Joy of Geodetics
Recently while updating this website, I came across a resource that will be useful to other recreational survey mark hunters:
Joy of Geodetics: An 8-Part Geodetic Survey Markers Educational Series, by Greg Shay of the United States Power Squadrons
While I have to admit that some of the official recoveries by the Power Squadron that I’ve come across are of … shall I say highly variable quality (to the point that it has become a bit of an inside joke), Mr. Shay has done a great job here of describing the different types of survey markers and how they are used, how to search for them, and how to submit observations and photographs to the NGS database.
The titles of each document explain the contents pretty well, but Mr. Shay also provided an outline for even greater detail.
- Joy of Geodetics Part I: Introduction to Geodetic Survey Markers, and the NGS / USPS Recovery Program
- Joy of Geodetics Part II: NGS Registry and Types of Marks
- Joy of Geodetics Part III: Functional Classification of Disk Markers, Primary Installing Agencies, and Representative Examples
- Joy of Geodetics Part IV: Other Disk Installing Agencies and Representative Disk Examples
- Joy of Geodetics Part V: Where Geodetic Markers are Placed
- Joy of Geodetics Part VI: Planning and Conducting Marker Recoveries, Recommended Equipment, Photo Requirements, and Visual Aids
- Joy of Geodetics Part VII: Mark Recovery Status, Processing & Naming Photos, Reporting Recoveries, and Award Credits
- Joy of Geodetics Part VIII: Author’s Memorable Geodetic Marker Recoveries