Logging USCGS Markers

[+Skagway330]

We logged a cache in Ohio today which was right beside a USCGS survey marker. That reminded me I should start logging these. How and where do you do that? Thanks!

[+ngrrfan]

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/nearest.aspx

[+Skagway330]

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/nearest.aspx

Thanks. I took a peek at your linked page and still failed to identify the marker I saw recently. It was located southwest of Attica, OH just east of State Route 4 and immediately adjacent to geocache #GC1V2QJ "Blink and you will miss this one!" I failed to note the name of the local road but it likely was Township Road 44. The coords for that cache are N 41 02.236 and W 082 53.996. The local Zip code is 44807. The marker was a USCGS disc secured to a slightly eroded, concrete monument about a foot square and the unique inscription was "Roadside #2 1959" with an inscribed symbol looking like an arrow with a short cross mark centered on the arrow's shaft and pointing generally WNW. All other information on the disc was that routinely cast in such discs.

[+ngrrfan]

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/nearest.aspx

Thanks. I took a peek at your linked page and still failed to identify the marker I saw recently. It was located southwest of Attica, OH just east of State Route 4 and immediately adjacent to geocache #GC1V2QJ "Blink and you will miss this one!" I failed to note the name of the local road but it likely was Township Road 44. The coords for that cache are N 41 02.236 and W 082 53.996. The local Zip code is 44807. The marker was a USCGS disc secured to a slightly eroded, concrete monument about a foot square and the unique inscription was "Roadside #2 1959" with an inscribed symbol looking like an arrow with a short cross mark centered on the arrow's shaft and pointing generally WNW. All other information on the disc was that routinely cast in such discs.

I did a "Search by Coordinates" on that site and came up with MC1198

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=MC1198

It was last "found/logged" on the 18th of June.

[+Trucker Lee]

Please keep logs on benchmarks short, noting condition and changes in the surroundings (old house in description gone, old hwy now known as OH xx ). A photo or two always welcome.

[+LSUFan]

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/nearest.aspx'>http://www.geocaching.com/mark/nearest.aspx

Thanks. I took a peek at your linked page and still failed to identify the marker I saw recently. It was located southwest of Attica, OH just east of State Route 4 and immediately adjacent to geocache #GC1V2QJ "Blink and you will miss this one!" I failed to note the name of the local road but it likely was Township Road 44. The coords for that cache are N 41 02.236 and W 082 53.996. The local Zip code is 44807. The marker was a USCGS disc secured to a slightly eroded, concrete monument about a foot square and the unique inscription was "Roadside #2 1959" with an inscribed symbol looking like an arrow with a short cross mark centered on the arrow's shaft and pointing generally WNW. All other information on the disc was that routinely cast in such discs.

 

What you found was Reference mark #2 placed in 1959, that the arrow points to the triangulation station named "Roadside" with an identifier/PID of MC1198. The datasheet for triangulation station MC1198 will also have the descriptions for it's reference marks and azimuth marks listed on it.

 

This link will help explain what exactly a triangulation station is....as well as the reference marks and azimuth marks that go to the triangulation stations.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=185361

 

If you will read the logs for the station "Roadside" you will find where there have been many recoveries (the technical term for discovering/logging benchmarks) that have pics of the reference marks, including the one you found. However, a lot of the time, reference marks will not have their own loggable identifier number/PID, and are basically just a subset of the main station, which is MC1198. The main station mark is what you must find to successfully (and accurately) log MC1198...............and NOT the reference marks.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=MC1198'>http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=MC1198

 

The log by Sprinterman was the ONLY one that I saw that was correct. He found the true station MC1198 and then it's two reference marks and one azimuth mark. Here is his pic of the actual MC1198.

 

 

 

If you will read the original datasheet below for station MC1198, it will have what is called a box score in it. This box shows you the distance and directions from the actual station mark to the reference marks, and other.You will read that reference mark 2 is located 40.495 meters from the station disk at a direction of 114 degrees 43 minutes. You will also notice there is no loggable PID for the reference marks or azimuth mark, as we discussed above.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/datasheet.aspx?PID=MC1198'>http://www.geocaching.com/mark/datasheet.aspx?PID=MC1198

 

Since you know where reference mark 2 is, you can do what is called a reverse azimuth. You would basically walk at a compass direction of 295 degrees (115 degrees + 180 degrees) for 40.495 meters (basically 133 feet) and would be at the true station MC1198. If the reference mark has been oriented as it should be (they do make mistakes sometimes though), the arrow on reference mark 2 will point to MC1198. Triangulation stations have adjusted gps coordinates (which mean they are much more accurate than your handheld gps unit is) and you can also use the gps coordinates to find the main station mark too.

 

Most benchmarks have "scaled" gps coordinates, which can be off by 600 feet or more. A triangulation station has "adjusted" coordinates which are highly accurate.

 

 

Hopefully, you will find as much fun in benchmarking as many of us do. Triangulation stations with all of it's corresponding reference marks and azimuth marks, are my favorite kind to find.

 

A good place to start learning about benchmarking, and the different kinds of benchmarks is here in the FAQ section:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/

 

This was taken from the FAQ link above, that helps explain reference marks like you found:

 

Reference Marks

Triangulation stations usually have two or more reference marks associated with them. Reference marks are for helping to keep the location of triangulation stations from being lost and are not actually geodetic control marks. The triangulation station's description has accurate azimuth and horizontal (not slope) distance to each of its reference marks so that it can be re-set from them if necessary. These marks also have arrows in their centers that are supposed to point toward the triangulation station. A few reference marks are surveyed with adjusted coordinates and have their own PID in the database.

Edited August 18, 2013 by LSUFan

[+Team OPJim]

I've read all the information about the benchmarks, and have found a few. My biggest difficulty is that unlike geocaches, where I can pull up a map, look at the location, plan my route, and refer to the description/hints in the field, benchmarks are tedious to look up and it is very difficult to reference information in the field. I really think that if we could access this information more readily, more people would find benchmarks.

[+LSUFan]

I've read all the information about the benchmarks, and have found a few. My biggest difficulty is that unlike geocaches, where I can pull up a map, look at the location, plan my route, and refer to the description/hints in the field, benchmarks are tedious to look up and it is very difficult to reference information in the field. I really think that if we could access this information more readily, more people would find benchmarks.

 

There are other places to get NGS benchmark information (mostly written by fellow benchmarkers)......like what you described.

 

When you are sitting at a computer:

 

http://benchmarks.scaredycatfilms.com/

 

Downloadable DSWorld free from the NGS:

 

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PC_PROD/PARTNERS/

 

Phone apps:

 

Benchmap for android:

 

http://www.appbrain.com/app/benchmap/com.tsqmadness.bmmaps

 

Findmarkers for iphone:

 

Sorry, no link but it should be in the store

Edited August 19, 2013 by LSUFan

[+LSUFan]

There are even ways to download all the datasheets for each state and convert them over to poi's to put in GPS units like a Garmin Nuvi. I have every NGS bluebooked benchmark loaded for three states in my Nuvi and if I come within 500 feet of one while driving, I get an alarm to let me know.....and also have the entire datasheet at my fingertips.

 

Once you get into the hobby, you may find you enjoy it more than geocaching.

 

Come over to the mark side.

Edited August 19, 2013 by LSUFan