burtsbodgers

thanks everyone, you have given me some ideas. Although HTC i am not sure about, my daughter has been plagued with issues with hers. I will avoid the windows from whats been said, and samsung seems to be the way to go.

Hi All Its been a while since i have had the time to get on here! Had a search but gleaned little, so here goes. Although i have a good gps, i am looking for a new mobile, not top end and i don't like apples. Could anyone recommend an android or windows phone with a decent gps receiver? Currently using a LGp350 with a signal lock taking anywhere from 45.minutes to a day or more. This is not to be used full time, but work often takes me places where there could be a cache just around the corner, often with little or no notice as to the destination. So a mobile seems to be the way to go. Any help gratefully received. Burtsbodgers

Hi All At long last i have been able to take the plunge and get a new phone, a LG Optimus running Android. I have an Oregon 300 which is great, but this new addition will hopefully help on holidays and on the fly caching expeditions. It has a built in GPS. So the question is... What do i need in the way of apps, preferably free (times are hard)to help with caching. which to display Memory maps which to hold and show GPX pocket queries and which to do the paperless bit off line. All help will be much appreciated. And as for the Android section of the forums what is that all about! there is nowhere to ask a question, so i thought the UK bit is best as i am here.

Congratulations on 20,000+ surely though you could spare some time and update your profile page! with a slug total

Sorry if this has been said, i haven't read all the postings. This surely is when you log the cache "why oh why is it here" or "thanks for another pointless cache" etc etc.... The only way a cache setter will learn to improve is by the feed back they get through the logs. If cachers just leave blank logs or just TFTC, they may think they are doing a good job. It also comes down to the caches that they have found themselves, all cachers and setters must lead by example. Fortunately the new Favourites system could help, particularly if you could filter out all those caches with 0 votes, but i dont think that it will make much difference. One way to look at it though, is just how much better the good ones will seem!

Hi I assume you have set the notifications up? If not look down the RHS of your profile/ home page and set one up, you will need to set one up for all the different types of caches you want notifications on. If this is not the case i assume none have been published in the radius set. I have noticed from time to time that the service can be patchy but it normally gets going again. Oh and check they are not being junked by your email setup. Hope this helps

This was at http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=beb34941-8753-434c-b5c8-ce20779a7085# it took a while but we found the magnetic nano! And here is a really old relic with the cache

Here's a bridge we tried to cross a while ago. Sums up winter caching really! Yes that is a bridge... Yes i know water is supposed to flow under it! Trying to get to GC1ZVE1

I have had mixed results with cheap and expensive boots. As i sit here typing i am wearing £14 boots from millets, which are worn with what i would call thin dress socks. These are my workwear boots bought to wear at work to keep my feet warm over winter which they have worked well for. The only times they have let me down is on the cycle to and from work when it has been pouring down with rain as they are not that waterproof. These are Millets own brand. however i also own a pair of Beghaus Explorer light Goretex and these are brilliant. Once again only ever worn with light dress socks, These have kept my feet worm and dry ever since i brought them. I have worn them on many camps and expeditions in some of the worst conditions imaginable. The only time i had wet feet in them was when i was on a camp and it rained for so long that my waterproofs failed and the water was getting in by running down my legs and filled the boots up. Both pairs have been worn for periods in excess of 10 hours at a time, but if its wet its the berghaus for me everytime. Oh i have not had a blister for more than 20 years, walks of 15 - 20 miles not uncommon.

Hi not done birdseye images but i have done their birdseye map, which is very good £19.99 buys 600km2 off 1:25000 ordinance survey maps which in my opinion is better than having a satellite image. you can choose the area to download, and combined with the talky toaster maps will give you excellent coverage.

All cache sizes have their merits. I have hidden 62 caches in my time so far and only 10 are nano's. i tend to reverse engineer my nanos as all bar one are in disguise, i turn them into other things that look more natural or humorous. I then name them and then i work out possible hide locations. Out of all my caches it is my Nano's that have the highest favourite votes, so not everyone hates them.

Thought somebody lost something so left

Couldn't agree more. Caches should be placed where there is something of interest to other cachers. However some people like them and use them to get their numbers up, and each to there own. If you do not like them then don't look for them, if every one ignored them they would go away!

Like others have said it depends on what profile you are using and what maps you are using. To get close to the cache by vehicle use the Automotive mode with your cursor set to Lock on road, but have a look at the map as this is often just the closest road position to the cache not parking! Then when you have parked switch profiles to Geocaching with the lock on road switched off, or it will keep telling you to go back to the road edge. This will project an as the bird flies line to the cache, This is not the route you take!But follow the closest paths to get you closer to the cache, then go cross country from there. Most caches will have some sort of path leading to the location, especially if it has been out a while, commonly known as a cachers path its always best to try and find this as following it will do less damage to the environment and easier to follow. The map is the all important bit as the detail will vary depending on which map you have installed, and how your GPSr will use it.

Although i have been caching for only a little while compared to some (a mere 3 years)i have noticed a drop of in cache etiquette. The logs have become shorter, personally i blame iPhones and the like where logs are done on the fly. I also think that if more cachers were encouraged onto the forums things would improve. I have also in the past found the need to delete logs, but found a polite email to the log owner asking them to refrain from making blatant comments about the cache in question. It is entirely up to the Cache owner to set the difficulty of the cache, but up to cachers to suggest whether this is correct or not, preferably in their DNF logs ( which i always log even on the 10th attempt). However whether the grammar is correct, well that's a personal thing, i just prefer a decent understandable log. I thank god for google chrome which does try its best to point out my spelling mistakes but does not always offer the required word while its trying to correct me, as not every one left school with all the education one should have and i was terrible at english all those years ago and a bit dyslexic (and google chrome came to the rescue on that one!). Edited to try and correct everything that was wrong.

Hi I have set a series aimed at Scouts/Guides see link: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=0e160aa2-a616-4c4c-8d79-4f430ad896f8 But this is around our District head quarters and away from where the groups normally meet. As Mrs B said, it is best not to cache locally as it can be very tempting for the young people to show off to others. I do also have a small series around our districts Scout huts, but have asked that the local leaders do not point them out to their own groups. It is also a good camp activity, and i have a set of containers set aside for temporary caches while on camp. And for a change the series is not a million miles away from you, we also have a few GPSrs that our group hires out to youth groups, along with maps of the caches.

Dont panic to much about swag at the moment, just raid that little draw thats in everyones home, you know the one with bits and bobs in. Old Xmas cracker toys, Mc D toys that sort of thing as this is what is generally in the caches. However you do sometimes find some good stuff, if you find something that worth taking way up its value and replace with something/s of equal or greater value that all thats required.

As Brooklyn51 said. or constantly scan the cache listing pages for any that suddenly appear, this has worked in the past but i now have notifications set up.

Hi Welcome to the obsession. The iPhone is ok but be warned using it in conjunction with the google maps can be misleading. Quite often the position of the marker will not actually be where the cache is! Once again it will be in the vicinity but could be showing the tree on the opposite side of the path. Also when you get further into the field as such and loose signal the iphone will be a lot less accurate or may not even function at all. From the teaching aspect "earth Caches" are more educational but less fun for children to find, so it would be best to find or set up a small series with a variety of different caches. Children tend to be more interested in the containers and tech rather than the location. Also be warned many children in their teens find it uncool and boring, so you will have a few in a class that just wont play along. With caches that you just cant find remember that the cache owner may want it to be a struggle, and some get great satisfaction from watching DNF logs flood in, so please log your DFS it makes my day It could be that a further hint will just make it to easy, so bear in mind the difficulty rating, i have visited caches as many as 5 times before finding it, which makes it a lot more fun when you find it. have fun

One of the main reasons Premium Member Only caches (PMO) are placed is to protect them. Anyone can join GC without revealing anything about themselves at all apart from an email address, which can be got easily. Then cache and destroy every thing they find. In areas where this has happened PMO caches are placed as these people are less likely to pay to access the caches. It also protects the caches from inexperienced newbies as these cachers are less likely to be premium members until the get in to it. You can also protect a sensitive area in this way too as not so many will go for that cache. In my mind these are valid reasons for PMO caches, though i have yet to place one myself.

There are a few differences Depending on what gps you use? will make a difference to what extras you will want. the main one is pocket queries, this allows you to down load 100s-1000s of caches if your GPSr will accept them. Premium only Caches, hidden from non premium members Best thing is to look here:http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=5 Hop this helps

Hi Its OK, not very user friendly but it is the very bottom of a long list from garmin. The pc interface is via an extra serial cable. If you are looking for something around this price have a look at the digiwalker PDAs from Mio About the same price on ebay and friendlier on the caching front. Or look further up the range Venture HC is better or the Dakota/Oregon are the ones to save for.

The obvious answer is what you like to find. You are a cacher and i would recommend that you hide what you think would be nice for others to find. Think back over the caches you have found, which ones really stood out from the others, which made you smile or laugh. Those are the type that other like to find as well

Howdy Royal Oak. Given the issue with pubs being named in caches in the other thread I had to raise a smirk at your user name It will be interesting to see what happens if a cache is placed in the car park of the pub next to the pub named after the reviewer. We could just name these caches "Reviewer caches" now

Well i quite like the idea. If it is well thought out. If you hid a metal cache ( which every one hates ) like a nano in an ivy covered tree, then the use of a small hand held "Stud detector" could be used and these are very inexpensive compared to a fully grown metal detector and useful around the home for DIY. Also another idea would be to bury a length of Metal fencing wire which is detectable and followed to the cache. But i would be inclined to use something like a childs metal detector when setting as this would make a childs day to find a cache in this manor, and many children do have toy detectors , mine did when they were younger but we never found anything worth mentioning.