[So.. Anyone ever PLACE a benchmark?]

Looks like a H.A.R.N. set up. Nice work.

 

 

 

Here is one I was responsible for procuring the funds for the monument and then I worked with Steve from the county on getting permission to place the monument and also writing the "go to" description as well as the static GPS sessions and watching over the placing. Steve actually took care of the Blue Booking process on this one, but I have done 4 previous Blue Book processes for CBN and FBN stations during our state readjustment a few years back.

 

Step 1: Procure a monument or find an acceptable existing monument.

Step 2: If it is a new monument, then set to NGS standards.

Step 3: Let the monument cure for a month or two and build a "Go To" description

Step 4: Gather the GPS data on multiple sessions according to NGS standards along with the photo documentation, weather data and disk rubbings.

Step 5: Perform the data checks and Blue Booking process and submit to NGS

Step6: Wait for your data to go throught the NGS processing and publishing process.

 

The NGS Data SheetSee file dsdata.txt for more information about the datasheet.DATABASE = Sybase ,PROGRAM = datasheet, VERSION = 7.57

1 National Geodetic Survey, Retrieval Date = DECEMBER 16, 2007

DH9363 ***********************************************************************

DH9363 DESIGNATION - CORPS II TRAVELERS REST

DH9363 PID - DH9363

DH9363 STATE/COUNTY- MT/MISSOULA

DH9363 USGS QUAD - SOUTHWEST MISSOULA (1978)

DH9363

DH9363 *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL

DH9363 ___________________________________________________________________

DH9363* NAD 83(1999)- 46 45 10.02394(N) 114 05 18.63138(W) ADJUSTED

DH9363* NAVD 88 - 973.3 (meters) 3193. (feet) GPS OBS

DH9363 ___________________________________________________________________

DH9363 X - -1,787,033.872 (meters) COMP

DH9363 Y - -3,997,114.809 (meters) COMP

DH9363 Z - 4,623,676.656 (meters) COMP

DH9363 LAPLACE CORR- -2.79 (seconds) DEFLEC99

DH9363 ELLIP HEIGHT- 958.583 (meters) (04/21/06) ADJUSTED

DH9363 GEOID HEIGHT- -14.75 (meters) GEOID03

DH9363 HORZ ORDER - A

DH9363 ELLP ORDER - FOURTH CLASS I

DH9363

DH9363.The horizontal coordinates were established by GPS observations

DH9363.and adjusted by the National Geodetic Survey in April 2006.

DH9363

DH9363.The orthometric height was determined by GPS observations and a

DH9363.high-resolution geoid model.

DH9363

DH9363.The X, Y, and Z were computed from the position and the ellipsoidal ht.

DH9363

DH9363.The Laplace correction was computed from DEFLEC99 derived deflections.

DH9363

DH9363.The ellipsoidal height was determined by GPS observations

DH9363.and is referenced to NAD 83.

DH9363

DH9363.The geoid height was determined by GEOID03.

DH9363

DH9363; North East Units Scale Factor Converg.

DH9363;SPC MT - 288,371.539 249,819.699 MT 0.99940287 -3 21 23.4

DH9363;SPC MT - 946,100.85 819,618.44 iFT 0.99940287 -3 21 23.4

DH9363;UTM 11 - 5,181,809.490 722,360.945 MT 1.00020777 +2 07 17.8

DH9363

DH9363! - Elev Factor x Scale Factor = Combined Factor

DH9363!SPC MT - 0.99984976 x 0.99940287 = 0.99925272

DH9363!UTM 11 - 0.99984976 x 1.00020777 = 1.00005750

DH9363

DH9363 SUPERSEDED SURVEY CONTROL

DH9363

DH9363.No superseded survey control is available for this station.

DH9363

DH9363_U.S. NATIONAL GRID SPATIAL ADDRESS: 11TQM2236181809(NAD 83)

DH9363_MARKER: DD = SURVEY DISK

DH9363_SETTING: 7 = SET IN TOP OF CONCRETE MONUMENT

DH9363_PROJECTION: FLUSH

DH9363_MAGNETIC: R = STEEL ROD IMBEDDED IN MONUMENT

DH9363_STABILITY: C = MAY HOLD, BUT OF TYPE COMMONLY SUBJECT TO

DH9363+STABILITY: SURFACE MOTION

DH9363_SATELLITE: THE SITE LOCATION WAS REPORTED AS SUITABLE FOR

DH9363+SATELLITE: SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS - September 13, 2006

DH9363

DH9363 HISTORY - Date Condition Report By

DH9363 HISTORY - 20040923 MONUMENTED MSLACO

DH9363 HISTORY - 20060913 GOOD GEOCAC

DH9363

DH9363 STATION DESCRIPTION

DH9363

DH9363'DESCRIBED BY MISSOULA COUNTY SURVEYOR 2004

DH9363'THE STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 9.5 AIR MI (15.29 KM) SOUTHWEST FROM

DH9363'MISSOULA, 8.5 MI (13.68 KM) NORTH OF FLORENCE, 0.35 MI (0.56 KM) WEST

DH9363'OF LOLO, AT THE TRAVELERS REST STATE PARK. OWNERSHIP - MONTANA

DH9363'DEPARTMENT OF FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS.

DH9363'

DH9363'TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE INTERSECTION OF U.S. HIGWAYS 12 AND 93

DH9363'IN LOLO, TRAVEL WEST ON U.S. HIGHWAY 12 FOR 0.35 MI (0.56 KM) TO THE

DH9363'ENTRANCE TO THE TRAVELERS REST STATE PARK. THE ENTRANCE HAS A DOUBLE

DH9363'GREEN METAL GATE AND IS ABOUT 250 FT (76.2 M) WEST OF GUY'S LOLO CREEK

DH9363'STEAKHOUSE AND SOUTH OF THE HOLT HERITAGE MUSEUM. TURN LEFT, SOUTH,

DH9363'ON THE ACCESS ROAD FOR 0.25 MI (0.4 KM) TO A PARKING AREA WITH A

DH9363'LANDSCAPED ISLAND WITH HANDICAP PARKING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE

DH9363'ISLAND AND THE STATION.

DH9363'

DH9363'THE STATION IS A BRONZE CORPS OF DISCOVERY II COMMEMORATIVE DISK 6

DH9363'INCHES (15 CM) IN DIAMETER SET IN TOP OF A CONCRETE MONUMENT 46 CM (18

DH9363'INCH) IN DIAMETER AT THE TOP WIDENING TO 122 CM (48 INCH) AT ITS BASE

DH9363'THAT IS 182 CM (72 INCH) DEEP FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. IT IS LOCATED IN

DH9363'THE MIDDLE OF THE LANDSCAPED ISLAND IN THE PARKING LOT, 22.3 FT (6.8

DH9363'M) SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER OF A SIDWALK RUNNING SOUTHWESTERLY, 9.0 FT

DH9363'(2.7 M) SOUTHEAST OF THE SOUTHEASTERLY MOST HANDICAP PARKING SIGN, AND

DH9363'2.9 FT (0.9 M) SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHWEST EDGE OF A CONCRETE SIDEWALK.

DH9363

DH9363 STATION RECOVERY (2006)

DH9363

DH9363'RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2006 (WD)

DH9363'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.

 

*** retrieval complete.

Elapsed Time = 00:00:00

 

Bore a 6' deep hole.

Fill With Concrete, insert sonotube and monument.

Make it all nice and pretty.

Let it cure.

Perform the GPS observations.

Wait for famous Geocachers, like Seventhings, to travel thousands of miles to recover!

 

The life of a benchmark.

By CallawayMT

[So.. Anyone ever PLACE a benchmark?]

Very nice post and a great list of replies. As a cadastral surveyor ,Read party chief, here in Oregon. I get the chance to follow the General Land Office's original notes in search of Government corners. We also check into alot of Benchmarks, and used several for local base stations for our RTK GPS work. Now that we have the cors reference stations running, we haven't used as many benchmarks as in the past. I can tell you that tampering with a set survey marker in general is a violation of state law. Not to mention a real pain for the unlucky character who has to try to figure out where the extra 2/10ths of a foot came from. I have only had the opportunity to set 2 benchmarks in my 7 yrs. Not sure how many more will get set, but its nice to see the work used for different things. Merry Christmas. Keep up the hunt

[just got a garmin eTrex for Christmas]

any tips or anything i should know about when using a GPS like this? i have figured out a good bit allready and tested it's abilities and sensitivity earlier so i know its 100% functional (took it with me when we went to see National Treasure Book of Secrets. (heh, yeah XD)

 

i would like to place a cache in town aswell pretty soon, but i don't have the cash for a cache box, so what would make a good makeshift cache box? i've hears tupperware and ammo cans are possibly the best, but i don't think i can spare any of my own. any suggestions of anything else? and besides a log and a pencil, what else should i load in my cache?

... i bet most of my questions can be awnsered in the FAQs, but i would like anyone else's opinion if they'd be so kind ^ ^.

 

Just got my etrex GPS a week ago for my 40th Birthday. I have yet to place, but have 17 finds in 2 days of caching. Seen several nice ideas. wide mouth peanut butter jars, the plastic ones. Coffee creamer jugs with camo tape, pvc with a screw on lid and spring clamp to put it in a tree. almost anythig will work. You can paint it up, or put tape on. Make sure you follow the instructions at geocaching,com . They explain what you need. We have traded playing cards, matchbox cars. different medallions that we have had. Al sorts of stuff will work. Take the kids along if you have any. They will have a blast.