Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, Thanks to everyone for the feedback. If anyone has anything more to add, it will be greatly appreciated. The reason I thought I would use GSAK is simply for the ability to load more than 5 logs into the Oregon. I'd like to know more about how (if possible at all) to load in the images that are part of the cache descriptions. Can this be done in a simple, automated way? Thanks, Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, I enjoy geocaching, but really dislike the time needed to prepare for an afternoon of it. Spending time, printing pages, wasting paper, etc. Because of this, I'm strongly considering a purchase of the Oregon 400t. If I use this unit with GSAK, is there any info I will be missing out on (that I would have had with paper printouts)? Thanks, Tim in Hollywood

Here's my closest muggle encounter. When I say "close," I mean it! UNL Rec Center Micro September 1, 2008 5:25pm Found this one immediately after another Nebraska volleyball victory. I may also have set the record for muggle proximity! Someone was sitting less than six inches from me and hundreds of people were walking by within a couple feet of me, but I was still able to find it. Fortunately, the cache was on the "available" side...or it all would have been for naught!

I am interested in paperless caching, too. The thing I most dislike about geocaching is printing the descriptions and logs. If I purchase a Palm M500, what is the file format for loading all of the info to the Palm device? Is there a way to do get ALL of the info (as if I were printing), such as the logs, etc...??? I'm a premium member, so I can get pocket queries, but it appears that these only have the basic .LOC files (with coordinates and names). Does the MobiPocket eBook format get me something more like the prints that I currently use? Logs can often be the very best resources when trying to find a difficult cache. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Tim

Hi all, That's fine. Just thought I would ask. Another related question: Do the requirements to be within a maintainable distance of the caches you place differ when they are virtual? The reason I ask is that there are several in the Yosemite area that were placed by individuals living 8-10 hours drive from the park. While some people may make the regular trek, I'm doubting that everyone with a virtual cache in Yosemite is prepared to do it. Please note that I am NOT trying to stir up trouble with the Yosemite virtual cache owners that live several hundred miles away. I just want to be more clear about what is (or is not) acceptable. I have read the rules/guidelines about placing caches. I would submit that a very large portion of the physical caches violate the stated rules/guidelines. My primary interest in Crane Flats (other than that is where I'll be camping) is that I like to place caches which are several miles from any others. Thanks, Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, Since I'm not sure who to ask about this, I'll just post the question... In July, I'm going to be staying at Crane Flats Campground, which is about 15 miles from the Yosemite Valley. Looking at the maps, there are no geocaches within 5-8 miles of Crane Flats. Is it acceptable to place a micro (maybe even a super-micro) cache in the campground area? Of course, all of the normal precautions would be taken to avoid unnecessary destruction of the natural environment. This is a campground with restrooms, locker rooms, etc. Please let me know. Thanks, Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, OK. No jokes about surgical GPS implants! I'm going to be downhill skiing several days over the next two months. I'd like to have my GPSr record my movements. I have a Garmin eTrex Legend. How can I attach this to myself and still have it get a decent signal. The basic lanyard won't work, because I don't want the unit to fly up and smack me in the face. I'm thinking of an elastic strap for my arm, but there are two problems... 1. I don't have the appropriate elastic strap around my bicep or forearm 2. I'm not sure how the strap would attach to the unit? Anything attached to my head is not really acceptable, unless it's stealth. I don't have any desire to look like a complete dork! Thanks for your suggestions! Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, I recently used one on an America West flight. I used it for a while, got readings of 366mph and 30385.2' elevation. We had a major headwind (around 120mph), thus the low speed number. Had I not been sitting in first class seat 1A, no one would have even known what I was doing. However, after a few minutes, the flight attendant saw that I had a GPS and told me I was not allowed to use it while in flight. We talked about them for a few minutes. I later looked it up. America West specifically states that GPS receivers are not allowed at any time during flight. Maybe I'll ask the pilot next time? One thing I noticed about EasyGPS is that it won't allow elevations above 30000'. Why? Seems like an arbitrary number. Anyone know? Later, Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, Thanks a bunch to everyone for your help thus far! In comparing the Garmin eTrex Vista and Garmin eTrex Legend, the Vista lists 10,000 trackpoints and 24MB of RAM. The Legend lists 10,000 trackpoints and 8MB of RAM. Is the 10,000 waypoint limit a finite limit, or a limit based on the free RAM available? For example, if I don't load in any maps, can I somehow store more than 10,000 trackpoints in the Legend (or move them to another part of the internal RAM)? I would likely be skiing for 8-10 hours without stopping. Given that I am constantly on the move, is 10,000 trackpoints likely to be enough for that period of time? I will not have many periods where I am moving in a straight line, other than when riding on the lifts (but the elevation will be changing non-uniformly at around 200ft/min). The Magellan Meridian GPS also sounds like an interesting possibility. Since it has an SD slot, I could get a 128MB card for around $40...and apparently have all the space necessary. Of course, the size is a bit of a concern, since it's more than twice as thick as the others. The screen resolution is less than half the others, too. To quakemap specifically: Thanks for the map and tracklog file! It really helped to get a better idea of the possibilities. Does the Garmin eTrex Vista have any ability to filter some of the trackpoints that are not needed? I'm also eager to learn the results of your tests with the new settings enabled. Thanks again to everyone! I really appreciate your assistance!!! Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, I'm trying to record my movements over a day of downhill skiing. That's when I'll need the unit strapped to myself, if that makes any difference. Thanks again, Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, I'm sorry to be responding to my own post, but do any of you have suggestions about where I can find the information I am requesting? I've asked two very similar questions on this board, but received no response to either one. Is there another discussion forum whose members will more likely have the answers (to what I thought would be a relatively simple question)? I've called the manufacturers, but didn't get very specific info from them. I haven't found it on their web sites, either (though I simply may have been looking in the wrong places). If anyone can either help with my question or point me to another resource, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a bunch! Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, I'm would like to purchase a GPS unit in the next couple weeks. However, I don't know what unit I should get. I don't want something at the low end, but don't want to spend the $$$ at the very high end. Hopefully you can offer some suggestions... I would really like the ability to chart my travels during a day. Whether hiking or skiing, I'd like to be able to upload the data to a computer to display my travels in a visual format. A 3D representation would be nice. At the least, if I could get XYZ points, I have the software to make this work (if there isn't something simpler available specifically for the GPS). Of course, I'd need a unit that could be strapped to the arm (or somewhere) so it would register while I was doing other things. I'll probably do a little geocaching, too, but I figure that any GPS will be able to assist with this. Thanks for your help! Tim in Hollywood

Hi all, I'm looking for information about information about ski trail maps and GPS data. I would like to strap a GPSr to my arm or backpack while snow skiing for a day. At the end of the day, I'd like the ability to upload the data to a computer to graphically see where I had been during the entire day, speeds, total distance, elevation, etc. It would also be nice to be able to use the GPS during the day to determine where to ski next. Are there any datasets available that have the the major ski resort trail maps digitized for this purpose? This year, I'll probably be skiing in California (Mammoth and Mtn. High) and Utah (the three Park City resorts). I'm also interested in some Colorado resorts (Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mtn., and Vail. I've done various web searches and even called a couple of the big GPS companies. However, I've been unable to find this information. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Tim in Hollywood