yawppy

OK...I have run a few thousand PQ's. The norm on a weekly basis, for my lil state of RI, I usually have just under 500 caches. Today decided to run the PQ, just my normal weekly or monthly PQ, D.L'd it all looked fine. Went to load it into GSAK, where I generate a POI, or look at the data in cacheye.org, usually it loads up in seconds, today, well it was taking forEVER, so I aborted, re-booted the PC, and tried again. Still it was taking forever to load into GSAK...so I had to abort, tried like three times, finally just waited , and it took an hour, to load the following: Not sure as to why first off...There is no REAL data at all... PQ is supposed to have just 461 with in it, and yet there are 6400+. I have not loaded the .GPX onto my GPS, fear it will not work, perhaps it's a GSAK thing, but it usually works fine, and is up to date as far as I know. Curious as to what is happening, whether or not anyone else has experienced this?

"500.htm error when logging TB/GC 08/27/11" After the last site update..I noticed that when I go to log a trackable, my first attempt at clicking on the "Submit" button, returns the 500.html error page, then I have to hit the "Back" button, and resubmit. I reported it to the "Feedback" Site, and have not seen any response at all. I also noticed that there will be another update coming soon, so perhaps this is for not, as GS may fix it. I was just curious if this is my PC issue, or is this beennoticed by others? If so, the above link, is my post for this issue, feel free to place a vote or comment. again, there is an upcoming update, so we shall see, but for now... TY

Ditto here. Just noticed it I amd at 2482, logged 3, but it is not keeping up ANYWHERE. As with KMhiker, usually as I log the field notes.. the counts went up accordingly... there was no delay of any kind, does anyone know if there is a "Feedback" opened on this issue? I'll be looking at that next. LOL...Not about the numbers....LOL, perhaps not, but sometimes...gotta wonder!

REALLY? ******************************* I just did a challenge today... and have to say... enjoyed it...called Show the Ecosystems...a worldwide one. It required one to snap a pic with you and a flora type plant, and find the weird scientific name, well my Mom and GM who are not geocachers, loved this one, and actually I found it quite cool. If done properly.. and if folks give them a chance, stop with the id..... challenges, these can work great. I have another one I have accepted the CITO one sounds good to. My challenge I hope to see, is a pic of folks atop of the tall summits of mountains, or perhaps a wild life snapshot challenge, now those would be cool.

I wanted to run a test challenge...a worldwide one... well it appears that GS is the only ones that issue such challenges. Not sure if this is new, or the way it was from roll out. Here is what pops up if you try to add a worldwide challenge: ""What makes a good Challenge? Location-specific The location of a challenge should be directly related to the action. "Take a picture of yourself with the Eiffel Tower" is location-specific, while "Take pictures of the night sky in Seattle" or "Find this/a geocache" are not. The goal of Challenges, and Geocaching, is to explore the world around you. There should only be one location where you can complete the challenge. Worldwide Challenges are only issued by Groundspeak, but you can recommend new Worldwide Challenges on our feedback site Straightforward The Challenge should be easy to understand and not too complicated to do. Appropriate" So.. that seems like they regulate that portion...why aren't the location specific ones? Well..sure change is on the way!

I just found a new world wide challenge, one that I think is kinda nice and a learning experience if completed properly...My link It at least gets you out.. but still who does not have a pic on their PC this moment with out any flora? I mean it still is a C.P.D, if you wanted to "cheat" your way thru. Well I heard via the feedback site (Really wish they could get all the sites under an umbrella!) that it's being reviewed internally, so soon we shall see the changes.. up the roller coaster, back down...now up we go into a triple loop!

Here's my take on the new "Challenges"...I know there are plenty of negativity towards them, and as they CURRENTLY came out... I have to agree... there is no challenge in tweeting, or kissing an frog. I like the concept... I miss virtuals, and think that yes Geocaching needs a little ramping up, and am hoping these will stick around, and be improved upon. With that said: Here is my list: Virtuals counted towards the find count, I like that they will...ONLY IF THEY ARE A WORTHY CHALLENGE...I hope there will be a review process much like a cache would have, and also, a GPS set of coordinates needs to be a part of the challenges. I understand the worldwide challenges, I have noticed several challenges archived, which seems like a good idea, and I actually found a few that I will accept, one requires a pic of you or group on a hike, another was a CITO collect 10 pieces of trash, and finally show me your landmarks. These are challenges that seem more geared towards what I believe GS anticipated, and is also something I can get into. OK so let's put aside the negatives, and focus on what we think these should be. As I really like the concept, and hope for some great challenges, not just another ALR! So... what are your thoughts on how to make these work better?

YES! YES! YES! I think that was the idea. But the numbers hounds are sure to bastardize anything if they can get a smiley for it.

Agree, I almost wanted to post a challenge for anyone who would make me a PB&J, but figured why add to the stupidness, heck this is a C.P.D Couch potatoes delight! Yep..I hope there is a review process, and also hope it sticks around, but not the way it is now, gotta have a gps, and not just an old pic lying around or just tweet away. Sure improvements gotta be on the way!

In some cases you don't even have to go to a location, you can do it from your bathroom. Hey look at the bright side... we gt a new Acronym C.P.D...Couch Potato Delight! Seriously tho.. I thought this would be based off a gps , and have the elure of a virtual, but that is not happening fer sure, but think that soon will change, as I am sure by now they GS has heard a lot of feed back by now! I like the twist, just think if it should count toward a "Find", it should be of historical, entertaining value, as well as get you off the couch, or toilet either way...SOME SERIOUS TWEEKS NEEDED, hopefully they stick around, and the guidelines are followed, as sitting on a toilet is not a challenge!

Yep it does count towards the found it count.... which is a bad thing. I just sat on my couch and did the tweet tweet and kiss a frog challenges... went back to my home screen, my count went up as if I went out and found 2 caches! I sure hope these get better, sounds like you can just challenge folks to do anything... heck I need a sandwich, any one want to be challenged to make yawppy a pB&J sandwich!(Seriously! LOL..come on, I hope they tweek it to be a bit more interesting than that, guess it is great if you are hospitalized tho!

LMGTFY!

Monthly= $2.50 Daily= $0.08219178 per hour: $0.00342466 per minute: $0.00005708 PQ's 5 per day Year= 1,825 $0.01643836/PQ AMOUNT OF TIME HUNTING A CACHE, SOLVING A DEVIOUS PUZZLE...(FOR ME) APPX : 52 WEEKS... On avg I cache 1 day for sure a week..sometimes more. so say 9X52=468 hours of hunting time. 3X52=156 hours working on solving them devious "?"'s On average Summers cache almost daily 3-6 hours.. add 90X5= another 450 So on average the cost of membership only: per caching hour = 1,074 per year That's is appx $0.027 per hour. Yup..that membership, way to expensive! Then I look at what I spend on cell, internet, cable,FUEL and well those are WAY MORE EXPENSIVE!

K..I have of course the O-550T. The past month or so, (After the year warranty by Garmin is up OF COURSE!), the unit would sporadically power off, and would leave a faded out screen shot, sometimes it would turn back on w/o me replacing bats, and sometimes not, sometimes seemed like I needed to pull out the bats. wait like 15 minutes, and then replace (The same BaTS), and hit the power on, and it worked fine, till I noticed it it took a slight "jar" Hit, it do the power down. K so basically, I will cut this short, I have already contacted Garmin, did a software update, and a master reset. Seemed to work, but two days later , same issues, and well today, the unit will power on via USB to the PC, but will not power on via the unit's power on button, and I hear a loose component sound..so need it fixed, Garmin wants $110.00, which right now I do not have, I can afford $80.00 . Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue, if they know how or have fixed it I would love to hear how. Also is there any where else I could take the unit in for a check up, or repairs? K .TY

Not sure but sounds like you speak of PQ's, if so this has happened to me to, I set up a state unfound PQ, or what ever, then sometimes I have had to carry one or two over, because of the 5 limit. I had waited to D/L my first 5, figured I have 6 days to do so, and also had 2 days more of PQ's , and so I go in on the third day, to D/L all the data,and the ones that are supposed to have 6 days for me to D/L, well they disappeared, over night, so now I grab em quick just never know. Why it does this is a mystery to me, will watch this as I would love to hear the many conspiracy theories, and then finally, just perhaps a real reason as to why!

AVG warning article: http://www.qrcodepress.com/avg-warns-that-qr-codes-are-not-as-risk-free-as-they-appear-to-be/852724/ Cyveillance article: http://www.cyveillanceblog.com/malware/qr-codes-a-recipe-for-a-mobile-malware-tsunami Don't know about other platforms and software, but on my Android phone, using Barcode Scanner, it displays the URL and you have to press a button before it goes there. I have a couple test Munzee's out, and one is 250' from a listed cache. Thus far no issues, not anyone relly looking either, I just did it to test them out solo, I like the concept, easily deployed, and not going to bring out a bomb squad for sure. I intentionally placed it 250' in a GR just to see what wouold happen when close to a Geocache. Well the "playground is getting crowded, I mean you have Geocaching (Duh!), Terracache, Munzee, Letterbox, Open cache,GPS Games, geokrety, and Navicache (If they exist, not sure been a while), so yep, sure there are many more, point is confusion is bound to happen, so just get familiarized with as many of these GPS hunting sites as one can. However on to my quotes: I agree with my fist quote,with the need for safety, like they say, only D/L from known trusted sources, same on my AT&T IP4,I only scan a QR, if I know the source, and the second quote, I have tried a few QR app's "i-nigma" seems to be my favorite, it asks you if you want to open the link. I never seen the other SP's but the IP4 did not come with an automatic QR reader. K happy hunting!

In the game of Geocaching, Trackables have either "track at Geocaching.com" or "track at Groundspeak.com" on them, and a tracking number which allows tracking and logging within the game. An item without that is allowed to be traded and collected (pathtags, for example). And people don't like to sign up on a foreign web site for a separate game. I think it also adds to the confusion of what's a Geocoin and Travel Bug and what's not. If it were clearly tagged "please move this item to another cache", I would. But people may also trade and keep it. I have a bunch of items I'd like to make "free" trackables. I had a numbering system, made some of them, and the free site had stopped accepting new items. So I released a few, numbered but not tracked. I'd consider using Georetky for the others, but they're mainly serialized swag (I'd expect them to be kept by people at some point, and would hope they might want to). It would be kind of a mess, but it's free. :-) I have never understood how folks are "Confused" in regards to a trackable, but as with any trackable... sure they go missing. I just finished setting up my 7 ducky racers, going to start them off this week, so will post more when some results come in. Sounds like a 50/50 shot..they have trackable @ geokrety, and have an identifier card, so fingers crossed!

Kool idea, I had contemplated that at one time, looks like it works out great!

A purist at heart.. all is well, but a Geokrety..or Travel bug.....Seems like a close match.. minus one is "Made in the U.S.A" for a price, while the other is not U.S.A Grown, and well is free. Since we are comparing GS'S travelbugs, vs a "Geokrety" which are both a TRACKABLE, seems to fit in to the whole topic. Also has been brought up in the forums prior.

"AmphibianTrackers Posted Today, 08:42 PM Sounds fun to me, I love trackables. But, could you please define "Geokrety"?" <unauthorized advertisement removed by forum moderator Seems cost effective to me...again my concern is... will the American community embrace it as they do with the TB.

I have searched the forums, for a "Geokrety"...found a few posts.. how ever none were in English, (Well one was but did not touch on my topic much) Seems these trackables are popular in Europe, seen a polish, german, post. So my question is this... I figure it's free...free is good....so why has it not caught on here in North America in general? I just sort of stumbled across one, and was like WOW! I have a bucket of what I call "TB Wanna B's", have like 30 of them, figured if I had a few extra $'s I would get em' tagged and on their way, well been nearly a three year collection, and the $'s well they go into the tank and other people's pockets, IE BILLS. So I came across this g-krety, have logged a great deal of em, they have a tracking number, and in my eye's are now ready to be a trackable. My poll is this: Have you heard of the krety? Would you (Here in North America) if you found one, would you move it, log it much like a TB, discover it etc? I am putting them out, got 7 ducks on a race, and the other 20ish well they go where ever, just wanted to get a perspective on how these will be considered by the general community... I usually will log anything that is labeled as a trackable. K..

D. All of the above

Try Geosphere, or GPSMotionX. I am sure with Geosphere, you can upload .GPX files, I create them with GSAK, attach to an email, and then go to the app, and open the email and load the attached .gpx.

Munzee B They are just beginning, whether it takes time will tell, I just "deployed 2 in the RI area, there are a few in CT. I figure since GS will not allow "Ethercaches", so I have not tied a munzee themed geocache yet, perhaps never. I like the Munzee, so many possibilities, again only time will tell.

Thinking after IX, my first, was fun, and the date July 2...was just great for me, (wish they could keep it in July, as I work till the middle of June...after that am off for Summer break), but with that said, I am thinking of making X my second, seeming of how close it is to my Mom and GM, so a quick flight, and a 500 mile Road trip, just gotta see if I can squeeze away from work, a busy part of the year at Private schools for us chefs. So we shall see!