A major goal of Public Laboratory is to produce simple and easy guides to construct many of our low-cost tools. Here are some of the illustrated guides, tutorials, and other supporting materials we've put together so far:

##Aerial mapping##

###Grassroots Mapping with balloons and kites###

* [Grassroots Mapping Guide 2.0](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BJxYKVYdUimf5s3hOVoQCWPoj1UinaIaAEKF65Q2pbc/edit), ([1mb pdf](https://publiclab.org/sites/default/files/Grassroots_Mapping_English_2_0_0.pdf)) - This improved version of the guide is more concise (prints on 4 pages, or a single 11x17 sheet, double sided) and has been updated with more recent, simpler, more reliable techniques. It is available for anyone to edit or modify as a Google Doc. 
* http://grassrootsmapping.org/guide - Our first illustrated guide attempts to thoroughly explain how to construct and use a [balloon mapping](/tool/balloon-mapping) kit.
* [Step by step slide presentation](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oSfsY2O5D3ERJYdoLxXe2ePtN-tOGh06_P2nMduCRAw/edit) - all the drawings of the Grassroots Mapping Guide 2.0 shown one at a time on 15 slides. Useful for projecting during rig-building workshops.

###Balloon Mapping Quick Start Guide###

We made this one specifically for filling and flying our [balloon kit](http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/balloon-mapping-kit), but the flying info is generally applicable.  

* [BalloonMappingQuickStartGuide1English.pdf](/sites/default/files/BalloonMappingQuickStartGuide1English.pdf) (1.5 MB)

[Anyone can print, add to or edit the Google Doc](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1f397WvHyZtwyDEqXIIrNpLBfNfw2accAWzQhdvhg4TA/view), please translate it to new languages if you can!

###Balloon Mapping Flight Checklist & Packing Lists###

Sequential to-do lists and packing lists for every step of the process.  Do it right every time! use a list. 

* [BAPpre-flightchecklistpackinglist.pdf](/sites/default/files/Balloon%20Mapping%20Pre-flight%20Checklist%20&%20Packing%20List.pdf) (66 KB)

[Again, anyone can download, print, or edit the Google Doc.](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UUiQt-p2npJiIi48v_3o2_keeqEEzHc1yONybGeYF-E/edit)

###Making Maps with MapKnitter###
Public laboratory's open source MapKnitter.org tool:
[MapKnitter Guide](/wiki/mapknitter)

###Translations###

* **Castellano/Spanish**: [Guía ilustrada de hacer mapas con globos o cometas](https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AVY4Tg28DhosZGM0OHd6M2RfMjYwZ2JiMnJwZDQ&hl=en_US)
  * [PDF (1mb, 4 pages)](/sites/default/files/Grassroots_Mapping_Castellano_2_0.pdf)
* **Portuguese**: [Guia ilustrado para Mapear Comunidades de base com balões e pipas](https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0Aeyey6nGYeyiZHF4NnNoZF8wZnEzNmo4aHM&hl=en_US)
  * [PDF (1mb, 4 pages)](	
https://publiclab.org/sites/default/files/Grassroots_Mapping_Brazilian_Portugese_1_0.pdf)
* **Georgian** (older 5 page version): [PDF (26mb)](http://grassrootsmapping.org/guides/grassroots-mapping-guide-ge.pdf)
* **Hebrew**  מדריך מאוייר למיפוי עצמאי עם בלונים או עפיפונים (older 5 page version): [A4 PDF (3.1mb)](http://grassrootsmapping.org/guides/grassroots-mapping-guide-heb-a4.pdf), [Letter-sized PDF](http://grassrootsmapping.org/guide/grassroots-mapping-guide-heb-let.pdf)
* **Korean**: [see research note by Jaekyung Lee](http://publiclaboratory.org/notes/leejaekyung/11-30-2011/balloon-mapping-tutorial-korean)
* **Chilean**: [external site](http://marcha.ciudadanointeligente.cl/)
* **Ukrainian**: [Картографування за допомогою
Повітряних куль та Зміїв](/sites/default/files/GrassrootsMapping2.2Ukraine.pdf) (995kb PDF) [Google Doc](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17icXuUYDlV7Ujuxs6SwLjCm73vkGHzVTV8ta0w0xfp8/edit#slide=id.g84b9a2f_1_14)
* **Russian**: [attached PDF](https://publiclab.org/sites/default/files/Instructions_Rus_Combines.pdf)
* **Turkish/Türkçe**: <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eeGpAQ4Vq3sUEYMzbF6sxDHfV03D8OKAMz7bHz8EkGY/edit#slide=id.g84b9a2f_1_87">Balon ve Uçurtma ile Haritalama için Resimli Rehber </a>
* **Dutch/Nederlands**
<a href="https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/001/475/original/Schermafbeelding_2013-09-10_om_10.01.53.png">Screenshot from Dutch article on a Publiclab Kite Mapping event in Amsterdam</a>

##Spectrometry##

* [PLOTS DIY Spectrometer Guide v1.0.pdf](https://publiclab.org/sites/default/files/PLOTS%20DIY%20Spectrometer%20Guide%20v1.0.pdf) (2 pages, black and white, 1.4 MB)
* PLOTS DIY Spectrometer construction (wiki page): http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/video-spectrometer-construction


**Older spectrometry guides:**

_These may be out of date_

* Making a [spectrometer](/tool/spectrometer): 
  * [plots-spectrometer-guide.pdf](http://publiclaboratory.org/downloads/plots-spectrometer-guide.pdf) (17.4mb)
  * [plots-spectrometer-guide-small.pdf](http://publiclaboratory.org/downloads/plots-spectrometer-guide-small.pdf) (4.3kb)
  * [Parts and Crafts](http://partsandcrafts.org/) revised spectrometry booklet (fantastic!): http://archive.publiclaboratory.org/download/partsandcrafts-spectrometer-guide.pdf (21mb, print quality)

##In progress##

We're constantly improving and exploring new ways of documenting and disseminating our designs. Here are some prototypes and planning pages:

* [T-shirt guide](/wiki/t-shirt-guide) - A t-shirt with instructions for balloon mapping printed on it.

**In-progress Translations:**

* Arabic: https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AVY4Tg28DhosZGM0OHd6M2RfMjU5Y3o2NXEzZG0&hl=en_US