MrGigabyte

Goodguys is spot on with this one. I found one of the Goodguys' caches last week and was so impressed with the container, I had to note it in my cache log. GG's, I was just about to email you to find out where you got them. Thanks for the info. If they can take my usual camo paint job, these things are perfect.

Most consumer GPSr provide the Orthometric Height which is the height above the geoid (the height above mean sea level. MSL). The Geoid Undulation or Geoidal Separation, is the difference between the Earth's Geoid and the GRS80 ellipsoid. Your GPSr actually calculates the height above the GRS80 ellipsoid (HAE) and by use of a lookup table calculates... Orthometric Height (MSL) = HAE - Geoid Undulation. The Orthometric height displayed will always have 1.5 to 2 times the error of that of the horizontal position for the same point.

quote:Originally posted by Goodguys:Isn't there a database of Canadian survey markers (the round brass markers, about 2" diameter)? Which ones? Geodedic Survey of Canada, Dept of Public Works, Fraser River Authority, Ports Canada, Provincial Geodectic Survey, City of Vancouver, Canadian Hydrographic Service, CNR, BC Hydro, etc. etc. etc.? There are dozens of agencies that have their own "round brass markers, about 2" diameter". Which ones are you after?

You can load ALL of the Metroguide maps into a measly Legend. That is, the entire Enhanced Basemap for the ENTIRE country. You can also load Vancouver R&R and Metro Guide complete with the entire Enhanced map set and still have room to spare. Here are all the sizes of the individual maps (R&R, EBM, and MG Canada) file sizes.

You need to grab the TRIM data from LandData BC through the Base Mapping & Geomatic Services Branch All TRIM positional digital maps are available in either MOEP format or SAIF/ZIP format, which are both vendor independent formats developed by GeoData BC. Both formats are widely supported by the GIS software industry and by GIS consultants.

quote:Originally posted by eroyd:Garmin's must come with longer lanyards... My etrex strap came with a little "bead" threaded on it. If you are not careful, this bead can slip right off the long end. So, I tied a knot in the strap, right at the end, thereby trapping the bead. Now, the bead works like a sliding lock. Just put your wrist between the straps and between knot at the end and the sliding bead. Then cinch the bead tight. This 3 cent bead has saved my $400 etrex more than once!

Satellite clear, no bar - The GPSr knows where the SV is, but has not aquired, or is unable to aquire the signal. Satellite grey, bar grey - The GPSr is in the process of accuiring the signal from this SV. Satellite black, bar black - GPSr has aquired the signal and the SV is being used in the position calculation. For more information, turn to page 13 of the Legend Owners Manual, 3rd paragraph.

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Here are the current (WAAS) ionosphere correction ground station locations. http://waas.stanford.edu/tmslive/graphics/screen1.gif The total accumulated corrections from valid differentially corrected WAAS data is 7m. The majority of the errors are ionospheric-delay errors. The balance are clock and orbit. As Kerry points out, you will receive all the corrections, regardless of where you are. Orbit and clock will be valid everywhere, as they relate to the SV's themselves. The ionospheric-delay errors will not be corrected "correctly" if you are outside the correction area. Also, a big factor is how the GPSr interprets the received corrections. Garmin does not apply any correction adjustment for positions outside the correction area as many other manufacturers do. Also, Garmin receivers do not consider non-DGPS signals with ones that are receiving corrections. This will inevitably make the position solution worse.

I'll take a stab at Question #2... The easiest way to locate these points is to "traverse" point to point using simple "plane" surveying. To do so, you should switch your GPSr to a coordinate system that most closely represents a plane. This is UTM. Locate one of your boundary points in the field and set a waypoint at it's location. From this point on, we have to assume that the bearings on your plan are astronomic. That is, they are based on True North. If they are anything else, you will have to apply a bearing equation and rotate all the bearings to suit the specified north reference before proceeding. Now, having said that... The bearings on your plan (based on your quoted example) are in a system called quadrantal bearings. These are values between 0 and 90 degrees. They are always expressed as an angle east or west from the poles. This system was used as it was based on manual calculation of trig functions. Since the sine of 1 is the same as the sine of 179 and 181 and 359, only values less than 90 were needed. Only the sign changed. You need to changes all of these to full circle bearings (or azimuths) by adding or subtracting the plan bearing from their respective quadrant. Now, on your GPSr, you can project a waypoint using the full circle bearings, or azimuths and your distances converted to metres. From each point, just project to the next point and so on until you end up back where started. You can check if you made any errors when you project from the last point back to your starting point. You should get the same coordinates you started with. Now head out to the field and locate each stored waypoint you just solved. One caveat, the math here is simple triangles and can be solved on any calculator. I have suggested projecting waypoints as a means to get the GPSr to do the math for you. The problem with some inexpensive GPSr models, is that they may not allow the entry of the projected distances down to the metre level. If this is the case, you may need to borrow a better unit from some friendly local cacher, or blow the dust off that old HP-48 and grind out the trig by hand.

For the last 2 weeks I have been working diligently on my own variation of a Team KFWB GPS cache. It is not a cache per se, but a puzzle none the less, as are all of their caches. My personal prize was to find out who they really are. They have left a trail. I am sure I am not the only one that has seen it, but perhaps to only one to recognize it. Having found several and being a first finder once, helped, but that is not where the trail starts or ends. I hope to confirm within a day or so and may at least get the satisfaction of knowing I solved the biggest Team KFWB GPS puzzle cache of them all.

Nothing to add... I just think our alternating avatars look cool! BTW: Criminal and I solved this one offline.

Geocaching.com does not allow any client based languages to be embedded in cache descriptions. If this is what you are trying to do, then Markwell over to javascript on cache pages

Re: Borders cache, logged twice. The cache owner was emailed PRIOR to logging the find. The cache owner responded that the cache should be logged. Any problems with that, take it up with the cache owner. Re: Victory Island cache, logged twice All the multi caches by this hider are in fact 2 completely separate caches. The second parts are full caches in their own right that are printed out and obtained from the first part. Why they are not two separate caches is anyones guess. They involve very expensive all day trips (including $100 ferry rides) to from one part to the other. Very few, if any cachers will ever reach the second stages. The cache owner was emailed PRIOR to logging the find. The cache owner responded that the cache should be logged. Any problems with that, take it up with the cache owner. Re Disappearing second logs... As was previously pointed out, all of the double logs on these caches (which were all logged before mine) have mysteriously disappeared in the last day, except mine, shortly after this thread appeared. Re: Vancouver Transit, logged twice (including by the cache owner) This cache is moved every few days. It is a completely new cache at that point. The instructions on the page clearly state it can be logged over and over by anyone. That includes the owner. The "small predetermined area" it is to be contained to (Vancouver Lower Mainland) is over 10,000 square kilometres. I don't know what its like in NJ. But ten thousand square km in BC is a very large area. VANCOUVER TRANSIT CACHE clones... that I know of. I am sure there are many more. They have ALL been found by the same cachers more than once INCLUDING their own cache owners. Any problems with that, take it up with the following cache owners. London Transit http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=12743 Oakland Transit http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=16516 Prince George Transit http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=29706 Kamloops Transit http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=34557 Vancouver Island Transit http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=40962 Vancouver Transit http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=6614

Nothing tastier than bowl full of fresh bear dip and and a plate of cow chips to go with it. TIP: If it smells like bear dip... and it looks like bear dip... and it tastes like bear dip... you better not step in it!

quote:Originally posted by Jamie Z:http://gcchat.clayjar.com/. Monday nights, 8:30 is official, every other time is not. Considering the original poster is both Canadian and living on the wet coast (yes I know I said wet instead of west), I will perform the U. of Memphis to PDT conversion for the rest of us. That's 6:30pm Pacific Time or 2:46 in Newfoundland.

Please keep you hand comments to yourself. :-) BTW: Thanks wcgreen and planet for emails. Not sure how I missed out on it.

It does take a lot of loging in and out, so it would seem.

Thanks Planet for the tips. Hope this works,

Cache With a View, had 10 logs by non cachers in the last 10 months! Although, the cache itself now only contained some change and a wet log book, it was still there. Perhaps the climb up to the viewpoint was enough for them and they didn't have enough energy to take it away with them. :-)

quote:Originally posted by kbraband:Yes, but that's $2000 Canadian so isn't that about $15 U.S.? Ouch! That hurt. Hey, did anyone ever tell you you look exactly like Mark Messier? I'm serious.

My Vancouver Transit hovers around 50. I think it has been as high as 60 during the summer. Regarding valuable caches, you have to see the latest cache in the series by Team KFWB GPS. The latest has about $2000 worth of goodies in it. Their caches have brand new GPS units plus tons of cash. Usuall $50 to $1000. I have found 4 of their caches and they are all excellent. I am surprised more cachers are not watching these.

Duke, I do not know you. But for argument sake I can probably safely assume that you are indeed NOT a bigot and comments alluding to that fact may be unwarranted. However, I do happen to have the pleasure of knowing Seneca. As such, I too take offence to your generalizations about Canadians, and now even more so, take offence to your personal attack against Seneca's is professionalism and livelihood. If your comments were meant as humor, then I am sorry for not getting the jest. I suggest that this has somehow gone too far OT and perhaps further personal attacks should be kept to oneself or confined to personal emails.

We get our share of US Navy vessels here in Vancouver as well (50 km NE of Victoria). I believe their presence is the the result of an invitation from our government. As with anything our government does, there will be opponents. Unfortunately, it is that very small percentage of opponents that always seems to make the 6:00 News when our visitors form the south arrive. This also seems to be the case in this thread.

quote:Originally posted by Dru Morgan:OK, several people have talked about making a book for geocaching, ala geocaching for dummies. I think we might be able to add your new stories to our upcoming 3rd edition of Geocaching for Dummies. :-)