Which Waymarking Category

[+billwallace]

For the 2009 Settings contest I took a trip down to Los Angeles. On the way back I stopped at Pyramid Lake to relax and NOT hunt benchmarks. However I ran across what looked like an instrument mount (tribrack?).

 

It is a tapered cylinder about 4 feet tall with a metal disc on top. The disc is about 10" across with three radial grooves at 120 degrees each. There is a 1/2" diameter threaded stud protruding from the center (only about four or five threads showing). Sorry about the description but I don't have a permanent place to post the pix (yet). Anyway it is extremely similar to the first pix posted by dixiedawn in the What is this marker? thread.

 

I wanted to post it at Waymarking-dot-com and it doesn't really seem to fit the Benchmark category. Any Suggestions? (my first post at the Waymarking forum so I double posted here - 'sallright?)

 

I've never seen a theodolite - the base must be pretty thin if it was supposed to be secured to the stud in the center of the tribrack. It was stamped PYR 6 1995 and I'm pretty sure I could see one of its siblings on the island in the middle of the lake.

[+jwahl]

I may not have this all correct, but that is called a trivet plate. Another device not that different than a tribrach screw down to it with it's leveling feet in the grooves, an instrument mount is on the upper part of the trivet. There must be pictures of trivets around the net somewhere. I found a few.

 

These type posts are often set where their is going to be some kind of regular monitoring. One I used was near a future dam site.

 

- jlw

 

Kern Trivet adapters

 

Also notice the "pillar plate" at the bottom of the page.

 

Warren Knight Trivet at bottom of page

 

Brunson Trivet

 

I have no idea if those are typical or not and they may be most adapters. My vision is that some instruments have bases that go directly on the trivet.

 

 

For the 2009 Settings contest I took a trip down to Los Angeles. On the way back I stopped at Pyramid Lake to relax and NOT hunt benchmarks. However I ran across what looked like an instrument mount (tribrack?).

 

It is a tapered cylinder about 4 feet tall with a metal disc on top. The disc is about 10" across with three radial grooves at 120 degrees each. There is a 1/2" diameter threaded stud protruding from the center (only about four or five threads showing). Sorry about the description but I don't have a permanent place to post the pix (yet). Anyway it is extremely similar to the first pix posted by dixiedawn in the What is this marker? thread.

 

I wanted to post it at Waymarking-dot-com and it doesn't really seem to fit the Benchmark category. Any Suggestions? (my first post at the Waymarking forum so I double posted here - 'sallright?)

 

I've never seen a theodolite - the base must be pretty thin if it was supposed to be secured to the stud in the center of the tribrack. It was stamped PYR 6 1995 and I'm pretty sure I could see one of its siblings on the island in the middle of the lake.

Edited June 24, 2009 by jwahl

[+Klemmer]

There are at least 9 "first cousins" of your tribracks near the Hoover dam:

There they are called a "THREE-SIDED CONCRETE PIER" by the US BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.

This is the most commonly photographed one: GR1860. Each has a triangulation station mounted on it. I guess they had lots of concrete available for these at the Hoover Dam, huh?

 

I have also seen piers similar to the one you describe at Silverwood Lake Dam, in the northeastern San Bernardino Mountains, also in SoCal. If I find the pictures I took, I'll post one. I have a feeling you will find similar piers (details differing) at many dams.

[+Klemmer]

Aha! here is the one at Silverwood Lake:

 

And the top view:

Looks a bit different than your description.

 

As far as Waymarking goes, I have no doubt yours is an accurately located survey station of some sort, in someone's database (US Army Corps of Engineers, possibly). So, you could probably submit it in the US benchmarks category, IMO anyway.

[+billwallace]

Aha! here is the one at Silverwood Lake:

When I scrolled down and saw that picture my first thought was "hey! how did they get MY picture in that post??!!"

 

I think you are right, I'll submit it over there and see what happens.

 

So... I was looking at some of jwahl's references - does the instrument just sit on top of these piers not actually attach to it?

 

thnx all

[+_dxd_]

I don't know about the ones you found, but the ones I've found are actually benchmarks of some kind, I've found several of them and identified the PIDs. Unfortunately, most are "presumed destroyed". There are at least two that can actually be logged on GS, CZ0790 and CZ0793

 

I also saw some similar items, from a distance, at Glen Canyon Dam near Page, AZ.

 

[foxtrot_xray]

I also saw some similar items, from a distance, at Glen Canyon Dam near Page, AZ.

 

 

How in the WORLD would anyone set ANYTHING up on that? I'm not really scared of heights, but I'm not an idiot. I'd request some extra money before climbing down there. Wow.

 

Not to mention how they SET it! And look at the one farther down, closer to the dam! I can image the surveyor now.. "You want me to put it .. where?"

 

Sorry. In amazement.

Edited June 26, 2009 by foxtrot_xray

[+Black Dog Trackers]

I think you are right, I'll submit it over there and see what happens.

 

I think this would be somewhat like wanting to waymark a tripod.

Does that seem about right?

[UNK1]

I think you are right, I'll submit it over there and see what happens.

 

I think this would be somewhat like wanting to waymark a tripod.

Does that seem about right?

 

Perhaps a category for permanent surveying equipment could be established.

 

UNK1

[+jwahl]

Well a tripod is a temporary struture to set up survey instrumentation usually over a permanently monumented point.

 

I think these pillars are a permanently monumented point designed to facilitate installation of an instrument.

 

It is just that some of them were probably established for a particular project or purpose and may not be in the NGS database. Some may be.

 

- jlw

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Well a tripod is a temporary struture to set up survey instrumentation usually over a permanently monumented point.

 

I think these pillars are a permanently monumented point designed to facilitate installation of an instrument.

 

It is just that some of them were probably established for a particular project or purpose and may not be in the NGS database. Some may be.

 

- jlw

 

So....It sounds like it is 'Pillar Time'.

 

Shirley~

[68-eldo]

Is it my imagination or is that concrete pillar just wired to the railing? How stable would that be?

[+jwahl]

I suspect the wire was to fasten some kind of target pole alongside the concrete post. I think these observation stations are probably for defomation monitoring.

 

- jlw

[+billwallace]

I think this would be somewhat like wanting to waymark a tripod.

It is certainly not geodetic. And this from the category description....

This category is fairly strictly limited....for fear that too many marks that may appear to be geodetic marks, but are not, might otherwise be included.

So....It sounds like it is 'Pillar Time'.

Yeay Shirley - u makea my face laff

 

Forgot about Flickr - here are some pix.

[+Klemmer]

Would that make the one with the wires 'Pillar Light"?

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Would that make the one with the wires 'Pillar Light"?

......................