Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Practice Exam

With a base station data collection interval of 2 seconds, what would be an acceptable collection rate for a GPS receiver at a subordinate station?

1. 1 sec

2. 3 sec

3. 4 sec

4. 5 sec

The correct answer is: 4 sec

In GPS surveying, the collection rate at a subordinate station should ideally be equal to or faster than the base station data collection rate to maintain synchronization and ensure data integrity. The base station is collecting data every 2 seconds, so to keep pace, the subordinate station should ideally be set to collect data at intervals that are equal to or less than this rate. Given the options, a collection rate of 4 seconds would technically allow for less frequent sampling than the base station's 2-second interval but may still be acceptable in certain contexts depending on the specific requirements of the survey and the accuracy needed. This could be acceptable in scenarios where high precision is not as critical, allowing for some flexibility in the data collection frequency. On the other hand, collection rates of 1 second would exceed the base rate and result in data overflow, while 3 seconds would still maintain a reasonable collection speed and likely suffice for synchronization but is not the maximum allowable time, which makes it somewhat less optimal than 4 seconds. A 5-second interval, however, would be too slow compared to the 2-second base rate and may lead to compromised data quality and synchronization issues, making it less acceptable. Thus, while the collection rate of 4 seconds may not be