Rich in NEPA

~Rich in NEPA~ --- A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ---

Just remember that April Fools Day originated in France! Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ --- A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ---

Thanks, folks, for the kind sentiments. All I can say is this would not have been possible without all of those super-fine Geocaches you've placed that kept me wanting more! My gratitude goes out to all of you. It's been a lot of fun, filled with rewarding learning experiences and cherished memories. I'm certainly looking forward to reaching the next milestone because I know there are so many more terrific caches to find and places to see. Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ --- A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ---

quote:Originally posted by rock33:Rich “the substantial percentage of the sales of certain sporting goods” you are referring to is called the Pittman-Robertson Act. It is a Federal not a State program enacted by Congress on September 2, 1937. Thanks for the info. I didn't quite know the details of the tax, only that it exists and that the Game Commission supposedly uses it in the procurement of lands. I think one important point is that not everyone who purchases arms, ammunition, etc. is a hunter although, no doubt, the majority are. I wouldn't be surprised if PA also got a fairly large chunk of those funds because of the number of hunters in this State. quote:Also, even though the Game Commission is “entity entirely on their own” the State Legislators vote on the bills that are introduced by the commission. Do you know if the new regulations were subject to legislative vote? My understanding is that they weren't. The mountain biking community was rather upset about the changes but no mention was ever made about contacting State representives to vote against them. I suppose that in order to ride the SGL trails during the hunting season this year I'll have to carry a shotgun or rifle with me! Actually, I've found that approaching game on my bike is a very effective way to get very close to it. I've ridden right up to flocks of turkeys and they hardly batted an eye. Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ --- A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ---

~Rich in NEPA~ --- A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ---

quote:Originally posted by MissJenn: (Now, upon reading this, if someone puts a virtual at MiddleCreek before I get around to doing mine, I'm gonna hunt them down and kill 'em!) MJ, just make sure you get a PA hunting license first. OK?! (BTW, I purchase a hunting license every year even though I don't typically do much hunting. So, essentially I am a "part owner" in those SGL's. Another thing, if I'm not mistaken, a substantial percentage of the sales of certain sporting goods in PA goes to the PA Game Commission. You may be a part owner, as well, and don't even know it. Truth is, the PA Game Commission has gotten way out of control. They are an entity entirely on their own and are accountable to no one. This has to change. They must be reeled in to the State Legislative system where the public can have a say in matters like this. As a mountain biker I am particularly effected in a negative way by the new regulations. Most Geocachers don't give a rat's a$$ about this, but be forewarned ... this is only the first step, and your experience with Middlecreek is only a sample.) Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ --- A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ---

I just want to state that I like the idea of "moving caches" and that I see no valid reason why they should not be allowed. They're a perfectly reasonable variant on the Geocaching theme and they maintain the spirit of the hunt along with an extra element of mystery. I don't get the comparison to Travel Bugs since I see the two as substantially different concepts. Last year I had to opportunity to go on a hunt for a particularly interesting moving cache: The Corps of Discovery. It involved a considerable drive from home to get there. Half-way along the trail to the cache site I encountered a Geocacher who was making his way out (PezPatrol). In his hand was the cache. Naturally, we stopped for a while and had a pleasant chat. I realized that had it been twenty or thirty minutes later I probably wouldn't have had the knowledge that someone had beat me to the cache. I knew full well beforehand that this was a distinct possibility and figured, "So what?! It would at least provide me with a nice hike along the AT and some great views." I did entertain the hope that the person who took the cache would leave a note or some sort of sign that the cache was in motion again, but it wasn't going to be a big deal to me if he/she didn't. If I'd gotten to it first, my intention was to leave a note. The reality is that there's not much difference if, say, an animal had dragged off the cache container or a non-cacher had found and absconded with it? There are always these potential risks in any cache hunt. I don't whine about it. I simply plan my hunts accordingly. Therefore, I vote emphatically to keep the concept of "moving caches" in play within the simple guidelines of traditional caches. Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. === [This message was edited by Rich in NEPA on March 26, 2003 at 07:49 AM.]

~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

You two are a genuine inspiration. Best of luck on your next 200! Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

quote:Originally posted by lysa:I have to ask... what kind of gun and ammo do you recommend against bees ? Ummm ... a Bee-Bee gun??? Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === "A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone." ===

Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

The option I need most is the one that when I get to under a stone's throw automatically switches over to smidgens. Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

quote:Originally posted by DeerChaser & Poni: Sorry it bothers you but I can't. Here's a shorter length version: To save it to your hard drive, right-click on the image and click "Save Picture As..." Then upload it to your profile page and insert the link in your signature. Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

"A naked man fears no pickpocket." === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

Centaur, you might want to check out A GPS User Manual: Working with Garmin Receivers. I haven't tried any of the GPSmap76 stuff, but I do know that all of the info for the older GPS-12XL is reliable. Let us know what you find out. Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

(Hey, now ... wait for the rest!) ...who chopped down a tree with his hatchet. Well, the neighbors next door they were heard to implore, "Please, sir, stop making such a racket!" The devil made me undo it. Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

Congrats, Mark!!! Nice going. Hope to see you in north Jersey again this year. Better yet, come on out to NEPA! Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

Based on my cache hunting experiences throughout this entire season, I think I'll change my signature pic ... Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

Give me hot and dry any day. Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

The quad-helix antenna that is found in the GPSmap76 series has a signal reception pattern that is biased more towards the horizontal, as opposed to a patch-type antenna that has a signal reception pattern biased toward the vertical. In general, the more "spread out" the SV's are that you're locked on to, the more accurate the position being calculated. This means a preference (satellite geometry) for those SV's that are nearest the horizon. When you can only see those SV's that are clustered overhead, the position calculation gives the poorest accuracy. (The reverse is true for calculating elevation. However, accurate elevation values are not normally as important as better horizontal position accuracy.) So, depending on your surroundings (say, heavy woods but not necessarily a heavy canopy), the patch antenna can indeed appear to (and sometimes does) provide better reception. (I have a 12XL in addition to a map76 so I can speak from experience. In my car, for example, the 12XL often acquires a faster lock and displays higher signal strength than the map76. For this reason I carry my remote patch-type antenna with me in the woods when signals are sketchy.) Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

quote:Originally posted by st_richardson: BTW... Is there anyone on the US East coast using WAAS with the latest software? FWIW, I'm currently using a GPSmap76 with the v3.10 firmware and have no trouble getting the AOR-W (#35) WAAS signal and 3D Differential location. My unit usually indicates well under 3-meter estimated accuracy in this mode. (Don't ask me if this actually makes a difference in the field 'cuz I haven't noticed any!) Cheers ... ~Rich in NEPA~ === A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===