Benchmarks

[+spiritwolf922]

Can anyone provide a link to the description of benchmarks? How do they differ from Geocaches? How do I get them to show up on my Geocaching app so I can search them out?

[+spiritwolf922]

Can anyone provide a link to the description of benchmarks? How do they differ from Geocaches? How do I get them to show up on my Geocaching app so I can search them out?

 

I'm a derp. I found this: http://www.geocaching.com/mark/default.aspx

 

If anyone has more information, please let me know.

[+lamoracke]

they differ from geocaches in that they are only in the United States, have no owner and could be placed anywhere whether very private property or not even there. Given you found that link, am sure you will see some of that info. Benchmarks also have their own forum topic.

[+LSUFan]

A good place to start is the benchmark forums, located at the link below:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showforum=40

 

I suggest you start your education reading the first five pinned topics there

 

Jennifer also has a good beginners guide:

 

http://surveymarks.pbworks.com/w/page/14246997/FrontPage

 

I also made a benchmark 101 forum for our local geocaching site.... from info obtained from gc.com, the NGS, and the great people in the benchmark forums.

 

http://www.nelageo.net/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=13&id=6841&Itemid=54

 

You also want to make sure you understand how to read the datasheets for benchmarks, ESPECIALLY if the coordinaters are scaled, adjusted, or possible even HH1 or HH2.

 

Here is a tutorial on that part:

 

http://www.nelageo.net/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=13&id=10956&Itemid=54

Edited November 6, 2012 by LSUFan

[+Manville Possum]

I love finding old benchmarks and survey disks. I have a few listed on Waymarking, and I've logged a few on the Benchmark site. I enjoy them.

[+Walts Hunting]

The biggest difference is that there isn't much room to write your name.

[+T.D.M.22]

they differ from geocaches in that they are only in the United States, have no owner and could be placed anywhere whether very private property or not even there. Given you found that link, am sure you will see some of that info. Benchmarks also have their own forum topic.

Actually only American benchmarks are loggable on the benchmarking site. There are two virtual caches, one in Canada and one I'm the UK that you can log them as a geocache. And with those two you can also log any previous location the have been at as well. It gives y pi more smileys.

 

I'll reword this. On the benchmarking site you can only log American benchmarks. No if you want to do it in Canada or the UK you can visit The Brass Cap Cache or Ye Ole Survey Monuments Both owned by OutfortheHunt. They are virtuals that will change location for events or pretty much whenever he feels like it. You can log past locations, so you could potentially log the Brass Cap Cache 400 times. The best part is that they count towards your caches found so you get that many more smileys.

Edited November 8, 2012 by T.D.M.22

[+Manville Possum]

they differ from geocaches in that they are only in the United States, have no owner and could be placed anywhere whether very private property or not even there. Given you found that link, am sure you will see some of that info. Benchmarks also have their own forum topic.

Actually only American benchmarks are loggable on the benchmarking site. There are two virtual caches, one in Canada and one I'm the UK that you can log them as a geocache. And with those two you can also log any previous location the have been at as well. It gives y pi more smileys.

 

I'll reword this. On the benchmarking site you can only log American benchmarks. No if you want to do it in Canada or the UK you can visit The Brass Cap Cache or Ye Ole Survey Monuments Both owned by OutfortheHunt. They are virtuals that will change location for events or pretty much whenever he feels like it. You can log past locations, so you could potentially log the Brass Cap Cache 400 times. The best part is that they count towards your caches found so you get that many more smileys.

 

That's kind of a strange concept to me. It's also listed as a virtual type cache and published in 2012? I'm confused more than normal now.

[Keystone]

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the Benchmarking forum.

[+T.D.M.22]

they differ from geocaches in that they are only in the United States, have no owner and could be placed anywhere whether very private property or not even there. Given you found that link, am sure you will see some of that info. Benchmarks also have their own forum topic.

Actually only American benchmarks are loggable on the benchmarking site. There are two virtual caches, one in Canada and one I'm the UK that you can log them as a geocache. And with those two you can also log any previous location the have been at as well. It gives y pi more smileys.

 

I'll reword this. On the benchmarking site you can only log American benchmarks. No if you want to do it in Canada or the UK you can visit The Brass Cap Cache or Ye Ole Survey Monuments Both owned by OutfortheHunt. They are virtuals that will change location for events or pretty much whenever he feels like it. You can log past locations, so you could potentially log the Brass Cap Cache 400 times. The best part is that they count towards your caches found so you get that many more smileys.

 

That's kind of a strange concept to me. It's also listed as a virtual type cache and published in 2012? I'm confused more than normal now.

 

Actually it says it was "hidden" this year. The Brass Cap Cache anyway. I think he changes the date whenever he changes the location. or maybe it changes automatically? I rather like it. Takes me to thing I never knew about before, and I was surprised how many there are.

[+Manville Possum]

they differ from geocaches in that they are only in the United States, have no owner and could be placed anywhere whether very private property or not even there. Given you found that link, am sure you will see some of that info. Benchmarks also have their own forum topic.

Actually only American benchmarks are loggable on the benchmarking site. There are two virtual caches, one in Canada and one I'm the UK that you can log them as a geocache. And with those two you can also log any previous location the have been at as well. It gives y pi more smileys.

 

I'll reword this. On the benchmarking site you can only log American benchmarks. No if you want to do it in Canada or the UK you can visit The Brass Cap Cache or Ye Ole Survey Monuments Both owned by OutfortheHunt. They are virtuals that will change location for events or pretty much whenever he feels like it. You can log past locations, so you could potentially log the Brass Cap Cache 400 times. The best part is that they count towards your caches found so you get that many more smileys.

 

That's kind of a strange concept to me. It's also listed as a virtual type cache and published in 2012? I'm confused more than normal now.

 

Actually it says it was "hidden" this year. The Brass Cap Cache anyway. I think he changes the date whenever he changes the location. or maybe it changes automatically? I rather like it. Takes me to thing I never knew about before, and I was surprised how many there are.

 

I logged a strange Benchmark yesterday. It's a lookout tower.

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=FZ2178

We are used to the Brass Caps, and my son found one by accident yesterday. I plan on listing it on the Waymarking site with some of the others that we have found.

[+EdrickV]

A little correction to some of the above posts: There are benchmarks in the NGS database (and probably in the outdated copy here) that are outside the 50 states. Puerto Rico IIRC has quite a few, and there are a few scattered around in other small countries.

 

And while the Geocaching.com benchmark pages have no real controller, the marks themselves (and the property they are on) do have owners.