Benchmarking

[+Path Pacer]

I'm thinking about starting benchmarking, but what I can find on geocaching.com is a little hard to use, mostly just a list of local benchmarks. Are these mapped out anywhere like the geocaches? Can you download the information onto your GPS?

 

All I can see to do at the moment is make a waypoint for it and print out the details. That seems laborious. Is there a better way?

 

Thanks.

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

I'm thinking about starting benchmarking, but what I can find on geocaching.com is a little hard to use, mostly just a list of local benchmarks. Are these mapped out anywhere like the geocaches? Can you download the information onto your GPS?

 

All I can see to do at the moment is make a waypoint for it and print out the details. That seems laborious. Is there a better way?

 

Thanks.

 

Hi Path Pacer,

 

There is a very friendly bunch of benchmark hunters over in the Benchmarking Forum --> Benchmarking <--

 

You can ask any question and/or get lots of info from past threads.

 

You can download info into your GPSr. The steps are in the pinned "Me First!" thread on the benchmarking forum.

 

Have fun and good hunting.

 

Shirley~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[+Path Pacer]

Ah, thanks. I looked for a Benchmarking forum, but I didn't dig deep enough.

[Cascade Reviewer]

I'm going to move this thread to the Benchmarking forums.

[+Path Pacer]

I'm going to move this thread to the Benchmarking forums.

 

You can delete it, if you like. I got the information I needed.

[ArtMan]

Are these mapped out anywhere like the geocaches?

There are a couple of good map-based benchmark searching tools. One of our own benchmarking peeps has an excellent site benchmarks.scaredycatfilms.com, that has a user-friendly, Google Maps-based tool. You can find benchmarks in an area of interest, and click on links to either the Geocaching.com page or the official National Geodetic Survey (NGS) datasheet.

 

Also, the NGS, which maintains the database of benchmarks used by Geocaching,* offers the NGS Data Explorer, which is also useful. though it may be a bit more technical and doesn't include the helpful Geocaching links.

 

-ArtMan-

 

_____

* The benchmark data on Geocaching.com is nearly 15 years out of date. The information was captured about 2002 and has never been updated (except, of course, by users of Geocaching.com). As a result, the thousands of benchmarks added since the early 2000s are not on Geocaching, nor are official recovery reports or improved location coordinates. I strongly urge you, if you want to find benchmarks, to learn to use the official NGS datasheets, especially now that many of them include photos.

[+Path Pacer]

There are a couple of good map-based benchmark searching tools.

 

Thanks. I found the NGS page earlier. It was a bit of a learning curve, but I think I have it figured out. I've also bookmarked that other page.

 

I tried to find a few today, but it's not as easy as geocaching! The things aren't where they say they are.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Path Pacer

[Bill93]

>The things aren't where they say they are.

 

Many bench marks have SCALED coordinates, meaning they were read off a map and not very precise. When you get close to one of those, pay more attention to the words than the coordinate numbers.

 

Other marks (like triangulation stations) have ADJUSTED coordinates that are more accurate than your handheld GPS.

 

The other problem is that many have fallen victim to road widening and other construction.