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AJK

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Posts posted by AJK

  1. Meghan went missing on the 27th March. From the Albany area, her car was found in Lee, MA, close to these geocaches: https://www.geocaching.com/play/map?lat=42.2869&lng=-73.2794&zoom=17&asc=true&sort=distance&st=lee%2C+ma&oid=-1&ot=query

    At least one report indicates that it is thought she was geocaching. There are no other caches that she would likely go after without driving elsewhere. Drone, helicopter, dog teams have failed to find her. Just throwing it out there just in case. Her username here is not known. 

    Any info: https://findmeghanmarohn.com/

  2. Cache in need of Adoption:

     

    Babe Ruth's Piano

     

    This is a classic cache, enjoyed by many who have found it. I asked for it to be switched to me when the prior owner did not respond to emails for maintenance. Unfortunately I haven't been much better - new additions to the family have slowed my ability to take the care needed.

     

    The tag with the coordinates of the final often go missing - I don't know if squirrels take it or what.

     

    Please would someone in the Sudbury/Maynard/Stowe area please adopt this great cache.

     

    Thanks, AJK.

  3. Okay, here's something I think is really cool - interactive google maps, right on the cache page - as per:

     

    bbf85b00-667e-4954-9766-1f9f0cc36c2e.jpg

     

    You can scroll, zoom, change one of the panes to satellite view. Once installed it automatically strips the lat long info out and places a pushpin on the map at the top of the page.

     

    How do you get this wonderous feature??

     

    1. Use firefox as a browser

    2. Install the (greasemonkey software that "lets you to add bits of DHTML ("user scripts") to any web page to change its behavior"

    3. Install the greasemap addin

     

    Voila, automatic maps on the cache page. I (and probably others) asked the author to add the ability to parse the geocaching pages. He was good enough to oblige.

  4. Very strange. I have no other reports of problems in this area so I am at a loss to understand what the issue is.

     

    Could it be an authority problem?

     

    Zip files should not be a problem, but perhaps a firewall or virus scanner is playing some part here.

     

    Try sending some non zipped attachments to yourself and see if they come down.

    Should not be an authority issue (windowsXP and administrator). I'm ashamed to to say the laptop is so old that it cannot cope with a virus checker/firewall as well as XP...

     

    I will try some new pocket queries..

  5. Hmm, if you see the % bar and the status of the message goes red, then everything sounds like it is working.

     

    To track down the problem, try doing the GetMail and Load GPX into GSAK as two separate steps.

     

    So try un checking the "load" option, then check to see if the attachments are in your designated folder (perhaps your default "GPX" load settings have the "delete file" option.

    Nope, still no files, considering the size of the attachments (600k+), the scroll bar seems to go very quickly, even on my connection. I tried changing file location - no change either.

     

    The emails have the files in zip format - I don't suppose that makes any difference?

     

    Thanks, AJK

  6. If the coordinates on the page match the first container, and you don't need anymore information to get to the others (apart from possibly being able to cut short your walk if you're clued in), then I would say it's a multi. If you can't solve the next coordinates without working out a code, or needing extra information, it's a puzzle.

  7. Okay, can't get the email thing to work. It connects to the pop server (gmail), scans headers, some of them go red, there is a status bar that runs up to 100% a couple of times, but there are no GPX/ZIP files in my designated folders, and no new info in the database.

     

    The emails do have zip attachments of 500K plus.

     

    Anyone else??

     

    Nice feature, btw!

  8. I would say: If the coordinates for the next waypoint can be found at the current waypoint (even if you have to do simple math, watch a movie, etc.) then it's a multi. If you have to do research or math that is not possible at the current waypoint, it's a puzzle.

     

    See this cache. There are questions to answer, but they can all be found at the first waypoint - it's correctly labeled as a multi.

     

    Compare to this where the first coordinates are the parking lot, and there is no information here that can help you find the second waypoint. The cache is improperly labeled as a traditional - it should be a puzzle.

  9. I am forming a geosense that will steer me away from lampposts, Walmarts, caches near homeless camps, etc.

     

    I will search for micros, if well hidden, either in a nice urban setting (usually downtown), or in the desert (good signals, plus few non-obvious hiding places for ammo boxes make micros fun)

     

    I rarely search for virtuals, but will log them if they are on my closest list, or in an extra special place (Grand Canyon)

     

    I have only one locationless (mostly to get the icon on my finds page...)

     

    I have found enough caches now that it is begining to frustrate me that there are so many caches in (what I consider to be) horrible places.

  10. It's been discussed before, but I'd like to have a PQ that only contains caches with new logs, notes, etc., but none where nothing has changed from the prior PQ. This cannot be done yet.

     

    Presumably it would require a time stamp to be updated each time a log, or anything else occurs on the cache page. Then compare this date with the prior PQ date.

  11. This system seems to be the best (IMHO), and is the one that Groundspeak seems to have given an indication that they will adopt.

     

    This system avoids the problem of (perceived) insulting of people if a cache is rated low. It just will not get a gold star.

  12. Here are some things that may be useful:

     

    • There is almost always a clue to the cipher, either in the title or in the description. Often it can be one word that reveals the encryption method.
    • Google is your friend. Many ciphers that are not new. You can sometimes find the codebook.
    • Even if the cipher does not have an explicit codebook, the cipher is often well known. For example, lookup on google: substituition cipher, caesars box, vignere. There are others of course. Websites will give you clues on how to crack these.
    • Look at the cipher - does it look strange (punctuation, number of letters in each block). Also, do the letter frequencies 'look' normal. Consider this text:
       
      CIEFH OUIIO ROOTO ADTLN TANNH UVEWL TOIGS EREDH BOTLR YCCTT EENHL AOOIO ORGEE ITUDP BFEOI LSUBE HEIYI SATLR AEDNO NTSEA OLRED UGOTD TKLSC OWHGT
       
      The frequency of each letter seems to match approximately that in the english language, there is not a plethora of z's and q's. By chance there are even some 'words' in the encypted text This is a hint that the letters represent themselves (an e is an e) and that the cipher just needs a rearrangement of the letters.
       
      Compare this to:
       
      TQB S QBSPAE BKDFKB RL CFKN REB WBIIBQIBY RPSFIQ KBRWLPHMPFKR LTR REB JSM DL ALT KRBP AILAHWFQB
       
      where there are too many q's. This is a hint that an e is not an e.
    • Finally, some ciphers are ingenious, and need special tools to crack them (tb's with a codeword on them, software from the web, and some just thought and time

    That's a starter. The ciphers are from puzzle caches in my area, so please do not provide the clear text in the forum, should you be inclined to solve them.

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