Canadian Benchmarks

[yaluckyboy]

Would it be possible for the Geocaching website to add Benchmarks from not just USA, but also from other coutries like Canada

 

There are plenty of Surveys in Canada to use as Benchmarks

[+PDOP's]

It's been asked for many times but hasn't happened so far. Have a look at these previous threads,

[Mag Magician]

I have come to the conclusion that I have to go to a Canadian benchmark and offset a cache from there. That way, you get a smiley for finding a benchmark by logging a cache.

[+Juicepig]

when pigs fly

 

I suspect that they wont make any effort to implement this as they already have loose plans to "kinda" implement it.

 

see Jeremys speak of GC.COM V2 - They will be attempting to integrate all of Groundspeaks services into one page. And since canadian benchmarks are a Waymarking category, you will be able to log them on geocaching - but they wont count towards your final GC score (much in the same way american benchmarks dont count towards your GC score) but will probably still count towards a Waymarking score..

 

Anyways, all educated speculation, but as i said,

 

when pigs fly..

[+CacheDrone]

Would it be possible for the Geocaching website to add Benchmarks from not just USA, but also from other coutries like Canada

 

There are plenty of Surveys in Canada to use as Benchmarks

 

No it would not. The Canadian Benchmark site requires registration which violates the Geocaching listing guidelines and terms of use, and all Benchmarking activities except the grandfathered US one is readily available on Waymarking.com : Benchmarks

 

Whether anyone likes Waymarking or not has no bearing on this discussion, if you like Benchmarking that is where you would have to do it.

[+leawelter]

In Alberta we have a "travelling" cache that consists of benchmarks. You download the list of the benchmarks, find them, take a picture of them with something to identify that you were there (ie your gps). Once you have all of that you e-mail in your picture and log the benchmark according to the number it is assigned on the list. Have a look at GC43F3.

[+Keith Watson]

I have come to the conclusion that I have to go to a Canadian benchmark and offset a cache from there. That way, you get a smiley for finding a benchmark by logging a cache.

 

You only get an icon, now smiley.

[Mag Magician]

I have come to the conclusion that I have to go to a Canadian benchmark and offset a cache from there. That way, you get a smiley for finding a benchmark by logging a cache.

 

You only get an icon, now smiley.

 

??? If I place an offset cache near a benchmark, and you find the cache, do you not get a smiley?

Edited May 20, 2008 by Team Magic

[+Keith Watson]

I have come to the conclusion that I have to go to a Canadian benchmark and offset a cache from there. That way, you get a smiley for finding a benchmark by logging a cache.

 

You only get an icon, now smiley.

 

??? If I place an offset cache near a benchmark, and you find the cache, do you not get a smiley?

 

I meant to type NO smiley. You will for the cache. Benchmarks onl;ys give you an icon in the US.

[+CacheDrone]

In Alberta we have a "travelling" cache that consists of benchmarks. You download the list of the benchmarks, find them, take a picture of them with something to identify that you were there (ie your gps). Once you have all of that you e-mail in your picture and log the benchmark according to the number it is assigned on the list. Have a look at GC43F3.

 

This specific one, GC43F3, is a grandfathered cache and that concept is no longer permitted. I only mention this to reduce frustration for other players that consider trying this approach now. Moving caches cannot be created.

[+M3J]

 

....The Canadian Benchmark site requires registration which violates the Geocaching listing guidelines and terms of use...

 

Can you explain that one CD? I have registered with the appropriate agency and have access to the lists of benchmarks around but there was no cost to do this. In addition, if all I do is create a cache using offsets from numbers on the benchmarks, am I against GC.com? I am not quite clear where the vioation would be.

 

Thanks

[+Juicepig]

Can you explain that one CD? I have registered with the appropriate agency and have access to the lists of benchmarks around but there was no cost to do this. In addition, if all I do is create a cache using offsets from numbers on the benchmarks, am I against GC.com? I am not quite clear where the vioation would be.

 

Thanks

 

It simply requires registration - that is the excuse we are getting. We could use the Waymarking database with 540 valid canadian benchmarks - but this is the arguement being expressed:

 

"I want a new icon on my GC profile that doesn't count towards my cache find count - but i don't want to use Waymarking"

 

I just don't think its gonna work...

[+CacheDrone]

 

....The Canadian Benchmark site requires registration which violates the Geocaching listing guidelines and terms of use...

 

Can you explain that one CD? I have registered with the appropriate agency and have access to the lists of benchmarks around but there was no cost to do this. In addition, if all I do is create a cache using offsets from numbers on the benchmarks, am I against GC.com? I am not quite clear where the vioation would be.

 

Thanks

 

Juicepig's answer is correct. From what I understand, any site that requires you to register cannot be used for any Geocaching aspects.

 

You can create a cache that uses data found on the benchmark itself as a part of offset data, but you cannot have people go to the Canadian Benchmarks website to get such data.

 

Besides, even today players cannot create caches that do not involve containers, except for EarthCaches. Groundspeak has provided an area for everyone in the world to be able to enjoy Benchmark hunting and again as far as I know that is how it will stay. This discussion started long before Waymarking came around, it was not an option then and now with Waymarking there at least is somewhere to do it whether you like Waymarking or not. If you like Benchmarks, you can do it there and still get an icon.

Edited May 21, 2008 by CacheDrone

[+res2100]

Last I heard was that gc.com would add Canadian benchmarks if they could get a list of them in a certain format...that was a long time ago and I think it fell by the wayside as no one took the initiative to get it done.

 

I found a benchmark by chance as I was walking along in Niagara Falls on Saturday at N43 06.849 W79 03.749. I looked to see if it was listed on gc.com in the benchmark section, as there are a handful of Canadian ones that are (even though they say NY as the state, but are in fact in Ontario). It wasn't there. I decided to see if I could find it listed on Waymarking.com, but it wasn't there either. I have no interest in creating a new waymark, nor creating an offset cache. I agree it would be nice if I could log it as being found (preferably on geocaching.com), but that just doesn't exist anywhere at the moment in the Groundspeak set of games.

 

No real point to this message, just observations.

[+M3J]

That's all I was trying to figure out, thanks Ralph. I just want to create a multi that uses digits on benchmarks for redirects. There is one like this up in Timmins. I just wasn't sure if what I was being told was that if I were to gather the info on the locations of the benchmarks from this website that I couldn't use those benchmarks. Kinda ought that couldn't be the case but thought I should ask.

 

Cheers

Edited May 22, 2008 by M3J

[+scotian]

 

....The Canadian Benchmark site requires registration which violates the Geocaching listing guidelines and terms of use...

 

Can you explain that one CD? I have registered with the appropriate agency and have access to the lists of benchmarks around but there was no cost to do this. In addition, if all I do is create a cache using offsets from numbers on the benchmarks, am I against GC.com? I am not quite clear where the vioation would be.

 

Thanks

 

Juicepig's answer is correct. From what I understand, any site that requires you to register cannot be used for any Geocaching aspects.

 

You can create a cache that uses data found on the benchmark itself as a part of offset data, but you cannot have people go to the Canadian Benchmarks website to get such data.

 

Besides, even today players cannot create caches that do not involve containers, except for EarthCaches. Groundspeak has provided an area for everyone in the world to be able to enjoy Benchmark hunting and again as far as I know that is how it will stay. This discussion started long before Waymarking came around, it was not an option then and now with Waymarking there at least is somewhere to do it whether you like Waymarking or not. If you like Benchmarks, you can do it there and still get an icon.

 

what is the site for getting canadian benchmark info?

scotian

[Mag Magician]

 

 

what is the site for getting canadian benchmark info?

scotian

 

In Ontario,

 

http://www.cosine.mnr.gov.on.ca/cosine/cgi...sk=gen_homepage

[+M3J]

 

what is the site for getting canadian benchmark info?

scotian

 

Here is the federal site...

 

http://www.geod.nrcan.gc.ca/online_data_e.php (sorry, the insert link isn't working for me tonight)

 

You have to register and serach their various databases plus convert to the different datum and mapset but you'll get the data you need.

[+scotian]

 

what is the site for getting canadian benchmark info?

scotian

 

Here is the federal site...

 

http://www.geod.nrcan.gc.ca/online_data_e.php (sorry, the insert link isn't working for me tonight)

 

You have to register and serach their various databases plus convert to the different datum and mapset but you'll get the data you need.

 

thanks for the info.