azog

quote:Originally posted by The Alpha Operator:Last week when caching in a woodland area (public) in New York, I came across the most feared words in Geocaching: "POOR GPS COVERAGE" I realized that I had wandered off the path, and was not exactly sure how to reach the trail! Well, with a little dead-reckoning I managed to make it back safely. (Fortunately this was a small park- I would have reached a road after wandering less then a mile or so.) So, anyone else ever make a blunder like this? That's a common occurance for me. Sometimes I amaze myself that I don't end up on a milk carton. I consider myself a dunderhead. ---------- "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

quote:Originally posted by Web-ling:I'd love to have benchmarks added to pocket queries. Ditto! ---------- "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

Wow, you guys rock. The one benchmark I found today, kv4908 was recovered in 1991, and the recovery does indeed state that some of the landmarks are destroyed. I think that the stone was also moved, but that may just be that I am still wet behind the ears. Thanks for all the info. ---------- "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

I was hunting a cache today, fairly deep in some wetlands protected area. There were no other people around. At about 0.12mi from the cache, I heard an extremely strange series of howling sounds. It sounded like a pack of dogs. Lots of dogs. Angry dogs. There'd be no domestic dogs in the area where I was, unless it was from another cacher. If that was the case, it would have come from either behind me (the only way in) or directly in front of me (the only way out). I did not run into anyone during my search in. I have no idea if coyotes are in NJ, nor what they would sound like. I stopped in my tracks, and listened for about five minutes (yes, they howled about that long). Since I was already over a mile in from my car and _so close_ (after a spectacular failure two days prior), I wasn't going to turn around. I just looked to find the most climbable tree, just in case. I also have a fairly stout (and natural) walking stick. I sat down for maybe 10 minutes after the howling stopped, and then finally continued on. I didn't run into anyone on the way out, either. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

I'd avoid Microsoft PocketPC. This is simply my personal opinion. I went from a Palm III, to a Casio Cassiopeia EM-500 PocketPC, to an IPAQ 3650 PocketPC, to an HP J567 PocketPC, and now back to a Sony CLIE Palm. If you have a PocketPC, you can only sync with Microsoft Windows or MAC. Some of us use open-source operating systems. The screen resolution on the Sony CLIEs are twice that of any Palms on the market, and are trans-reflective displays, which means you can read the screen in ANY light condition. The PEG-T615C is being reduced in favor of the 655C, and can be had at a lower price than the 655C. Besides that, it's smaller than any PocketPC or Palm on the market today. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

Personally, I like the way the link for MapQuest maps work when you are on the cache detail page. If you click the MapQuest link, it opens a new window with the map. Can it be considered to add that behaviour to the benchmark maps MapQuest link? Thanks. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

Ok, so still in my quest to find and/or understand benchmark hunting (in various ways it is more difficult than geocaching!), I'm wondering what a range finder is, and where I might get one? I've seen reference to them at least twice. Quick googles show me both photography and golf devices. I found my second ever benchmark today (yay!), but was put off again by distance measurements. Unfortunately for me, the co-ordinates given were accurate, but I didn't believe it! I started to try to measure distances from the given landmarks. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

I'm not overly worried. I spray myself with repellant as best I can, and I always try to wear a long sleeve shirt. West Nile isn't going to stop me. Neither is Lyme. I did get eaten by a deer tick a few weeks back. I did the responsible thing, and went to the doctor. He gave me a week of antibiotic, Just In Case. But I still cache. I'm taking a brief break right now, just because I haven't cleaned my house in over a month! With all hardwood floors in my house, it's gotta be done once a week. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

We ran into another group only once. I don't know if we were welcome. We were in the middle of our hunt when a couple came along, each with a GPS unit. They actually made the find, which was a good thing, as the coordinates were about 100 feet off. I think I ran into someone just recently. Parking for this cache was tricky. I chose a spot which placed me within a couple hundred feet of the cache. The tricky parking would almost ensure that any other cars would be another cacher. As I was getting into my car to leave, a car pulled behind me, looked at me, and pulled out very very slowly. The cache was logged by someone else that same day, after I left. Perhaps it was them? "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

I've noticed a few times that people will post a link directly to a specific cache log. Rather than saying "look for log from so-and-so on such-and-such". This way, only the log of particular interest will show. How does one do this? "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

Does cloud cover affect reception? "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

Frownies on my "My Cache Page" are just as important as the smilies. They're like battle scars, proudly displayed. Too bad there's no way to search others no-finds, rather than just the finds (hint to the admins). "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

After talking with a friend of mine about hiding caches, the idea of an encrypted multi-cache came up. This would be something more challenging and difficult than a simple substitution cipher, like the rot13 used here, or your newspapers daily cryptograms. But he's of the opinion that with anything more difficult simple substitutions, people won't bother. I don't know. A sample can be given. Another idea I have is to have a two-part cache, where the second container would be locked with a combo padlock, and the first container would provide coordinates and the combo. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

I never considered all that. It seemed like such a perfect device! What would be a good way to make accurate measurements? I didn't like draping a rolling tape measure across the road. It was just unwieldly, and was only a 12' measure. I'm thinking that measurement is the best way to go, once I can get the landmarks identified. Don't rely on the GPS readouts. I figure the people who placed these are surveyors and must have a high accuracy to begin with. Why am I bothering so much? So far, one out of four benchmarks I looked for I have found. Another one is just like this one, and the fourth seems to be under ground-cover. But accurate measuring would enable me to at least know I was near, or several feet off. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

Probably for the same reason some people like to destroy caches, if gives them a feeling of power? Honestly, I don't know why anyone would do so, other than to articifially bloat the numbers so they can be "macho" about finding more than you. Apperently there was several incidents of phoney cachers logging finds, to create a sense of persona. But it's fairly easy to verify. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

Probably for the same reason some people like to destroy caches, if gives them a feeling of power? Honestly, I don't know why anyone would do so, other than to articifially bloat the numbers so they can be "macho" about finding more than you. Apperently there was several incidents of phoney cachers logging finds, to create a sense of persona. But it's fairly easy to verify. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

I repair and tune pipe organs. It's fun to say I'm going "to do organ job". I'm also an amatuer linguist, with a real focus on Anglo-Saxon. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

quote:Originally posted by BrianSnat:I've been Geocaching for almost a year. I have over 40 finds and over two dozen hides. I think I can offer great advice, so why is it that nobody takes me seriously in these forums? Edited, I changed my mind. I have nothing original to say... "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

I'm actually thinking about getting one of those walking measuring wheels. Home Despot seems to sell them. Most of these benchmarks seem to detail local landmarks, and I suspect the wheel will help me pin it down. I had a hard time wrestling with a measuring tape across the road... quote:Originally posted by novato-joe:I have discovered 2 or more survey markers while hiking. I log their location in my dairy. I have looked them up @ the benchmark page and only found one listed, so I assume the others are county or regional. Also how do I go about registering my finds? I can't find a place to list my finds!! If you mean "official" registry, try: http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/FORMS_PROCESSING-cgi-bin/recvy_entry_www.prl "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

I'm actually thinking about getting one of those walking measuring wheels. Home Despot seems to sell them. Most of these benchmarks seem to detail local landmarks, and I suspect the wheel will help me pin it down. I had a hard time wrestling with a measuring tape across the road... quote:Originally posted by novato-joe:I have discovered 2 or more survey markers while hiking. I log their location in my dairy. I have looked them up @ the benchmark page and only found one listed, so I assume the others are county or regional. Also how do I go about registering my finds? I can't find a place to list my finds!! If you mean "official" registry, try: http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/FORMS_PROCESSING-cgi-bin/recvy_entry_www.prl "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

Well, I went back to this particular one today, but did not have anymore luck than my previous visit. I had a tape measure with me, so I could mark out the landmarks given, and I suspect I was also standing right on top of it. I have a walking stick in my car, so I used that as a probe. More like tapping on the ground. There is some grass in the area, but where my indications lead me, it was fairly hardpacked dirt and gravel. Probably overflow from when the road was paved. Of course, I realize that the coordinates given may not be correct, so I did extend my search outwards from my suspected ground-zero point. I'm still gonna log it as a "not found", tho, and upload the pix which I took. There is another marker just up the road from this one, the same description is given (a round concrete post, 0.33ft underground). I'll see if I can make headway with that. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

Some of the benchmarks near me state that they're on a round concrete post, 0.33ft (4 inches) below ground (see KV6562 for example). It's really close to my house, and I'm well aquainted with the road. I didn't even need the GPSr. When I arrived, I found all the landmarks specified, but did not find the benchmark. Nothing's changed in this area since 1993, the last recovery. As a side-note: the topomaps for this area are ~30 years outdated. They show an airport, but that was blocked in the '60s. I realize the USGS doesn't have unlimited resources, I just find it mildly humorous. "Wan't" and "differen't" are not words.

I probably wouldn't visit a cache which made me send a verification "password". I have a bad enough memory, now I need to remember to write down the password to gain credit for the cache? Besides, I'm gonna agree with Rubbertoe. If someone wants to bloat their own numbers for whatever cheap thrill it gives them, well, that's between the faker and their own conscience. When a hider does cache maintainence, it would be fairly easy to take the logbook and compare it with the weblogs, or at least count them. The logbook will have higher logs than the weblogs. The weblogs should never have more logs than the paper trail. Don't owners have delete abilities?

Woohoo, thanks!

I've recently started to keep a paper logbook. It's very simple. All it has is the name, date, type, found/not found, and swaps. All very brief. I have been signing the cache's logbooks even more brief. Any interesting comments I tend to log on the cache's webpage.