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Celestial Navigation

Celestial Navigation - the book

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Precise Levelling

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Gyrotheodolite Measurements

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Mark Breach

Christine Breach

Mark Breach's CV

Astrogeodetic Levelling - PhD Thesis

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     This is Mark Breach's home page. Select a link below to take you where you want to go.    

 

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Welcome to Mark Breach's home page

 

Books ...

 

Dissertation Writing for Engineers and Scientists

Many university courses in science and engineering require their students to undertake a major project and write a dissertation upon it. The prospect of undertaking a project can be very daunting to many students who, up to this point, have never embarked upon such a major exercise.

"Dissertation Writing for Engineers and Scientists" is written to help students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels to understand, manage and excel at their own project and dissertation. The style is chatty and the book is designed to be an inspiring and informative text on this potentially dry subject. There are many short sections with headings to break up the text. Examples are presented in boxes and there is a summary and a list of action items at the end of each chapter.    Publisher's details   Find it on Amazon

 

Engineering Surveying

Revised fully throughout, this sixth edition includes numerous worked examples and illustrations to aid the reader’s understanding. Engineering Surveying is a comprehensive and clearly written text. 

There is an introduction to geodesy to facilitate greater understanding of satellite systems and a fully updated chapter on GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO for satellite positioning in surveying. An all new chapter covers the important subject of rigorous estimation of control coordinates. There is detailed material on mass data methods of photogrammetry and laser scanning and the role of inertial technology in them and topics not found elsewhere like tunneling surveys and machine guidance. In previous editions of Engineering Surveying the aim was to give the reader a clear understanding of the fundamentals of the subject. The custom continues with this new edition so that it remains an essential and constant reference for both students and professionals.    Publisher's details    Find it on Amazon

 

 

 

Astrogeodetic Levelling

Height from GPS is height above the WGS 1984 ellipsoid earth model. Orthometric height is often realised as height above sea level. Knowing separation between height systems is essential for using GPS for precise measurements of orthometric height. Separation may be found by Astrogeodetic Levelling. 

Astronomic position is found by Position Line observations to stars and geodetic position by GPS. The difference between them, deviation of the vertical, is also the rate of change of separation. In this book a least squares approach to Position Lines is developed with modelling for refraction, vertical collimation and their rates of change. There is new theory to account for the effect of lunar gravitation and barycentric centrifugal force on deviation of the vertical. A simple method to determine the topographic-isostatic effect using wedges is developed. This practical process can be used where precise height is required from GPS, such as in large engineering projects where a precise relative local geoid model is required for a limited area. This book will interest surveyors and engineers who work on major projects where precision of height is essential. Find it on Amazon


 

 

Celestial Navigation ...when your GPS fails

"Celestial Navigation ...when your GPS fails" is the most comprehensive book on celestial navigation for bluewater sailors who need to find latitude and longitude at sea.  This resource is for real and aspiring bluewater sailors; yachtsmen who leave the sight of land and rely on various electronic devices for navigation. 

When satellite navigation fails because of seawater in the electronics or just plain battery failure then being lost at sea is a life-threatening situation, especially when night falls. Celestial Navigation... describes how to use a sextant to make astronomical observations and how to do all the calculations. It describes the celestial framework, with particular reference to the way that the Sun, Moon stars and planets appear and the principles of astronomical navigation. On linked pages there are all the necessary forms and almanac data to find latitude and longitude from the declination and sidereal hour angle (a coordinate related to right ascension) of Sun, Moon, star or planet.    More details    Find it on Amazon


Videos / DVDs ...

 

Precise Levelling

The Precise Levelling video describes what makes precise levelling so precise, the equipment procedures, the 2 peg test, booking forms,  scales, reconnaissance, refraction, care of the equipment, wind, stability, rules for minimizing errors. There is an example procedure and an exercise for the student.

The video/DVD comes with a set of support material including blank and completed field sheets. Total running time approx. 50 minutes.   More details


Gyrotheodolite Measurements

The Gyrotheodolite is an expensive and specialist piece of engineering surveying equipment. Most surveyors do not have access to a gyro and yet, when they have to use them will spend much time becoming proficient, prior to becoming productive. 

The video/DVD "Gyrotheodolite Measurements", gives the viewer the nearest thing to hands on experience that is possible with a video. The video explains in full detail the processes of operation, observation and computation associated with the determination of the bearing between 2 stations. The gyro used in the video is a Wild GAK1. The programme is in 2 parts. Part 1 describes the gyrotheodolite and it operation. Part 2 is an exercise for the student. Total running time approx. 114 minutes.    More details

 

Other stuff ...

Mark Breach's CV

In performance - On stage

PhD Thesis "An Automated Approach to Astrogeodetic Levelling"

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