FulThrotl
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Posts posted by FulThrotl
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on 2 GB micro sd card, fits Oregon.
$100 + tax new, 2 months old.
$60 takes it, shipping included.
paypal only please.
private message if interested.
randy
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Yeah I've noticed some of the streets in my Oregon 400T are off also, very disappointing for a $600 device.
I just installed the NA maps last night, yes it's true, the topo maps will show you 'near' your house, add in the NA maps and upload your state to your device and it will place you spot on.
plus some new nifty features are added specifically for navigation in a car. Not too shabby. but it should come preloaded for 600.00 device. or just preload and make it a 700.00 device.
well, it isn't a $600 unit, it's a $700 unit by the time you get it to work.
garmin could incorporate the accurate maps, but this way, you get to
purchase it for $600, so you don't feel so bad.
it's just part of the "new merchandising". if cars were sold this way,
they would cost $1,187.00, but wouldn't have steering wheel or tires.
be greatful you aren't buying festool woodworking stuff. EVERYTHING
is ala carte, and it's breathtakingly expensive. unfortunately, the stuff
works better than anything else on the market, and once you've used
it, it's worse than drug addiction.
if garmin stuff worked as well as my festool stuff, i could use my
oregon as a total station in survey work. and if garmin stuff was
priced like festool stuff, the oregon would be $5,875.00
FulThrotl
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Wow, Thanks for all the help from all of you!
i had posted this elsewhere in the forums, but it seems appropriate here:
something related to consumer electronics
purchased on the web, is the proliferation of "brooklyn camera scams"
in the discount camera category, and many of these stores sell
all manner of electronics.
for an eyeful, google "brooklyn camera scams" or "brooklyn camera scam
photos" and see what's on the other end of some of those web sites....
especially memorable is http://donwiss.com/pictures/brooklynstores/
none of the gps vendors whose names i've seen here fall in this category,
but most of these "brooklyn scams" can be found on the comparison
shopping web sites....
as the saying goes, let the buyer beware.....
FulThrotl
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Well, we had a Colorado since March, bought from REI, we had asked at the Garmin event whether touch screen handhelds were in the near future, the answer was no.
When we heard about the Oregon, the Colorado went back in the box and was returned. The Oregon is sweet! The touchscreen is so much nicer then the rocker roller (IMO), the menu's are nice, and I like that you can personalize each menu the way you like it (in profiles). Our accuracy hasn't been a problem yet, but we've only went for a couple caches with it.
Oh and at REI the Co and Or are both the same exact price.
when i bought the colorado a couple months ago, after reading on here
the fits and starts people were having with them, and the spotty quality,
i bought from REI after assurances that if i didn't like it, i could return it,
no questions asked, no time limit, within reason, whatever that means.
6 weeks later, the oregon is released. hmm. well, they did say....
back in the box it went, back i went, and REI didn't blink an eye,
it took 2 days for the refund to be credited to my account. the oregon
seems to work pretty well in it's place.
something unrelated to the Oregon, but related to consumer electronics
purchased on the web, is the proliferation of "brooklyn camera scams"
in the discount camera category, and many of these stores sell
all manner of electronics.
for an eyeful, google "brooklyn camera scams" or "brooklyn camera scam
photos" and see what's on the other end of some of those web sites....
none of the gps vendors whose names i've seen here fall in this category,
but most of these "brooklyn scams" can be found on the comparison
shopping web sites....
as the saying goes, let the buyer beware.....
FulThrotl
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First off I have to say that I had an Explorist 600 and I loved it to death, literally. I was sad to find out that Magellan was no longer supporting the product so after buying the maps and getting well acquainted with the unit, gsak, and the such I went about my way geocaching and turning new pwople on to the sport. I was sad to find that Magellan no longer supported the product but would offer me a trade in for the new Triton. I went with the Triton 500 and found it to be a big piece of crap.I am now gpsless and at my wits end for a new unit. please help. I need a unit that can do these things.
1) handheld
2) Mount to a bike/motorcycle
3) work with GSAK
4) Load detail maps so I can use it around town
5) NOT BE A MAGELLAN PRODUCT
6) around $200
any help would be appreciated all the information is overwhelming.
well... now the garmin oregon is out, wait a couple weeks, and buy a
used colorado from someone who's just moved closer to the bleeding
edge of technology....
fulthrotl
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i do have a question, however.... in the colorado, when you are selecting a cache, and you select
"go to cache", and you are using CN 2008 NT, you get turn by turn directions to the cache.
do the same thing on the oregon, and you just get a line of sight line going to the cache... how
can you get the oregon to give turn by turn directions like the colorado does?
Do you have it in automotive mode (i.e city nav maps selected and routing set to On Road). It works on mine. And the nice thing about the Oregon is when you arrive at parking you can hit WhereTo->Recalculate off road and you'll get the straight line to the cache.
i played with it, and found you can toggle between on road navigation and off
road navigation once you've selected the destination.. thanks for the help.
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My buddy was laoding queries with his Colorado and eventually they stopped loading as the icons with the cache page and some loaded as closed treasure boxes with no cache page. he wasn't sure, but thought that might have something to do with it. I am just used to the 60CSx having 1000, so I was just checking. I'd love to have 2000, that way I could keep the different queries I run depending on where I go, on all the time. I also need to run POI loader and load the caches I've found for reference in hiding.
On the Colorado there is a 2000 cache and 200 gpx file limit. The new 2.6 Colorado software is supposed to warn you if you exceed either of these parameters. Not sure if the Oregon has this feature or not.
GO$Rs
for what it's worth, if you plug the oregon into GSAK, and run the colorado macro, it comes up
as an oregon, and dumps the nearest 2000 caches to it, just like the colorado.
i do have a question, however.... in the colorado, when you are selecting a cache, and you select
"go to cache", and you are using CN 2008 NT, you get turn by turn directions to the cache.
do the same thing on the oregon, and you just get a line of sight line going to the cache... how
can you get the oregon to give turn by turn directions like the colorado does?
FulThrotl
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i have a dumb question about the oregon....
i have City Navigator NA NT 2008 on a sd card,
(had to buy it that way as was unable to locate a
copy for the PC anywhere)
it works fine in the colorado, but alas, the card will
not fit into the oregon, so i copied all the data to
a micro card, installed it, and VOILA!!! nothing.
i get an error message that says cannot initialize map.
everything else works fine, but when i go to map setup
and try to get oregon to see the map on the sd card,
nothing is there....
any suggestions, anyone?
FulThrotl
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a small thought, but before y'all run off and play with
your new toy, it might be a good idea to back up the
coloregon, or oregado, in the odd chance that you
manage to kill the database on it... when i'm done
with that, and installing CN to the littlest 2 gig card
i've ever seen, then we'll see how it navigates,
infuriates, obtusificates, and perplexes.
yeah, i went and bought one.... strike that...
REI graciously lent me one to see if i like it,
and just required a CC number
as a security deposit....
first impressions? well, the purchase felt
just like it did when i bought the same album
on a CD that i had on tape.......
fulthrotl
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first off, this isn't a *specific* hardware issue,
and the reason i am posting it here instead of
the general off topic area is that people looking
here are often looking for information regarding
what to buy, where to buy, etc.
if you google the phrase "brooklyn camera scam"
you will get a wealth of information about scam
artists selling cameras principally, and electronics
in general from new york, specifically brooklyn and
surrounding areas...
bait & switch, CC fraud, the whole thing...
used stuff, broken stuff, empty boxes shipped, etc.
there is even a guy who has bicycled around and snapped
photos of these places, most of which look a bit worse than
your average crack house. sort of like geocaching, but looking
for disreputable internet companies instead of tupperware
yeah, everyone needs a hobby.... here is a link to his stuff...
take a peek and you'll see what i mean...
http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/
anyway, before buying online, be very cautious with your
credit card information... paypal offers a one time CC
number that is linked to your paypal account, and it is only
good for the day it is issued for one purchase only...
it's not a bad idea to consider using something like this..
it's inconvenient, but then so is CC fraud on your account... :-(
anyway, hope this saves someone some grief in their online
selection process....
FulThrotl
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With the latest software you can expect to get 8-12 hrs of operation if you use good quality (>2500mAh NiMH) or Lithium batteries. From my experience battery life is not nearly as good with Alkaline batteries.
The Colorado position error is still the biggest issue in my opinion. It happened to me again yesterday while out caching. I happened to notice it (GPS accuracy > 50') so a power cycle took care of it. It is not always obvious when it is happening, but GPS accuracy is a pretty good indicator of the problem, if I see it more than 30' then I usually power cycle the unit.
It is still hard for me to recommend the Colorado because of the position error issue and the number of people who still seem to be getting units with hardware problems (ie. frequent resets and freezes, USB failures, bad Rock'n'Rollers, etc). If you go into it assuming you might have to swap a unit or two to get around the hardware problems, you can live with the position error problem and you are a geocacher who really wants the paperless caching features then the Colorado is a good choice.
GO$Rs
ok... i've been using the colorado for a little while now.... read all the stuff on here before i bought
one, and bought it anyway. paid a bit more at REI than i'd of paid buying it online, but if i have a
problem with it, REI is a mile away, and they'll exchange it, so that was worth the additional cost to
me. i *would not* buy one online. some people have had to go thru 3 or 4 of the suckers to get a
good one. how much frustration is $40 bucks saved worth?
my initial thought on battery life have met the test of time, and while it seemed to be ok on battery
life, upon reflection, the alkiline battery life sucks. it'll burn out in 4 hours or so. maybe lithium cells
would be better, but i've just come to the conclusion that i need to put fresh batteries in before i go
play with it, or bring a change of batteries with me.
or both.
truth be told, i am not thrifty on my backlight settings. that's my part in it, i accept it's a good size
screen, and backlight is gonna do the electron suck. costco sells batteries cheaply.
putting it in perspective, compared to the cost of fuel driving around geocaching, it's a bargain. :-(
if i'm having a cow over 39 cents worth of battery loss, i obviously haven't filled my gas tank lately.
it's a good day when you can find diesel fuel for the work truck around here for under $5.00 a gallon.
as for the accuracy, it varies, but some of that is trees and whatnot. it'll jump from saying one distance
to saying another, and hunt around. it's usually pretty good, however. as i am new to this hobby,
i have no experience to compare it to.
it's a hand held device, that has commercial constraints. if we look at a lietz total station, used in
survey work, they will resolve to a quarter of an inch or so..... it's amazing. it's also 30 pounds,
and takes 5-10 minutes to resolve that closely.... it also is $35,000 US. how accurate can you
afford to be?
i'd say buy one, from someplace like REI, and use it for a blit, and if you don't like it,
bring it back for your refund. quality control on them seems a bit spotty, based on what
i've read, but i'd say if you get a good one, you'll be happy... just my opinion.
FulThrotl
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yup... that's the one i was looking for.... tnx....
FulThrotl
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i had seen some references made in one of the forums to a
good mount for a colorado.... but i cannot find them now.. :-(
i don't have a problem with modifying a dash mount, but i'd like
the holder to be secure and easily removable.... well, duh, yeah...
the "bicycle mount" from garmin looks pretty cheesy.... anybody
using anything better? it's gonna go on my motorcycle....
thanks for the help...
FulThrotl
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Hi Gang,
I've been an occasional lurker on here for a while but now I think it's time to bite the bullet and buy a GPS. I'm a total newbie when it comes to the various manufacturers and receiver models so hopefully some of you will volunteer to impart some of your wisdom to me.
I'm ideally looking for a portable hand-held I can use while guiding or hunting in the Canadian wilderness. I've heard some of the garmin units come loaded with topo maps at 1:20,000 and 1:50,000. These would be excellent.
Secondly, I would like the same unit to be mounted on my motorcycle and possibly have an earplug out for voice directions. This is a "want" more than a "need".
Hopefuly the unit would be semi-weatherproof.
A salesman at the local hiking shop mentioned that Garmin CX or CSX series would suit me well. Any other recommendations?
Thank you for your responses!
Jody
i'm assuming you want to go caching as well... it's pricy, but the garmin colorado with the NT mapset
loaded additionally works pretty well... it doesn't have voice output, but it's pretty good all around...
it'll do turn by turn's excellently, and if you are caching, it'll give you turn by turns to the cache, at
least until you run out of roads..... the US mapset is excellent for POI's.
garmin makes some higher end units specifically for motorcycling, but they get a bit pricy....
the gps accessory that i'm having trouble justifiying is a 1 liter KTM gps mobility device :-).......
FulThrotl
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Does anyone know how long it takes for a subscription to be activated?
Thanks in advance.
took me about a minute and a half, after i pushed the "Pay" button.....
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I noticed a new Directions From My Home link on the cache page.
OK, I may be blind. Where is it? (What is it near?) I just can't find it.
try looking here:
N 33° 43.350 W 118° 00.104
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I think my point here is being missed. I understand the idea of logging a find on a cache you have adopted. That's not my issue. Here's the issue I have.
I go out and hide a new cache called "Zor's Cool Cache". It is a brand new cache hidden today (June 4th, 2008). I fill out the online form and submit it for review. The reviewer approves and then publishes the cache. I then go to my public cache listing page, click Log It, and log a find on the cache. I now have increased my finds by +1 but didn't actually FIND a cache. I hid one.
I do not think that users should be able to log a NEW find on a cache if they are its owner.
In the case of adopting, you would have logged the find long BEFORE you were the owner. That's fine. You should not be able to log a find on a cache you are NOW owner of.
i could be mistaken..... but i believe this is a game, and it's sorta like cheating at solitaire.....
also, in a good hour, i can find more caches than i can create, hide, record, etc. in an hour.
if someone wants to claim caches that they placed as "found", it just means i can have more
caches to look for..... it's not like it gives them the privelege of riding by themselves in the
carpool lane, or going backstage at the rolling stones concert, etc.
it's sorta like the guy at an AA meeting talking about being two years sober, and you can
smell beer on his breath..... strictly speaking, it's none of my buisness what he does,
and "to thine own self be true" is the operative thought here.....
FulThrotl
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Hello all!
Just a couple quick questions. We havent done any caching quite yet, we had a Magellan explorist? for a few days this winter , but took it back to do some more research (like we SHOULD have done first lol)
We are looking at the Colorado 400t for geocaching and am wondering what and how many maps we might have to purchase to go with this unit?
We are just going to be using it for mountain/trails, some (small) town caching. We dont need lakes, turn by turn for driving etc.
I have asked some of the local stores but cant seem to get an answer that I can understand about what I might need to buy in order to use it straight away for geocaching in and around my area.
I new the cheapie I bought had a "base map"? when I bought it, but it was really lame. It showed the Columbia river and 2 major highways, that was it.
Now I now I could have spent another $50 or so for the map software for it, but was worried about how little detail it might give.
So anyway, IF we buy the Colorado 400t for fairley local land geocaching are the maps that come with going to show more detail than 2 major highways? or do you just have to plan on buying more maps/software no matter what gpsr unit you buy?
Thanks
Sammy
if you buy the 400t, you really don't need any additional maps.... if you wish
to have VERY accurate street maps, and poi's, you can add the streets NT maps,
and the database of roads and poi's is better than on my indash gps in my car.
pulling into san jose airport, my indash unit had SJ airport, and my handheld
had all the separate terminals......
you can add higher resolution topo maps, but i cannot imagine why you'd need them
for geocaching....
FulThrotl
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got this yesterday and took it out for a night geocache last night. Lets just say this is brighter on the low setting then most headlamps I have seen on high. This really does light up the night. I'm sure the batteries might not last as long as some others but thats ok with me considering how bright it is. The proplem I have with most headlamps is they give off enough light to ruin your night vision but not enough for you to really see more then a step or two down the trail.
take a peek at the sten headlamp.
http://www.pbase.com/darklightimagery/image/50871932
it's made for spelunking or caving.... here's a link to it, and every other headlamp made.
it honestly doesn't get a whole lot better than this. it's not cheap, either....
but it'll run for 8 hours on high, and 4 days on low... it kicks the energizer bunny's
butt.... 4 brightness levels, etc... it's made for a hardhat mounting, but they have
a headstrap available as well as a 9 volt adaptor instead of the Li/Ion rechargable....
can mount it on the mountain bike as well.......
FulThrotl
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/stenlight_s7.htm
flashlightreviews.com is a pretty comprehensive site for flashlights and headlights.
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Speaking of wilderness survival, I found two video "how to's" that I wanted to share with everyone. The first video is a homemade candle that imitates the "never blow out" party candles.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/596969/make_..._cant_blow_out/
The second video is how to make your own thermite. I think this would burn even the wettest tinder.
i'd be a bit cautious about that one.... there is a product commercially available, trade name
of cadweld, made by erico, that is used for thermite welding of copper cables. it'll take two
1" diameter stranded copper cables, and fuse them by melting them completely,
in about 1.5 seconds. copper melts at about 2,000 degrees, and this stuff goes to 2,500 degrees
or so, instantly. the mold used to form the cadweld connection is made from a block of
graphite, as that is the only material that can contain the heat. the stuff is available in #150 size
(about an once in volume, 4 oz in weight) for about $8. a spark ignites it. the material comes
in a plastic tube, and after you pour it out, there is a starter powder in the bottom of the
tube you pour on top to ignite it. it will set ANYTHING on fire, instantly.
now comes the caution... the stuff reacts VIOLENTLY to moisture. i've been using it for 30
years, and once had stranded cables that had mosture in them i hadn't removed
completely. after i fired the shot, there was a sound like an old style coffee percolator
as the water in the mold flashed to steam, and then the contents of the mold erupts in a
flaming fountain about 4 feet high... did i mention that this occurs about 2 seconds after
your hand was right next to it? and eight ounces of this will burn thru a cast iron cylinder block?
and it's just like thermite?
as the saying goes.... don't try this at home, kids.
FulThrotl
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I'm thinking about getting a 406 mHz Personal Locater Beacon. Does anyone have any experience with these? Any recommendations? I've also seen the SPOT Sattelite Personal Messenger. Any thoughts about using one of these, rather than a 406 mHz PLB? Thanks.
well, for what it's worth, i bought the spot, as it makes for an easy way for people to track you.
you can set up a link to a web page, and anyone you give the link to can view where you are
at. you can set it to track your progress, as well as call for non emergency assistance, and
the 911 disaster button is always there... it's brightly colored, and i went to home depot and
got a klein large cellphone holster which holds the unit nicely, and is nondescript.
so someone always knows where i'm at, and if i don't show up, they know were to look....
if there are a string of way points on a map... well, let's start looking near the last one, vern...
leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, and all...
sensitivity could be better. the unit sends three pulses for each geo position fix, so one of them
is likely to get thru. turn the puppy on in tracking mode when you leave for the day, and leave it
run.
a regular beacon is an all or nothing proposition. cause pushing the big red button out in the middle of nowhere can lead to a big recovery bill when the helecopter shows up, when all that happened is
a u joint broke on the 4 wheel drive.
i'd say it's a good solution, but if i was going to deepest BFE, especially outside the US, i'd buy
the big cahuna, as a 406 beacon will work everywhere. not so with the spot. however, most of
the 406 beacons have to deploy an antenna, and need a clear view of the sky to work, so you
are gonna have to crawl out from under that tree with a broken hip either way.... the difference is
that i can leave a trail of waypoints every 10 minutes all day long before i break down.... and
if i'm really hurt and can't deploy the thing, those breadcrumbs may prove important to me....
FulThrotl
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I'm going to reinforce the sentiment that education is the best tool. There's nothing more that looks like food than something running from a predator.
You can not outrun a bear and you can not outrun a cougar.
In the unlikely event that you do encounter a cougar, behave in a way that will convince the cougar that you are not prey, but a potential predator—or at least a formidable adversary. Potentially aggressive cougars have been driven away by people who make a ruckus and fight back. Here are steps to take to avoid a dangerous interaction:
Maintain eye contact at all times.
NEVER turn your back, run, act submissive, or play dead.
Pick up children without bending over or looking away.
Speak loudly and firmly, but not hysterically.
Throw rocks and sticks.
Use pepper spray.
If the cougar attacks, FIGHT while yelling and maintaining your footing
Bears require several different techniques depending on the situation which best described here and echoed across many other sites including USGS. Kodiak bears are known not to shy away when they hear bear bells. Brown Bears will charge you if they feel the slightest threatened. Sows with cubs are the most dangerous. If you use pepper spray, be sure to get out of the area fast. Bears, llike people, don't like it in their eyes, but they are still attracted to the spice and have been known to tear up float plane pontoons and other items when there was bear spray on it. In otherwords, don't use it like a bug repellant and spray it on yourself and your goods. Keep your distance when you spot one. Back away slowly and speak softly to them. Do not turn your back on them and do not look them in the eye.
The key thing I'll echo here is to be aware of your surroundings. They look all cute and warm and fuzzy, but they are still very dangerous creatures
I don't need bells everything should be able to hear me wheezing and coughing along the trail (especially uphill).
I heard that with a cougar you can try to make yourself look bigger by grabbing the hem of your (open) shirt or jacket and holding it up in the air over your head (not covering your head) with your arms out (making like a sail). Makes you look bigger.
One of the local sports/hunter writers said that Kodiak bears have come to associate a gun with food. When they hear a gun go off it's just like a dinner bell. They know a hunter has made a kill and they come running to see what's for dinner.
another strong reason for silencers... also, you don't annoy the neighbors that way.... :-)
however, i've spent a good deal of time in the woods, lot's of it on the kern plateau, and have
never crossed paths with a bear when i was on my dirtbike.... they hate the things, along
with many hikers, come to think of it... the closest i've ever been to a wild bear was about 12 feet,
and that was my fault, not the bear's... i was walking along like a total dipsnit, not paying any
attention whatsoever, and when i looked up, there he was, watching me... i made an immediate
left turn off the trail, climbed over a fallen tree, and headed back the way i'd came... the
critter was quite happy to let me go.
so, based on my experience, the safest way to navigate in the woods is on a loud, noisy dirt
bike... until the hunter you've pissed off shoots you off of it, anyway...
one early morning, while sleeping, offroading on big bear mountain, i had two 30 cal. holes put
thru the side of my van, about 2 feet above me. seems that there were 3 fellows communing
with nature a couple hundred yards away, and were shooting into a rock wash. i don't know if it
was a richochet, or not, as they were yahooing and having a grand old time, but *two* richochets
hitting the same target one right after the other seems like long odds to me.
about 10 years ago, i spent 6 weeks in louisiana, in a cabin in the bayous, with a 10' boat with
an outboard for the communte to the real world. the cabin owner made sure that i was properly
armed, for two reasons, the lesser of which was alligators. it was explained to me that if one
headed towards the boat, to shoot it, as a large gator can easily turn over a 10' aluminum
fishing boat, and you then become lunch. don't know if that's true or not, and only saw 3 gators
in 6 weeks when i was in the boat, as they don't like the outboard motor very much, and stay
out of your way. but the main reason was self protection from other people. "people disappear
out there, make sure you're not one of them" i was told.
the other time i was told to leave the canoli, take the gun, was canoing down the boca chitta
river in missisippi. the reason given was: "boy, this here's mississippi, not calif. everybody packs."
i guess he'd never been to south central LA...
anyway, paddling down the river, with hanging moss, and the guy in the front canoe playing
the soundtrack from "deliverance" on his tape player, it was abundantly clear that our biggest
risk came from other people with guns, and turning your canoe over in the rapids.
everybody had a gun. and everybody we met was polite, 'cause everyone had a gun... it's a
strange world.
so, it probably sounds like i hate guns. not the case. i've been shooting since i was 7, and
one of the things i really liked doing was long range accuracy shooting, with the 6mm PPC.
being able to hit animal crackers at 200 meters is fun. i always liked using the elephants from
the box, they were a little bigger. not many people can hit a dime two football fields away
10 times in a row without missing. i can, on a good day.
so, guns are ok, i don't care much for some of the people who carry them. and someone who's
afraid, and carrying a gun, is a formula for disaster.
better to look at the fear, instead.
my experience is that we tend to attract what we fear. that may sound like 2 scoops of
new age BS, but that doesn't make it untrue.
a friend of mine showed me how it works... he used to teach firewalking, and explained
the principles when he taught me how to firewalk.
as he put it... "it's not about firewalking. it's about learning how much fear controls your life".
my experience has been that you can walk barefoot, slowly, on oak coals, for about forty feet,
without feeling any heat, discomfort, or suffering any injury. the temperature of the coals was
about 650 degrees.
the only requirement is that you be in a mental state that is completely free from fear when you
do this.
however, back to the gun question.... i seldom go anywhere that i feel a gun is needed, but if
i do feel it's warranted, i bring one. that hasn't been the case in a long time.... if i really need
to bring a gun, it's probably either to defend myself against a frightened person with a gun,
or to bag my limit in animal crackers.
but i don't have much fear, either.
FulThrotl
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OK - here's an idea...
Whittle the PQ down to just the caches that you'd TYPICALLY like to find. My favorites style:
- Terrain between 1.5 and 3.5 (I know - can't do it through PQ, but I CAN limit it to less than 3.5)
- Difficulty between 1.0 and 3.0
- Traditional Caches (coords take me to spot)
- Regular or Large Sized
- Active (not disabled)
- I haven't Found
- I don't own
My perimeter around my house for these styles of caches is 28.1 miles for 497 caches. If I DIDN'T limit that data, and just looked at all of the non-archived caches within 28.1 miles of my home, I'd have 2,096. So about 23% of the caches are the ones that I think I'd enjoy just by their very nature.
Why not go out and find those 497 caches? Enjoy myself. Log them and then when I run out of caches in a 30 mile radius, I can extend my radius.
I looked on my own offline GSAK database, and found that I have about 942 caches that match the criteria above within 64.08 miles of my home. I could at any given moment run a PQ on the fly of those caches and go out and have a great day. Lather, rinse, repeat.
time to quit being a database adminsitrator, and just go look under a bush for a tupperware tubyeah, that's pretty much the conclusion i came to.... however, where i find myself on any given day
with regards to work usually is within 30 miles of my house, but can range anywhere between
santa barbara, and the mexican border, and up to 100 miles inland... so i wanted a large offline list
that my laptop could spit out a list of the close ones to where i am at that day, as broadband
access isn't always available.... i sometimes end up with dead time in the middle of my workday,
and this seems like a natural for a time filler.....
now, if my customers will leave me alone long enough to find some of these..... :-)
FulThrotl
- Terrain between 1.5 and 3.5 (I know - can't do it through PQ, but I CAN limit it to less than 3.5)
-
I go out to Southern California a few times per year. It always amazes me how many caches I have to choose from there.I tried the "date placed" idea for my area as I currently draw 9 PQs for my surrounding areas. Problem I ran into was that Geocaching really caught on in my area in 2005. Eleven months in 2004 produced 460
I hear ya. It's a mixed blessing. More caches are great, but it gets more difficult to keep track of them.
We're having a similar problem planning for GW6. There are just so many caches that we debated for awhile on how to pick what ones we wanted.
I've decided to stop trying to pick the ones I want to search for in advance. Sure, I still target extra special ones that are recommended to me, but mostly, I just create PQs for all of the caches that are in the area(s) that I will be visiting, less those that I know that I won't take the time to do. (For instance, I don't like to do puzzles or high terrain caches while traveling.) I dump the PQs into my laptop, which will live in the hotel, and into Plucker on my PDA. I also load all of the caches to my GPSr as POI.
This allows me to have lots of options. If I find that I have a little bit of time to look for a cache, I simply fire up the GPSr and PDA to see which of the nearby ones look interesting.
i've just had a reality check here, after reading numerous pleas for more pq's, pq sizes, raw data dumps
from the server, ad infinitum........
my first thought upon embarking in this hobby is that *they* should allow me to download all i want, etc.
just suck down everything within 500 miles, etc.... how convenient is that? i have a 30 mb net connection...
as they say, hook me up, dood.
*they* are doing all of us a favor in keeping us from stealing more chain than we can swim with... i did
a little test, with a few PQ's, to see how much data we are dealing with.... the answer is, a whole bunch.
i set ground zero as huntington beach, calif. (center of the known universe, of course)
i set the PQ size at 500 (of course)
i set the radius at 500 miles (a good days drive)
i filtered out everything but conventional caches, and eliminated micros, just to have something
big enough to put a geocoin in. that should trim the output, right? just active caches. nothing
exotic or wierd.... meat and potatoes, so to speak.
i started at 01/01/1998, and it took till 11/13/01 to amass 500 caches. almost 4 years.
the second PQ took 7 1/2 months to fill.
this month, may of 2008, a 500 hit PQ is filling up in 11 days, er, 10 days. 50 new caches per day.
that means, to have an offline mirror of *most* of the caches within a days drive of my house
would require i purchase an additional membership or so, every year, just to tread water.
and three memberships just to get current.....
as that line in the movie "blow" went..... "we need a bigger boat"
the hell with it... time to quit being a database adminsitrator, and just go look under a
bush for a tupperware tub.
FulThrotl
FS: 2009 City Navigator® North America NT
in GPS technology and devices
Posted
i believe it works with the 60cxx series as well...
it'll work with anything that uses a microSD size
chip. the size of that one is about 3/8" x 1/2"
randy