huskydays

It may be that your browser settings are set to delete cookies when closed or delete them after a certain time which would mean that the site won't remember you even if you have told it to. What browser are you using? We can then point you towards how to check. As a side note, I've always had to login on the forums separately to logging in on geocaching.com so I think that part is standard.

Does the android app have the option of satellite/hybrid maps? I find them very useful (I'm on iOS) - if my GPS is extra jumpy that day I can use the satellite imagery as reference to figure out my location instead. Doesn't fix the initial problem but helps narrow down a GZ. OP is using Android but if anyone with an iPhone and similar issues stumbles along this thread and wants to know: On an iPhone (iOS 10): Settings > Privacy > Location Services From here, make sure GPS is turned on, then scroll down and select the geocaching app to make sure the app has permission to use it. On iPhones, 'Assisted GPS' is used as standard, meaning that is GPS signal is weak/screwy the phone will automatically try to use WiFi, bluetooth and cell-tower data to pinpoint a more accurate location. You can't turn this off without turning off GPS as well, it's all or nothing (there may be an aftermarket option if the phone is jailbreaked, I understand that opens a world of possibilities but I have limited understanding on this).

I don't know where you are but in my area, google earth hasn't been updated for 7 years. Although Sod's law will have it that they'll update as soon as you put something in place. How about a multi with clues that can only be seen from air? If you have or know someone who has a garden/roof/land that you could put codes/coordinate visible from an aerial view point that might be an idea? Plus you can change them when google earth updates to keep it fresh. Another counter argument of course is drones (just to add to your problems!). But you'll never make anything foolproof, fools are too ingenious! This seems fun to me Edit for the horde of typos invading my post!

I think taking a log from GZ to do this would go against the guidelines regarding damaging private/public property and the natural environment, can anyone confirm? If it is deadfall or a portion sawn off by the property owner in the course of maintenance, I don't see why it should matter. It's one thing to go pull down a perfectly good branch, but something that already came down and was just going to lay on the ground for the next decade or two is, in my mind, "fair game". My thinking is that dead wood forms part of the wood/forest's ecosystem by encouraging biodiversity and soil stability, which is why land managers will often leave it on the ground for the next decade or two. In that context, I don't think it's fair game.

I've seen a couple of these, the leaves appeared to be glued and then gone over with a PVA/water solution (essentially Decoupage), the result looks good but from the caches I've seen, it doesn't last and will require a lot of touch ups. I think taking a log from GZ to do this would go against the guidelines regarding damaging private/public property and the natural environment, can anyone confirm?

Please don't do that. It would mess up the records and stats of everyone who moved or discovered the TB in the past. I don't think it can be done for the above reason, can it?

Hmm

Having in-app settings for display brightness and disabling autolock/dim would be nice, but since these settings can already be changed device-wide (are there any smart phones that don't do this?) having something dedicated to the app would be purely for convenience, not safety. I would argue that in the above instances, the only safety issue would be the driver who chooses to distract or dazzle themselves while driving

I haven't placed any caches but I do often seek permissions for metal detecting (something about wandering the countryside finding hidden tat). If you're in England or Wales, you can perform a title summary search of the land registry to find out the name and address of the person who currently owns the land. This does cost £3 though. I believe NI and Scotland both have similar services. Door knocking and asking around may prove to be cheaper. You could also try contacting the local parish council/authority. Remember though Land Owner =/= Tenant. You may need to reach out to both (where relevant) as it's no good getting land owner permission to place a cache in the middle of a field if the tenant farmer wants nothing to do with it. In addition to the links Pup Patrol has posted, you might find the UK Wiki on Permissions useful.

As long as it is family friendly, not too valuable, will fare well in the cache and not edible - the world is your oyster (don't leave oysters) Decals are a pretty neat idea, I haven't come across them before. ^That thread has some awesome ideas! Let's see, how many violations can we find here? I'm sure they'd be happy to remove any of the above violating items on their next maintenance run

It's California, it's probably the best pizza they have.For the record, while we do have Pizza Hut here in California (Google found one about 5 miles from my home. Who knew?), we also have much better pizza. Haha, good to know!

I'm good at helping

Looks like the cache your TB is marked as being in hasn't been found since the TB was dropped. It looks like the CO is taking good care of the cache so chances are your TB is still there. If you want to check, try popping the CO a message. I'm sure it'll be on the move soon enough.

Umm, no. Accuracy is determined by the device, its location services, etc. - not by the app. I'd stay away from the official apps because they severely limit which caches you can search for (you only get to see traditional caches with low terrain and difficulty ratings). Approved apps that use the Groundspeak API limit basic members to 3 caches per day, but otherwise don't restrict the non-PMO caches that are displayed. For iPhone, I hear that Cachly is good. For Android, I use a non-approved app, so I'm not sure what's best for that. I meant accuracy as in up to date information, not GPS location. Should have specified!

That was a really well thought out suggestion. A shame it was never explored/implemented

I'm late to the party but after reading the posts here this particular amendment has stood out for me (apologies if this has already been raised): This seems prohibitive. Earlier in the year, for the leap day souvenir I had the option of two nearby events to attend. As the crow flies, the events were less than 15 miles from each other, however Event A would have taken me almost two hours travel time (return) but Event B took 10 minutes. There isn't a giant body of water between the two or anything, it's just one of the joys of living in rural England. Had these guidelines been in place at the time, I would not have been able to take part if Event A was published first, barring Event B. I suppose my main query is why is it 'as the crow flies'? I know some of us are getting a little too much into GoT these days but the majority of us would identify as not crows. Surely the actual travel distance or time would be far more relevant and just as easy for reviewers to verify?

IDK, being associated with Pizza Hut is pretty embarrassing It's California, it's probably the best pizza they have. I would love to comment on this, but I live in a country where Dominos is considered "good".

IDK, being associated with Pizza Hut is pretty embarrassing

If someone finds or sees something suspicious, it should be reported and responded to accordingly. Depending on which action you think is the overreaction, I may disagree with you: I don't see a problem with how authorities reacted to this, but I do see a problem with how OP reacted to this. I agree that the OP overreacted to it. But think about it, just about EVERY cache can be considered suspicious. Should law enforcement act like this every time someone encounters a cache and doesn't know what it is? If there's any grounds to think it may be a threat, then yes. If it was a semi-transparent lock and lock or nano or well labelled cache the reaction would no doubt have been different but looking at the photos, there is every chance that the package in question could have been an improvised device - I would say the response was balanced against the potential worst outcome, and that's the safest reaction for everyone involved.

If someone finds or sees something suspicious, it should be reported and responded to accordingly. Depending on which action you think is the overreaction, I may disagree with you: I don't see a problem with how authorities reacted to this, but I do see a problem with how OP reacted to this.

I couldn't speak for other locations but such restrictions would rule out at least 50% of geocaches in the UK. Here, you can't pop out for a ten minute stroll without stumbling across a 'sensitive' location. It should be a consideration for CO's to notify local law enforcement/military/etc when a cache is placed, hopefully a dose of common sense can be applied in most instances. In this case, I'm sure the CO in question has now had the chance to fully review their cache and reassess who they might want to notify

Hello and welcome! Geocaching is a great family activity and I think I can speak for the community when I say that we're glad you found us! Unfortunately, your questions are pretty hard to answer without knowing which: OS you are using? App you are using? Caches you tried to find? But I will try anyway (that's the cacher's spirit!) OS & App: There are various geocaching apps available. Groundspeak (the lovely folks who own this website) have published their own apps for Android, Windows and iOS. If you're looking for accuracy, apps by Groundspeak are the way forward. Unfortunately, said apps are geared towards those who have paid for premium membership - not that there's anything wrong with premium of course (I have paid for it with no regrets). Caches There are various different types of caches and some are located pretty far away from where their 'dot' shows up on the map. Traditional caches should be exactly where the app says they are. Mystery Caches show up on the map close to the final location, but you have to figure out a puzzle to find the actual location. Multi Stage Caches will start at the point shown at the map, but you then have to travel to other places and follow the clues. The final location will be further away from the point shown on the map. If you did a multi or a mystery, that would explain why you were pointed so far away from the original location(?)

They're saying that any notification will come on the blog/newsletter because that's how GS communicates with the geocaching community. Sending out a blanket notification of something like a souvenir to those who HAVEN'T subscribed could be considered Spam. After all, those people have chosen not to receive some communications. +1 this. If I wanted to get notifications of upcoming souvenirs or anything else, I would subscribe to receive them. I do not want that information in my inbox, therefore I have not subscribed. If they sent it to me anyway it would be unsolicited marketing, ergo: spam. Edit for clarification: I'm all for people being notified about certain changes if they want to be, but such a service should be an opt-in (i.e. by subscription) option and not a blanket send out for all users as you have suggested in your previous post.

I think first come; first serve is probably the fairest system we can have, so now you're able, the best option would be to lock down your idea and get the ball moving. If you aren't ready, I think going to the CO in question would be 100% better than going above their head (as it were) to the reviewer as 1) I don't think the reviewer would do that and 2) the CO would probably appreciate a conversation as opposed to finding out you're trying to block them through a third party. Another option would be to reach out to this CO and propose a joint venture. Could be a win/win if you have a partner who can perform maintenance if you're not physically able to in the future (Obviously I have no idea of your health and appreciate this may not be a future concern). Teamwork makes the dream work and all that jazz

I have been caching with my 4S for over a year but occasionally borrow by brother-in-law's Garmin GPS. The difference in accuracy is fairly noticeable, in that the handheld doesn't 'dance' around half as much as the iPhone does. That being said, I don't think my iPhone's 'dancing' has horrifically affected my ability to find caches. Plus, the co-ordinates you are given are only as good as the device the CO used to place the cache in the first place. I think the main advantages for purchasing/using a handheld GPS rather than a smart phone are battery life and durability (I know I'd much rather drop the GPS than my iPhone). Personally, I'm happy with the 4S but I'm a more casual cacher: chances are that you would benefit more than I would with a dedicated device.