andylphoto

Are there other phone cameras that do better? I guess I wouldn't buy a phone if I wanted a good digital camera. My Motorola phone has no flash, and only does 640x480 with pathetic light metering capabilities. Only zoom is digital zoom, which is completely worthless. The camera wasn't a consideration when I bought the phone. It's a fun toy, and I've actually used it a couple times when I forgot the *real* camera. I got this model because of the external antenna jack.

Do some research before running out and buying VPC. I have not tried to install MapSource and sync to my garmin, but I seem to recall doing some reading about a year ago that this would not work with VPC 7, but people could use VPC 6. I don't recall the specifics, as I just decided to buy a native Mac program to use for transferring waypoints & tracks. I have not purchased any mapsource maps yet, and plan (hope) to wait until Garmin actually does release a Mac version. We'll see on that one. Since I already have VPC 7 installed for other reasons, Maybe I'll try installing MapSource just for grins and see what happens.

From your description and photos, it appears the station should be logged in good condition. Reference and AZ marks can be noted in the text, but the condition refers only to the actual station mark. You should add text noting the condition of the reference marks and azimuth mark, but the station mark is in good condition, judging by what you said and your photo.

Hmm...the "Recent Recoveries" map isn't as interesting this month as I had hoped. I had some recoveries during October that took a while to get into the datasheets. Several were first time recoveries, both on geocaching with the NGS since monumentation in the 1940s. Looks like they've now been added to the datasheets, but they must not have been yet when the data was pulled for the October recovery map. They'll show up in the other map and the stats next month. Ah, well...we do it for the fun, not the maps. Although I must admit I'm looking forward to the day when I "catch up" with Z15 and Marquette County turns dark red! Am I correct in believing that the Total Recoveries map is total since "Day 1," not just for the current year? Thanks again Holograph for your work in putting this information together! It is very much appreciated!

Thank you! I thought that was the way to go, but then I saw a comment over in the other thread and started wondering if maybe the stem only was only "poor" for horizontal control stations. Looks like I need to do more searching before posting too. I thought I remembered seeing the description of "found poor" somewhere, but couldn't find it when I was looking. Andy

This topic is an offshoot of another thread about a diskless stem. I have logged several stations, mostly horizontal control or RMs where the disk has been missing, and noted in the log that the stem remains. In reading the comments by two old farts in the above thread, I wanted to expand on and ask opinions on the difference between horizontal control and vertical control marks in this situation. For example, I recently recovered RK0314 in a similar condition. The disk is gone, but the stem remains. As was pointed out, obviously this is no longer useful as a vertical control mark because the elevation is taken from the top of the disk, and this has been lost. The description matches, so the likelihood that this is the wrong stem is small. I am looking for opinions on logging this both here and with the NGS. I suppose on Geocaching, I could mark it destroyed, but there is still *something* to find there. As far as the NGS, my understanding is that I can't have it destroyed since the actual disk is not there. So...which would be more useful? A log of not found, or a found poor log with a note that the disk is missing, but the stem remains in place? As a vertical control mark, this makes it clear to anyone who wanted to use the mark what they would find if they went and found it. Thoughts?

Thanks for the information and the email address. I will log it and contact him with the additional information. I kind of suspected that this one would just drop off the edge, especially since one of the two reference marks is no longer stable. I always enjoy reading your posts...lots of local knowledge and history there! Andy

So...are triangulation stations ever reset, other than from the underground mark, holding the same horizontal position? Case in point is RK0580. Based on the rate of erosion over the last 50 years from reading the recovery logs, the station will probably fall, concrete monument and all, into Lake Superior within the next 5 years, 10 at the most. The station is currently in good condition, and was recovered as such in 2002 by the NGS. I am assuming that if they were worried about it, there would be a note in the datasheet. Would I be correct in assuming that in this circumstance a station would NOT be reset before nature takes its course? I was going to log this station with the NGS, and wondered if I should note that the station appears in jeopardy, or if anything would be done to try to "reset" the station before it falls over the edge. Thanks, and looking forward to replies on this topic.

I looked into this before buying a program to run on my Mac. I don't recall the specific details, but it seems to me that I read that earlier versions of VPC could be used. I run VPC 7, and determined from the reading I had done that I could not use VPC 7 and USB to run Mapsource and actually have it connect to my 60C. However, I have not actually tried to do it. From the limited use I've given VPC, it does seem finicky about USB stuff.

Entering coordinates manually is easy, but time consuming, especially for multiple waypoints. However, the 60C is very easy to connect to a Mac with USB--one of the reasons I chose that model. There are several programs available--GPS Babel has already been mentioned. Another I believe is called load my tracks, and there is Mac SimpleGPS. For commercial programs, I use MacGPS Pro and am very happy with it. GPSy is also available and looks nice, but I have not used it, or the free/shareware programs.

Well, yes and no. It depends on what exactly you mean by Mac compatible. There are no maps at present that can be loaded on a Garmin receiver from a Mac, though Garmin is working on Mac compatibility. Originally they announced by the end of 2006, but that date has been pushed back, I believe. If you mean can you load waypoints, yes you can do it on a Garmin receiver from a Mac. Depending on the specific model, you may need to purchase a USB to serial converter, since newer macs don't have serial ports and some GPSr units don't have USB. There are a number of software programs that can transfer waypoints, routes and tracks. Look into Mac Simple GPS, Load My Tracks, and Gps Babel. For more expensive solutions, there is GPSy and MacGPS Pro. MacGPS Pro is the only one I have used personally, and I am happy with it. One advantage is that you can purchase ($20-30 per state) USGS topo maps that you can display on the computer. They can be overlaid with tracks & waypoints, and use for setting waypoints and creating routes manually. They can not be loaded onto the GPSr however.

We don't have it quite that bad, but where I live, there is and East Ave. and a West Ave. Both run north/south. What I never understood was why West Ave was to the east of East Ave. and hence East Ave. was to the west of West. Ave. Edit for clarity. The two are only a few blocks apart, but of the two, East Ave. is on the west, and West Ave. is on the east. That makes more sense.

All those pronunciations and you still didn't hit on the correct one! Of course, we ain't got no Lebanon up in da U.P. here, but if we did, the you'd say it "LEB uh non, eh? Hopefully I'll have a few good days of benchmark hunting this fall. I've loaded up a couple of good runs up county roads not too far away from home. My wife enjoys getting out and taking pictures, so I've suggested a benchmark run during fall color season. I stop to hunt benchmarks and she can get out of the car and take photos at each location, then a picnic lunch and some sight-seeing at the end. Hopefully that one pans out and I'll get some good recoveries in September or October.

Mike, Thanks for the background info on this disk! It's always interesting to hear some history behind these things. On this trip, my wife and I were making a quick trip down to catch the end of the Dickinson Co. fair, and I just wanted to grab a couple of quick ones on the way without taking too much time, so I was looking for Horiz. control right in the Noway area. I looked at several of the ones from the 1992 project...The USPSQD made a run on those in April of this year, so I went for VULCAN and LORETTA.

Just to follow up, I checked out my Jaguar machine and downloaded a waypoint with no problems in Safari. One click and it showed up on my desktop. Well, I did have to log in first...

Can't say I've done that, but I have "avoided" marks (not made the effort to search *at this time*) If I look at the datasheet and see the USPSQD has been there and collected them recently--last year or this year. I've seen a number of discussions here, but hadn't heard of the "financial incentive." What's that about?

That said...are you able to download other files from other sites? Do you have your desktop set as the default directory for downloads, or are you checking wherever you have your browsers set to deposit downloads? Sorry...might be obvious questions, but had to ask. No disrespect intended.

And what exactly is "the same thing?" What behavior do you get when you try to download? Are you logged in when you try to download? I have one computer at home running 10.2.8. I'll try to dl a loc file when I get home from work and see what happens. Andy

Okay...here's another similar mark. I searched for yesterday, and found "LORETTA RESET." I have not logged it yet, but will today or tomorrow with pictures. I found all four marks photographed by beardawg in the existing log. Geocaching NGS It's a horizontal control disk, and the stamping is as Z15 described: LORETTA 1954 1984. The datasheet identifies its monumentation as 1984, with the designation "LORETTA RESET". The description identifies the stamping as "LORETTA 1954 1984." However, this is not included in the Geocaching datasheet. You have to go to the NGS datasheet to get the additional information. QL0672_MARKER: DH = HORIZONTAL CONTROL DISK QL0672_SETTING: 7 = SET IN TOP OF CONCRETE MONUMENT QL0672_SP_SET: SQUARE CONCRETE MONUMENT QL0672_STAMPING: LORETTA 1954 1984 QL0672_MARK LOGO: NGS QL0672_PROJECTION: PROJECTING 3 CENTIMETERS QL0672_MAGNETIC: N = NO MAGNETIC MATERIAL QL0672_STABILITY: B = PROBABLY HOLD POSITION/ELEVATION WELL QL0672_SATELLITE: THE SITE LOCATION WAS REPORTED AS SUITABLE FOR QL0672+SATELLITE: SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS - May 30, 2001

Hmm...That's strange. I've mistakenly clicked the "read about" link before. You're clicking above it where it says "LOC waypoint file (*.loc)"? Maybe try another cache. I download in Safari all the time. Can you post a link for the one you're having a problem with? The other thing you can try to do is view the cache listing, like after a search, and check the boxes to the right of the caches you want. Then click the download button at the bottom of the page. You'll get a LOC file with waypoints for all the caches you checked.

It might depend in part on what receiver you're using, but there is mac software available. I use MacGPS Pro by James associates. In addition to managing waypoints, track logs and routes, they also offer topo maps by state, or for national parks. You can use them on the computer, but cannot load them into the GPS. There is a cost for the software. For free and shareware solutions, check out Mac Simple GPS, GPS Babel, or LoadMyTracks. There might be a couple others that I am forgetting.

We have the 60C. My son, the video game enthusiast, enjoyed toying with the beast game for a while until he tired of it. I hadn't played any, and had pretty much forgotten about them. The exercise idea is a good one I'll have to start using in free time.

Here's a newer one by M-DOT:

I must admit that I did find the recovery somewhat humorous, but yes, completely unprofessional. I wouldn't dream of putting something like that in an NGS log. In fact, I have even left things out of NGS logs that could be useful because I couldn't do it to the professional standards I am used to seeing. On one recovery, most referenced objects are completely obsolete (abandoned rail line). I had considered adding distances from several references, but did not have my 100-foot tape on this particular trip. I could have added approximate distances and gotten within a couple feet by stepping it off, but didn't think it would rise to the professional standards I have grown used to in recovery reports. I opted instead for posting HH2 coordinates in the report.

Looks like the NGS found the extra stampings too and didn't like it.