[meteorite-list] Some thoughts on find coords

Fri Sep 7 22:19:15 EDT 2012

Considering my neophyte hunting experience, I believe the less published 
info after initial fall coordinates are validated elevates the challenge I 
hope to learn.  Mike Miller mentions individual approaches...critical to 
what I hope to learn on my own.

-Richard Montgomery

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Miller" <meteoritefinder at gmail.com>
To: "Bryan Couch" <abcouch at verizon.net>
Cc: "Marc Fries" <chief_scientist at galacticanalytics.com>; "Meteorite List" 
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2012 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Some thoughts on find coords

> Hello all first of all old habits die hard, so even if there is less
> reason to be secretive we will tend to lag behind in making the
> change. Now yes the radar is awesome and puts us close enough to find
> the strewn field. It even gives us a very good idea where to look for
> more pieces. There are still things learned with hard work inside the
> strewn field, that if published could bring a swarm of hunters into
> your little area. Or if you find information that defines the line so
> you can push out and locate the bigger pieces.You don't want to
> publish this line so that the whole world can stretch it out with you,
> at least not in real time. Most hunters do not want the world inside
> there heads thinking the same thing they are. We are individuals and
> approach the strewn field in our own personal way. Some are successful
> over and over and will have a following soon if information is exact
> and in real time. All anyone will have to do is follow their favorite
> hunter around and that would be very annoying. I do not mind sharing
> real information, but I prefer there be a lag in time, so that I can
> chase my line and do my thing. Then tell all, now having said that
> there is a small group of people I do share with in real time. Even
> when they have that information they most of the time are doing their
> own thing. They don't want to follow me, they want to do their own
> thing.
> Now even if you missed it there were a couple groups in Sutter's mill
> who changed (lied about their finds) their information to keep others
> from following them. I was not one of those people, but giving up my
> coordinates in real time felt like I was in public with no pants on.
> So I much prefer people withhold coordinates rather than lie about
> them. In my opinion unless there is a time lag some groups will simply
> give misinformation, so they are still on the good graces of the
> scientists.
>
> On Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 9:13 AM, Bryan Couch <abcouch at verizon.net> wrote:
>> Hi Marc and list,
>> I think your right with the
>> Radar pin pointing the field of fall I think there is no need to hold 
>> back cords of finds. We all know that they are there and for the most 
>> part we all know that if you find one the finder will search the whole 
>> surrounding area so what's the point. And Marc great work on your radar 
>> data you for sure have a new customer.
>>
>> Bryan Couch Wildomar Ca 
>> Dare to fail
>>
>> On Sep 7, 2012, at 8:12 AM, Marc Fries 
>> <chief_scientist at galacticanalytics.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Greetings all
>>>
>>>    I've been talking with a few people about logging the Battle Mountain 
>>> meteorites, and I'd like to start some discussion on the topic of find 
>>> coordinates. This is NOT directed at any one person, but I would like to 
>>> editorialize a bit. I'm getting a lot of push-back about printing find 
>>> coordinates and I'd like to open the topic to general discussion.
>>>
>>>    Historically, the locations of found meteorites have been a closely 
>>> guarded secret. That made a lot of sense when meteorite hunting relied 
>>> most heavily on eyewitness reports. A hunter could easily put in many, 
>>> many miles of walking before coming across a meteorite. For finds that 
>>> are made with weather radar, however, I don't think its the same 
>>> situation. When I post radar analyses, it is like posting a treasure map 
>>> that says, "Go Here".  At that point everyone knows where the meteorites 
>>> are, and it seems to me that the locations of individual stones aren't 
>>> nearly as important as they were in the past. (Strewn fields without 
>>> detailed radar data are another matter, of course.) Where those 
>>> locations do matter are to A) the science behind describing the 
>>> meteorite fall, and B) the value of the individual meteorite since a 
>>> well-documented meteorite should be worth more than a random stone from 
>>> a given fall.
>>>
>>>    I am a scientist, and my first instinct is to collect, analyze, 
>>> and -share- data. I understand where that is at odds with the level of 
>>> secrecy needed in the past, but I think that that level of secrecy is no 
>>> longer needed and actually works contrary to the value of meteorites, 
>>> both monetary and scientific. On the Galactic Analytics website, I'm 
>>> willing to go against my better instincts and hide find locations, at 
>>> least until a scientific paper is released describing the fall. But to 
>>> be honest, I think that's a little silly - I'll basically have a table 
>>> showing meteorites with the find locations redacted, and then you can 
>>> scroll down the page a bit and see a map showing where the meteorites 
>>> are.
>>>
>>>    So let me throw this out there as a general question - is it really 
>>> important to hide the find locations?
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Marc Fries
>>> ______________________________________________
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>
>
> -- 
> Mike Miller  Kingman Az 86409
> www.meteoritefinder.com
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