More Newbie Benchmarking Adventures

[+KC0GRN]

Hey all,

 

Here I am again up to no good, looking for surveryor marks, trying not to step on anyone's toes (sometimes I guess that can be quite literal while in the field).

 

I made it out to the Highland water tower this weekend, as I had mentioned I was going to try. Here's what I found.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=PP2569

 

This one's good, and there, I got pictures to prove it.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=PP2595

 

This one, as someone was kind enough to search the NGS database and pointed out that there's an option to search for destroyed marks, is of course marked as destroyed. And I can see why, there is no disc at the base of the tower, most likely this was an erroneous mark due to the altitude. Should I post this mark as destroyed on the gc.com benchmark page? It's tempting to log it, as the name is "Snelling Tower" instead of just "Snelling" so I could say I found the water tower, but alas I just don't think that'd justify it

 

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=AE8962

 

This one was being ellusive too. I couldn't find a chiseled X on the floor as described in the notes for the mark. Admittedly I've never searched for a chiseled cross before, but I wasn't seeing one anywhere on the obervation deck, unless the tile grout counts? As far as I can tell, it's the original flooring from 1922, the blueprints on display at the tower indicated the same sort of flooring.

 

On a happy note, I found out the tower is opened on a weekend in october for a fall colors viewing, even if not for a benchmark I intend to go just to see all the trees in full color.

 

Thanks again everyone for your expertise.

[+PFF]

Good work, Joel....and a great report on your searching!

 

By the way, I was pretty confident that your GPS receiver would have two-way communication capability. You seem like that kind of guy! (Did I mention that I'm known on the 10-Meter band as K5PF--grin.)

 

-Paul-

 

Suspected source of Radio Interference, often heard near N44 56.314, W93 00.167

[mloser]

I think the eccentric is gone. The datasheet notes a masonry floor and there is tile there now. Note that the Snelling mark itself is in concrete and they have preserved the floor around it. If the tile had been there when the mark was set they would have set it in the tile floor.

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Good work, Joel....and a great report on your searching!

 

By the way, I was pretty confident that your GPS receiver would have two-way communication capability. You seem like that kind of guy!  (Did I mention that I'm known on the 10-Meter band as K5PF--grin.)

 

-Paul-

 

Suspected source of Radio Interference, often heard near N44 56.314, W93 00.167

Just a note.

 

Position reporting is now available for RINO'S on GMRS.

 

We use them on our CERT and SAR teams.

 

The FCC has granted Garmin a waiver that will allow the Rino series units to send position data on GMRS channels. In addition, Industry Canada has established a license-free GMRS service. Canadian Rino 110,120 and 130 units will now allow users access to GMRS channels. Position sending/polling will also be allowed on Canadian GMRS channels. These new capabilities are available with a simple software update obtained free of charge from the Garmin Web site.

 

130 update:

RINO 130

 

110 update:

RINO 110

 

120 update:

RINO 120

[TerraVador]

AE8962 has been changed to destroyed as well:

 

 AE8962                          STATION RECOVERY (2005)
AE8962
AE8962'RECOVERY NOTE BY MN DEPT OF TRANSP 2005 (MMB)
AE8962'IN ST PAUL, AT JUNCTION OF FORD PARKWAY AND TRUNK HIGHWAY 51 (SNELLING
AE8962'AVE), ON OBSERVATION DECK OF HIGHLAND PARK WATER TOWER, STATION IS
AE8962'CHISELED X 5.985 FEET SOUTH OF STATION SNELLING, NEW FLOOR ON
AE8962'OBSERVATION DECK

[+KC0GRN]

I think the eccentric is gone. The datasheet notes a masonry floor and there is tile  there now. Note that the Snelling mark itself is in concrete and they have preserved the floor around it. If the tile had been there when the mark was set they would have set it in the tile floor.

actually I'll post another image tonight, the original 1922 blueprints (that were on display at the tower) Show the flooring for the observation deck, and if I interpret those right, the original flooring was tiled, with the same pattern as I observed. That's what really confused me about the description, it just doesn't match what I was seeing, other than the measurements and line of sight with the shoreview towers.

 

Edit: Ahh, thanks Terra Vador, I should've checked the main database myself. Sad that the gc.com one is so out of date. I think I'm learning I need to compare the NGS database to the gc.com one before I go looking for stuff

 

Thanks for the comments. Yeah being a radio guy I had to get the 2-way Radio option on my GPS, and I did know about the GMRS addendum, but haven't spent the $$ for the GMRS license, I figure being a HAM I don't want to mess with it really either.

Edited August 17, 2005 by KC0GRN

[+KC0GRN]

And back to one of my questions, since PP2595 and AE8962 are both marked as destroyed in the current NGS database, should I log them as destroyed on the gc.com benchmark pages? We don't have many active benchmark hunters in my area, but if it saves anyone time....

[mloser]

Two things:

 

Maybe masonry means tile in this instance. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and my brain thought masonry=concrete, which is a foolish assumption. The datasheet doesn't say concrete so it probably isn't concrete. The flooring might have been replaced, or simply worn down, although a good chiseled mark would be pretty deep and noticable. Are you sure you measured in the right direction? The eccentric is on line with a TV tower so if that tower still exists you could stand at the mark and look for it (my guess and hope is that the tower would be visible through a window) and that would give you the direction to the chiseled cross. The tower is at 7 deg 33 min 50.6 sec from the station. Your magnetic declination is +1.365 degrees which means you can almost ignore it, but if you want to use it you will find the tower at about 6 deg. If I am looking at your picture correctly and your left arm would be North, which seems to put your GPS about where I would expect the cross to be.

 

I have found eccentrics to be difficult to locate in some cases. They are often set as temporary marks when a station is hard to occupy or the sight lines are not good from the main station. Then an eccentric is set up where sight lines are good and that new station is occupied. If the accuracy of the survey requires it the eccentric will be measured to a high order, and submitted to the NGS, if the surveyor bothers. (Actual surveyors may want to chime in with more info on this or harsh corrections if I am wrong).

 

Yes, I would mark the two NGS destroyed marks as destroyed on GC, if for no other reason than to help complete the area I am looking in. I had a similar instance of a mark I had looked for twice and not found and suddenly it appeared as destroyed in the NGS database. I marked it destroyed at GC with a note saying it was marked destroyed at NGS. The higher level of proof exists at NGS so I am confident it is truly gone.

[mloser]

Wait a minute! AE8962 has been marked as destroyed due to a new floow so there is no sense even looking for it.