Ambridge, PA March 2020 – Spectra Geospatial and Precision Laser & Instrument (PLI), a Spectra Geospatial dealer in Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio are helping the survey industry to meet the growing demand for survey technicians and future professional surveyors. The two companies recently teamed to donate Nikon total stations to two area schools, Penn State Greater Allegheny and Marion County Technical Center, both of which have just begun survey education programs.
The program at Greater Allegheny is an extension of the Penn State program that has been offered on the eastern part of the state at the Wilkes Barre campus. According to Dr. Eric Lipsky, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering: “Starting up a new program like this is very expensive and is difficult for a small branch campus such as Greater Allegheny to support without having students. It is a chicken and egg situation. We would not have been able to afford all of the necessary equipment without the support of Spectra Geospatial and PLI, as our student numbers need to build up to support such investments.” For the associate degree Surveying Engineering Technology program at Penn State, the donated Nikon NPL-322+ total station is used in the lab portion in two courses, Plane Surveying and Methods in Large Scale Mapping.
At Marion County Technical Center in Farmington, West Virginia, the Nikon NPL-322+ is a key instructional tool for the recently added new course in basic surveying. According to course creator, Smoke Conaway, land surveying and STEM teacher, enrollment in the new course has more than doubled as prospective students learn about and see the new Nikon total station being used during class instruction on campus. “The Nikon NPL-322 total station is key to my Basic Surveying class. It gives students real-life, in-field experience,” said Conaway. “The more industry-related tools I can expose the students to using, the better off they are when they graduate and start work in the field or go to college. I’m very appreciative of Spectra Geospatial and Precision Laser & Instrument for donating this equipment,” he added.
About Precision Laser & Instrument
Precision Laser & Instrument, Inc., headquartered in Ambridge, PA, is an authorized distribution partner of Spectra Geospatial equipment. With locations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, the company provides comprehensive positioning solutions for the construction, survey, and GIS industries.
About the Nikon NPL-322+
The Nikon NPL-322+ Series of mechanical total stations includes a 2“ dual face and a 5“ single face model. Both NPL-322+ models feature dual axis compensation to correct for errors in tilt in the horizontal and vertical axes, a reflectorless EDM with 400 meter (1300 feet) range, wireless Bluetooth connections to external data collectors, and 50,000 point onboard storage.
About Nikon-Trimble
Designed to meet the needs of surveyors around the world, Nikon delivers maximum precision, reliability and affordability. Located in Japan, Nikon-Trimble Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between Nikon Corporation and Trimble to address the global surveying and construction markets. In Japan, the company focuses on the design and manufacture of surveying instruments, including mechanical total stations and related products. Outside Japan, Trimble and its subsidiaries are the exclusive distributors of Nikon survey and construction products.
About Spectra Geospatial
Spectra Geospatial is an established brand known for delivering quality products to the survey, GIS and construction markets. Focusing on the specific needs of the conventional surveying market, the Spectra Geospatial brand offers a complete product portfolio, including Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), optical total stations, data collection hardware, field and office software, as well as a wide range of construction tools. Spectra Geospatial surveying equipment is an economical choice that utilizes advanced technologies for optimal efficiency. With convenience and reliability as the foundation of the Spectra Geospatial brand, it is an ideal choice for value. The Spectra Geospatial brand is backed with the strong technical support that users have come to expect from a quality name in surveying and construction
