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foxtrot_xray

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Everything posted by foxtrot_xray

  1. Interesting, thanks for the info. So, whythen, if the NGS BM's aren't as great for 'practical use' (read: local surveyors marking out lots and plots of land daily, updating township records, etc.), are the NGS ones most easily accessible? Ah, anyways, no matter, now I'm on to another puzzlement: KV7101. If there's nothing there, how do we say we 'found' it? Me.
  2. Interesting. I was thinking of mapping land.. for example, you're going out to get a land plot size (or something), and come across three. So.. You do a search on NGS - nothing. Then you call DOI, they don't now. Write the Bureau of Reclamation, they don't know.. a couple days go by for /that/ response, then finally get in touch wih the USGS and they have the information.. and then the descriptions ae only altitude. I dunno, compared to the NGS, seems like you'd just skip over them in favor of local marks (county, DOT) or ones that are more accessible (NGS, for example.) Tho, I'm NOT a surveyor, and have no clue as to what I'm talking about. Me.
  3. Got an e-mail back today, and it pretty much replicated what was said on the website: They did send me info on the two BM's I found, so they're USGS ones definately. Unfortunately, since they ''don't plan'' on any internet/active database, the marks are pretty useless - even for a surveyor, 'cept for looking on a map and going, "Oh, there it is." Cheers, Me.
  4. I was actually working on a PHP script that I would pull up, enter a PID, and it'd parse out the return, giving me only the 'wanted' information. Luckily, anyone with simple AWK / Substr know-how can easily look for what they want in a datasheet, and send the rest into the bitbucket. Me.
  5. [Edit: Deleting duplicate post.. Apologies!]
  6. The easiest way would be to find a map (topozone.com, for example) and find where you might have been, and then do a lat/lon search on GC. If you don't know exactly where you were standing, you can probably find someplace nearby (a road where you parked, etc) and go from there... Good find, tho..! Me.
  7. Did a quick search on the USGS site, and found the following: I sent an e-mail asking about what I found, then asked if there were any plans to make the USGS database searchable and/or integrated with the NGS's database. When I get an answer, I'll let ya'll know.. Cheers, Me.
  8. Funny enough, I actually KNOW a 'rail' is 39 feet long. I work for a railroad, and we don't use the welded stuff - our turns are too tight for that. Some of our rail is still 20-30 years older than I am. Thanks everyone for your comments - I was figuring a 'pace' was about three feet, but when I couldn't find the two near me that used the term, I figured I'd ask. Cheers! Me.
  9. Okay, I didn't see this addressed anywhere, and thought I'd ask.. I've now seen a few descriptions reference "paces". (''120 PACES NORTH'') So, how big is an actual pace? 3 feet? On another note, say a disk is labeled in the directions as "50 feet west of centerline of the highway". West of the highway the ground drops down 10 feet. So, my question is, is it 50 feet along the ground, or 50 feet straight out (to a point 10 feet above the disk)? While it's a small difference, in a few marks, that knowledge would have been ratehr helpful.. Hmm.. I had another question... but have forgotten. Darn memory.. Cheers! Me.
  10. Welp, being able to now search NGS, there is indeed nothing listed there. I find it highly ironic that of the many benchmarks I've found that were supposed to have marker signs and very very few of them did, two I find WITH signs aren't 'legal' anymore! Oy. Me.
  11. The worst I ran into was when I had stopped JUST outside of 'downtown' (I use that loosely, since 'downtown' was only a few blocks long..) on the side of a street, hazards on. I left my car to go find it, when I got back an officer was behind me, writing my plate # down. When I appriached him, he wanted to know ''what I was doing''. I told him I was ''looking for permanent survey markers''. He wrote that down next to my info on this sheet, and said, ''Okay, just be careful. Have a good day.''. So, it's not ALWAYS that bad.. Me.
  12. Usually when I come across something like that, it's still in the database, just dosen't have a datasheet associated with it. However! I think I found the issue - there's something wrong with the NGS database at the moment. I tried to search by PID on it with a PID that I've FOUND and I KNOW exists, and got the same "Error Number = 20032". So, I'm going to assume that the database is currently broken. (Tho, that doesn't explain why GC dosen't have it listed, unless they were both marked as destroyed for one reason or another.) Will do more research, stuck for now, tho. Cheers, Me.
  13. Hmm.. this is one of those 'backwards' things... Most of the time, a mark won't have an icon on a USGS Topo map, and there won't be a marker sign.. However, today completely by accident, I saw a standard black-on-white "USGS Marker Post" sign. So, I got out and poked around a little, didn't find anything. I marked the coords (N34.3850, W84.5001) and looked them up now when I got home. The Topo map shows a mark there - "BM1394" to be exact. The sign was there. But when I type those coords into the NGS search engine, nothing comes up. Even with "Browse Mode" marked. (Looking at 1-mile radius of those coords..) At least I expected a 'destroyed' record or something, but.. nothing? Is it possible that some marks are taken OUT of the database? (What other reason would the sign and a mark on the map be if there's no record.) (As an aisde, I tried to increase the search radius to 2 and 3 miles, and both times get a "ERROR NUMBER = 20032" as a response. Hope I didn't break it!) [Edit: Okay, now this is strange.. One I **DID** find on the same trip, and have a picture to boot, ALSO does not come up on the NGS nor Geocaching. It also had a sign with it. Both /old/ signs.] Cheers, Me.
  14. D'oh! I never even thought that it's be compoletely seperate.. Many thanks! Mike.
  15. This may be a strange thing, but for the life of me, I can't figure for the life of me how to change it.. When I first created my account, a few years back, at some point I entered in my home coords. So that when I look at a log, it'll say something like: " NE 10.1mi from your home coordinates." Since then, I have moved. In my account settings, I updated the 'Location' field to my new town, but on that page, there are no home coords fields! So all the benchmarks (and few caches) still show how far from my old home. So where can that be changed? Fox.
  16. ...okay, that's probably not the SMARTEST topic title. Sorry. Anyways, does anyone have a downloaded database of the NGS's benchmarks? I reported one as destroyed (as it was, really!) and forgot to grab a text-copy of the datasheet. I like to save copies for me when I find them, so I can keep a copy with my pictures. I reported it a month or so ago.. Well, I went back to grab myself a copy, and it was already removed. Very impressed at the efficency! However.. I can't get my copy now. The benchmark is EE0346.. it'd be appreciated. [Edit: Nevermind! Ignore me. I forgot they offer the flag to look for destroyed marks.] Me.
  17. Is there a semi-description on what the heck these are? The site doesn't really ''define'' what to use them for. (I mean, are they placed in places to be found, or do you carry one around..?) I'd be interested in getting one of November's designs, just to have, y'know.
  18. For the record, myself, I think it'd be something helpful. I mean, if you're going to find it, use their notes. However, if you don't want to look at their logs, maybe ust scroll all the way to the bottom to get the official description? I actually use the NGS site for getting the benchmarks I want to find, then afterwards go to the Geocaching site to log them, so usually when I see them, it's too late. (Or, if for some reason I didn't find it, there'd be more info there.) Me.
  19. Ah, interesting. That would explain it. With a little research, found the park was.. er.. parked? in 1947. And since it's a national park, that's why it has 'US' on it. Kosher, many thanks. I've seen section markers before, never with a 'US' stapmed on it tho; that's what threw me. Thanks! Fox.
  20. I think we should have a forum just for ''what mark is this'' posts.. Kidding. Anyways, my folks call me up a few days ago, all so happy, exclaiming, "We found two benchmarks! Our first two!" and send me the pictures. Of course, they don't give me any concrete evidence on WHERE they found them. One really WAS a benchmark (HN0527) - but the other.. I'm having trouble finding. My dad described its location as: Now, I did a search in several map software, and THINK I got the general location ("Hickman Trail" in the Capitol Reef NP), however, searching for it on the NGS provides no information. (Doing a search on the Long/Lat from the trailhead finds two within two miles, ''JN0329'' which is not valid, says it's missing a description, and ''JN0166''. The later doesn't have it down a trail, as my Dad said it was. Now, I realize that ''Hey, it's not a real benchmark, or it's from a local authority''. However, take a look at it: It had a date hard-stamped into it, '1947', and has "US General Land Office Survey". It's also on a mounting I've never seen before. Anyone shed me a little light on it? I asked for more details onto where he actually found it, and will share if he's able to give me any more useful data. Cheers, Fox.
  21. About this whole nude benchmarking thing... With the right people.. it could be fun! (Remember tho - ALWYS wear a reflective vest! For safety!) Fox.
  22. I like the table.. nice job... I have never reported a Not Find to the NGS - only because hey - I'm not a surveyor, and don't have all the tools that a surveyor does. I will usually only record a find if it hasn't been reported as being found in the last 10 years (Just a guide I use..) OR if the condition has changed considerably. I think that certain Not Founds should still be logged - that way if someone DOES find it, they're in a better position to then record possibly HOW they found it. For example: EE0090. Here, you don't see the most recent update from 2000 where the DOT corrected the original description, stating that it was 3.2 miles, instead of 3 miles. (That's also a reason why I always get the latest datasheet from the NGS, instead of Geocaching. ) So sometimes, I can see how reporting something as 'Not Found' could come in handy.. Fox.
  23. The only reason I'm persoinally iffy about the 'volunteer' logo is that from a distance, you wouldn't be able to easily identify it. (Other than seeing a round cirle with words and the triangle.) However, I do like having 'volunteer' or something akin to it.. Me.
  24. Uuuh... note that it doesn't say what it IS, just describes it...: "...TOP OF A STAINLESS STEEL DRIVEN INTO..." ...a Stainless Steel...? What? A stainless steel fridge? Oven? Microwave? Rod? Me.
  25. Guess I should clarify.. yeah, despite the fact that the perspective is from all different angles, they don't have to be like that. It was just for show-and-tell.. When the background is decided, they can be 'aimed' any which way. Interesting note about the Ocean Survey marker. Having never seen one myself, I gave my artist friend the link to the PDF file that's linked to earlier in this thread, that actualkly HAS a full-cross circle.. I will pass on the idea about having several of the logos point toward a central one. I wanted (still do) it to be a simple design (simple, not plain!) so tha, if needed, it could be transfered to several mediums (print, patches, pins, etc.) without too much difficulty. (Or without requirng a magnifying glass to recognize anything. ) BuckBrooke: I missed your reply until now. I looked at the post, and will forward some of those thoughts and ideas to my friend, see what he thinks. Thanks! I'll wait until Friday to pass along any thoughts, to give others a chance to chime in..
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