Type of Benchmark?

[+Team MEMILA]

While in Michigan's Upper Peninsula this past weekend, I found a few benchmarks that I was able to locate in the geocaching.com database of benchmarks and subsequently log. A fourth one, however, I have not been able to find in their database. I'm curious about it and what type it might be, but I haven't found a picture of one that looks quite like it. There was a witness post near it, which is what led me to the find. We weren't actively searching for them.

 

I'm including a picture as a reference. If anybody has any insight, I would appreciate it. I'm not an active benchmark hunter, but make occasional finds by chance or curiosity. Thanks in advance.

 

[Z15]

I cannot see your image?

 

I worked all over the da UP with MDOT and recovered many marks. We used a lot of varying types at MDOT, some standard and many whatever happened to work at the time.

Edited August 4, 2010 by Z15

[kayakbird]

Please post a bit more information such as lat/long and county which might make it possible to find a series of stations that this 1965 Department of the Interior disk was part of. Were you close to a National Park or National Wildlife Refuge? kayakbird

[kayakbird]

Team MEMILA,

 

While waiting for your response I did some snooping around the shape files for Luce and Schoolcraft Co's, Mich, but did not see any other 1965 stations or marks that looked to have a DOI type name.

 

There are some really interesting moderately old (1920) US LAKE SURVEY triangulations stations that have been recovered in recent history. One that caught my eye is RJ1210

 

Apparently whenever the COE added the RM's, they stamped them with the distance to the station - neat! no paper required. I have not seen that technique used before.

 

RJ1210'REFERENCE MARK 1 IS A STANDARD U.S. CORPS OF ENGINEERS REFERENCE

RJ1210'DISK STAMPED U.S. LAKE SURVEY MCMILLAN 1920 97.72

 

and at some point the center nail turned into a 3/4 bolt.

 

1949 RJ1210'THE HEAD OF A NAIL SET BETWEEN FOUR SMALLER NAILS

1975 RJ1210'STATION MARK IS A 3/4 INCH IRON BOLT SURROUNDED BY FOUR NAILS

 

I might have to schedule another birding trip to Seney NWR. kayakbird

[Difficult Run]

You've found a USGS Triangulation/Traverse Station. Its primary purpose is horizontal control, (i.e. adjusted lat/long). You'll probably see it on a USGS topo map denoted as a triangle.

Not all USGS marks meet the NGS guidelines for inclusion in the National Geospatial Database. Why Not?

 

Here's a similar one I've found. It is HV8404:

 

Hope this answers your question,

~ Mitch ~

[+Team MEMILA]

I did not record the latitude and longitude of the benchmark because I wasn't really searching for them, but it was seen on my route between these caches if I recall correctly: GCKCEV and GC1F07. I was on the way to Crisp Point and as mentioned, I've not really been a benchmark hunter in the past.

 

I just read the "Why Not?" section referenced. Thanks for that link.

 

It seems I'm going to go the route of downloading county benchmark information directly and converting it to GPX using BMGPX so that I have it with me on future adventures.

 

I was surprised to be the first one to log this mark online:

 

RJ0547 - Z 198

 

You can't miss it if you drive past.

Edited August 5, 2010 by Team MEMILA

[kayakbird]

HV8404:

 

~ Mitch ~

 

Mitch, Is there a reason for the date discrepancy in the DS?

 

HV8404 HISTORY - 1969 MONUMENTED VA-059

HV8404 HISTORY - 1977 GOOD VA-059

 

HV8404'STATION IS STANDARD DISK STAMPED---ET 4 EAK 1969---.

 

kayakbird

Edited August 5, 2010 by kayakbird

[Difficult Run]

Mitch, Is there a reason for the date discrepancy in the DS?

 

HV8404 HISTORY - 1969 MONUMENTED VA-059

HV8404 HISTORY - 1977 GOOD VA-059

 

HV8404'STATION IS STANDARD DISK STAMPED---ET 4 EAK 1969---.

 

kayakbird

I believe it's simply a clerical error.

Guess I'll have to submit a NGS report on this one, but it's a pain to get to...

 

Back on topic:

Looking at Team MEMILA's mark, I'm guessing the setting is 7.5 inches square, just like the one I found.

 

~ Mitch ~

[+Team MEMILA]

Does the "28T" shown on the one I posted about mean anything? I'm quickly becoming more interested in benchmarks and am realizing there is much to learn if I want to make the leap from stumbling upon them to actively.

[Difficult Run]

Does the "28T" shown on the one I posted about mean anything? I'm quickly becoming more interested in benchmarks and am realizing there is much to learn if I want to make the leap from stumbling upon them to actively.

The "T" normally stands for "Traverse", "TT" means "Transit Traverse" and the "ET" is "Electronic Traverse".

28 is the series number.

 

For example, on the mark I found, the stamping denotes ET 4 (Electronic Traverse #4), EAK(Surveyor's Initials), 1963 (Date of Monumentation).

 

You can contact the USGS in Rolla, Mo. for more information on your station. All their data on bench marks is contained in filing cabinets.

 

~ Mitch ~

[+Team MEMILA]

Does the "28T" shown on the one I posted about mean anything? I'm quickly becoming more interested in benchmarks and am realizing there is much to learn if I want to make the leap from stumbling upon them to actively.

The "T" normally stands for "Traverse", "TT" means "Transit Traverse" and the "ET" is "Electronic Traverse".

28 is the series number.

 

For example, on the mark I found, the stamping denotes ET 4 (Electronic Traverse #4), EAK(Surveyor's Initials), 1963 (Date of Monumentation).

 

You can contact the USGS in Rolla, Mo. for more information on your station. All their data on bench marks is contained in filing cabinets.

 

~ Mitch ~

 

Thank you for that information.