Tedoca
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Posts posted by Tedoca
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In the example you used...
388, 386, 388, 387, 391, 388, 387, 382...
I would toss out the high and the low, 391 and 382, then average the rest. Which would produce 387.
Regards,
Tedoca
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Hi Lone,
Ham Radio is short for Amateur Radio, they are one in the same. To simply explain the relationship between ham radio, or any radio for that matter, and the global positioning system you only need to understand that your GPS receiver is, at it's heart, a radio receiver. It receives radio signals from the orbiting sattelites and from those signals, which are really nothing more than time signals, it calculates (triangulates) it's position on the globe. There are more thorough (and more technical) explanations, and I'm sure someone will jump in here with one, but that's the basic relationship.
Some folks have been trying to think up ways to combine ham radio use with geocaching to add a new dimension to the game. Search this forum for the topic "We Did It! Roving APRS cache" (or something to that effect) to see one cacher's great idea.
To get started in ham radio I would suggest following James' link above to the ARRL site and reading up there. You will need an FCC license to TRANSMIT on the amateur bands but the test is not difficult. Your local Radio Shack carries a book titled "Now You're Talking" which should give you all the information you need to pass the test, but don't think that the employees there will be of much assistance... I asked the guy at my local store why there were no ham radios out on the display shelf and he said "WHAT kind of radio???"
You do not need a license to LISTEN to ham radio however and you can learn a lot just by tuning into some of the amateur bands using a scanner or one of those world-band radios. To hear some local action in your area try scanning the frequencies between 144 and 148 Mhz.
Good luck if you decide to pursue a license, you won't regret it!
Regards,
Tedoca
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Hi Lone,
Ham Radio is short for Amateur Radio, they are one in the same. To simply explain the relationship between ham radio, or any radio for that matter, and the global positioning system you only need to understand that your GPS receiver is, at it's heart, a radio receiver. It receives radio signals from the orbiting sattelites and from those signals, which are really nothing more than time signals, it calculates (triangulates) it's position on the globe. There are more thorough (and more technical) explanations, and I'm sure someone will jump in here with one, but that's the basic relationship.
Some folks have been trying to think up ways to combine ham radio use with geocaching to add a new dimension to the game. Search this forum for the topic "We Did It! Roving APRS cache" (or something to that effect) to see one cacher's great idea.
To get started in ham radio I would suggest following James' link above to the ARRL site and reading up there. You will need an FCC license to TRANSMIT on the amateur bands but the test is not difficult. Your local Radio Shack carries a book titled "Now You're Talking" which should give you all the information you need to pass the test, but don't think that the employees there will be of much assistance... I asked the guy at my local store why there were no ham radios out on the display shelf and he said "WHAT kind of radio???"
You do not need a license to LISTEN to ham radio however and you can learn a lot just by tuning into some of the amateur bands using a scanner or one of those world-band radios. To hear some local action in your area try scanning the frequencies between 144 and 148 Mhz.
Good luck if you decide to pursue a license, you won't regret it!
Regards,
Tedoca
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I didn't vote but like the idea of a cache hider having the option of assigning a password to a cache (virtual or actual). The password could simply be written on the inside lid of the container, or obtained through clues at the cache site, and would be required to post a "found-it" log entry. Personally, I would use it on all of my caches. I don't think it really over complicates anything... but it does ensure that folks logging a find on your cache did indeed actually find the cache. In fact, to me, having to find, or deduce from clues, a password in order to log a find only adds a new dimension to the game... think of the possibilities!
Regards,
Tedoca
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Got it!
Regards,
Tedoca
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Hello,
I have a small gif image on the web that I would like to use in my signature. I would also like the image to be a link to a website. Could someone please show me an example of the code I need to use to accomplish that?
Thank you!
Regards,
Tedoca
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Irish:Here's a thought. I can actually create forums that aren't listed on the main page. I can have links to them in the regional forums and have someone in each state moderate them. What do you think?
Jeremy Irish
Groundspeak Lackey and Geopuppet
YES! Jeremy, we were actually discussing the need for a forum for Maryland just yesterday at an event cache.
Regards,
Tedoca
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Brokenwing,
I think Webling put it best...
Organize from the bottom up keeping the emphasis at the local level. I'd like to see each local group maintain a database of contact names and addresses, parks that are geocaching friendly, areas to avoid etc... Work to establish a dialog with the local officials first. These groups, once established and experienced at lobbying sucessfully for acceptance of the activity in their area, then become the basis for a larger group.
I think we all know what the core issues are but each area has it's own unique barriers. BLM land seems to be an issue out West while here near the Nation's Capitol we are running up against opposition from the NPS, for example. Where I live we have very little 'wilderness' area but we have lot's of local community and regional parks. The officers that patrol these areas are my neighbors, indeed, there are at least two who live right on my street. I just think they would be a bit more receptive to one of their neighbors than they would be to an unknown name in a letter from say, Iowa.
I'm all for coordinating the efforts of each local group in some way but I think in the end it's going to come down to the members of a local group dealing with the local officials. Anyone up to putting together a web page where all the local groups (and individuals) could post info on their contacts, their progress, friendly/non-friendly parks etc.? I think that would be a good start. If I was dealing with a local official and could point to an instance in another State where geocaching had been introduced sucessfully it could be of great benefit.
Just as an aside, we had an event cache yesterday here in Maryland. Bag-A-Load-A-Cache, it was quite sucessfull and lot's of folks turned out despite the cold, wet weather. The event itself was held on Maryland National Capitol Park And Planning Commission (MNCPPC) land and during the event some NPS officers showed up. I missed the little meeting, but apparently they said that what we were doing was fine on MNCPPC land but not OK on NPS land. They then informed the group that they had removed two nearby caches that were on NPS land. They also asked for ID from everyone and wrote down names and addresses. Another cacher in the group also passed around a baggie containing the exploded remains of another nearby cache that had been discovered and dealt with by the bomb squad.
Regards,
Tedoca
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I logged on and managed to register my first book yesterday. Plan on releasing a few into geocaches this weekend.
Good luck!
Regards,
Tedoca
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quote:
Originally posted by ApK:Even a hacksaw is overkill..small bolt cutters or those $20 cut-all snippers with extended handles that you get at Sears work fine, in about a second and can be carried in a back pocket.
Good point ApK, I hadn't even considered that. Faster even than a cordless reciprocating saw.
Regards,
Tedoca
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quote:
Originally posted by ApK:Even a hacksaw is overkill..small bolt cutters or those $20 cut-all snippers with extended handles that you get at Sears work fine, in about a second and can be carried in a back pocket.
Good point ApK, I hadn't even considered that. Faster even than a cordless reciprocating saw.
Regards,
Tedoca
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I got caught in a loop yesterday. Kept logging in only to be told that I was not logged in. I'd go to the geocaching page, log in, then go to the forums, click on log in, and be told once again that I was not logged in. But if I went back to the geocaching page I would be logged in.
Not sure what I did in the end but I know I had to input my username and password at least half a dozen times before sucessfully logging into the forums.
Regards,
Tedoca
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I like the new cache log pages that show all the photos on one page, only problem is when someone posts several pictures and one of them is a spoiler... clicking on the link for one photo displays them all.
Could we have a means for "tagging" a particular photo as a spoiler, say a check box on the "upload photo" page, that would automatically plaster the word Spoiler in red across the image so that it could not be seen unless a user clicks on it?
Regards,
Tedoca
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What about adding another icon to the "log a find" page for cache maintenance visits? Maybe an image of a small wrench or something that one could use to indicate a maintenance visit to a cache?
Might help out with tracking "cache freshness" too, as was discussed in another thread.
Regards,
Tedoca
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I think this goes right back to the idea, discussed several times in the past, of not having ANY log entries at all appear on the cache descriptoin page but rather just a summary of the last "X" number of visits in the format...
03/16/02 by Joe_cacher. 03/15/02 by Jane_cacher.
03/14/02 by Cache_owner.
03/13/02 by Jane_cacher. 03/10/02 by Bill_cacher. 02/28/02 by Betty_cacher.Etc...
Each summary log entry would be a link to the text of that cacher's log entry and at the bottom it could be followed by...
Click HERE to see all the logs for this cache.
We already have to click a link to see more than the last 5 or so log entries, why not just remove the logs from the cache description page entirely and replace them with the summary log entries?
This way the initial cache page displayed would be print friendly (no logs), it would display all the information you needed (i.e. date last found, who found it, date last not found, date of last maintenance visit etc...), but would not reveal any potential spoilers.
Oh, one other option I'd like to see on the "log a find" page. In addition to the "found", "not found", and "note" icons what does everyone think of a "maintenance" icon? Maybe like a .gif of a little wrench that one could use to indicate maintenance or repairs were performed on the cache.
Regards,
Tedoca
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I think this goes right back to the idea, discussed several times in the past, of not having ANY log entries at all appear on the cache descriptoin page but rather just a summary of the last "X" number of visits in the format...
03/16/02 by Joe_cacher. 03/15/02 by Jane_cacher. 03/14/02 by Cache_owner. 03/13/02 by Jane_cacher. 03/10/02 by Bill_cacher. 02/28/02 by Betty_cacher.Etc...
Each summary log entry would be a link to the text of that cacher's log entry and at the bottom it could be followed by...
Click HERE to see all the logs for this cache.
We already have to click a link to see more than the last 5 or so log entries, why not just remove the logs from the cache description page entirely and replace them with the summary log entries?
This way the initial cache page displayed would be print friendly (no logs), it would display all the information you needed (i.e. date last found, who found it, date last not found, date of last maintenance visit etc...), but would not reveal any potential spoilers.
Oh, one other option I'd like to see on the "log a find" page. In addition to the "found", "not found", and "note" icons what does everyone think of a "maintenance" icon? Maybe like a .gif of a little wrench that one could use to indicate maintenance or repairs were performed on the cache.
Regards,
Tedoca
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... mainly because right now, at this stage of the game, I think the best approach is to stick with the more local/regional efforts.
Once these groups have established themselves and made significant headway towards the acceptance of our activity in their respective areas, then the merging of ideas and experience into a broader reaching body would make more sense to me.
JMHO
Regards,
Tedoca
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quote:
urbo said......get a CLUB...
...the way the crooks remove the club is by bending the wheel back and forth violently in an effort to break the metal ring under the plastic cover...
...having the club on the bottom of the wheel makes this very difficult. hacksawing is an option but that takes time.
Don't get me wrong Urbo, your rolling code alarm, ignition/fuel pump kill etc. and the club are all good deterrents. I just wanted to share what I've heard (and seen) is the main weakness of The Club and why I believe they are of little benefit against a professional car thief.
Anyone can defeat The Club in a minute or two with nothing but a hacksaw, 15 seconds with a cordless reciprocating saw. How? Forget the club, just cut through the steering wheel, pry it open a bit and slip the club off. No matter where or how you install The Club the weakness is in the steering wheel it is attached to. Kinda like locking up your bicycle by putting the lock around a single spoke in the wheel.
If your steering wheel does have some openings that are smaller than others, your suggestion of using those smaller openings is a good one. It may mean the theif has to cut the steering wheel twice to get The Club off, but again, it's the steering wheel they cut, not the lock itself.
Hope no up-and-coming-wanna-be car thiefs are lurking here!
Regards,
Tedoca
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quote:
urbo said......get a CLUB...
...the way the crooks remove the club is by bending the wheel back and forth violently in an effort to break the metal ring under the plastic cover...
...having the club on the bottom of the wheel makes this very difficult. hacksawing is an option but that takes time.
Don't get me wrong Urbo, your rolling code alarm, ignition/fuel pump kill etc. and the club are all good deterrents. I just wanted to share what I've heard (and seen) is the main weakness of The Club and why I believe they are of little benefit against a professional car thief.
Anyone can defeat The Club in a minute or two with nothing but a hacksaw, 15 seconds with a cordless reciprocating saw. How? Forget the club, just cut through the steering wheel, pry it open a bit and slip the club off. No matter where or how you install The Club the weakness is in the steering wheel it is attached to. Kinda like locking up your bicycle by putting the lock around a single spoke in the wheel.
If your steering wheel does have some openings that are smaller than others, your suggestion of using those smaller openings is a good one. It may mean the theif has to cut the steering wheel twice to get The Club off, but again, it's the steering wheel they cut, not the lock itself.
Hope no up-and-coming-wanna-be car thiefs are lurking here!
Regards,
Tedoca
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All of the above on any given day. Depends on my mood, time available, whether I'm at home or on a trip, whether I'm going solo or with a friend, the weather, etc...
Regards,
Tedoca
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I bought one of these mortar tubes pre 09/11 but decided not to use it for all the obvious reasons. Lately I've been thinking about stripping some bark off the wood in my wood pile and gluing it onto the tube so that it looks like a log. Alternatively, you could use the expanding foam/cammo paint method detailed here.
Regards,
Tedoca
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I don't see any problem with requiring a user to be logged in in order to see the coordinates either. Yes, I can see that some folks might be hesitant to sign up for all the reasons mentioned above, but personally it doesn't bother me.
Regards,
Tedoca
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We here in D.C, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware typically refer to this area as the "Mid-Atlantic."
Regards,
Tedoca
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This has been discussed before and I guess I'm still on the fence. Sometimes though, collecting my thoughts and putting them in writing helps me make up my mind, let's see what happens...
My initial reaction is that it would be great for cache finders to have the ability to rate a cache. Just a one to five star "vote" on your overall satisfaction.
One star... Not satisfied
Two stars... Somewhat satisfied
Three stars... Satisfied
Four stars... Very satisfied
Five stars... Extremely satisfied
No need to complicate things with all sorts of categories like ingenuity, creativity, scenic value, terrain atributes. Keep it simple. Yeah, your vote is very subjective, but so is everyone elses vote. One cacher may vote five stars for a great hiding spot while another may vote only one star because there was no scenic view or they didn't like climbing that big hill or whatever. Some would rate it low because it was too difficult and some would rate it low because it was too easy. In the end though, it should all average out.
On the other hand, there will always be those who abuse the feature... consistently rating caches high or low, or a group of cachers getting together to target a specific cache hider whom they, for whatever reason, dislike or disapprove of. I know it sounds terrible but it could happen. Jeremy's idea of throwing out the highs and lows, and holding off on adding a rating until a certain number of votes had been cast (or just starting every cache off with a neutral three star rating) could prevent this problem and make it very difficult for any cache to achieve a one or five star rating. In other words, a cache would have to be really, really bad or really, really good respectively, to earn a one or five star rating.
Hmmm, now that makes me think a rating system might not serve much purpose in the end as most caches would wind up in the two, three, or four star category.
Ok, if I had a third hand to hold another opinion in it would have to be the same as Moun10bike's... "The feedback provided on my own caches would help me learn which are below par as well as identify those elements that people like best." Indeed, I think I would most likely use a rating system to assess my own cache hiding abilities, and identify what folks enjoyed or disliked for planning future caches, rather than using it to help decide which caches I was or was not going to hunt.
Well, I guess I would probably fall off the fence on the side of being in favor of a cache rating system provided it's implementaton was fair and simple. One vote for overall satisfaction. Throw out the highs and lows etc...
Regards,
Tedoca
Good caches near Baltimore?
in Northeast
Posted
Hi Travis,
I live in the D.C. area and don't get up to Baltimore that often, but one cache I particularly enjoyed up that way was Daniels. It's a toughie and you may not want to do it alone.
Also, try searching for caches hidden by Outsid4evr and Majellin, I haven't found many of their caches but the ones I did find were good ones and they are quite active cache hiders in the area.
You may also want to check out the Cascade Falls cache in Patapsco State Park and then click the link to search for nearby caches... I think there are 5 or 6 caches located within this one park. ($2.00 entrance fee)
If you have the time you might also consider a day trip to Washington D.C.... no trip to the area is complete without a stop in our Nation's Capitol and there are over 20 caches (all but one are virtuals) within a ten square mile radius!
Have a safe trip and be sure to stop back by and let us know how you did!
Regards,
Tedoca