bluepigninjas

Just in case anyone is interested, the final result can be found here: http://coord.info/GC31YH2 (listed under the College's Geocaching account) Decided to use the guestbook and box as the logbook and cache and get another book to act as a regular guestbook Also, added a few waypoints to check out to point to the final cache location (thus satisfying the GPS requirement!). If you are in the neighborhood: Enjoy!

Thanks for the replies - I'd be using the wooden box that contains the guestbook as the cache container. What I'm hearing is cachers would probably need some indication (small sticker on the box) that it was a cache and also a seperate log inside the box? BPN.

Hi folks, I'd like to hear your opinion on the following: I work in a historically registered building. I'd like to draw fellow geocachers to it to check it out. However, it also doubles as the administrative offices for a College. The building is open to visitors between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and there is someone at a reception desk in the main hallway between roughly 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (but these hours vary quite alot). My idea was to have a guestbook inside a nice looking wooden box on the desk. When the receptionist is there she can have the book out on the desk and regular muggle visitors can sign it as a guestbook, and cachers can sign it as the cache log. When the receptionist isn't there, the box will be closed, but cachers from the cache description will know the box is the cache log and be able to open it and sign the guestbook as the cache log. That way, cachers won't have to go rummaging in a desk when the receptionist wasn't there. Also the "cache" will still fit in with the look of the building and I won't having anyone objecting to anything "unsightly" on the desk. Is this breaking any rules, or is this an acceptable cache configuration? If so would it be "traditional" or "mystery"? Thanks! BPN.

Meh, just feel like ranting. Go on vacation, find some great caches, check on the cache a few weeks later and find the next cacher says: "Last finder should have concelled it after they found it." If I hadn't concealed the cache, fair enough - but maybe, just maybe people shouldn't make assumptions. Who knows what happened in the 3 days between finds? Looks like on this particular cache it has happened several times before: I'm thinking in this case cover is being blown (literally) by wind, or cache is/has been raided. (GCRF7T)

This was a rerun, and Ambrosia posted links to the thread discussing it when it was new. 1. The two cachers are far more geekier than any geocachers I ever met. And that just goes to show you what outside parties (i.e. the writers for the show) think when they see our cache pages with WOOOHOOO!!! FFFFFFTTTTTFFFFFFF!!!!!!!! logs on them, along with FTF'ers being immortalized for all eternity on cache pages. 2. Hey, if they had a modern Garmin unit, CSX60 or newer, I suppose they'd get a signal in there. 3. And of course the Master Baiter turned out to be a total female geek as well. The episode really disappointed me: rather than families spending time outdoors, kids having fun, hiking, beautiful scenery - no, it was caches halfway up the side of buildings and down active(!) subway tunnels.

I guess this is an etiquette question: I work about an hour away from where I live, and I recently cached at lunchtime and picked up a travelbug and since the "mission" was just to travel around, I brought it about 45miles SW and dropped it off at a cache I own near my house. Just picked up a Geocoin - thinking about doing the same thing since dropping off in my cache will also further its mission. Any etiquette "rules" against dropping GC/TBs in your own cache(s) if it is furthering the GC/TB mission? (Other than it's not very exciting to do it all the time). Thanks! BPN

Well heck. Finally a good case is presented on the issue. Just don't start a discussion on the origin of "dork" I say embrace the dorkiness. It's a silly term, a joke term and a useful shorthand. Sure it implies on the surface the same kind of group superiority as the use of the term in the Harry Potter books, but anyone who took the "superiority" seriously would not be superior by the fact they took the term seriously And comparing "muggles" to a racial or sexist slur is a false analogy - it's not a hateful or de-humanizing term, the members of the group aren't a minority, the members of the group aren't prevented from becoming part of the group (except maybe by cost of a GPS?). To me "muggles" just means: Non-caching folk who don't know about the magical world of caching yet. To me the last word is the most important.

I had a moderately hard time getting permission to place a cache in a NY state park. There were 3 caches in the park (more than a mile away from where I wanted to place), but when I put mine up for review, NY state parks had since created the need for a permit for all caches placed in state parks My biggest problem was finding the appropriate park ranger for the area I wanted to place a cache and being able to physically get him the signed forms, since he was only available weekdays 9am-5pm and most of that time was's not in the office but out rangering (how dare he! ) I've finally got the permit and stickers for my cache today

1.) Based on the logs, (note: I did not say log) the cache description and the Google Earth images it is just of the road, in an overgrown area that is in need of some CITO. 2.) No matter where you place a cache some cacher will complain about something sooner or later, even if that something has nothing to do with the cache itself. (See my post above. post #112) You have to learn to learn from it they have a point and don't worry about if they don't. 3.) You need to ask yourself why you placed this cache. If the cache is doing what placed it for then there is no problem. If not maybe it needs work. 1) You are correct and in my opinion, it would not qualify as "really gross". You disagree and that is fine. Moving on... 2) Right, yes, and you don't seem to understand that since my original post, I've posted how I understand now. I get it. I no longer worry about it. As other people have pointed out, I understood my original misconception, took people's advice and made adjustments to my cache. (See my various posts above). Let me say one more time - I understand why I got the log entry, I don't have a problem with it any more, the forum told me the various reasons for it and I am happy (and have not removed it). 3) Then there is no problem.

From the logs that pretty much sounds like the cache area. IMO I would say the logs are incorrect if they make you think the cache area is really gross. (BUT: See log notes, cache description and "birds eye" view for specifics).

And that was my point. So the OP just needs to get used to it or quit hiding caches. And have, hence my posts above. I just didn't realise (having only done 31 finds and one hide) that complaining was a "done" thing (unless cache was damp/damaged/in a dangerous/really gross area). So I was originally surprised/p'ed off until the other posters pointed out what was the norm with caching and what I could do on my cache description to fix the issue. And so I did.

I might add, you'll get a much more "conservative" perspective in these here forums. Funny, because I ain't no conservative. The majority of active geocachers run out and find every cache placed. Which would explain why there are 5 caches at the Middletown mall. Perhaps someone could squeeze in a 6th? That's really how I feel right now and my whole mindset why I put the cache there in the first place - you get to find another cache!

Also, no I wasn't expecting glowing log entries. I was just surprised to have people apparently upset and disappointed at a cache. I guess I've learned there's an implicit expectation about cache location and a need to be explicit if there is nothing special about the location, and I was expecting it to be the reverse.

Ok, it's the day after and I've calmed down Thank you to Harry Dolphin, tozainamboku, CYBret, PhxChem, El Diablo, AKelvis, Trinity's Crew, WRASTRO, CoyoteRed, softball29, joranda, TeamGumbo, StarBrand, Happy Humphrey, Rockin Roddy and PJPeters for your comments. I've removed the P'off commentary from the cache description as you are correct that it would never help the situation in any positive way. No, it wasn't classy, being p'd off never is. I did not, as one posted inferred, ever name anyone. I think the revised cache description should also fix the problem in the future. I've only done 31 caches and I've always been happy to find them wherever they were. Never really occured to me that people would have certain expectations and never entered my mind someone would be unhappy at finding a cache. Yes, I have a second cache (which was really my first) coming up in a beautiful location, it's just been held up waiting for park permits and stickers. TheWhiteUrkel, minxyy , The Hornet, SixDogTeam, Kit Fox - obviously I wouldn't put a cache in a dark back-alley, or among dangerous debris, so I've clarified the location in the description. Also not sure how being p'd off was being hypocritical, but hey. I guess it's all a learning experience.

***** Update: I've replied to this thread replied further down and may have addressed some people's comments already. ***** Ok, so I planted my first cache. Not a scenic location, just a dead-end road in a city I know it's nice to have a cool, pretty, thought-provoking location, but I've been to other caches just at some little-used location. So I get this as my second log entry: "We didn't see much value to this cache other than a quick number as a park-and-grab. We were disappointed in this cache location." Am I right to feel P'd-off? I didn't put anything a suggest it was a scenic location, and they could've checked out the cache on the map right? Or did I break a scenic-cache law???

Hi all, Just made the transition from a Magellan 3000T to a Vista HCx for geocaching. I'd like to give my wife the Magellan for her car and use the Vista for both directions and geocaching, so I was wondering what map product I should buy from Garmin. I see there is City Navigator Software and also Citty Navigator installed on a SDMicro card - are these just really the same thing? If I buy the software then I just buy a blank SDMicro card and upload the maps through the USB? Or am I missing something? Any recommendations would be helpful! Thanks!

Having "launched" my first Geocoin (BluePigNinja-C Geocoin) I was pleased to see within a month it had traveled about 160 miles. However, someone has been holding my coin now since Nov 9th. I am just wondering if there is a general rule of thumb of long you should wait before you ask the holder whether they could move it along? Thanks!

In the last cache we visited there was a postcard. We're in NY and all the postcard has on it is the address of someone in MT. So now what? Write on it and send it back? Take it to another cache? Is it far enough away to be ok to send back? I's confoozed.

Just an FYI for anyone looking out for a map upgrade to the Magellan 3000T or 3050T, apparently the update that was due Sept 2007, their customer service dept. just told me it is now moved until after 15th October.

Reporting in after your comments - Two homeruns! Seeing location from air using mapquest helped, plus not accidentally putting old datum coorindates in GPS Then a bit of persistence in looking around helped too - I am now a GPS Ninja Thanks for all your help

Ok, so I've just found out about geocaching for the first time and really want have my first successful find, however my first two attempts met with miserable failure (and the caches I went for were easy ones too Judging by the clues and the descriptions and spoilers, I'm wondering if my GPS is sending me in slightly the wrong areas because I'm not programming it with the correct information? I have a Magellan Roadmate 3000T, and I've been using the RoadMate Tools software to input the locations of the caches in my area. I've been using the conversion to "Normal GPS Coordinates (WGS84 Datum)", and I'm wondering if that's the right one to use. (and also does anyone else have experience geocaching with this model? It's been great for driving). I understand GPS's can be 50ft off and I'd like to attempt the two caches again, but I want to make sure I've got the right information first. If anyone happens to be in Orange County, NY "The Stone of Shannen" is one of the caches I'm trying (GC14HVM). Thanks!