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The Unofficial Contest Logging Thread.


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Thank you, thank you, thank you. Dolphin takes a deep bow.

I wish to thank John and Shirley for posing this challenge. It was an interesting and challenging experience, and a great exposure to the variety of benchmarks out there. Furthest distance from home coordinates was only 39.6 miles, by air. About 3 hours, and 90 miles by road! The variety of benchmarks available in a metropolitan area like New York City was definitely an advantage. (I live in northwest Jersey.) Several rare types were sought after, but not found: piling, chiseled triangle, magnetic station disk, gravity disk, clay pipe, belfry. The opportunity did not exist to search for some other rare types. But the search shall continue!

I also wish to thank my caching cohort, Andy Bear, for assisting me, and for putting up with my obsession.

Only in a challenge like this, as my brother said, would one spend a few hundred dollars to win a $30 prize. :rolleyes: I thank the 2oldfarts for the challenge and the opportunity.

Harry will graciously accept the prize of premium membership to geocaching.com.

Again, thank you for the challenge.

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I still feel honored.

I am in the top 3.

 

Thanks for the challenge,If I would have had the x-tra**$ and plans would have worked out........but is a big word.

 

My farthest was 140 miles, it was 20 - 30 miles for the others and 2 close to home, 6 and 8 miles.

 

They are way thin here and a long ways from one another.

Or very difficult terrain and access.

 

But for me it was mainly the $$$ and the price of gas,but I gave all I had for the contest.

Even got TIGGR to go while we were running other errands.

 

Thanks contestants you kept me hopping,just couldn't keep up.

And I had fairly good weather.

 

Maybe the 2 Old Farts will come up with a new one in the spring.

 

How does the most 1st to find GC,1st find sound.

What would that be FTF-FTF :rolleyes:

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Congrats Harry! Our weather went to crap shortly after contest started and to find more than the three types that I found meant driving a long way alone (hubby out of state), plus the flu had me sidetracked, and my shoes hurt my feet, and the GPS batteries went dead, and the digital camera is smarter than me, and.....

 

Anyway, it was fun hunting the few I got out for. I want to do more when the weather is better. I got a new GPS for Christmas!

 

So Harry, what are you going to do now?

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Congrats on your searches and finds, maggieszoo!

Harry is returning to his regularly scheduled geocaching/benchmarking activities, though with a bit of withdrawal. But, there are three or four kinds of benchmarks that were on his list that he did not get the chance to search for.... Must add them to the database! (Harry suspects that the gable is long gone, but yet worth searching for.) And, Harry is awaiting the next contest!

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We have a similar photo collection growing at NGS to help surveyors choose the proper station codes or know what to look for in the field.

 

We hope to have an ideal photo for each mark type and setting, but still have a long way to go. If you would like to share your photos, please visit this DRAFT page for mark types and here for mark settings to compare our photos to your collections.

 

If you send improved photos to joe.evjen at noaa. gov I'll consider adding them to our site.

 

Thanks to those who've helped already! We hope to hear from more of you -- joe

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We are looking specifically for the following mark types and settings:

 

type missing 0 Other mark or intersection sta.

type missing 5 Rock awash

type missing 11 Piling

type missing 12 Dolphin

type missing 15 Range marker

type missing 22 Airway beacon

type missing 24 REN antenna

type missing 43 Radio/TV tower

type missing 63 Stack

type missing 84 Lightning rod

type missing 95 Rooftop blockhouse

type missing A Aluminum marker other than a disk

type missing C Cap of cap-and-bolt pair

type missing DA Astro pier disk

type missing DO Disk unspecified, see description

type missing DP Base line pier disk

type missing DQ Calibration base line disk

type missing I Metal rod

type missing M Ammo shell casing

type missing S Spike

type missing Y Drill hole in brick

 

setting missing 15 Metal rod driven into ground

setting missing 16 Metal rod with base plate buried/screwed into ground

setting missing 21 Set in concrete in a clay tile pipe

setting missing 30 Light structures (other than listed below)

setting missing 33 Piles or poles (e.g. spike in utility pole)

setting missing 34 Footings of small/medium structures

setting missing 36 Massive structures (other than listed below)

setting missing 37 Massive retaining walls

setting missing 38 Abutment or pier of large bridges

setting missing 39 Tunnels

setting missing 41 Large structure with foundations on bedrock

setting missing 45 Unspecified deep unsleeved setting 10 ft

setting missing 46 Copper-clad steel rod without sleeve 10 ft

setting missing 47 Galvanized steel pipe without sleeve 10 ft

setting missing 48 Galvanized steel rod without sleeve 10 ft

setting missing 49 Stainless steel rod without sleeve 10 ft

setting missing 50 Aluminum alloy rod without sleeve 10 ft

setting missing 55 Unspecified pipe/rod in sleeve10 ft

setting missing 56 Copper-clad rod in sleeve 10 ft

setting missing 57 Galvanized steel pipe in sleeve 10 ft

setting missing 58 Galvanized steel rod in sleeve 10 ft

setting missing 60 Aluminum alloy rod in sleeve 10 ft

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Joe, I love your example of "Survey disk (other agency)"!! I laughed and startled the cat when I saw it. :ph34r:

 

I'll see whether I have any photos that fit the categories you're missing. How do you define a "tunnel" setting? I have photos of a mark that's in the sidewalk just outside of a tunnel. You can see it here:

 

http://img.geocaching.com/benchmark/lg/e7a...12b81d20091.jpg

 

Does that qualify, or does it need to be mounted on the tunnel structure, or at least on the part of the sidewalk inside the tunnel?

 

Patty

Disneymarks maven

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Here is our version of a Marker Type 63 = Stack.

FS 10802 DAVIS DAM SO CAL EDISON STACK

5b14313c-8db1-4bec-8864-9a52de62958f.jpg

 

But, Mr Dolphin's stack is unusual. :ph34r:

 

Next, a different kind of Marker type V = STONE MONUMENT.

 

GQ0323 KANAB SOUTH CAIRN

36738_100.jpg

36738_200.jpg

 

I know we have some others. Just going through all the finds is rather daunting but, fun.

 

Klemmer and Geo and Mr Dolphin - how many can you find in all of your pics?

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OK, we found a couple more.

 

GP0572 PAGE MUN AIRPORT BEACON

MARKER TYPE 21 = AIRPORT BEACON

32074_100.jpg

 

EU0251 968

MARKER TYPE C = CAP OF CAP-AND-BOLT PAIR

34ff620b-a80d-4bdf-b496-249f18643728.jpg

 

This is as much fun as physically finding them to begin with!

 

(By the way Patty, if you go to the NGS Data sheets, that is where you will find the MARKER TYPES and SETTINGS TYPES under the bold header of MARKER INFORMATION.)

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For Type, I went through the list of geocaches on my Found Geocache page. Settings are tougher. I have to put the PIDs into the NGS page.

 

3d83be7b-9e1e-4852-add9-b995526bc1d8.jpg

KV6064

KV6064_SETTING: 34 = SET IN THE FOOTINGS OF SMALL/MEDIUM STRUCTURES

KV6064_SP_SET: CONCRETE CANAL LOCK

 

But, I guess that joegeodesist wants them e-mailed to him... More fun to post them here!

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We found one that is not in the SETTINGS list at all, but has a setting #.

 

GP0110 B 402 (the GC page has the setting as 'light structure')

The NGS Datasheet has SETTING: 30 = PORTAL ARCHWAY

62a7b6c4-b8e6-4d8c-bade-e6fc886a370f.jpg

4699aea7-cf0d-4801-9085-7a25137f1f48.jpg

 

Do we get a bonus for finding one not on the list?

 

Shirley~

 

PS: You have our permission to use any of the pictures we have posted here or get them direct from our logs on the benchmark pages.

 

edited to add the PS.

Edited by 2oldfarts (the rockhounders)
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We are looking specifically for the following mark types and settings:...

setting missing 30 Light structures (other than listed below)

...

This is my favorite setting:

KU1448_SETTING: 30 = SET IN A LIGHT STRUCTURE

KU1448_SP_SET: LION BASE

 

How many LION BASEs are out there. Just this one:

 

f52ef0b3-5e51-4af7-9087-9460cb22986f.jpg

(Note the pigeons)

Edited by Papa-Bear-NYC
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This is my favorite setting:

KU1448_SETTING: 30 = SET IN A LIGHT STRUCTURE

KU1448_SP_SET: LION BASE

 

(Note the pigeons)

The photo on the NGS site that represents setting type "CAIRN" has a seagull perched atop it. Very cute.

 

Also, the "LONE TREE" setting photo includes a man with a dog.

 

Patty

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How do you define a "tunnel" setting? I have photos of a mark that's in the sidewalk just outside of a tunnel. You can see it here Does that qualify, or does it need to be mounted on the tunnel structure, or at least on the part of the sidewalk inside the tunnel?
Tunnel setting is defined as "setting in the tunnel". Your example is setting in the sidewalk. The code is used to illustrate the mark's stability and permanence. Sidewalks are risky because they often settle or get moved or paved over. Tunnels are probably more stable, but could be harder to recover (if, for example, the mark was deep inside the tunnel.)
We found one that is not in the SETTINGS list at all, but has a setting #.

GP0110 B 402 (the GC page has the setting as 'light structure')

The NGS Datasheet has SETTING: 30 = PORTAL ARCHWAY Do we get a bonus for finding one not on the list?

I'm not sure what happened here, the "NGS datasheet" posted by geocaching is slightly different than the real NGS datasheet which shows "portal archway" as a specific setting, not a setting code. The specific setting is a block of free text allowing the surveyor to give a personalized explanation of what they used. ("LION BASE" is another excellent example.)
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"portal archway" as a specific setting, not a setting code. The specific setting is a block of free text allowing the surveyor to give a personalized explanation of what they used. ("LION BASE" is another excellent example.)

This one which I recovered a few weeks ago was on a tunnel wall

 

LX1129_MARKER: DB = BENCH MARK DISK

LX1129_SETTING: 36 = SET IN A MASSIVE STRUCTURE

LX1129_SP_SET: TUNNEL WALL

 

Unfortunately the crew that set it decided on "MASSIVE STRUCTURE" as the code and "TUNNEL WALL" as the specific setting. There's a fair amount of ambiguity in the list with lots of overlap. I guess that's the way it goes.

 

I put this photo on the photo thread since the shot worked out fairly nicely:

 

LX1129 "Light at the end of the tunnel"

5a171fe3-f49f-4c6e-8987-7494521f1719.jpg

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We found one that is not in the SETTINGS list at all, but has a setting #.

GP0110 B 402 (the GC page has the setting as 'light structure')

The NGS Datasheet has SETTING: 30 = PORTAL ARCHWAY Do we get a bonus for finding one not on the list?

I'm not sure what happened here, the "NGS datasheet" posted by geocaching is slightly different than the real NGS datasheet which shows "portal archway" as a specific setting, not a setting code. The specific setting is a block of free text allowing the surveyor to give a personalized explanation of what they used. ("LION BASE" is another excellent example.)

 

From the real NGS datasheet that we downloaded from the NGS in 2004 it reads....

U.S. NATIONAL GRID SPATIAL ADDRESS: 12SVF560855(NAD 83)

MARKER: DB = BENCH MARK DISK

SETTING: 30 = PORTAL ARCHWAY

STAMPING: B 402 1962

STABILITY: D = MARK OF QUESTIONABLE OR UNKNOWN STABILITY

 

We had downloaded the county archive file and ran it through BMGPX and open the GPX file with GSAK. That is where we got the setting = portal archway. Perhaps someone at the NGS updated the datasheet since we downloaded the county file.

 

 

John

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