Activity Feed › Discussion Forums › Strictly Surveying › I’m confused. Bearing/degrees
I’m confused. Bearing/degrees
Posted by ricaltman on May 29, 2020 at 3:10 pmI have a survey that has one of the lot lines saying N52.0.0. What is this in compass degrees?
brad-ott replied 3 years, 10 months ago 21 Members · 74 Replies- 74 Replies
- Posted by: @ricaltman
I have a survey that has one of the lot lines saying N52.0.0. What is this in compass degrees?
I’m not 100% sure without seeing it, but it sounds like a northeasterly azimuth of 52?ø0’0″ A bearing would be followed by either a NE, NW, SE, SW direction added. This would be N52?ø0’0″E if read as a bearing.
That is odd notation. I would not use it in my work. But, some use azimuths and in their mind that would be 52 degrees clockwise from north.
Now. The question is, “Where’s north?”
Thanks to all. Seems like it translates to 305 degrees compass.
Post a couple photos.
- Posted by: @ricaltman
one of the lot lines saying N52.0.0.
Context is important. What format is used for other lines? All like that or is this one different?
. I would calc the lot using a NE bearing and a NW bearing and see if that answers anything. You already have the N part.
If the other lot lines have bearings that seem to make sense, look at the relationship of the ambiguous line to the others. It should be pretty obvious whether the direction is east or west of north. An image/picture of the survey would help.
“…people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” -Neil PostmanSeeing the entire description or drawing is a must when this happens.
Many descriptions are a cut and paste product of someone taking several different deeds and creating an obscure description that does not connect to one another well and others were transcribed with errors by amateurs using the pen or typewriter.
One of the major landowners in this county often writes his own descriptions and when placed side by side on what is on the ground can only be described as OMG what a mess.
You say you have a survey, then ask the surveyor who prepared said survey.
As professionals we cannot ethically provide you with free surveying services, except under special cases. Are you a special case?
On this board we do provide other professional surveyors with our personal opinions on many and various matters. And they understand the difference.
Paul in PA
- Posted by: @paul-in-pa
You say you have a survey, then ask the surveyor who prepared said survey.
As professionals we cannot ethically provide you with free surveying services
Indeed, the surveyor who prepared the survey would be best able to answer the question.
But I hardly think discussing the possible interpretations of bearing notations constitutes providing surveying services, any more than explaining what milligrams means on a medication constitutes practicing medicine.
. @paul-in-pa So, asking for an explanation of the nomenclature of a single item on a survey is asking for free surveying services? I was in a bind and needed some timely help. The survey I have, or should I say half a survey, was made about 35 years ago and the half I have has no name of any kind on it. How I resolved my dilemma was I took the lat/long of the pins (which cannot be seen from one another) and used an online calculator to get the compass reading which was 305 degrees. My concern with purchasing the property was that it looked like from the county aerial photo overlain with survey lines, a next door neighbor had put a utility shed partially on the property I am trying to purchase. The shed can be seen from one pin, so I sighted with a compass 305 degrees toward the shed from that pin and the shed is not on the property, but barely. Before you chastise me for not getting a new survey, I contacted the 20 closest surveyors, non of whom could do a survey sooner than 6 weeks. The closing is in 30 days.
@bill93 Thank you. Here’s the whole story.The survey I have, or should I say half a survey, was made about 35 years ago and the half I have has no name of any kind on it. How I resolved my dilemma was I took the lat/long of the pins (which cannot be seen from one another) and used an online calculator to get the compass reading which was 305 degrees. My concern with purchasing the property was that it looked like from the county aerial photo overlain with survey lines, a next door neighbor had put a utility shed partially on the property I am trying to purchase. The shed can be seen from one pin, so I sighted with a compass 305 degrees toward the shed from that pin and the shed is not on the property, but barely. I contacted the 20 closest surveyors, non of whom could do a survey sooner than 6 weeks. The closing is in 30 days.
I appreciate everyone’s help. All is well.
Be aware that compasses do not point exactly north. In the eastern US they are several degrees off of geodetic north used for latitude and longitude. Look up magnetic declination.
If you could determine an angle between lines I would have a little more confidence.
But without a survey I would not conclude from compass measurements a shed that was close was either on or off the property. Go into this transaction with the attitude that you may have to live with a minor encroachment.
.Sometimes we are confused too. And, the only way to get unconfused is to invest time in the deed records, and in the neighborhood.
The more time we spend, the better our opinions are.
N
@bill93Even with a magnetic deviation, the possible encroachment could only be a foot or so which I can live with. A terrible fight with a new next door neighbor over something minor is not worth it. Thanks for the input.
@nate-the-surveyor It was worth the effort, thanks.
Something seems very wrong. Not every surveyor can be booked solid that far out. Try calling some of them back that are clearly focused on doing boundary survey work, not construction staking, etc. Provide your current legal description and the closing date. Do not attempt to explain everything thing you already know, that can be taken poorly by some. What you need is a basic boundary survey. If the surveyor finds a concern, then you can move forward with knowledge. If the surveyor finds no concern, you should feel great. Part of the problem may be where you are finding the list of surveyors. Call a banker or real estate agent or a title insurance company that you have some reason to trust from prior experience and ask them for which one or two or three surveyors they know well.
I am not in Georgia. I am also not in the Yellow Pages. I am not on any list you might be handed or advised to look for online. But, call most bankers, real estate agents and title offices in my general area and I will be one of a handful of names you will receive. I have no problem staying busy so have no need to be advertising in any form other than word of mouth.
Compass bearing from lat/long on the pins?
lat/long how?
Compass bearing how?
If the shed is close you still don’t know if it’s over the line.
The simple way to figure out the bearing direction is to calculate through the description (that’s why posters are asking to see it) leaving that course out, then inverse between the points forming the line. If the description is correct along the other courses that answers the question. You may well have a description what was written years ago, passed along over the years and some typos have occurred. Research will find that out.
A survey with no name sounds like a plot from some deed plotter program and not a survey.
A shed may not be a big deal but I would need to know before buying. The seller normally provides the survey. Don’t let everyone use the “closing” as some form of bludgeon to keep you from getting information you want to have. They all make it important to them, maybe that date is to you, but you aren’t restricted by it.
@holy-cow I got a list of 4 from my realtor. After calling them, I compiled a list of surveyors with 100 miles from Apple Maps, Google maps Yellowpages and Yelp. I called the closest 20. This is what I said: “What is the soonest you could do a simple 4-corner lot survey in Blue Ridge? I’m only concerned with a potential encroachment. I’m in a bind and would pay a premium for speed.” About half answered the phone, the rest either never responded to the message I left or returned the call days later.
I did not chastise you for not getting a new survey, but you did misrepresent what you had. Clarification from the get go would have served you much better. You said you had a survey, but absent a surveyors name there is no telling what you have. Non uniformity of line and distance information is an indication of a non-survey. Age of a survey is not that important to a surveyor, what is important is that it is a proper representation of the circumstances at that time. You indicated no other references such as a deed of record or a filed map, either of which may have had your answer, but you may not have initially recognized it without some assistance. You indicate you used a compass, but we have no idea if your experience aids you in proper use of it. Compasses vary greatly depending on their construction, some read in bearings, some in azimuths, some are adjustable for magnetic variation, some are specifically built for survey purposes. Others are built to facilitate map reading. For instance a Survey Field Compass may have East on the left and West on the right to allow for reading bearings directly from the compass needle. Absent any other information the most we knew of you is that you could read/write the English language and could access the internet via a computer.
Paul in PA
Log in to reply.