SW Maps and Torch pre-purchase test for iOS - is it hopeless and I need to go ANDROID?

GPS/GNSS Enclosed Products
1

I’m trying to do a simple test prior to spending $1,500 on a Torch.
Using SW Maps on iOS/iPhone, I want to stand over my Property Pin, place a pin in SW Maps.

Then on SW Maps, draw what the next call is in my property DEED says to a location where there is NOT a pin, but I will will place a flag once I am there with SW Maps directing me (and hopefully accurately in the future with Torch and SW Maps)

I have successfully “drop pins” where I am standing over the iron pin in SW Maps (yes that wanders around on iOS but this is just a test of the APP)
I have used the [Measure function] but it only can tell me length, not compass heading.

The deed will say something like ‘NORTH 25 degrees 34 minutes East 306.47ft’ which on a compass is nice as it’s easy conversion EAST 25.566 degrees.

I would like SW MAPS to draw that line 306.47ft on a compass heading of E25.566 and then I can walk following my “DOT”-self on SW MAPS until I am over the end of the line and I can physically place a flag.

in the iOS app APGLOS this feature exists [Line length and angle from a point] and and to me seems like a standard surveyors task, but the iOS apps listed for the Torch don’t seem to do this. They are more “GIS” focused, go wander the field and take a picture and they will record the LAT/LONG of where the picture was taken, or some text note about gas main there. They aren’t for starting at a known point, and then measuring off a specific distance and compass heading, or at least I can’t follow their instructions on finding how their software would do it.

I am a total newbie, and thought I could find a PROSUMER level Surveying tool, but APGLOS seems to be the only iOS APP I have found that responds like what I think a surveyor following a DEED would do to place flags per the DEED recorded and measured back in the 1970’s would do.

Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and go ANDROID… UGH!!!

I have searched YouTube, lots of SW MAPS videos but none seem to do my TASK, drop pin over a legacy Surveyor’s capped iron pin. Then draw a line on a compass heading to the next location following all the directions in a DEED.

Anyone have some suggestions or clarifications? Am I just out of my league on this?

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so heres some help from a land surveyor :D. Deed calls are going to be in an arbitrary bearing base whereas GPS is geodetic. What you need to do is draw your deed shape (bearings, distances, etc) then find at least 2 pins. you then hold one of these pins to your deed corner then rotate your entire deed between two found pins. you can then calculate coordinates for the other deed corners. Keep in mind ground distance on the deed may or may not translate to grid distance on your GPS. depends where you are at.

For a free solution I would use qcad and draw by bearings. Then use our gps points and translate/rotate your deed. Then create search coordinates. inject those into SW MAps.

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You can manually draw points/lines in SW Maps, but it’s not COGO.

SW Maps will import shapefiles, etc - that you could use to then fit to your know GPS points. It’s going to be an In-Out-In type of workflow…not the best

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@ChrisO , do you have AutoCAD or any free CAD software ?

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I did do a .KML or .KMZ from Google Earth Pro Desktop as a proof. I used a friends Columbus P10 GNSS Data logger, let it capture 4 hours of data while the device sat on the pin. Then put in the averaged coordinates (thru out first hour of collection) and then used GOOGLE EARTH PRO to map line to the DEED measurements. According to ChatGPT relative to the just data (not the pictures from the satalite) Google Earth Translate LAT/Long using the Measure TOOL very accurately out to 7 decimal points I believe (said MM) And using my iPhone GPS (drifting around 30-40 ft) it worked… just a bit painful. And to do it in the field would be brutal. however in theory I could map out all 135 calls (yes my deed has 135 calls, and perhaps I have found 4 pins, maybe 5) Deed calls out about 9 pins… I do have access to FREECAD as a way to draw out the points and import into SW MAPS

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I mean hell you send me 2 geodetic points and your deed and I’ll calc it up takes me minutes.

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Yes, I think it’s going to need to be a multi-step process. Grab the official LAT/LONG of all the pins that I have found. Then start from the best one, and plot out the steps/calls all the way around in GOOGLE EARTH then import the KML or KMZ into SW MAPS and see how close it is to the found pins. Not sure if I can shift the image/path of the KMZ file once its in SW MAPS.

The APGLOS app on iOS would actually let me type in each call as I walk along, if the darn iPhone GPS had an option to pick external TORCH instead of the internal GPS.

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so the CAD image would just be a wire frame to scale of the DEED Calls, and I would (to scale) stretch and rotate until it hit a few of the pins at the right positions? vs import KML/KMZ from GOOGLE EARTH PRO which is made via LAT/LONG numbers and probably can’t move it in SW MAPS right?

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I saved a 100+ year old deed that reads “…thence approximately 87 paces along the mule path in a northwesterly direction to a 12” Cedar tree, thence…

Seen many deeds that reference buried pine knot as the official Property Corner, or lighter stump, etc.

Now $300 gets you a PostCard and Antenna to resolve a position in the mm range :wink:

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I have all the DEED points in a spreadsheet already, what I don’t have is trustable points for where the PIN(s) are,

this is an example but not all the calls –

Compass
Heading
Mag +5.4 West		 22
63 50		 As Written
means subtract about 5.4 from each heading
32N 20m would be ~26.9N		 Reverse
Mag +5.4W
+/- 22		 Feet Note
32N 20m 63 Pekoma Rd North 32d 20m East 23.38ft to corner 212SW 20m 23.38 Found Pin at both ends
RLS 1875 Torbett
(423) 420-6602 & 865-458-9808
104E 14m 63 South 75d 46m East 7.35ft thence with Keko prop 284W 14m 7.35 missing pin?
Along Keko Property
95E 15m 63 South 84d 45m East 149.00 ft 275W 15m 149.00
64NE 40m 63 North 64d 40m East 42.10 ft 244SW 40m 42.10
13N 7m 63 North 13d 07m East 165.79 ft to a pin 193S 7m 165.79 Found Pin
387.62 ft from Pekoma Rd to
Pin 1 to pin 5
13N 5m 63 North 13d 05m East 78.76 ft
; Thence following top of ridge with Foister Williams Prop		 193S 5m 78.76 30ft away there is a Rebar
49NE 32m 63 North 49d 32m East 53.54 ft 229SW 32m 53.54 Another PIN but does not Match any Deed Notes
2116 ROMANS
pin likely from other properties Survey
Between pins 7 & 8
35.679365, -84.572755
68E 36m 63 North 68d 36m East 125.95 ft 248W 36m 125.95 Maybe a pin?
or
35.679365, -84.572755
33NE 39m 63 North 33d 39m East 62.32 ft 213SW 39m 62.32 35.68054, -84.571573 PIN??
Point 8 or 9 would be end of KEKO Property
32NE 47m 63 North 32d 47m East 89.20 ft 212SW 47m 89.2
29NE 36m 63 North 29d 36m East 96.08 ft 209SW 36m 96.08
36NE 00m 63 North 36d 00m East 105.74 ft 216SW 00m 105.74
89E 39m 63 North 89d 39m East 64.93 ft 269W 39m 64.93 Could be end of Neighbor Property Here
28NE 50m 63 North 28d 50m East 166.66 ft 208SW 50m 166.66 Capped Pin over this distance
between pin 14 & 15 Approx. 90ft from Pin 14 towards pin 15
Check for Pin at end
38NE 39m 63 North 38d 39m East 123.08 ft 218SW 39m 123.08 Pin at end?
35.682831, -84.568903
42NE 40m 63 North 42d 40m East 110.05 ft 222SW 40m 110.05
31NE 23m 63 North 31d 23m East 121.36 ft 211SW 23m 121.36
54NE 56m 63 North 54d 56m East 207.84 ft 234SW 56m 207.84 Could be pin for other property
30NE 29m 63 North 30d 29m East 208.91 ft 210SW 29m 208.91
39NE 57m 63 North 39d 57m East 154.57ft 219SW 57m 154.57
53NE 4m 63 North 53d 04m East 144
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Tomorrow I will just make a crude wire frame, a square and try rotating and manipulating in SW MAPS. If that gives me a way to make it work, then TORCH will be my choice, and maybe someday APGLOS developers will realize the gem they have and get it working with the gem SparkFun has with the Torch. It would be a great match!!

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I just use surpad and it’s dxf function to draw the deed then translate scale rotate to my found monuments.

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However rule Numero uno of boundary surveying monuments control over calls most of the time. There is a reason surveying requires a license and testing on legal principles. It’s more than just math and finding iron :smiley:

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I will check out SURPAD tomorrow…

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It’s Android only , I believe

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Yes, agree, and I am not building anything just getting Firebreak in as close to the property line as reasonably possible. Not even putting in a fence, but may put in a T-post every 100 to 200ft.

And finding pins where it says they are but haven’t had luck finding them yet…

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Maybe they were never set to begin with a lot of properties are written by deed but never surveyed.

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I think it will go the opposite direction in real life. You’d locate the 5 or 6 found iron pins in SW Maps, then use those positions to fix and rotate your COGO boundary in CAD to your GPS coordinates, then export that back into SW Maps. It’s basically a site calibration.

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The deed calls out 26 pins, I have found 10 pins some of which aren’t deed points but are along my border were the two neighbors touch my property, (neighbors corners) but help accurately lay down the wire frame.
Thanks for all the advice thus far @rftop, @AORPLS , - this thread has been very helpful

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And to think you could’ve just paid a surveyor by now to come find and mark it all out and probably been money ahead but where’s the fun in that hahaha

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