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The Degradation Of Benchmarks


Renegade Knight

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In any given area there are benchmarks that are part of this database. The catch 22 is that once you find them that’s it. You are finished, thanks for a job well done. Right now the benchmark database consists of what I’m going to call highest order benchmarks. What I mean is the group of benchmarks which taken as whole are perhaps the most intrinsically interesting.

 

Once you find all the ones in your area then what? There are other benchmark lists and databases out there. At lowest level a city or road agency may keep a list of benchmarks consisting of things like a cut square on the back of a curb, or a RR spike in a utility pole.

 

I don’t hunt benchmarks so I don’t know what makes them interesting to hunt. The one time I did there was a valley where a hill used to be. But I am curious if in order to expand the quantity of benchmarks that can be hunted in any area if it would be worth using more local types of benchmark lists to create a database? Would that be considered an opportunity or the degradation of the hobby, the benchmark equivalent of a lame cache?

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So? Do you disable your geocaches after the first find? Don't think so. The fun is IN THE HUNT.

 

Most (many) times when I hunt benchmarks, I don't even look to see if they have been found before, or not. I use actual NGS datasheets downloaded a county at a time, updated, and transfered to my Palm PDA. I have all of SoCal in it (four large counties, about 12,000 [edit - it's actually 17,265] benckmark datasheets). I use Cachemate on the PDA (GREAT program!). If the benchmark is very remote (5+ mile hike), I might look for posts first.

 

Doesn't appeal to you? So be it. Takes all kinds. I also geocache along the way, sometimes.

Edited by Klemmer & TeddyBearMama
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Klemmer & TeddyBearMama, Once you find it it's a done deal. Going back isn't the same hunt. I was wondering about ways that could extend the hobby for those who have found all their local benchmarks. If those would be worth it or not.

 

Edit: That's a lot of benchmarks in your area. Mine doesn't have nearly as many.

Edited by Renegade Knight
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AHA! Now I understand your point. Sorry. There are so many NGS/GC.com Benchmarks in my 4 county area (17,265 actual count by download from NGS) , I guess I never even considered running out! [previous guesstimated number too low].

 

Here's something I have looked at:

Los Angeles City has their own Survey Mark system.

 

LA County also has their own system.

 

Based on a quick look at some of the county marks I downloaded last year, there is SOME overlap with NGS/GC.com marks, but not too much. Maybe 20 - 30% in the area I looked at. That is THOUSANDS more marks to look for. OK, you can't log them at GC.com or NGS, but hey, it's about the hunt, right?

 

Try a Google search of a large city (or any county) around you. I used "Los Angeles County Survey Marks"

Edited by Klemmer & TeddyBearMama
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Klemmer & TeddyBearMama, Once you find it it's a done deal.  Going back isn't the same hunt.  I was wondering about ways that could extend the hobby for those who have found all their local benchmarks.  If those would be worth it or not.

 

Edit:  That's a lot of benchmarks in your area.  Mine doesn't have nearly as many.

Renegade,

 

There are countless marks to go out and search, if only for the hunt. It appears that you live down in the Pocatello area, but that really doesn't matter. You can take any quad and plot out the existing NGS marks upon that quad; once you know where those are, then you can start searching for the "X BM" marks on those quads. Those are places where there are or once were some sort of survey mark, generally placed by the USGS; some of these have been incorporated into the NGS data base. If you want to search for those you can call the USGS in Rolla, MO and request the control by quad and they will supply it to you for a nominal fee.

 

Those are one set of survey marks to search out; another set of data would be to pick the section and quarter-section corners from that same quad. In a common area you will have one section corner approximately every mile and one 1/4 corner every 1/2 mile. That will keep you busy for quite some time, you can get the original survey notes for those by contacting the BLM in Boise or any state office. Some states even have these historical notes listed online.

 

You can check out any quad for boundary monuments, these will be shown with a box on the quad along boundary lines of reservations, states, some counties and cities, federal forests and parks and even federal boundaries. These notes can also be found at the appropriate BLM office.

 

Then, as already mentioned there are countless state, county, city, federal, private etc. etc. surey monuments scattered all over the country. If there isn't something for you to go out and find, then you just aren't looking hard enough. Obviously we all still have that child in us, who just likes to find something that they did not know existed.

 

Happy hunting,

CallawayMT

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I'm thinking about introducing legislation next year in New Mexico to get NM-DOT to digitize their database. Have to think about this one for a bit.

 

Zhanna should list the Netherlands' site, that someone mentioned a bit ago.

A little searching on the web produced this website:

National Mapping Organizations

which, for example, has a list of national geodetic offices, including New Zealand, which has its benchmarks !

online

Edited by BuckBrooke
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