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2005 End Of Year Statistics


holograph

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I got tired of waiting for the NGS monthy archives to be updated, so I managed to create a new process for obtaining the statistics that doesn't depend on the FTP site update. All this means to you is that I was able to capture the recovery reports that have been logged since the last update at the beginning of November, and I've posted the updated statistics on the statistics web page.

 

We can also welcome several new geocachers to the NGS reporting ranks (in no particular order): lost02, JimCranberry, blenz, sprocketman927, Clayshooter, HanSohn, KingJR, Rotareneg, TheEdge, The_Matneys, blunoz, ltleelim, maritimedriver, ridinfat, ryanandzulema, and snowbear.

 

In a last minute surprise showing, Wister6813 came from behind and captured 2nd place ranking for the year's NGS recovery reports, surpassed only by seventhings.

 

Congratulations to all, and may we continue to set records in 2006!

Edited by holograph
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Thanks for your great stats page and hard work, Holograph. Appreciated.

 

What my numbers tell me, is that I have to get caught up this year on my NGS logs, vs my geocaching logs. There are certainly times (in my mind) where you might want to log on geocaching but not NGS, but I just got behind.

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For NGS Recovery Total, how do you get your count? Do you use only GEOCAC as the identifier? If so, that answers a lot of questions I have.

 

OK never mind... I found my answer "The NGS statistics count the number of NGS recovery reports submitted under the GEOCAC organization code, as well as reports for some known individuals who submit under the INDIV organization code."

 

How do I get included in the INDIV organization code?

Edited by StripeMark
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I've updated the map of Geocacher recoveries. You can get an image or browse the map in detail at the web site. Click the thumbnail below to access the web site.

 

The map now includes the recoveries of our friends who report under INDIV.

 

StripeMark, you can email me the initials you use when reporting to the NGS, and I will add you to the statistics. You can also just respond here, if you wish.

 

geocac_map_t.gif

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I have never made an NGS report. I have stuck to logging them on GC.com.

 

bummer....

That's OK, you don't have to report to the NGS to get on the list, you just have to let me know that you want to be on the list. You're on it now.

 

The NGS recovery reports just help me find out who has been hunting benchmarks, since there is no practical way to list all benchmark hunters on Geocaching.com.

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There is still time to start logging at NGS. It it a good way to help surveyors by letting them know if a mark exists or not, and providing updated directions if necessary. To me, it caps off a great hobby by making it less self-centered.

 

You can return to the marks you have found on GC.com and report them to the NGS (for more info head over to the NGS forum and ask there).

 

As for a camera, yeah, better get one. We don't trust you. Just kidding, but many of us here do take a look at some of the logs from time to time. I for one like to see where other people locate marks and how hard or easy they were to find.

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Congrats to everyone for the impressive totals and for filling in counties on the map! Great job!

 

For those wondering, I have not "retired". Neweyess and I are working on two projects for NCGS. One involves the 1905 boundary markers along the NC-SC border. Another is tracking down "meridian" markers placed throughout North Carolina around 1899-1900.

 

Unfortunately, these have no PID and thus cannot be logged. Hence, our totals are static, even though we are spending many hours tramping through the woods and pouring over computerized versions of old maps--and having quite a bit of success, as well as fun.

 

We hope to be back on the board with some meaningful totals when the 2006 statistics start to be compiled.

 

-Paul-

 

P.S. Those who saw the movie "National Treasure" will appreciate the NCGS approach to finding North Carolina's granite treasures. Visit the NCGS website and scroll down to the Treasure Hunt link. It's at:

 

http://www.ncgs.state.nc.us/

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If you log old finds to NGS be sure to use the date you actually saw it, not the current date. That will reduce confusion if something has changed since your visit.

 

The best plan where it isn't too much work is to revisit the marks and see that they are still there and the descriptions are still correct this week.

 

It is always very helpful when the old description is no longer accurate to note things like "Highway 00 is now 256th street", "railroad converted to a trail", "fence corner is gone", "located 17 feet SW of a telephone wiring box", etc. to help people in the future. If the mark has SCALED horizontal coordinates, include your reading as "Handheld coordinates N34 56 78.9 W076 54 32.1".

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Hooray! Essex County, NJ now has some color!! What are those nearby counties with no color? Putnam, Westchester and Sullivan (?) New York? That might take some more effort... :huh:

The New York counties in our neighborhood are Richmond County (a.k.a. Staten Island), Bronx County, Westchester County, Putnam County, and Suffolk County (on Long Island).

 

Go get 'em, Harry!

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What this all means is that I gotta get crackin'! I am still number two overall, but I don't expect that record to stand with others working as hard as they are.

 

It is getting harder and harder to find more than a few marks in a day. All the easy pickings close to home are gone and I am left with the ones I have looked for before and failed, or ones that are hard to reach. Each trip now starts out either as a drive of 45 min to an hour to territory that is less and less familiar, or as a desire to hunt one or two troublemakers--those marks that keep nagging at me, or that I know will result in an hour's climb up a mountain to recover one station.

 

Actually, as much as I like to see my name on the tops of some of Holograph's records, I don't want to make my favorite hobby into an obsession ("too late!" according to wife and kiddies) just to "win". Finding and reporting is enough for me, so I will keep on at whatever rate I can manage.

 

I do have a goal of 100% completion of Lebanon County, and am at about 75% by my estimate. Of course, I have saved the hard ones until last, so they will take much longer than the first 75%. I am close enough to the 80/20 rule now for it to apply I think--20 percent of the activity will take 80 percent of the time. This is a corollary of Pareto's Principle, which originally applied to wealth (20 percent of the people have 80 percent of the world's wealth).

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I also need to get a new digital camera, so I can get back into the benchmarking...

You don't need a new, fancy, 6 megapixel camera for this stuff. I get great pictures with my two- or three-year-old Canon A-60; 2 megapixels is plenty for web photos. In fact, you probably don't want a fancy, expensive camera in the sometimes messy world of benchmarking. One thing you do want — and want to learn how to use — is macro mode so you can get nice, crisp closeups. Also, take some time to learn the basics of your favorite photo editing software.

 

-ArtMan-

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I have never made an NGS report.  I have stuck to logging them on GC.com.

 

bummer....

That's OK, you don't have to report to the NGS to get on the list, you just have to let me know that you want to be on the list. You're on it now.

 

The NGS recovery reports just help me find out who has been hunting benchmarks, since there is no practical way to list all benchmark hunters on Geocaching.com.

oh...thank you!

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I also need to get a new digital camera, so I can get back into the benchmarking...

You don't need a new, fancy, 6 megapixel camera for this stuff. I get great pictures with my two- or three-year-old Canon A-60; 2 megapixels is plenty for web photos. In fact, you probably don't want a fancy, expensive camera in the sometimes messy world of benchmarking. One thing you do want — and want to learn how to use — is macro mode so you can get nice, crisp closeups. Also, take some time to learn the basics of your favorite photo editing software.

-ArtMan-

see , this is the other place I run into trouble. if you've ever looked at my "gallery" you can tell what an ameteur I am...

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I am new to benchmarking (32 finds) and saw this topic. First off, I never knew average people could make reports to the NGS. We've just been logging them on GC.com

 

In relation to the Geocachers Recovery map in a previous post, I clicked on it and loaded the files for extreme challenges and double challenges. Two BM listed on the challenges file for Brown County, WI was found by us this past weekend. Obviously they were found previously as there was the witness post with the bright pink ribbon next to it.

 

I was surprised to see that Brown County, WI hasn't any shading on said map as many BM have been logged. Is this because they are not being reported to the NGS?

 

Thanks for putting up with my stupid questions. I am finding that hunting BMs is much more fun than finding tupperware!

 

Katrina

AstroD-Team

Green Bay, WI

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I was surprised to see that Brown County, WI hasn't any shading on said map as many BM have been logged. Is this because they are not being reported to the NGS?

Yes, the map only shows the recoveries submitted to the NGS by geocachers. There is just no reasonable way to find out which benchmarks have been logged at GC.

 

Congratulations on finding the challenges!

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Thanks for the update, Holograph! I love 'benchmarking' - possibly more than geocache hunting - and your stats/info links help keep me motivated to do more than just find the mark... I appreciate your work very much. Looking forward to more exploring this summer season here in Alaska, as well as some opportunities to 'hunt' in Michigan and Arizona this spring.

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