m.austin

Well, I don't know about unorthodox, but some of my goals (and some of them I just started, due to this thread) include: 1) Find all caches within 20 miles of my home 2) Find and Document a variety of benchmarks 3) Create at least one cache for every 100 caches' found, incorporating elements of my favorite caches each time 4) I like the geocoin cache idea - I'm gonna "borrow it", and make a multi-cache with a geocoin as a reward 5) Join the rest of the ranks & earn some earthcache pins (I've already got a couple ideas for placing some!) 6) Verifying each cache I find. Obviously a logbook must be signed if it's a cache, but for virtuals or benchmarks I take a photograph. The topic was unorthodox goals.... 7) To log a cache in every county in Kansas 8) To take a moment at each and every cache to find something to appreciate, be it new knowledge, a beautiful view, a clever cache idea. 9) To NEVER go caching without my camera (so far so good!)

My favorite is a members-only series - the first one is Titan - SAC 533-1 (GC10APA). There are 17 abandoned missle bases with a cache hidden at each one, with cache #18 being a puzzle requiring information from the first 17. I am enjoying the historical element, as well as the beautiful views! I still have 3 or 4 to go before I can go after the final one.

I say go with the Garmin eTrex Venture HC. I purchased a Magellan Triton200 a month ago. Last weekend I was out caching & it locked up on me. I could change screens as long as it wasn't connected to satellite, but the second it did connect the system locked up. I took it back yesterday and exchanged it for the Garmin eTrex Venture HC. It was about $70 more, but so far I really like it. I plugged it in to the computer and loaded all the data I had lost on my Magellan in about 15 minutes (that was figuring out the software as well). I never could get my Magellan to play nice with my computer. I really liked the Magellan's features, but now that I have comparison the Garmin is much better - quicker to adjust to changing screens, quicker start up, quicker to connect to satellites. I just hope it lasts longer than a month!

I had this happen to me - I downloaded the plugin and when I tested it I got nothing, nada, zip. But then I noticed the little bar at the top of the screen (I have IE7 - it was under the tabs) - all I had to do was click that yellow bar & let it install active X - I think that was what it was. Then it worked!

I actually purchased a membership in order to view a couple caches that were a mile from my home (most caches are at least 7+ miles from me). I am SO glad I did - the multi-cache I am doing involves 17 nearby closed missle bases, all of which must be found to solve the final puzzle and find the main cache. These are all members only. It is kind of neat knowing that only the truely dedicated are searching this multi. I look at them as kind of a bonus for me forking out the bucks each month (I know, I know, it's only $3, but I LIKE rewards!) I'm planning 3 caches for my area (like I said, it's quite a drive to my little rural town)- and one will be a member's only as a reward for driving out.

I purchased the Triton 200 last month - the $$ was about what I was looking to spend and I liked the features. Yesterday it locked up on me - everytime it connects to satellite it locks up. I deleted the memory, reset to factory settings, no change. So I am taking it back and exchanging for a Garmin. I really liked my Triton 200, but am frustrated that it only lasted a month before I started having issues. I am limited to what Wal-Mart sells for now (extreneous circumstances), so I'm going to spend $70 more to upgrade. (right now $200 is the max I want to spend) I looked at the Triton 500 as well, but am afraid to replace with another Magellan - unless enough people chime in with "I love mine and would never get anything else"....

Edited for double posting...

Yes - I went back to the site & looked and sure enough, there is a little gnome! Since he didn't log like the TBs I got abit confused. Logging him was a challenge with a capital O and the #0, but now that I know what he is I'll send him on his journey!

I picked up what I thought was a travel bug. It is a metal painted gnome (quite nice) with the words Travel Gnome on the back with a tracking number. There is a TB Travel Guide with it, also quite nicely put together, but the space for owner's name & contact info is blank. I tried logging this in, but it keeps coming up as not found. I don't know if I wasn't supposed to take it - I was just trying to move it along - but there are absolutely no instructions. So what do I do now? I've been doing this for only 2 weeks, so I don't have a lot of experience, but the 3 TBs I've picked up so far had instructions.

One other thing to think about - you may spend a lot of time setting up your pretty HTML coding, but if you use that really cool font that makes your page perfect, but if I don't have that font loaded on my computer, I am going to see it on New Times Roman or whatever my default font is. So what you see and what I see may be two different things. Use a basic font and if you use an animated image or scrolling text, only use one. I completely agree with the comment about the auto-playing audio. I keep my sound off for that reason. Nothing worse than surfing the internet late at night only to have some page blast your eardrums off & wake everyone else up!

I personally love caching alone. I am directionally challenged (I spend 1/2 my time figuring out which way is north! ) I am always thrilled when I can figure out where some tiny object is simply by following the GPS, especially when the roads don't necessarily run the way you think they should. When hubby is around he is usually amused watching me as I wander about trying to get my bearings, or laughing hysterically as I shriek when a mouse or rabbit jumps out when I'm not expecting it, both of which are NOT amusing to me. But most of my solos are pretty much park & grab. If an area makes me uneasy or if I'm going to the city I generally drag him along. Luckily he enjoys it, just not with the same addiction!

I don't know if it's just a coincidence, but sometimes when mine can't seem to connect I pick a "go to" point and it hooks right up. I figured maybe it just needed something to "focus" on. OR I could just be thinking I'm smarter than I really am...

I have officially been caching for 12 days now. Last weekend while searching about I found an almost full bottle of vodka hidden in some vines in a city park. Hubby, being of the law enforcement type, drained the bottle & returned it. I, being of the evil teacher sort, wanted to refill it with water & add yellow food coloring.

I just purchased my Magellan last Friday. I had seen geocaching at a technology conference and really wanted to see what the GPS systems were like before purchasing a classroom set. I was planning on purchasing a Garmin, but the only one the store had didn't come with a cable, and at the conference they said this was imperative. SO, I purchased a Magellan, and so far I love it. It is easy to use (once you find that first cache the software makes total sense). I love the color interface and it is very visual. I had trouble registering, as it said my address didn't exist, and their customer service told me that it couldn't exist (forget that I've been paying taxes for that address for the past 20 years!). But I registered with my post office box and was able to register just fine. The one thing I wish I had a Garmin for is the ability to download caches from the geocaching site. I haven't figured out how to use the cord that I 'had" to have, since so far nothing I've done requires computer connectivity. But like I said, I've gone from 0 knowledge to finding 7 caches in 3 days. I will probably spend more time researching when I'm ready to upgrade, but that will be for features, not brand name (at this point)