5Tucks

Do you use EasyGPS (free) or ExpertGPS? I can convert the grids to that format without any trouble for you. Otherwise, I can give you the link to my almost completed WA DeLorme bookmark list to get you in the neighborhood of each grid (and to help you find the hard ones where there are only one or two cafhes in some grids (like 35)). I don't even know what EasyGPS is. I just started this madness called geocaching a few months ago. All of the cool software and technology is new to me, so I appreciate your help. Ok, I spent last evening downloading and playing with the EasyGPS, so at least now I know what it is. On the Washington State Geocaching Association page (www.geocachingwa.org) there is a section for GSAK filters. They are text files containing the coordinates for each page. These can be used to determine if a cache is located in a particular page. If you are plotting the caches on a map, be careful of the ones close to the edges, they may not be where they seem. (made that mistake myself) On a side note, if you haven't looked at GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife), I would recommend taking a look, it does alot more than easy GPS and will save the caches you download into a database. There is another thread here talking about it, if you want to know more.

Guess I never really paid attention to the fact that I enter the state in when creating a cache. Just figured it was set by where the coordinates placed it and that was the state of record. It's wasnt a map issue because it is displayed correctly on the map, although I have noticed the maps being incorrect occasionally too. Not a big deal, like I said, I was assuming the State name was being determined by the coords. Thanks for the input.

How come some caches are listed in one state when they are actually located in another. GC1B49 Sturgeon Fishing by DenaliNW says it is in Washington, but my map and the one on the site show it in Oregon. Same with GC13B1Z Bonnie's Bug by vanpelt (2/4). I also noticed a couple on the Idaho and Washington border, GCA95C Water Trough Glen by Logscaler and Red (1/1) says Washington but is in Idaho. Thanks Jeff/5Tucks

I have been reading through the threads here and figured I would post my comments. I have had my 500 since late Oct 2006, upgraded from a Meridian. My biggest complaint has been the 200 vs 500 caches otherwise now that I have gotten use to where things and and such I really like it. I got the Traveler package that included the MapSend software, car adapter and window mounting bracket. After my first use of the window mounting bracket, I switched out the bases with my dashboard mount I had for my Meridian, I found that the window mount just bounces too much to read it while driving down the road. I use GSAK to load caches in to my 500, havent even used the Geocache manager that comes with the unit. I started with a 256mg SD card and have loaded a couple of map (WA, OR, ID and part of MT in one) files and hundreds of cache via multiple files. I like the Li battery as it will charge in the car on the mounting bracket. I did have to purchase another data power cable tho since I don't like having to drag the cable from the house to the car all the time to plug the unit in. I have considered purchasing the AAA battery mount as a backup but I havent killed the battery yet with the car being able to charge the battery where as I always had to have backup batteries with the Meridian for long caching outings. The 500 will charge via the USB cable plugged into the PC as long as the unit is off even if the power cord is not plugged, will charge either on or off if the power cable is plugged in. Thanks for reading.

The return address is Seattle, but the package says it was mailed from zip code 84050, somewhere in Utah.

Did any one else's UFD TB come postage due? I had to pay the postoffice $3.66US to get it.

Glad your found caches PQ ran fine for you. It's been broken for me and a few other people I know for almost a month! I've put in 3 help tickets and it is still not repaired! I am having the same problem, very hit or miss when a PQ is going to run. I have been using it for a couple years now and lately its been very flaky, but the long since the last time it ran, the more likely it will run fairly soon. Something in the logic determining when a PQ should be run is not quite right. I checked a couple that I hadn't run since early May and the ran fairly quick. My queries that I like to run daily or a couple times a week haven't been running when they are checked. Guess we just need to be patient.

I noticed that alot of the Flying J truck stops in Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming advertise free WiFi access. Also alot of hotels have open wifi so you can just pull into the parking lot and get online.

So far I think the new feature works very well. Thank you!! Thank you!! I would like to see it expanded a bit to take other GPX files besides the one created from Google. I use MS Streets and Trips and then use the ST2GPX converter to change my file to a GPX. When I upload one of these files the process does not recognize any of the points in the file. The reason for the S&T file is that I can make side trips in between the start and end point, Google maps doesn't let you select multiple point on a route (or at least I haven't figured out how to do it yet).

For those interested, the Washington state Geocaching Assoc has a section for GSAK filters to and from various cities in Washington plus filters for specific cities and another section for the Delorme pages for those trying to complete the Delorme challenge. Click on the link below and then select GSAK Filters from the buttons on the left side. http://www.geocachingwa.org/

The only query that can once every 7 days is the special "Finds" query, this contains every cache you have ever found whether they are archived or not. PQ's normally don't return archived caches. The other queries can be run every day. Jeff/5Tucks

I am definately going to try these macro. Last summer we did a 18 day 14 state trip and I created PQ's and routes for the entire trip, I started a good month before the trip to figure out what queries I would need, and using MS Streets and Trips was able to create my route files and with st2gpx to convert the S&T to use in GSAK. The process was a bit tedious but the circle pocket queries also provided some flexability in the routes. You have to play with the PQ a bit to get them just right. I can tell you the I was able to cover most of North and South Dakota with one query as long as it avoided Bismark. So with trial and error you can do it. Suffice to say it isn't impossible just requires a bit of planning. And with 40 queires available just stagger the schedule to get them delivered as you need them. Jeff/5Tucks

Congrats Blindleader also congrats to Logscaler and Red for finishing the Oregon challenge. The Oregon Challege almost seems more daunting than the Washington one for some reason.

Maybe we can petition the folks in Olympia to give 29B section to Idaho or get Delorme to redraw the map. No.......well it was a thought. Who's going to place the cache in 58B?

A question for clarification on the Challenge. Is a cache required in both 29A and 29B or just one for the whole page? I am hoping the answer is one for the whole page since I already have a find in 29A. I am looking foward to trying to complete the challenge. Thanks to Mou10bike for all his hard work.

I don't think TPTB think you should "have" to do it this way. What they have done is explain how things are currently scheduled and how to deal with an overloaded machine. I think they have said they are working to increase capacity to deal with this overload. Once you accept how things are now, you can tailor your PQs so they will run when you need them. (As has been pointed out several times, a PQ that is set up to run every day will almost certainly not run every day.) While I understand that a daily query wont run everyday anymore, still expect to see it more often than I do. Once every 4 days doesnt seem quite right. I have marked a query to run daily except Wednesday, I got my query on Wednesday. Daily queries used to run daily or atleast appeared to since I was getting an email everyday with said query, maybe I was getting a 2 day old queue but I was still getting my data. It sounds as if the query comes up to be run on day 2 now that it gets moved back to the bottom of the list instead of moving it up the longer time passes since the last time it ran. The work-around is fine but if everyone start doing it that way then the problem will be transfered to this functionallity, the new queries will start backing up and not running for several days too. There is an inheirent problem in the PQ system that needs be addressed. One of the main reasons I pay my membership to GC.com is for the pocket queries, therefore I expect to get my scheduled queries in a reasonable amout of time. It sounds like the PQ server needs to be beefed up to handle the greater work load because there are apparently more members using the service. I like the feature and am happy to have, I guess I just got spoiled from the way it used to work and am expecting it to still be that way. Sorry for the rant.

Ok, I have several PQ schedule and have not recieved any since Sunday, July 31. I have one that was not scheduled to run on the 31st and should have run on Monday and Tuesday but has not run since Saturday. I realize that the more often it is scheduled the lower is goes, but that still doesn't explain why a PQ schedule for every day only runs about once every 3 days. The queue is way behind, the PQ's I got on Sunday were scheduled for Saturday. I don't think I should have to constantly go make a new query for something the same area every time I want it, that was the idea behind saving them. Elias' idea is fine but it shouldn't have to be done that way. HELP!

I suppose in the discussion of numbers, the same argument could be made regarding cache machines. Some like them, some don't. Going out enmasse to grab every cache in a particular area could be considered "cheating" using the same basic principle as passing a travel bug around an event. I am not saying this is a bad, just stating a point of argument. I track my numbers and icons for me and me alone, as some else stated. I look at others cachers stats when I meet someone new just to see where they have been and to some extent it give you an idea of where they come from and their level of experience. It is fun to see what caches you have in common and what they have found that you haven't. I have found some unique caches this way that I add to my "wishlist" for future hunts. Just my 2 cents.

How about an enhancement to combine or allow the user to use multiple abbreviation sets. The US and Canada sets are not mutually exclusive they can be used together since they don't reuse the same ones.

Have you tried fuzzy's BMGPX? It will let you take benchmark datasheets for an entire county and convert them to GPX files. Thanks for sharing this program with us. Work fairly well and is definately better than the LOC format.

I would like to see some enhancement to the Benchmark section. These are just a start. 1. The ability to download banchmark in GPX would be the top of my list. With the GPX file including the State for the Benchmark. 2. Pocket Queries of Benchmarks would be good. The we could have the descriptions in out PDAs. Thanks Jeff of 5Tucks