Newbie Introduction + First Hunt

[SetsofWaves]

Hello everyone.

 

I'm probably one of the many lurkers around who got a new GPS device for Christmas. I'm a 23 year old college grad now living in Waukesha, Wisconsin. I'm been dying to start finding some marks and caches, but the cold weather here in Wisconsin (as well as the short hours of daylight) have made cache hunting a little difficult. I did a few cache searches in Orlando as I was there over the holiday. Benchmarks, however, are a little easier to handle in the northern cold. I decided to start by seeking out a few marks in the Milwaukee area. Nothing too difficult, since it was my first day out. I was able to find 3 marks that no one had logged yet. What a thrill!

 

OL0153

OL0150

OL0118

 

I just wanted to say hello and a big thanks for all your posts. They've answered a TON of my questions already. I hope I logged my finds correctly!

 

eric

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Looks good from this end. Congrats on a good start. We hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

 

Welcome aboard....

 

John

[+PFF]

Hi, Eric:

 

Welcome! I saw those monuments in the Gallery tonight and wondered what the heck they were! (grin)

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Paul

(Near Raleigh, NC)

[ArtMan]

Eric,

 

Good on you, and welcome!

 

That's a very interesting monument you found there at BM COLLEGE (OL0153). I don't think those are Masonic symbols, but I'm not a Mason so I could be wrong. One of the attractions of benchmark hunting is the curiosities one stumbles across.

 

Hope to see lots more from you ... and harsh winter weather is not an excuse!

 

-ArtMan-

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

Nice finds SetsofWaves. You're off to a good start.

 

As far as the symbology on the BM COLLEGE (OL0153) monument go, they're not masonic symbols at all. Not on a college campus. They are the symbols of various engineering fraternities. Being as the monument is located near the entrance to the Marquette University Engineering Building, this stands to reason.

 

In View 1, it looks like the greek letters shown are 'Pi Tau Sigma' which is the fraternity for mechanical engineering. I do not recognize either of the symbols in View 2 but it would be safe to assume that they designate other fraternities.

 

Some of the other notable engineering fraternities are:

• Tau Beta Pi - the national engineering honorary fraternity
  
• Alpha Nu Sigma - nuclear engineering
  
• Chi Epsilon - civil engineering
  
• Eta Kappa Nu - electrical engineering
  
• Omega Rho - systems engineering
  
• Sigma Gamma Tau - aerospace engineering
  and
  
• Lambda Sigma - Land Surveying and Geomatics (my fraternity)
  

- Kewaneh

[evenfall]

One further point of interest to lurkers. If you didn't get a GPS for Christmas, this does not need to stop you from being able to participate here. Though it is true that the GPS is instrumental in geocaching, it is but just one more tool in our benchmark hunting arsenal, and not one we absolutely need for all finds. Most of the benchmarks I hunt are found strictly with the datasheet information. Yes I have had to use the GPS on occasions, but as a tool, not the sole reason to hunt. I like hunting without the GPS, as I like the challenges and being in the moment, and I like seeing how well the previous descriptions were written and if I can improve them with my filing, but if I have exhausted the available resources, the GPS comes out. I can use the GPS on scaled locations to add accuracy to the location but again, it is not preventing anyone from attempting the hunt.

 

There is a lot of great reading and info here in the forum by many contributors and it is rewarding to hear that lurkers read and get something from it.

 

So feel free to contribute, ask questions, hunt if you want to. Any question unasked is just a question unanswered. GPS or not, it is nothing that will stop you. Find the ones you can for now and return for the harder ones later. There is no sense in waiting to have the fun. There is a list of useful things to use to hunt benchmark, but the only one you cannot do without is the data telling you where to hunt. If you are here, you already have the means to get that.

 

I hope I have removed the block to further lurking. You need not sit on the sidelines while others do this. you can too. Now get out and have a great time, we look forward to your shared adventures. You are all welcome to join us anytime, whether you have found none or a bunch.

 

Waves, Many Congrats!

 

Rob

[+seventhings]

SetsofWaves -

 

Welcome to the benchmark hunting community, and congrats on your three very good finds - you are off to a great start. If you are a person of high character and surpassing intelligence, you will soon become addicted and you will start to manifest obsessive-compulsive behaviors. But that's good; we respect that.

 

You logged your finds very well. May I offer two suggestions to make future logs even better, however:

 

1. Include your handheld GPS reading for all marks with locations defined by SCALED coordinates. A location that is defined by SCALED coordinates may deviate by up to 660 feet from the actual location, although the error as measured by a handheld GPS is typically more like 100-150 feet. Including the handheld reading provides more complete information. When the location is defined by ADJUSTED coordinates (really really accurate), most benchmark hunters will not include their handheld reading (which is, typically, within 10 feet of the actual location.)

 

Also, most experienced benchmark hunters ususally don't mention the fact that the coordinates are off when they find a mark with SCALED coordinates. It's assumed that the coordinates will be off (although a deviation of greater than 0.1 miles is definitely worth noting).

 

2. Include a wide area photo in your post. Your photos of the marks you found are excellent, but I think most of us would like to have seen a bit more of the local setting as well. A great area photo shows the mark and at least on recognizable landmark or reference point in the vicinity (although this is often impossible).

 

Now, under the established practices of this community, you may totally disregard everthing that I've said, above. There are no rules in this pursuit except for those that you impose upon yourself. Your comments and photos of the three marks you found are absolutely OK (in fact, they're much better than a great many). So, again, congrats and welcome aboard.

 

Will

[mrh - terre haute]

SetofWaves

 

I'd like to add to seventhings recommendations regarding logging finds. I have found it especially useful to describe conditions that may have changed since the last logged finds. Examples would be items referenced in the prior logs which no longer exist like a witness post that is gone or in some cases moved. I've been attempting recoveries in an area in my county where houses or barns referenced have been raized. Trees that were blazed in the 30's or 40's that no longer stand. There are many more but that should give you an idea.

 

If you can point out conditions that have changed it will make finding the mark much easier for the next hunter. Welcome and have fun!!

 

mrh

[SetsofWaves]

Thanks for all the words of welcome and especially for the suggestions. I had no idea of the difference between scaled/adjusted coordinates-- perhaps there's a FAQ somewhere that explains these numbers in a little more detail?

 

I must say.... its very nice to be able to exercise my left brain a little. I don't get much oppoirtunity to participate in math-laden things like adjusted coordinates and such. Its fascinating.

 

Happy hunting.

 

eric

[+Black Dog Trackers]

SetsofWaves -

 

Here is the GC.com FAQ page.

 

There is a paragraph called "Why do the coordinates of some benchmarks seem to be way off?" that addresses your question. Its really pretty simple - some of the benchmarks are for vertical control (knowledge) and the rest are for horizontal control. Only a very few are for both. Usually the benchmarks near waterways and railroads are put there for vertical control.

 

So, we're all looking for 2 basic types of marks, and they can be categorized as Scaled vs. Adjusted simply by looking at the datasheet as described in the FAQ