Where: UtilityScout, on the phone, a midspan or pole on the map, in Standard mode.
When you finish: you can measure a midspan and a pole in Standard Accuracy, from choosing the mode to Synced.
Standard is not High Accuracy. Use it only when your job names it, usually because you cannot set the stick: a busy road, for example. If your job asks for High Accuracy, use the stick, even when it is hard to place; Measure a pole has three ways around a blocked base. Do not have someone hold the stick in the road instead; a moving stick ruins the tilt.
Watch the walkthrough
The video measures a midspan, then a pole. Each section below links to its part of the video, matching the video's chapters. The written steps are complete on their own.
Choose Standard
Video: choose Standard (0:32)
Tap the midspan or the pole on the map.
Touch and hold Measure Midspan (or Measure Pole) and choose Measure Midspan (Standard) (or Measure Pole (Standard)). The button now shows that label.
Tap the button to start. Read its label first: you cannot change modes once the measurement starts.
The app remembers the mode for midspans and for poles separately, so next time a tap starts in Standard. On something already measured the button says Re-measure and asks you to confirm.
Measure a midspan
Place the marker
Video: place the marker (0:46)
Put a visible target on the ground at the drop point, under the wire you need. The video uses a frisbee. It is for aiming; the app does not look for it.
Stand 5–10 feet from the target. The screen says Position the dot on the midspan line from 5-10 feet away.
Aim the dot at the target and tap Place Marker. You see Midspan marker placed. Tap Continue. If Place Marker stays grey, the app cannot find the ground under the dot: move closer and aim at the target.
Choose where to stand for the photo
Video: view blocked (1:00)
Back up to take the photo; the 5–10 feet was only for placing the marker. Face the wires straight on if you can, with the target and the yellow line in view.
If a building or something else sits where you would stand and hides the target, walk around the target, keeping it in front of you, until the view is clear. Stop at the first clear spot closest to straight on and face the target. There is no set angle: from that spot, the target, the wire and the yellow line must all be in the photo.
When a building blocks the straight-on spot, walk around the target to the first clear spot and face it.
Take the photo and review
Tap Capture Photo. Check the photo, then tap Accept, or Retake if the wire or the target is cut off. If the screen says Please capture photo with yellow reference line in camera frame, back up or re-aim. If traffic crossed in front of the camera, retake.
Drag the Bottom line onto the ground at the target (the screen says Drag line to set the ground reference), then tap Next Step.
Tap + Wire. A point appears on the yellow line: drag it up onto the wire you need. Add one for each wire your job asks for. A wire with no class shows Select Class in red: tap it to choose the class. The app lets you finalize without a class, so follow your job's requirements. The video does not show choosing a class.
Fill in the fields your job requires and tap Finalize. Then check it synced, below.
AI detection isn't recommended on midspans. If your job shows the wand button on a midspan, add the wires yourself with + Wire instead.
Measure a pole
Video: zero tilt (0:12), start the pole (1:49), tilt (1:58), marker (2:17), photo (2:26), top and bottom (2:34), AI boxes (2:45)
Before your first Standard pole: check Tilt Zeroing. The two pole tilt readings are corrected by it. Midspans do not use it.
Choose Measure Pole (Standard) and tap it (see Choose Standard above). If this phone has never been zeroed, Tilt Calibration Required appears: tap Go to Settings and zero it.
On Capture the Tilt of the Pole, tap Start.
Hold the back of the phone flat against the pole and tap Capture Tilt. Hold still for three seconds; if you move, the app says so and you try again. You see Tilt (1 of 2) Captured. Tap Next.
Pull the phone off the pole and put it back on the same spot. Capture Tilt turns on once the phone has moved. Tap it and hold still. You see Tilt has been captured with the First and Second readings. Tap Next Step. If the two readings differ by more than 0.5°, the app asks you to start again.
Stand 5–10 feet from the pole. Aim the dot at the pole (Position the dot on the pole) and tap Place Marker. You see Pole marker placed. Tap Continue.
Back up until the whole pole is in view. Use the left and right arrows beside Align line with pole until the yellow line lies along the pole. Tap Capture Photo, then Accept or Retake.
Drag the Top line to the physical top of the pole and check the Bottom line sits on the ground at the base. Tap Next Step. If you did not move the top line, the app asks you to set the top first. If snow or grass hides the base, see When you cannot see the base.
Add the attachments. On poles, AI detection is fine: if your job uses it, tap the wand button: boxes appear on the photo, each with a name and a percentage. Tap each correct box to add it as an attachment, then tap the attachment to confirm or change its class. Boxes you do not tap are not saved. Use + Attachment for anything the boxes missed. The video shows the boxes appearing; it does not show every correction.
Fill in the fields your job requires and tap Finalize.
Check it synced
Video: Finalize and sync (2:54)
After Finalize the app shows Saving measurement…, then the map. The pill at the top left shows Syncing, then Synced. Wait for Synced before you leave or lose signal.
Look at the height before you walk away. If it is far from what you expect, re-measure now, while you are still there. If it stays on Syncing, see Check that your work is syncing.
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