Iwuzere

Is EGNOS always going to be compatible with WAAS? i.e. any WAAS capable GPSr will always work with the EGNOS system? Or have they just modified it this way for the time being? Thanks in advance.

Thanks Liz, but I hope it doesn't come to that! I doubt they'd lend me any, really. BTW everyone, my other reason for wanting to delay spending on GPS, is this new EGNOS thing. I'd rather wait until any unit I buy can use it, for more accuracy. Or have I missed something, and all units will work with it anyway?! As another point, I can't help wondering if EGNOS with 1m accuracy will spoil things? If you can just keep going until you're RIGHT BY the cache - does that make it all too easy? Cheers

Thanks for your comments. I don't know anyone with a GPS that I could borrow, and although I'd like to help this take off over here, I don't want to to the tune of 150 quid! So, I thought I'd ask a reasonable question in the General forum. Oops! All hobbies have their grumps and I certainly made them show up! LOL I have a few options left, so I'll see what I can come up with. If I can place a handful of caches, maybe more people will join in and place some of their own, and suddenly 150 quid will seem more reasonable (although I'll probably still be cheap and try to solve them with just a map, hehe) Thanks!

Right then, one final post, if I may. timpaula : "you may appear ruder than you intend in your posts" yes, that must be it! I set up a lighthearted user name based upon 'I was here' with an avatar I find amusing. I read all the FAQs and spent an age reading all sorts of forum topics. Despite what some here have said, I don't believe my original question is clearly dealt with anywhere. So, I asked my question, in good spirits. I thought it was entirely reasonable, and I ended it with a Thanks. (the bit about having to go my own way was a bit hyperthetical - I'm not sure I'd bother) So far so good, I thought. The first replies were dismissive, but hardly the Official Line, so I persevered, a bit disappointed with the negativity. My second post started with a LOL, and although it may look bad (I must admit!) it really wasn't anything more than mild disappointment, ending with a world-weary sigh. It was worse to start with, so I edited it. Next, all hell breaks loose when TMAN264 makes no effort at all to understand my position. He was rude and turns out to be arrogant and dismissive of 'newbies' - hardly a great welcome. Still, I'm used to that in other hobbies. A minority are sometimes so proud of their own achievements that they look down their noses at lesser mortals. Sad, but usually I try to leave them to it when I can summon up the self restraint. Sleep deprivation may not have helped here! Next I admit I'm an unfit slob and thank people for replying, again I'm not sure if I've let myself down here yet.. and I gently take the mick out of TMAN264 with "Pouty on, dude". I wouldn't say I'd lost it. Next comes a load of taking-the-**** back at me, but still I keep my cool, making light of TMAN264's wrong assumption that I had anything to genuinely apologise for. I asked for further comments. Next, some unwarranted abuse flung at me. This was really starting to be unbelievable. People simply couldn't understand what I think is a totally reasonable request, or they simply can't be bothered to read what I'm saying and understand. My frustration finally surfaced with "I wish people (would) try and understand each other before arguing!" Back comes TMAN264 still missing the point, and to my amusement seeming to say that I couldn't possibly know how to do something as trivial as hiding a small box. LOL. Is getting late in the day now, and this has worn me out. I express my frustration with a fairly restrained "(bangs head on desk)". I could lose it here, but after a mild rebuke to TMAN264 I STILL appeal for sensible comment, and head home for the evening. This morning I find better replies, thank goodness. Apart from TMAN264 yet again being rather nasty, saying I can't read rules (show me where my first question is dealt with, PLEASE), I'm too cheap (of course I am, 150 quid would be far better spent elsewhere at the moment, what do you expect?!), and apparently *I'm* very insulting and want to change the game having just joined it! What a laugh. This guy simply cannot see my reasoning. Next, more abuse, and Missing Of The Point. Listen, PLEASE. I don't want to do letterboxing! I want to help GeoCaching to take off here, but I'm not going to spend until it does. If it's clearly stated what the reality is, it's up to the next newcomer over here to decide whether they want to help or not. It's not 'unfair' on them. If this doesn't happen they will still only have one cache over here!! Is this too difficult to understand or am going mad?! It's not letterboxing, I just want a small bit of help placing more caches. Caches that would, fairly rapidly, BECOME TRUE GEOCACHES, NOT LETTERBOXES!!!!!! I will try and contact the placer of 'Jersey number One' and see if I can enthuse him into finding some of my caches with approximate locations. If so, all well and good, maybe we'll get somewhere. I assume that he's looking forward to more caches over here too. We'll see. If not, as I said, time to give up for a while. Thanks to those of you who have been helpful, and ta for the congrats. Only got up once last night .. but still 'cream crackered' (rhyming slang) Cheers.

TMAN264: "I love #2. I am going to hide something, but I need somebody to find it so I know where it is." - Argh!!! (bangs head on desk).. Read #1 again!! "I agree with the fact you do not need a GPS unit to find caches. But I truly believe you need one to hide a cache, as it is an inherent part of the game." What??! It's MY part of the game (hiding my own cache) so what difference does it make?! If you don't need a GPS to find it, you don't need a GPS to hide it! "Your profile shows you have zero finds, so you haven't experienced what it is like to find a cache, therefore you do not have the basics of what a properly hiden cache with co-ords looks like." I really hope this isn't the mentality of the majority here. "co-ords need to be included in the description." Which part of temporary are you having trouble with? Make a sanity check.. please do I've just seen on the one and only Jersey cache page, that visitors said it was a shame there was only one cache over here! There could very easily be more, showing them even more delights off the beaten track, but if it isn't to be... that's life. I do hope someone in charge of this thing has time to comment.

quote:Originally posted by BrianSnat:Sometimes it's hard enough to get good coordinates when placing a cache. Most geocachers expect to find a cache within 10-40 feet of the posted coordinates. Anything further off than that often generates complaints. You'd have to be VERY lucky to get that kind of accuracy using maps. Go ahead and post your caches. But it's going to be hard to "jumpstart" the sport in your area, because what you'll wind up with are a bunch of frustrated newbies, who probably won't be able to find your caches. I think you've missed my point by a good 10-40 feet! 1) The clues would make up for it. 2) It's only a temporary inaccuracy - until someone gives the right numbers! I wish people try and understand each other before arguing!

TMAN264: "Apology accepted" - I wasn't aware I really had, the 'forgive me' was just a figure of speech, but hey, *grin* "What you are suggesting really does fall in the letterboxing realm." - I don't think so. Letterboxing doesn't appeal. I've no problem with GPS and lat and long coordinates, I just find that using a map is a lot easier than buying a GPS, right now. If others are perfectly happy searching without a GPS, why do I need one for the moment? If I give an approximate position and note that in the information given, just who is it hurting? Nobody's forcing people to look for it. Even if it was MORE of a challenge, isn't that just as good? I can almost see the point that this whole thing is about GPS, but I've seen it from a different perspective perhaps. To me, it's the coordinates that are important, and GPS could just as easily be some other nav system, even DECCA! Isn't the fun in the search? Would my caches be any less fun without an electronic gadget in your hand? Even if so, what I'm proposing is only a stopgap until someone would kindly provide the proper fix. I really can't see what the fuss is about. Any further comments, anyone?

quote:Originally posted by TMAN264:This guy is hilarious. He get's all pouty that he cannot hide a cache without a GPS, when a GPS is like, hmmmmm, let's see, about 99.99% of what the game is about as far as hiding caches. Then he disses us, and this site by saying there are too many rules, and that he'll move on. Wow, I'll miss whatever stimulating cache that a newbie who can't afford a GPS could bring to the game. See ya, don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out. Thanks for your kind comments. If people can find caches without a GPS, is it really that vital when hiding them?! I'm not talking about vast homeland USA here, I'm on a tiny rock in the middle of the English Channel with 100,000 people clinging to it. I don't believe I've 'dissed' anyone, forgive me if I'm crabby (6 week old baby disturbing my sleep patterns somewhat), just saying how this rule seems a little harsh to a newcomer. (Especially if people have done this in the past, claiming that GPS wasn't working well that day, etc.) Forgive me for pleading for a bit of flexibility for a region of the world where your game hasn't yet taken off. "Wow, I'll miss whatever stimulating cache that a newbie who can't afford a GPS could bring to the game." - You'll never know what you're missing if you never come to Jersey. "See ya, don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out." LOL. Pouty on, dude!

quote:Originally posted by canadazuuk:Huh? Why not try finding a few caches (without a GPS) to see what's going on here first anyway. .. if you're not interested in finding any caches, then to what degree are you making this a hobby? There is only one cache on the island so far - which I've found was a fair old trek for this unfit slob, and I didn't want go scrabbling about in all the bracken that has sprung up since the cache was planted. I'd like to place some more, of my own, to see if I can stimulate more interest here, but if they wouldn't be 'approved' I'll just give up now. Thanks for replying.

a lot of BBC stuff gets shared around the other stations. Something like this obviously applies throughout the country so it may appear on the radio in other regions?

quote:There you go: How to hide a Geocache without a GPS. I should have thought of that! Bit late for me now, if I try it they'll smell a rat, LOL. Ah well, there goes another potential hobby. I'll just enjoy the nice unusual bits of the island with people I already know then. Pity it couldn't be more flexible but if that's the way you all want it, fine. "you can't hope to be accurate enough for most folks liking." - even as I said "the directions would get you to within the same sort of distance as normal GPS accuracy would?" Does this really matter in this instance, considering that everyone looking over here would be newcomers? Do you really think I'm going to spend 100 quid or more just to try and kickstart this thing in an island well known for its apathy? When I never get lost or have any other possible use for a GPSr? (this island is 5 x 9 miles - know it all very well!) How typical. It's supposed to be hobby, a FUN thing to do and after only 3 years it's clogged up with rules!! I was all fired up with enthusiasm, and now it's dashed. Maybe it wasn't for me after all. How will I ever know... *sigh*. [This message was edited by Iwuzere on June 09, 2003 at 06:57 AM.]

How vital is it to give accurate coordinates? Can a cache be placed with approximate lat/long from a map, with good directions given in the notes - the directions would get you to within the same sort of distance as normal GPS accuracy would? At the moment there is only one cache on the island where I live, and the only way to attract more players here is to place more caches. However, I don't have a GPSr and it's a Catch 22 because I'm not going to invest in one unless it all takes off! Can I do this, or would I have to go my own way with my own website instead? Obviously, as soon as someone with a GPSr finds the cache, they can supply the precise coordinates - so there's not much lost in the long run. Any thoughts? Thanks

I'm not altogether sure about this, but I'd be interested to hear your views. Pages like http://www.planorganic.com/news_july_02.htm make me worry, stuff like "Some years ago, shepherds and farm workers in Britain were advised to wear masks when they were working in or near bracken." On the other hand, this page http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=2577 almost puts my mind at rest. Opinions?

Is there anyone else interested, over here? There is only one cache in the island at the moment, but I wouldn't mind laying a few micro caches to share some little known beauty spots with you. Any comments about 'Jersey number One'... please go ahead here!

Is it considered a good thing for the hobby to be featured on TV? What are the pros and cons? Does it attract new blood or would we rather they stumbled upon us? Does it attract malicious cache disturbances? All views eagerly awaited...

quote:Originally posted by Paul G0TLG:In the US I notice geocachers who have these, generally keep them tuned to channel 2 while caching (unless using them for a specific purpose to communicate with other members of their own party or whatever). Is this something we could usefully copy? The FAQ encourages use of ch 2 over here on PMR 446 too, with ch 8 as a backup. I think the chance of a random contact is remote, but still! I'd just be scanning all channels anyway if I took one along.

See http://www.delboy-enterprises.co.uk/pmr_446mhz.htm for all you could possibly want to know about these radios --- Just editing this message to ask why I'm not seeing my 'avatar' pic, despite uploading one and it shows as selected, in my profile? I've logged off and on again... I wonder.. Success!! [This message was edited by Iwuzere on June 06, 2003 at 08:58 AM.]