oakenwood
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Posts posted by oakenwood
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So some joker moved some of the headstones from the graveyard to the playground. Probably the same person who took the pictures.
You know you're a geocacher when you see it and think about caching.
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I lost my Garmin for real one time, but like tzipora, I put my name and number (and email address) on the startup screen.
A couple of weeks later, I got an email-- guess what they found?
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Monofilament line comes in various colors, which can affect the difficulty of the cache. Fluorescent purple is much easier to see than clear monofilament.
Also, being made of nylon, it will stretch when it gets wet. I don't know how far that could move a cache over time. It's just something to be aware of.
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In my experience, when epoxy doesn't cure well, it's not mixed enough. Give it a thorough mixing; it won't set that fast.
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Download .LOC files; edit them, adding enough info to go paperless; upload with GPSbabel.
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Mostly I just take water. If I bring food, I keep it simple. A navel orange is great.
If I want something more substantial, sardines and saltine crackers are good. Sometimes I make a sandwich, usually tuna salad.
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Ugh I grow tired of this. Some people have that "A Sound of Thunder" idea where if you step on a butterfly it'll destroy the Earth. Will breaking a branch kill a tree? Unlikely. Stepping on snails, grass, plants, ants or butterflies isn't going to kill mother nature. Animals (including humans) have been making paths longer than any of us can imagine and nature does alright. Worry about the Oil in the Gulf or burning down rainforests. If a geocacher burns down a forest to get to a cache, then people can complain.
Witness the awesome power of the
.edit-- okay, it's a little off-topic, but I couldn't resist injecting a little humor.
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Found this guy while scouting out new cache locations. I know it's a guy because male box turtles have red eyes. Females have brown eyes.
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Especially since some geocachers are more about the numbers, rather than the scenic tours, is there anything we can do about this?
Place lamp post micros?
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Panasonic has a compact DMC-TS1 http://gizmodo.com/5139949/waterproof-pana...digital-cameras and a TS2. They are waterproof, shockproof and dust-proof. They look good for our purposes as they are designed for rugged outdoor use.
I think I'm in love... with a camera! That is just what I'm looking for.
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I totally recommend the Canon Powershot cameras, the Image Stabilization really improved quality of all my point and shoot shots over previous cameras. I stuff an a570 in my geobag or even pocket and try to take time to shoot...glad that if it goes missing it can be replaced for around $100
Also recently I found you can install some opensource software on a chip and get advanced DSLR like function from your Canon point and Shoot (check before you buy a new camera, not all models are supported)
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK
I did this and now can play with features like bracketing, HDR and remote control
My current caching camera is a PowerShot A590 IS. It's not a bad all-around camera, and I have experimented with CHDK. Thing is, it's neither fish nor fowl for a geocaching camera. It's not as portable as an Ixus, and lacks the picture quality of an EOS. It's too complicated for a point-and-shoot, but lacks high-end features (some of which CHDK can provide.)
My own thinking along these lines is that I want a small camera that's weatherproof (it doesn't have to be waterproof to 15 meters), easy to set up and operate (like a point-and-shoot), and offers good picture quality.
With the 590, I ignore the bulk, try to keep it dry, use Program mode with as many automatic settings as I can, and get close to my subjects. Sometimes they get spooked and fly or run away. Fortunately, trees can't run.
So I guess I'm looking for a weatherproof Ixus/Exilim/Coolpix. Anyone have any experience with those?
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I love to take photos while caching. I'm thinking about getting a new one, with caching in mind.
What qualities do you think make a good caching camera? What camera should I get?
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I had my cache stolen/muggled/put back improperly/urinated in.
Let's discuss GPS accuracy.
I'm not clear on the whole FTF thing.
What's the best cache you've ever found?
What's the best cache container you've ever found?
Another thread about bug repellent and/or poison ivy.
I need help with a puzzle cache.
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I haven't dumpster dived since I lived in a college town. At the end of Spring semester, the campus dumpsters would fill with rugs and furniture. I and various friends would go scrounging. We'd usually wind up giving most of it away. I remember having a pile of rolled-up rugs on the front porch all summer. We'd be sitting on the porch offering them to passersby: "You want a rug? Perfectly good rugs. Take a rug, any rug."
What's it got to do with caching? I have no idea.
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Poison ivy? I sure have. It looked like this:
I had a couple bad patches on my legs, too. It was hell on earth for about a week. There are few things quite as satisfying as scratching a poison ivy itch, but then it makes the itch even worse. It's evil. I had a tube of Band-Aid anti-itch gel lying around (it's got camphor in it) and used up the whole thing.
Stinging nettles? I hit them all the time. They don't bother me much. They're more like "itching nettles" to me. The itch is very mild compared to PI, and goes away after a few hours.
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Looks great-- so far. It's not yet in orbit, but I think the hard part is done.
I got a kick out of the ULA animation after main engine shutdown. "What continent is that?"
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Interesting that this question should come up now. I just asked myself a question along those lines. I'm planning a series of caches that I'll be placing during the summer.
Originally, I intended a set of puzzle caches. I've changed it to a set based around the local flora and fauna. My first is dedicated to the Box Turtle-- it's awaiting approval from the Park Police right now.
I decided that I'd rather have a bunch of finds than just a few. Here's my logic: This area has too few caches, and too few cachers. I figure that with more caches and more finds, at some point, it achieves "critical mass" and the popularity takes off. It's like a path through the woods. Someone has to start it, but once it's established, everybody uses it.
So my aim is to create more caches and more finds. The puzzles will have to wait.
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TBDTGTTS: even urbandictionary doesn't have it.
That's because dang thieves got to take swag?
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I just remembered: thanks to Chrysalides for posting the Saturn V video link. That was cool.
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These launch delays are killing me. Last night they got down to seven seconds to go and aborted just before lighting the engines. They'll try again on Thursday. BTW, here's my favorite site for space flight info.
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(deleted post-- I meant to put it in the other thread.)
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I also have the problem of unfound caches getting farther and farther away. I guess we all do, unless there are lots of new caches being published in your area.
I also don't seek urban micros, so that cuts my available caches about in half. These days, I like to pick a nearby park and map out its caches. Then I'll spend hours there and get a bunch of finds. My other method is to plan a route, usually a loop. Sometimes I'll run out for just one if it's nearby.
So it's irregular, but generally at least once a week.
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If the accuracy gets too good, it'll take the fun out of the search. "Let's see-- it should be within three feet of here. Maybe it's this stump... bingo!"
GPS units would need to have a "Geocacher" setting that would fuzz up the coordinates. You could choose between "Normal", "pre-Block IIF", and "differential-free", with or without WAAS.
Geocahing in the news, sort of...
in General geocaching topics
Posted
You know you're getting popular when bloggers make reference to your pastime.
For instance: Wonkette.
Never mind the politics. I like the in-joke geocaching reference.