-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Fwd: Worthwile use of old gps hand-helds in Haiti Date: Fri, 03 Dec 2010 08:31:05 -0500 From: Frank Lopresti <[log in to unmask]> To: Angie Cope <[log in to unmask]> Subj: Worthwile use of old gps hand-helds in Haiti Hi I've sent this note to several orgs like boat clubs whose members might have hand-held GPS units. In my LI area and I am starting to get some interested contacts but, since I'm on your mailing list and get some of your emails I thought that my quest might interest you and perhaps others you reach and might be worth mentioning on your list. I am a math/stat/mapping scientist and work with statistical sampling and collecting data. I work in a group that supports research projects at NYU (see http://www.nyu.edu/its/pubs/connect/spring08/pdfs/gisgoesgreen.pdf for an academic article introducing me) . I just started technically supporting a group at NYU Law school collecting data about Haiti. This research center an NYU Law school - the Center for Human Rights - (see http://www.chrgj.org/ ) does small funded research/data collection on Haiti to allow their situation to be understood. They collect data on the water and violence and conditions. They map it and present reports about conditions in the 2000 or so camps that house 1.3 million displaced persons. Since we don't have street addresses, for statistical sampling in these situations we rely on lat/lon and create rules like "go to this location and go to the first shelter and give the questionnaire (which asks about water, crime, etc) What drove me to sending this out was I realized that for research that doesn't require "sup-meter" accuracy, old gps hand-helds would be wonderful.... this important Haiti project involves a few NYU faculty and students and uses local students for data collection. It is limited in its number of local data collectors by lack of gps units...At NYU and with our budget, my mindset from past projects was limited to expensive eqpt (over $800/unit) because we usually got very accurate units (like for archaeological digs) but for this type of data collection 50 meter accuracy is great... As part of the data collection for sampling issues they can use cheap hand-held GPS units like some of us have sitting around. On my boat I have a unit with a small screen and keep a hand-held as a back-up. Before my chart plotter, over the years I bought a series of the $150 type - Garmins,etc that allow for way-points and show lat/lon. I have several of these which are useless. Working Lat/lon is all they need for data collection. I bet some of you have old unused hand-helds you don't need.... email me ([log in to unmask]) call me at NYU if you want to chat about this outreach.or just ship them to my office @ NYU.... Frank Lopresti New York University Bobst Library 5th Floor Room 508 70 Washington Square South NY, NY 10012 [log in to unmask] Senior Faculty Technology Specialist Data Service Studio Statistics & Mapping Bobst Library/Faculty Technology Services (212)998-3398