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WalruZ

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Everything posted by WalruZ

  1. I usually add a hint. Of course, there's hints and then there are spoiler hints. A spoiler hint is "crook of tree". A non-spoiler hint would be "not on the ground", or "don't step on it". A good hint keeps you from banging the bushes or searching a fence that you don't need to search without totally giving away the location. Depending on how you feel about the cache a spoiler hint isn't necessarily a bad thing - it tells seekers that yeah, the cache is missing, or hey - someone moved it and I should move it back. A non-spoiler hint, done right, excludes areas from the search without totally compromising the hide. Then there are worthless hints, like "in the ivy". No. Just No. It's often a good thing to consider what you would use for a hint when you hide the cache. If the search might be particularly difficult and you can locate the cache near a distinctive object, the resulting hint can 'save' the hide. A cache hidden in ivy, bad. A cache hidden in ivy such that "within 12 feet of light pole" applies, not so bad.
  2. Ask the locals (thegba.net) for recommendations. The only thing better than walking across the Golden Gate Bridge is to do a cache that starts there.
  3. It's frowned upon because it distorts the records of people who have already found the cache.
  4. An (I hope) simple feature request that I think would be a big hit with many users. on the GC google map, if a right click on a spot on the map would display a pop-up with the coordinates of that spot in typical GC format (nn nn.nnn) it would be great. Just sayin'
  5. "Free members got rights" - pshaw. "the google maps api key was registered for a different website" blah, blah, blah, and it doesn't work. just mentioning.
  6. If this is a true puzzle cache, it makes sense to me. Many "found 100 today" cachers shamelessly share puzzle solutions and this guy is probably sick of that.
  7. depending on how difficult they were to reach, I would go back out and get them. take out the trash, put in a new logbook, and you're ready to go.
  8. WalruZ

    Dog Turd

    I disagree. After a year or two, give up hope. Use the copy, or take some metal (I use aluminum flashing cut with scissors) and make a replacement tag. The tracking number is on the TB page if you're the owner. Grab it back, wrap the tag around something new, change the name if you must and turn it loose again.
  9. I don't even USE IE (bleh) I use firefox. Granted, perhaps not everyone has norton worm alerts popping up, but i figured perhaps the web lackey would at least be curious enough about it to look at it. bad html is bad html.
  10. You can geocache just fine with a yellow etrex, although anyone considering buying one should make sure they get the new "high sensitivity" model. I have a yellow and have found plenty of caches with it and models from the geko line which are similar. The GPS is actually just one small part of the experience of caching. Don't get hung up on it.
  11. all of a sudden, whenever I load a gc.com page, norton anti-worm pops up to report "http ms ie object element data dos" on some random port. I found a symantec page that addresses the topic - http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/attack_sigs/s21422.html fyi.
  12. Really, I wouldn't worry about it. Down here in SF, there are large numbers of caches on Angel Island, and you need a boat to get there, or a ferry (there are two services that I know of), and reviewers approve them with no problem. There's no rule that access to a geocache has to be free. Many county parks charge for parking and there's no other really good way to access them. Same for State parks - Mt Diablo, near where I live, charges you $5 to drive through the gate. Should you not plant caches up there? Plenty of people have, and they are nice ones.
  13. This can be a problem for a person who stupidly does it. Suppose they go to some geo-get-together and are asked, "how many finds do you have so far?", and they say, "oh, 500". - They don't, really, and if, as time goes by, people in the area determine that this person who says they have 500 finds is one of those sorts of people who logs caches multiple times, or logs caches as found when they're not there to be found, or any of that sort of thing, that cacher's reputation is shot. They are considered a person who does not tell the truth. That is how they spoil things for themselves.
  14. I don't think that's up to Garmin. The older models are already in the retail pipeline - garmin has sold them to the retailers and they're no longer in garmin's control. the plain yellows and pre-H series GPS's you're seeing for sale are stock that retailers have to move. Some are doing the right thing by cutting prices on outmoded stock, a little, and some don't even understand the difference between what they've got and what they're getting. Either way, that's a failing of the retailer, not of garmin. Analog - if you go to the grocery and see a can of peaches close to the sell-by date, and it's not on the marked down rack, that's the fault of safeway, not of del monte.
  15. I almost always only ever sign my name to the paper log and leave more of an online log. Realistically, paper logs are going to end up muggled, missing, burned, soaked or confiscated sooner or later, and even if not, few people will get a chance to look at them. The online logs are well preserved and easily available to all.
  16. the foretrex line is for runners, and afaik, it does not take replaceable batteries. the 201 takes AAA batteries and is more appropriate for geocaching and just finding your way somewhere / back to somewhere. If you're hiking, you want to be able to take out spent batteries and insert new ones.
  17. I found my first 100+ caches with a Geko 101 and the next 4000+ caches with a 301. Imo, the compass does help more than you would think. It gives you a nice consistent arrow regardless of your speed of travel. Anyway, much as I love my 301 (I have a 201 in my glove compartment as emergency backup) I have switched to the yellow H. The increased sensitivity is a big step up. It has waas too, you know... Mapping and route finding is done on my pocket pc.
  18. Another simple thing to do is to visit the cache page with a premium account and choose log your visit. when on the log entry page, log out and then log in as the non-premium member.
  19. Just because most locals have found them doesn't mean there won't be more locals geocaching, and if it's worth finding, it's worth them finding it too, whenever they do come along. Your cached-out locals need to set their sights on new horizons.
  20. If you can get the right tool(s) into the casing, try setting a screw or 'eye' into the wall of the casing about 2 feet down. Tie the cable to that screw.
  21. Perhaps at least you can be consoled with the knowledge that this sort of thing happens fairly often. Although I've unwittingly tried to lose my GPS a number of times, I've failed. I am on my 4th or 5th PDA though. One way to reduce the possibility of this happening is to get a camera bag big enough for the GPS, take off any strap, and carabiener it through a belt loop on your pants. When you are using your GPS, *NEVER* set it down. ALWAYS put it in the bag.
  22. My quick response to that is that not everyone places the same level of demand on their GPS, so a range of capabilities and price points is appropriate. Some people who geocache (note, i did not say "geocachers") only try it out, and if they stick with it they only do it very occasionally and aren't in it for $250 and a complicated device UI. Also consider that nothing else about the yellow H is different. They are leveraging IP that they've already got, an easy, smart move imo. What has been discontinued is the geko line, which I will miss. They are comfortable to carry, easy to use and get the job done. I found 4000 caches with one - they don't suk that much.
  23. I've had a yellow H for a few weeks now. I prefer a simpler gps as I handle all of my mapping &tc on a pocketpc that I also carry, and prefer that setup. My previous units were all from the geko line, with most of my finds done using a 301 (I love the form factor.) Not long after getting it I took it for a few caches in a nearby county park which is all steep canyons and tall redwoods. I have visited the park in the past with a standard issue garmin and received no signal at all there, none. With the H I kept signal throughout my walk. The GPS read 1ft at one cache, 26 feet at another (hidden by a less exacting hider). I considered this stellar performance. The ability to ignore solutions due to signal slowed by tree cover reflection (multipath) is valuable even if you have 'mostly' good signal. With a less sensitive gps you find yourself walking into a small grouping of trees, and that's enough to throw the gps for a little loop. The H? No so much. One thing though, when I opened the box and turned it on for the first time, it took about three hours to get a fix. I understand that it was downloading the almanac so I cut it some slack, but it was still annoying. That's a one-time occurance - ever since it locks onto sats in about 5 seconds. Everything else about the yellow is the same, except for the "high sensitivity" printed on the front. As far as I can tell there is no software upgrade for the unit and the software is identical to the non-h model. The interface is somewhat clumsy, but still serviceable. Make sure you get the H and not the older yellow which is still being discontinued at some places. Recommended, unless you care about a map on your GPS. As I said above, I prefer having my map separate. ETA: that's pocketpc not powerpc. whoops.
  24. What's missing here, and what's sad about it all, is that the online log you leave isn't necessarily for the cache owner. It's for you. Do you really want to go back over a year of caching that you've done and see just "tftc" - ? No - those online logs tell the story of your experiences with those caches, and the audience that is most likely to appreciate them most is you, a few years from now. Beyond that, good logs build community. It's how people caching in the same area get to know each other, for better or for worse. (literally - cache logs are how I first met my wife.)
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