Hrethgir

Actually, if you leave the GPS on, that just means that an app that needs/wants the GPS can use it when you start it. Otherwise, its not doing anything. Although there does seem to be a bug on DX where the GPS will keep the phone from sleeping, even if the screen is locked and the GPS isn't actually doing anything. The 2.2 update is supposed to be fixing that when it comes. I leave the GPS on on my DX, and I get plenty of life out of my battery, going on 13 hours and still have 40% left, even with the bug. Now, if you leave Maps or Navigation or something open, that will eat through the battery pretty quick (still not as quick as on my previous iPhone 3Gs). By the way, maybe give c:geo a try too. I've heard a lot of people say it's actually better than the official Geocaching app.

I learned that it takes about 8-9 pounds to hold a 1 liter Nalgene bottle underwater. As for how to camouflage the line, it will be different for every location. You need to find a location and go from there. Mine was a Nalgene bottle with weights attached to it to hold it underwater, then a cable coming up to an eye-bolt that you pulled up on to get the cache to float up to the surface. And this was all attached to the side of a dock with the eye-bolt and cable coming through a pre-existing hole on the guide that is attached to the pole the dock rides up and down on, so unless you were looking, it just looked like a bold that was supposed to be there. Worked great there, wouldn't work at all with other hides. Just get creative and use your imagination.

Some people just like to piss other people off, that's how they get their kicks. You get yours from finding caches, they get theirs by logging fake finds and waiting for the reaction.

I recently logged a find that I didn't sign the logbook for. I was out on a motorcycle ride a long ways from home, and my buddy, who I didn't even know cared about caching (he knew of it, but didn't know he played) pulled out his phone and said "I wonder if there's a cache nearby?" Well, I whipped out my phone and fired up the GC app, and we went to find the cache. Then after we found it, we realized neither of us had a pen on us or on our bikes. I said as much in the online find log, and said I would totally understand if he deleted the find because I didn't sign the logbook, and offered to send the owner a geolocated pic of the cache, but he said he'll take my word for it and is letting me keep the find. I TRIED to sign it with a thin stick and damp dirt, but it was such a small logbook that all I ended up doing was making a little brown smudge on it! If I'm ever around there again, I stop and actually sign it, but it's over 100 miles from home.

Nice idea for stealthy urban caching!

This is true. But if they start it and I have to defend myself, I will. I'm not going to look for them or actively do anything to run across their path, of course, but seems that they like to trash caches that are in the areas I most like going to.

Dumpster. Garbage can. Trash compactor. Landfill. Sorry, I'm just not a fan of most micros. Just look around, find an interesting spot that is fun to visit, and hide it there.

I usually cache alone because my wife has zero interest in it. But if I can find someone who wants to go with me, that's all good too. More eyes searching makes for easier finds!

I did this It's called "Narnia Bidniss!", and I basically took a piece of tubing, mounted a solar/battery lamp from eBay on top, and put a mailbox on the front. Then hid it in the middle of the woods. An LPC that's worth finding!

I'd say that if what you plan on doing to someone elses cache is something you would be OK with someone doing to your own cache, then it's probably OK. As long as you aren't changing the cache, and the owner will still be able to get the logbook, I think you are OK. Of course, if you do do something to the cache, make sure to tell the cache owner!

Just Tweeted NASA_Astronauts with a request for a pic of the cache. Hope they can do that!

I did the exact thing you are talking about, I have a dogtag that is attached to my hat, and I "dip" it in every cahe I visit, and back-dipped it in all my previous finds, so if you check my trackable called "It's Me!", you'll see my total mileage and a map showing every cache I've visited.

7RXC, thanks for the pics of your compass, I see what you are talking about now. I can access the bottom of the rotating part on this compass, so doing the exact same thing you did will be simple.

My PN-40 has an electronic compass in it, but batteries do go dead, and the little compass fob that came on my backpack isn't exactly the best option!

I guess I should have said I figured it wouldn't be accurate enough for caching... for a newbie! I'm sure I can be used for that once I master it, but I won't start with it! As for the declination setting, the red ring around the dial actually rotates to adjust for the declination, and all the stuff you see printed inside that ring rotates with it. I don't know a lot about compasses, but I thought that was what I needed. Luckily, where I am, it's a small adjustment (16 degrees), but I know that can be enough to cause a problem. Anyways, I like this kind of thing, and so far this year, I've learned how to solve the Rubik's Cube and several variations, the Ice Cube (2x2), Rubik's Revenge (4x4), Professor's Cube (5x5), and I'm working on the Megaminx now (12 sides, each pentagonal in shape). Slides rules and compasses are right up my alley, I think!

Cool, thanks! I didn't figure I would be able to cahe with just a compass and map, didn't figure it would be accurate enough, but had to ask. I'll look at those orienteering links. And I usually bring 2 GPSrs with me when I go out into the woods (Legend HCx and PN-40), so I really just got the compass for funs and to learn how to use it. Someday I'll pick up a slide-rule for the same reason!

Look at Nalgene bottles, a 1L bottle is only about $5, and they are very durable and watertight. How do I know that, you ask? Because I have one that's spent about 1 year about 10 feet underwater off the side of a dock, and last I checked, it was still dry inside. To camo one, scuff up the outside with sandpaper and spraypaint it, no worries.

So I was shopping at Fry's to buy myself a birthday/Christmas present, and after picking up a couple video games, I started wandering. Anyways, ended up by the GPS's and saw the compasses there, and I've always heard people say that you should know how to use a map and compass to navigate in the wilderness, so I picked up a Brunton 7DNL baseplate compass. http://www.brunton.com/product.php?id=110 OK, I have the compass, and I know need maps to go with it, but what do I do now? I'm sure it's possible to geocache with a map and compass instead of a GPSR, but how do you do that? What kind of maps would be the best for this kind of thing? How do you find and mark your current position on a map using just a compass? I have so much to learn!

There's also the whole "no caches on/under bridges" thing, but I've found a cache on a bridge, so it's not a hard and fast rule.

Thankyou for the advice, but when I looked up images of these cables i could only see a 9 Pin Male socket and a USB. How does this connect to the GPS? By the USB connector. ...ken... No, it connects to the COMPUTER with the USB plug, but the eTrex H has a serial port, and that's what the 9-pin connector is on that adapter. If you move up to a Legend HCx or one of the other newer models, they will have a standard mini-USB on the unit, so any USB cable you have lying around for a camera or printer or whatever will work.

...and then? I don't know what your statement has to do with Geocaching for the iPhone.

Good way to boost numbers. Bad way to have fun, at least for me. My biggest "power" day was 14 finds, and I'll bet I had more fun doing them because I was out in the woods and climbing hills and stuff like that instead of stopping at every milemarker and grabbing a film canister with a soggy bit of paper in it. But that's just me....

Garmin eTrex Vista HCx- sounds like your friend has the non-H model; the H stands for High Sensitivity receiver, works much better under cover. DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 Garmin Oregon 300 or 400 Those are the ones that come to mind. Also, go look through the GPS Hardware sub-forum here, lots of info in there. Oh, and welcome to the forum!

The stats are basically meaningless in reality, so ethics isn't really involved. And like you said, all you really did was correct a mistake, so I see nothing wrong with that, either.

The thing I like most about micros is that I can easily filter them out of my PQs!