Tips

The World Icon in the upper left corner of all the forms, , takes the user back to the GeoInfo Mobile launcher page. This facilitates a user switching back and forth from surface geochemistry samples to observations to logs.

From the GeoInfo Mobile launcher screen, click to open one of the 3 data collection modules. Enter data in the first screen. All the required fields, labeled in red, must be filled in to proceed. Click the next tab, GPS, Desc or Log, or Com to further describe samples or observations. The Desc tab has different descriptive fields for each sample or observation type. The Log tab is different for each log type.

From the Samp (Sample), Observ (Observation) and Log tabs, the List tab lists all the samples, observations or logs in your database. From the Desc tab, List shows only the samples or observations that match your current sample or observation type. For logs, List shows all the intervals logged for the current hole and log type.

On the GPS tab, click the Read GPS button and the coordinates will be entered into the database. You can manually enter any coordinate in the easting and northing fields, but the Latitude and Longitude fields are locked and can only be entered from a GPS (a quality control feature).

Each log includes independent “From-To” intervals or a “Depth” for each data type. Each log has independent intervals, except the Interval Summary Log which combines the lithology, alteration, mineralization, minerals, structure and sample logs into one logged interval. The Interval Summary Log might be useful for logging RAB or RC chips.

To create a new sample, observation or log, click the New Samp, New Observ or New Log button. This creates a new sample, observation or log, and defaults much of the first sample, observation or log-collar page values since they are usually the same in a project area. The user then selects a sample, observation or log type, and edits any of the defaulted values they need.

New Samp assigns the next sample number by automatically incrementing up one number.

New Observ assigns a unique ID based on date; 20030810221516, 20=year, 03 = month, 08 = day, 10 = hour, 22 = minute, 15 = second, and a random number between 10 – 99 to create unique ID’s for two samples collected at the same time on different devices.

New Log creates a new log and makes the Hole ID field editable. Once the log name is typed the first time it is no longer editable, so take care to enter the name exactly as desired. If multiple devices are used to log the same drill hole (a geologist logging descriptive information like Lithology, Alteration, Mineralization, Minerals and Structure and a technician logging MagSus, Geotech and Samples) make sure both holes are named exactly the same so they merge together when the data is imported into GeoInfo Tools or another corporate database. Tip, the GeoInfo Tools GeoInfo Mobile importer allows users to rename a hole before data import, just in case the Hole ID is not correct.

The Photo field is populated by clicking the Photo button. The photo name is built using the suggested prefix, numeric value and suffix values shown in gray edit boxes to the right of the Photo button. Click on any of the gray suggestion boxes to edit them. The prefix and suffix boxes are global variables that are persistent until the value is changed. The center numeric counter field, once set to a value, will automatically increment up one number each time a photo is assigned. Clicking Photo multiple times increments the number of the photo up one each time the button is clicked. If a unique prefix is used for each camera, then in a multiuser corporate setting, unique picture ID’s will be generated. These picture ID’s can then be linked in a GIS environment for easy access to field photos.

If you have a data collector with a built in camera, you can click on the Camera icon to the right of the Photo ID field and you will be taken to a camera page where you can take a picture and have it automatically named based on the descriptive data; sample number and type, observation ID and type, or Hole ID, From and To .

Once all the samples, observations and logs are collected, then go to the main GeoInfo Mobile launcher form and select the Data tab. The data can be exported to a comma delimited text file that can be imported into GeoInfo Tools or another corporate database. Once the data is exported the database can be cleared for the next field stint using the Clear Database button. The idea is to collect data for a while (generally a day to a few weeks), export the data from the mobile data collector, upload this data into a corporate database, and then clear the GeoInfo Mobile database for the next field stint. The exported text files are small and can be emailed. Exported text files are a good way to backup your data.

From the main GeoInfo Mobile launcher form select the Settings tab. QAQC Message Intervals set up message prompts for surface geochemistry and log samples, prompting users to collect a QAQC sample. If you want QAQC messages at specific intervals, select a starting sample and interval for the QAQC types you want to collect. Warning messages can be set for Sample Log and Geotech Log intervals. This is used to catch possible data entry errors.