Trig points - a general discussion

[rogerw3]

As I do most of my caching solo, I usually put my backpack or GPSr on the Trig, if it is accessible. If the Trig is of of bound then a decent photo of the Trig structure itself, or whatever remains of it is sufficient.

[SamWalkers]

Hold GPS with foot, lean back and take the pic.
Easy!



NOTE TO SELF: Trim toe nails.

[Tuena]

Dexterous! Your method achieves all the logging requirements & we should try to emulate it, occasionally. Thanks to MtnLioness for getting us thinking about alternative methods for recording trig finds.

[pjmpjm]

Hold GPS with foot, lean back and take the pic. Easy! NOTE TO SELF: Trim toe nails.

It's difficult to find words to express how impressed I am with this trig photo.

All I can add is, "Don't try this at home, kids!"

[caughtatwork]

Geocaching Australia will ALWAYS be the OWNER of the cache listing.
If you hide it and don't put in Geocaching Australia, then your name comes up as the "Hidden By" but it's still owned by GCA.
Choose which ever method you like. If you want a little credit (but not ownership), then your name as the hidden by is the way to go.

[MtnLioness]

OK, thanx for the feedback.

Now I think we all need to put in for a pedicure for those toenails!!
(Good Lord! Put those away!)

[SamWalkers]

I promise never to find GA0337 and a trig at the same time.

[Yurt]

Using new topo maps we managed to re-discover six trigs in northern Sydney at the weekend. There are quite a few that have disappeared from the old parish maps but hopefully some of them will still be there.

A few strange ones have been published lately - those that don't appear to have anything like a typical trig on them.

[rogerw3]

You have to remember that not all Trigs have a beacon built over the top of them, a great many are only a steel pin stuck in rock or concrete, such as the top of a building, or a metal structure such as a tower of some kind. Church steeple are also a favourite of surveyors,
The beacons are only for aiming purposes for triangulation from some other point. But it also works the other way around with the surveyor standing on a known Trig point to locate some other feature, hence the beacon is not a necessity.
Although these days with modern GPSr units very little use is made of trig station and most have been abandoned. It seems to be that only the ones in built up area are still of any use, mainly to locate Survey Markers, and then only if they are conveniently close, such as on top of buildings or other notable feature.
So I guess it is a matter of choice as to whether you consider the non beacon variety a true Trig or not, according to the NSW Department of Land they are as long as they have a TS number.

[pjmpjm]

So I guess it is a matter of choice as to whether you consider the non beacon variety a true Trig or not, according to the NSW Department of Land they are as long as they have a TS number.

From the feedback I've got from you and others, I would think that the existence of a NSW Department of Land TS number is the final word on the matter. If 'it' has a TS number, then it's a True Blue Trig.

[Yurt]

Yes I can believe that. I've seen a few church spire trigs and recently published 'Ryde' as I'd found it on old parish maps. The large white cross is not that typical of old stone churches of that era so it has to be the trig. The TV towers make sense as they are easily the highest points around but I guess as they have nothing visible on them trig-like they are harder to photograph. Interesting if there's a plaque on them somewhere.

Anyway I thought this graph was interesting, showing up clearly who are the 'trigsters'.

We were happy to crack the ton at the weekend but have a long way to go to get to number 1!



The geoboy wants to design (actually has designed) a "100 trigs" pathtag but the pricetag is putting him (me) off. "One for the store?" he asks...

[pjw]

There's plenty of trigs down here in the ACT. They range from drive by jobs within Canberra to serious undertakings out in the nasty country of the Brindabella's and Namadgi. I'm slowly working my way through them. I'm lucky enough to have access to printed topo maps from work and have found an easy way to locate them is just by scouring one topo at a time. Most maps will yield a number of trigs. Some that I've gone searching for in the hills have failed to exist following fires and forestry earthmoving machinery but rather than archiving them, I'm listing them as DNF as it's possible there may be some remnants there but I didn't look hard enough in the undergrowth to locate them. Also it lets other contenders know that that their search may be in vain.
Trigs are all I do. I haven't done a real geocache ever!!!

[pjmpjm]

Anyway I thought this graph was interesting, showing up clearly who are the 'trigsters'

Just back from a half day trig expedition with rogerw3 and will be logging the new trigs soon.

Thanks for the interesting post -- and your ongoing research -- and a thumbs up for Yurt Junior and his strong trig interest!

[Yurt]

It's interesting to see what shows up on the new topo maps as still being 'trigs' - the quality seems to vary from a vague pile of rocks to a well maintained (recently painted) pedestal trig. A lot of trigs shown on the old parish maps no longer appear on the new topo maps. I can understand this when it concerns suburbia as the sprawl would have removed many. However a lot of the more remote bush ones have disappeared from the maps. A pile of rocks in the remote bush isn't going anywhere you'd think. Will check out some of these soon.

By the way does anyone know what an "observation station" is? It has a slightly different symbol - has the triangle but there's a small 'z' inside it. We found one on a map out the back of Manly called 'Nobby'. Went there and found a survey mark where a trig would have been once I guess. No sign of any other infrastructure though. Or remnants like concrete foundations.

[pjmpjm]

It's interesting to see what shows up on the new topo maps as still being 'trigs' - the quality seems to vary from a vague pile of rocks to a well maintained (recently painted) pedestal trig. A lot of trigs shown on the old parish maps no longer appear on the new topo maps. I can understand this when it concerns suburbia as the sprawl would have removed many. However a lot of the more remote bush ones have disappeared from the maps. A pile of rocks in the remote bush isn't going anywhere you'd think. Will check out some of these soon. By the way does anyone know what an "observation station" is? It has a slightly different symbol - has the triangle but there's a small 'z' inside it. We found one on a map out the back of Manly called 'Nobby'. Went there and found a survey mark where a trig would have been once I guess. No sign of any other infrastructure though. Or remnants like concrete foundations.

Good question. I'll be very interested to hear if anyone knows about such things.

While trigs decline and disappear, it appears that the surveying use Permanent Markers (PMs) and State Survey Markers (SSs) continues unabated. rogerw3 and I found one that was clearly of some importance along Mona Vale Road -- not only marked by the usual 'yellow spot' on a utility pole, but surrounded by four yellow star posts and indicated by the yellow 'PM and arrow' sign on the road itself. All looked very recent.

However, my personal vote is for more and more Gravity Stations!