilizing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and traditional survey methods to support the Statewide Digital Orthoimagery Project.
The purpose of the orthoimagery project, which is funded by the North Carolina 911 Board (http://www.nc911.nc.gov/), is to collect seamless aerial imagery for use by local 911 agencies; local, state and federal agencies; and the public.
The work for this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) would consist of performing horizontal and vertical quality control (QC) survey projects. For more information, please visit the following URL:
https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/AGENCY/PDF/11154000.pdf
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Thursday, January 28, 2016
Web Link to North Carolina's Spatial Data Download
Users wishing to download NC spatial data may do so at the following link:
https://rmp.nc.gov/sdd/
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Thursday, July 30, 2015
A series of short video tutorials are now available to help navigate the most-recently developed NC Geodetic Database. The videos can be accessed by clicking the link below:
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Monday, June 1, 2015
Severe solar storm serves as a reminder to always check the space weather forecast before doing any
GNSS surveying, precision agriculture, or GNSS-guided earthmoving work
The sun had a coronal mass ejection (CME) on June 18, 19, and 21 that we are experiencing as a series of geomagnetic storms. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) announced on Monday, June 22, that "the geomagnetic storm began as forecasted and quickly ramped up to severe (G4) levels."
On June 23, SWPC predicted the following over the June 23, 24, & 25 period:
The geomagnetic field is expected to remain agitated with G1-G2 (Minor - Moderate) possible early on day one (23 Jun) in continued response to the 21 Jun CME. Conditions are expected to continue to gradually taper off below G1 (Minor) over the next 12-18 hours back to quiet to active conditions. The 21 Jun CME is expected to arrive late on day two (24 Jun) to early on day three (25 Jun). The CME will likely enhance geomagnetic conditions to G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate) levels with the possibility for stronger conditions on day three (25 Jun).
On June 24, SWPC predicted the following over the June 24, 25, & 26 period:
G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storms are expected with waning effects from past CME. With the onset of the new CME, storming conditions up to G3 (Strong) are likely.
It is important to note that the SWPC reported the following in its June 23rd 3-Day Forecast, “No radio blackouts were observed over the past 24 hours.” Furthermore, SWPC predicted a 75% chance of minor-moderate (R1-R2) radio blackout levels for June 24, 25, and 26 and a 20% chance of a strong (R3 or greater) radio blackout over the 3-day period. SWPC explained, “R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate) or greater radio blackouts are expected, with a slight chance for R3 (Strong) radio blackouts on days one through three (24-26 Jun) due to flare potential from region 2371.”
How does space weather affect GNSS work? NASA provides the following response:
In calm conditions, single frequency GPS systems can provide position information with an accuracy of a meter or less. During a severe space weather storm, these errors can increase to tens of meters or more. Dual frequency GPS systems can provide position information accurate to a few centimeters. In this case the two different GPS signals are used to better characterize the ionosphere and remove its impact on the position calculation. But when the ionosphere becomes highly disturbed, the GPS receiver cannot lock on the satellite signal and position information becomes inaccurate.
Geomagnetic storms create large disturbances in the ionosphere. The currents and energy introduced by a geomagnetic storm enhance the ionosphere and increase the total height-integrated number of ionospheric electrons, or the Total Electron Count (TEC). GPS systems cannot correctly model this dynamic enhancement and errors are introduced into the position calculations. This usually occurs at high latitudes, though major storms can produce large TEC enhancements at mid-latitudes as well.
Therefore, it is advisable to not do any GNSS work over the next three days, if possible. As for work that was conducted during the geomagnetic storm’s most severe periods (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT on June 22 and 11 pm EDT on June 22 to 2:00 am EDT on June 23) that work may need to be repeated.
Therefore, please always check the following SWPC webpages before doing any GNSS work:
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Monday, June 1, 2015
NGS Releases New Beta Version of Transformational Tool
The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is pleased to announce the Beta release of a new and improved transformation tool in the NGS geodetic toolkit. This redesigned version supports the transformation between geodetic coordinates and State Plane Coordinates (SPC), Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, Cartesian coordinates (XYZ), and U.S. National Grid (USNG) coordinates as a one-stop solution. It features transformation of single or multiple points, Web services, and software downloads. NGS encourages users to try the Beta Version and provide feedback to Krishna.Tadepalli@noaa.gov so the final version may be improved prior to release as on official NGS product. The update was in the development stage for several months, and it provides surveyors and geodesists with a more efficient and streamlined way of accessing frequently used NGS tools in the geodetic toolkit. The new interface allows one-page easy access to transformations that were previously available only on separate pages. The Beta version is accessible at: http://beta.ngs.noaa.gov/gtkweb |