Jeremy Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 Here's a copy of the benchmark email sent out today: Greetings from Geocaching.com - We're introducing a variation of Geocaching called Benchmark Hunting! (US Only, unfortunately) Initially we're making it only available to subscribers in order to give you the first look at it and offer any suggestions you have. After logging into the geocaching site, go to this URL: http://www.geocaching.com/mark For URL Challenged Browsers In many cases a GPS unit isn't required, but can be quite helpful to find these markers. We've been waiting for a while to launch this, and now that we have the capacity to store the 700,000 benchmarks in the US we can finally let folks play with it. We're testing a new image upload feature that allows you to upload images of many different formats which will be automatically converted to JPG on the site. We've also upped the image size to around 4 megs, though it will be shrunk down after the upload. In addition you can apply coordinates to the image. We've also created a hidden forum for subscribers to discuss the new section. The link is on the front page of the Benchmark Hunting page. Feel free to start a topic there if you have any questions about the new section. Hope you enjoy it! I'd also like to introduce Elias who was able to sort through the USGS documentation to convert the data into something useful. Elias is the "wizard behind the curtain" in many aspects of the Geocaching.com site. Cheers, Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location Quote Link to comment
+fractal Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 Very cool! Thanks for letting the game grow... -fractal -=-=-=-=-=-=- N 45° 30.ish W 122° 58.ish Quote Link to comment
+bvgps Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 Great! We do see a lot of benchmarks while out geocaching and are always intrigued by them. Now, how do we go about logging them or whatever? Thanks! R&T bvgps Quote Link to comment
+infosponge Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 Looks cool! I just started hunting these down and this is a pretty handy way of getting at the USGS data. I was able to type in a PID and log one with no problems. Quote Link to comment
+Dekaner Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 J-Ra and I were planning on hitting a few caches this afternoon but will try these out instead! Something missing is the ability to download the waypoints automatically so I don't have to enter them all in manually. Other than that, I'm eager to find some benchmarks! - Dekaner of Team KKF2A Quote Link to comment
+Harrald Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 I don't want to sound like a nit-wit but......Where do we log the finds? I've found a few of these during my travels. ==================================== As always, the above statements are just MHO. ==================================== Quote Link to comment
Jeremy Posted May 15, 2002 Author Share Posted May 15, 2002 Log them just like a cache. Enter the PID if you have it or do a search by lat/lon or zipcode to find it. Good point on waypoint downloads. I'll get working on it. I also need a way to show recent logs, a gallery of pictures, etc. Jeremy Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 This will be good for those who live in areas where there aren't many caches. The downside, of course, is that once you've found the markers in your area, you're pretty much done with it, unless you travel. New markers aren't popping up every week, like new caches do. Quote Link to comment
+Dekaner Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 On the subject of waypoints, they are currently in MinDec format instead of DegDec format. So - I have to convert them all into something usable before I can plan my hunt. Not a huge pain, but it will take me longer to plan my trip. (I think, I really have no knowledge of these things.) - Dekaner of Team KKF2A Quote Link to comment
+DenaliNW Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 Noticed that logging a benchmark here, doesn't affect your personal logs or found count. Not too concerned about the find count - doesn't seem right, but will there be correlation to a person's personal logs? Quote Link to comment
Ron Streeter Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 ....I just printed the list of markers in my zip code. It's over 150 ! Glad to hear they won't add up on a person's FIND count. I can just see people going out madly to find these things for the count value alone.There are 40 within 10 miles of my zip code. Anxious to see the new rules on locationless too. They should have their own "home" like these markers do. Ron (69 hidden/240 found) I've never been lost. Fearsome confused sometimes, but never lost. Quote Link to comment
+oregone Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Ron Streeter: .... Glad to hear they won't add up on a person's FIND count. I can just see people going out madly to find these things for the count value alone.There are 40 within 10 miles of my zip code. Anxious to see the new rules on locationless too. They should have their own "home" like these markers do. Ron (69 hidden/240 found) I too am glad they won't add to my find count. In other words, i agree with everything Ron says. Especially the part about locationless. I know, i know: I've logged about 10 or so of those, but i'm slowly deleting them. This benchmark thing seems great. sounds a lot more fun than finding school buses et. al. all rights reserved, all wrongs reversed Quote Link to comment
+oregone Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Ron Streeter: .... Glad to hear they won't add up on a person's FIND count. I can just see people going out madly to find these things for the count value alone.There are 40 within 10 miles of my zip code. Anxious to see the new rules on locationless too. They should have their own "home" like these markers do. Ron (69 hidden/240 found) I too am glad they won't add to my find count. In other words, i agree with everything Ron says. Especially the part about locationless. I know, i know: I've logged about 10 or so of those, but i'm slowly deleting them. This benchmark thing seems great. sounds a lot more fun than finding school buses et. al. all rights reserved, all wrongs reversed Quote Link to comment
+TresOkies Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 I logged a benchmark I recovered. I know you just implemented this feature, but I can't help messing with it. A couple of thoughts... - It should show up on "My" page along with caches and travel bugs. - Show the last 'n' benchmarks recovered, just like caches - Link to a gallery - Downloading waypoints - Choose a different background color. It reminds me of when I lived in Austin. -E -- N35°32.981 W98°34.631 Quote Link to comment
+TresOkies Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 I logged a benchmark I recovered. I know you just implemented this feature, but I can't help messing with it. A couple of thoughts... - It should show up on "My" page along with caches and travel bugs. - Show the last 'n' benchmarks recovered, just like caches - Link to a gallery - Downloading waypoints - Choose a different background color. It reminds me of when I lived in Austin. -E -- N35°32.981 W98°34.631 Quote Link to comment
+KLifeMom Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 WOW there are 250 within 10 miles of my home. Guess we'll have something to do on Saturday's! These benchmark hunts will be GREAT in large cities like NYC, where it is difficult to place and sometimes find caches within the proper city. Thanks for the fun! KLifeMom Nashville, Tennessee USA Quote Link to comment
+Maat Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 I am interested in trying Bench Marking out but as of yet we do not have a digital camera. How do I log a benchmark and prove that I was there with out the pic and not look like I was just entering fictional log. I know most would not think this that but some people will. Maat Quote Link to comment
+Maat Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 I am interested in trying Bench Marking out but as of yet we do not have a digital camera. How do I log a benchmark and prove that I was there with out the pic and not look like I was just entering fictional log. I know most would not think this that but some people will. Maat Quote Link to comment
+BrownMule & Jackrabbit Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by me, maat & rijn: I am interested in trying Bench Marking out but as of yet we do not have a digital camera. How do I log a benchmark and prove that I was there with out the pic and not look like I was just entering fictional log. I know most would not think this that but some people will. Maat Well there are a couple options that are less expensive. Use a 35mm camera and buy a 75.00 flatbed scanner and scan the photo's into JPg's. You would have to reproduce the photo's first. Or buy a instamatic camera and scan the photo's. Both of which would be cheaper than a digital camera. The other option is to discribe the location in detail with your log entry and state that you do not have a digital camera. ENJOY THE OUTDOORS Quote Link to comment
+BrownMule & Jackrabbit Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by me, maat & rijn: I am interested in trying Bench Marking out but as of yet we do not have a digital camera. How do I log a benchmark and prove that I was there with out the pic and not look like I was just entering fictional log. I know most would not think this that but some people will. Maat Well there are a couple options that are less expensive. Use a 35mm camera and buy a 75.00 flatbed scanner and scan the photo's into JPg's. You would have to reproduce the photo's first. Or buy a instamatic camera and scan the photo's. Both of which would be cheaper than a digital camera. The other option is to discribe the location in detail with your log entry and state that you do not have a digital camera. ENJOY THE OUTDOORS Quote Link to comment
ZiaCache Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 Great Job on this new game. Thanks to Jeremy & Elias. Will posting a log on the benchmarking page also forward a recovery log to NGS?? We have been chasing these things for some time and also send a recovery log to NGS. After several weeks, it shows up on the NGS page for the particular PID. It also has a way to report problems with the mark (damaged, destroyed, etc). Thanks Jim Team ZiaCache Quote Link to comment
+Bluespreacher Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Jeremy Irish: Here's a copy of the benchmark email sent out today: Greetings from Geocaching.com - We're introducing a variation of Geocaching called Benchmark Hunting! (US Only, unfortunately) Initially we're making it only available to subscribers in order to give you the first look at it and offer any suggestions you have. After logging into the geocaching site, go to this URL: http://www.geocaching.com/mark For URL Challenged Browsers In many cases a GPS unit isn't required, but can be quite helpful to find these markers. We've been waiting for a while to launch this, and now that we have the capacity to store the 700,000 benchmarks in the US we can finally let folks play with it. We're testing a new image upload feature that allows you to upload images of many different formats which will be automatically converted to JPG on the site. We've also upped the image size to around 4 megs, though it will be shrunk down after the upload. In addition you can apply coordinates to the image. We've also created a hidden forum for subscribers to discuss the new section. The link is on the front page of the Benchmark Hunting page. Feel free to start a topic there if you have any questions about the new section. Hope you enjoy it! I'd also like to introduce Elias who was able to sort through the USGS documentation to convert the data into something useful. Elias is the "wizard behind the curtain" in many aspects of the Geocaching.com site. Cheers, Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location This sounds like fun, I can't wait to get started. Thanks! Bluespreacher Quote Link to comment
+alchemist2000 Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 Hey, this is way cool!! Thanks Jeremy. It was particularly fortuitous for me, since I had been to a site just yesterday, considering the area as a potential cache site. Decided to log it here instead. (DN0632) I agree with everyone else that it should not add to your cache count, but I had a devil of a time finding it again without the ID number. Will there be a My Benchmark Page, analogous to My Cache Page, so that I can go back and see the ones that I have logged? Thanks, again. Alchemist2000 [This message was edited by alchemist2000 on May 15, 2002 at 07:49 PM.] Quote Link to comment
+gnbrotz Posted May 15, 2002 Share Posted May 15, 2002 IMO, this is a great move for the site to take. I have found one disc and half attempted another (stopped at private property so I wouldn't bother the property owner as it was early in the morning). Incorporating this into the GC site makes planning a recovery much easier for me and breathes new life into my interest of this side-line of caching. WELL DONE JEREMY, ELIAS, AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO IS INVOLVED!! Greg N 39° 54.705' W 77° 33.137' Quote Link to comment
+PI Joe Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 I resemble that remark! How you doing, Eric? Lou quote:Originally posted by TresOkies: I logged a benchmark - Choose a different background color. It reminds me of when I lived in Austin. -E -- N35°32.981 W98°34.631 Quote Link to comment
+PI Joe Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 I resemble that remark! How you doing, Eric? Lou quote:Originally posted by TresOkies: I logged a benchmark - Choose a different background color. It reminds me of when I lived in Austin. -E -- N35°32.981 W98°34.631 Quote Link to comment
+TresOkies Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 quote:Originally posted by txhipowr:I resemble that remark! How you doing, Eric? Originally posted by TresOkies: ...Choose a different background color. It reminds me of when I lived in Austin. Doing pretty well... dodging tornadoes, chasing cattle, fixing fences, writing code. Folks in these parts ask me how I liked living in Austin. I tell them it's a great place, except for all the d*#@ Texans! -E -- N35°32.981 W98°34.631 Quote Link to comment
+TresOkies Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 quote:Originally posted by txhipowr:I resemble that remark! How you doing, Eric? Originally posted by TresOkies: ...Choose a different background color. It reminds me of when I lived in Austin. Doing pretty well... dodging tornadoes, chasing cattle, fixing fences, writing code. Folks in these parts ask me how I liked living in Austin. I tell them it's a great place, except for all the d*#@ Texans! -E -- N35°32.981 W98°34.631 Quote Link to comment
wmas1960 Posted August 4, 2002 Share Posted August 4, 2002 I am new to all this and just discovered this facet of GPS Hunting. I read the recent article in Monitoring Times, (...Fun With GPS) and am realizing many other things that I can do with my GPS. My zipcode had over 100 benchmarks in a 10 mile area. Considering the area I am sure there are many others out there. In fact, there are 2 within 2 blocks of my house and another 3 or 4 within about a mile and a half. I went out and found my first one today about 2 blocks from home and drove by one that was only about a block away. The closer one had already been logged so I passed on it. I saw it though behind the monument and hidden a little behind some bushes. I have about 5 more that I am going to go out and find as soon as I can and about a dozen others for when I can get time for a little road trip. Today, I just wanted to find one and see what was involved with them. The ones that I have seen are off the ground and in the sides of monuments. The one I actually photographed was right on the front of the structure. You could see it from about 20 yards off. Therefore, they were not much of a challenge and were rather clean and easy to read and photograph. The one that I actually photographed was 1947 and was pretty good. Some of the others are in much less familiar areas and should pose a bit more of a challenge. I haven't gone out for a cache yet as the ones near me are in the Forest Preserves and at least 2 are supposed to be kind of challenging right now with the mud, masquitos and such. I am really excited to start searching for some of them as well. In the mean time I am looking for Benchmarks that might also provide some good subjects to take some pictures of. It seems that many in our area are prominant structures or landmarks. Churches, Control Towers, Tall Buildings... Railroad Crossings. quote:Originally posted by KLifeMom:WOW there are 250 within 10 miles of my home. Guess we'll have something to do on Saturday's! These benchmark hunts will be GREAT in large cities like NYC, where it is difficult to place and sometimes find caches within the proper city. Thanks for the fun! KLifeMom Nashville, Tennessee USA Quote Link to comment
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