Since 2021 wa have in Saxony also also a TrigPoint Challange. For more info see
https://www.darc.de/der-club/distrikte/s/ortsverbaende/05/diplom-koeniglich-saechsischen-triangulation/
These 158 TrigPoints are historic places and mostly on mountains with good view
Good hunting! 73 DL2DXA
GM/CS-120. Never seen anything like this in the UK before. A rectangular trig pillar sporting a removable cast iron hat, below which was with the typical three arm theodolite track and the central hole for the weight!
Glad to see it’s still standing (or at least it was when you too that photo).
This has to be one of the lowest in Scotland. Isle of Mull, near the Fishnish ferry. Just 4m ASL.
Quite popular when I activated it for Worked All Britain earlier today.
Almost all the trig points that I’ve come across in England and Wales (are the truncated pyramid kind, the next most common have been square stone ‘chimneys’. I’ve never come across the cylindrical ones which seem to be common in Scotland.
Is there a reason for the difference? Was there a separate OS Scotland who built them?
I once read that this type used less materials, which were therefore more suited to being carried to higher summits and difficult to access places. Obviously, 4m ASL on the shoreline on Mull doesn’t fit into either of those categories.
Edit: called Vanessas, they are stone built, also slimmer and taller. Using summit rocks definitely means carrying less materials around.
The original design is the Hotine Pyramid named after Martin Hotine who ran the 3rd triangulation of the UK from the mid 30s till the early 60s. The pyramids used lots of material and by the time 8000+ had been built it was getting a bit costly. Not only did you have to plan them and build them but you had to measure them as well. So towards the end of the building phase a cheaper design was used especially as they were now building the more remote Scottish trig points. They are known as Vanessa trigs which is a misnaming of the Vanesta tube used for the concrete. They weigh around 330kg Vs 750kg for the pyramid. They also need smaller foundations than the pyramids.
Thank you Victor - I challenge any activator to beat the size of my big one…
73 Phuil G4OBK
[From OS website] Cylindrical trigs
Mainly found in Scotland, the circular style pillars are known as Vanessas. The reason for the name isn’t as exciting as we’d hope though as they were simply named after the company (Vanesta) that produced the cardboard tubes used to cast them (and yes, Vanesta were better known for washroom products!). This design was used as it required less materials to construct and as a result saved on transport costs.
Portugal trig points seem to win on size and climbability Andy, and those fire watching towers on certain summits are also significant structures!
Trig points here and in Madeira are impressive.
Ivet sat in fields of blaeberries in Scotland and eaten them whilst activating but the Mountain Thyme on the summits I did this Saturday made things wonderful. I have to say we’ve had such a great time here in Portugal this last week and a while back in Madeira that I’m now planning raiding some pension funds to pay for some more Portugal visits (mainland and islands).
Hi,
This one dates from the 1869s. 8 m high, stone, on Mt Macedon in VK3. A
73
Ron
VK3AFW
I do have my own pic somewhere but this was easier to grab.
Thanks Andrew. The fence to stop SOTA activators using it to tie their squid pole to the marker is clearer in your pic. Most VK trig points are a galvanised steel frame holding a round black target. About as elegant as a bard wire fence.
73
Ron
VK3AFW.
Hi,
Me again.This is a typical trig point in VK3. This one is on The Paps near Mansfield
VK3/VE-204
Can’t get much cheaper for a man made trig.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
It looks strange and the plate(?) at the top appears to be pointing in one direction (more like a mount for a microwave dish). It begs the question, how the heck was it used for triangulation in all directions?
By comparison, the typical UK triangulation pillar (trig point) has a three-pronged metal mounting plate on the top on which the theodolite (surveying instrument) was mounted which allowed it to measure horizontal and vertical angles.
Of course modern technology has rendered the trig points obsolete except for walkers and some radio amateurs who ‘bag’ them like SOTA summits.
