Coordinates above are for a BenchMark disk: AB2889/MARTINE
Whether whizzing around in space 12,500 miles above our heads at speeds of upwards of 7000 miles per hour or sitting quietly and quite stationary (if you ignore continental drift) at an altitude of 0 miles (rounded down) above the ground in the woods and alongside the highways, there are often unnoticed markers that let us keep track of where everything else is located.
Both of these things exist for the sole purpose of telling us where other things are located, and so it is with this first installment of the GPS Quiz cache series. Since you are playing this game, you are highly likely to already have a small handheld computer, capable of bogglingly complex mathematical computations, with a built in radio receiver that is capable of hearing the extremely faint signals emitted by the aformentioned space-based markers as they zip along, making 2 trips around the earth each day. Not only can this handheld wonder listen to and understand one of these markers, it can understand up to 12 of these at one time -- all talking at the same time, using the same 'note' (carrier frequency). Imagine yourself sitting in the center of a concert hall as 12 master violinists on rollerblades circled you, all playing the exact same note on their perfectly matched violins. Now, close your eyes, and tell me which violinist is #1 and which is #12 -- point to them, and keep pointing to them as they circle you. Not so easy, huh?
Not so with the other kind of marker. Often called a 'Bench Mark' or 'Survey Mark', it is always where you left it (barring construction damage, of course -- and, OK, *you* didn't leave it there, your friendly neighborhood surveyor put it out there for you and kindly left explicit instructions and with precise measurements to all the interesting, semi-permanent landmarks and cute little metal triangular reference tags all around it so that you could find it yourself, if you were so inclined). And since this is a quiz about GPS, what better way to start this series than to use these simple marks that we have planted in the terra firma to help locate the first set of questions.
After locating the MARTINE benchmark, you need to find another 'mystery' NGS benchmark. It has been reported that this mystery benchmark is "1.6mi NW" of MARTINE, but I'll tell you from field experience that this is just an approximation. The actual bearing is 1.63mi at 333 degrees. You probably will not want to walk this entire distance, and the resourceful student will determine another method to locate the missing benchmark and thus discover the mystery coordinate.
For reasons that become obvious after discovering the mystery benchmark, I do not recommend that anyone stop and visit the mystery benchmark's location. It's just too dangerous to recommend! Although do feel free to notice it in passing next time you are in the area (which will likely be quite often).
The coordinates for this cache are formed by triangulating from MARTINE and the mystery benchmark in the following manner:
Make note of the NORTH coordinate of the MARTINE benchmark.
Make note of the WEST coordinate from the mystery benchmark disk.
Using these two coordinates will lead you on surface roads to an obvious parking area across the road where you can leave your vehicle while searching for this cache.
Next you need to locate another mystery survey marker. This one was placed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1979, but not available in the Geocaching.com database. In the winter, you may be able to see the 'witness post' for this survey marker while still standing at the edge of the road. Go to this marker -- it will be within 30ft of your triangulated coordinates.
Bonus points will be awarded to the students who have gotten this far and have not yet turned on their GPSr.
Those bonus points will be doubled if you also used paper maps to get this far!
Standing over this new Survey Mark, take a magnetic compass bearing of 90 degrees and mark off 24-26 steps (give or take a few steps). Now you will be standing directly over the GPS Quiz #1 cache!
Since you will be visible to people in the parking area while searching for this cache, please inform them that you are actually searching for the US Army Corps of Engineers Survey Marker to avoid having the cache raided. Also, if you find/visit the MARTINE benchmark, the Survey Mark near to the final location, and this cache then you will be able to get credit for 3 finds on two separate websites!
Quiz #1:
Be sure to take a sheet of paper or your own personal adventure log book (or the back of the printout for this cache would work as well), because you may want to make note of all the information and questions on GPS Quiz card found inside the cache. (Personally, I find my camera handy for things like this...) The questions on Quiz #1 are for your further study of the amazing system that we use to play this game. You will be tested on this material at some point in the future...
 Cache In - Trash Out!  Compass Suggested (but not required)  Beware of Muggles!  Wear bug repellant!
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