WISCONSIN & MINNESOTA / FIELD GUIDES

Connect. Check control. Keep the reference.

Choose your correction network, then carry the same coordinate and elevation references into the office.

Official sources checked September 11, 2026. Independent Driftless guidance; no agency affiliation. Network status and settings must be checked with the operator.

WISCORS and WISCRS mean different things

WISCORS supplies GNSS corrections. WISCRS identifies Wisconsin’s county coordinate reference systems. A correction-network login does not choose your project’s county projection, datum realization, elevation reference or units. Use the project definition and the Wisconsin State Cartographer’s coordinate handbook (2015 PDF) when working with legacy WISCRS data; confirm current requirements with the project surveyor.

Before collecting production points

1. Confirm the job’s horizontal reference, realization/epoch where supplied, projection or local calibration, vertical reference, geoid model and units.
2. Check receiver/antenna model, pole height and measurement method, correction stream, data connection and current network notices.
3. Observe trusted project control. Record differences against the project’s acceptance limits; a fixed solution alone is not a control check.
4. Repeat independent checks after a setup or configuration change and before leaving. Investigate a failed check before using the observations for layout or quantities.

Hand off CSV and LandXML without guessing

Export point identifiers, northing, easting, elevation and descriptions. Identify the actual column order rather than assuming every CSV uses the same layout. Retain the original file alongside its coordinate-reference notes. For LandXML, identify the intended surface and confirm its units and triangle coverage.

Driftless surface imports support metres, international feet and US survey feet, with separate horizontal and vertical unit selections. The importer converts units; it does not transform datums, reproject coordinates or apply a geoid. Survey and design must already use compatible references before comparison.

These guides help prepare and document field work. They do not connect a phone to a correction stream, configure a receiver or certify a survey.