Astro_D

There are two different scenarios in here. One is cachers who love to "dip" TBs into every cache they find, who have the TB physically in their posession. The other scenario is cachers with [one particular Android App] who somehow clicked "Auto-Visit" by accident, and every Trackable listed in their Inventory gets "visited" in every cache they find without their knowledge. The scenarios are similar, but 10 pages of identical logs over a period of six months are an indication of robo-logs. Scenario One is a cacher going out of their way to make special visits, and even uninteresting logs are great in this case. Scenario Two is automatic logs, via software, by definition an unobservant cacher, so the TB mileage is NOT real, it may very well have been stolen, there's no way to even track it. Scenario Two does not cause happiness. How is the TB mileage not real? The 100+ caches across several states that the TBs got autologged by us, was certainly real. We were at all those caches as were the TBs. Once we dropped a TB into a cache (which is as easy to do with the app as on the computer), the TB is no longer in our inventory and cannot generate any autologs, or any other TB logs for that matter, even if the feature to auto-log is checked. I'm just not getting where you're coming from that auto-logging creates bogus mileage and the TBs may have been stolen?????

Some (or even most) of the multi-page logs may be caused by one particular Smartphone App which doesn't play well with the Geocaching web site. Check this out: http://forums.Ground...dpost&p=4995007 IF the problem is an App designed to fill TB pages with logs, not the official App, can GS turn that off? They could turn off the selection on the web site, maybe disable the "visit" function, but the App could then be updated to do both the drop and retrieve automatically, and the problem's back. Perhaps these many-page visits are NOT in Groundspeak's direct control, they are a [FEATURE] of an unapproved App. As you seem to like to spread this one particular post of mine all over the place......let me tell exactly what happens with this particular app and auto-logging in regards to our experience. On c:geo (the phone app we use), there is a setting that can be checked (It is not automatically checked when the program is downloaded nor is it a default setting when updated) that allows the user to have all TBs currently listed in their inventory to visit every cache that is logged via the phone application. My hubby (unknown to me) checked this feature on his phone as he wanted a particular TB to visit the caches we visited and he does the phone logging. Unknownst to us at the time, it auto-logged all the TBs in our inventory, not just the one. Once I found out about the auto-logging of all the TBs and told him, he turned the feature off (I never had it turned on, on my phone). All the auto-loggings stopped. Yes, there is a setting on this app that will auto-log all TBs currently in your inventory (if it's not in inventory, it won't be logged) if logging from this app. However, it needs to be manually turned on in order for it to work. It doesn't "magically" auto-log TBs.

I talked to hubby as he was doing all the phone logging on vacation (I used the computer at the hotel when I was able as I like to write unique logs and I'm just not good or fast enough to do that on my phone). He said he had checked the tab to have the TBs visit each cache as it was NOT a default setting when the program was downloaded. No rdoes it default to visitng all TBs to caches when the program is updated (the c:geo program on my phone was was just updated yesterday and the tab wasn't checked). Once I told him about the auto-logs, he turned off the tab and the auto-logging stopped. Too late for those TB owners who got all those notifications though. Sorry! If there could be a setting to have a particular TB or two to visit every cache instead of all of them, it would be so much better all around. On a side note of the c:geo bashing (yeah, that's how I read it), I don't see a reason to give GS (or any other pay for application) money to be able to look for and log caches (and use other premium benefits) just because I'm using my phone instead of my desktop/laptop. I already pay for two premium memberships (ourselves and our son's). To add another $30.00 to upload the GC.com app to all three of our phones? I'm not into being fleeced. Just my opinion. I hope the auto-visit issue can be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties out there. I think sending out a kind notice to those who may be "auto-visiting" TBs, to just check their settings to see that they haven't turned on the auto-visit tab might go a long way in resolving this issue. They could be unaware. Hell, I didn't know my hubby turned it on on his phone!

I auto visited 17 TBs to 100+ different caches whilst on vacation. It wasn't intentional and we didn't realize it until after a 100+ cache power trail. The program we use on our smartphone (c:geo) has a default setting that allows all trackables in your possession to visit every cache that is logged using the c:geo program. We didn't realize it was checked at the time, and have since unchecked it to stop the auto visiting of any trackables we have. It's simple enough to turn off - just go under settings and uncheck the box. Problem with TB auto visits solved. I did not get any notifications when I was auto visiting TBs. I discovered this when I logged into gc.com, clicked on my profile and noticed under "recent activity" all these logs showing all these TBs visiting all these caches. So not all auto-visits are intentional. We apologize to all those TB owners who's pages we cluttered doing the power trail. Now if there was a way to select one or two TBs for auto visits, instead of all of them in your inventory, that would be perfect. I love the c:geo program and use it as my mainstay for caching with my phone. I hope this helps to understand on of the reasons for auto-visits.

Be careful what you wish for. Originally, owners were notified of every visit. As I recall, the hamsters went into cardiac arrest from the system overload and mega-trackable owners worked overtime deleting their inboxes. That problem was corrected rather quickly by removing notifications for visits. So why exactly did TPTB make it easier to overfill TB log pages? Not only do I still need to capture and torture [WAIT... I mean interview] a live T-Spammer about WHY they do it, now I need to capture and [question] one of TPTB about what why THEY did it. AND, why are a bahzillion notifications a problem that MUST be shut off (and it was), but a bahzillion Spam logs are perfectly acceptable? On android phones there is an app called c:geo and it seems to have a box under settings that if you aren't careful you may accidentally have selected to "set trackables to "visited"as default" I was looking at my apps to see if my apps were dipping trackables after reading this and discovered that mine was set to visit. I have turned it off. So I may have been doing this for a while and not know. Luckily I usually only have trackables for a couple days. I personally only want to log a trackable if I am doing specific for its mission or taking a cool picture etc. So if I have done this to anyone I apologize! I don't want to clog up others trackables pages. That's the program I use and that's the setting that was checked (unknownst to me at the time). I have since unchecked it, but I always double check before logging from the field now just in case. In response to an earlier post, as far as TBs still getting auto-visited if not in my possession, once a TB is dropped into a cache (which is easy to do on the c:geo app), it disappears from the inventory. So there won't be any more auto visit logs. Other than that, c:geo is a great program.

When we went on vacation last month, we discovered that all of the TBs we had (17 of them), were being dipped into every cache we found. We realized that the geocaching program we use on our smartphone allows for dipping of every TB in our possession into every cache that is logged from our phone. Unfortunately we didn't discover this dipping until after doing a power trail of over 100 caches - that all these TBs got dipped into. We found in the program settings, that this feature to "set trackables to visit as default" was checked. We simply unchecked it and no more dipping of TBs (unless we enable this option) when logging from our phone. We felt bad all theseTB owners got 100+ logs on a power trail.

Case in point Memorial Day weekend. I dropped a TB that was in a race for miles (I gave it nearly 300), but did not have computer access to log it in the cache until two days after placement (when we got back home). I put a note in the cache log I dropped it and would not be able to log it until XX date so please give me time to do so before placing in another cache as its in a race for miles. Another cacher came and took it the next day, grabbed it from my inventory and the TB lost all those miles. I think its unrealistic to expect or demand cachers to log TB drops/pickups right away. If I pick up a TB that has not been logged in a cache, I'll write a note saying I have it and waiting for the previous cacher to drop it first before logging it. If after a week it hasn't been done, I'll then grab the TB, drop it in the cache I found it in, retreive it and then move it along. I haven't had any complaints yet. I'd be interested in how others handle this as well.

That disk is way too cool looking!!! Speaking of the equipment,my son just got done playing with that stuff (and knows how to use it) thanks to his surveying merit badge. It's quite common to see it along side the road (sometimes for days on end) with no one around.............

I got the survey and added that I would love to see the benchmarks database updated, have the ability to run PQs for benchmarks, and would love to see the ability to delete bogus benchmark finds. I even worked in how active the benchmarking thread is on the GC.com forums. Not that it would matter, but at least it shows there is interest.

Ha! I just gave a talk to the astronomy club on artificial satellites with an emphasis on communication, navigation and weather from the early experimental years to modern day dependence. I even talked a bit about geodesy, but not as much as I wanted to. Thanks for the link to the article! I added the link to my presentation notes!

My son is working on the Surveying merit badge for boy scouts. He's having a lot of fun using the "professional" equipment and really getting to know what surveying is all about and how it's done. I think this has been one of his favorite merit badges to date. He mentioned he would not have cared to bother with it, if it wasn't for the benchmark hunting we do! The counselor for the merit badge was quite impressed with what my son knew and really surprised at the dedication to being out there, putting in the time and effort to find these marks. While I don't think my son will become a professional surveyor, I thank benchmark hunting and the knowledge found in this forum for the strong interest that it developed in him!

My 11 year old son found five of these tokens in one cache the other day. He likes to collect tokens and such so he traded for it. As we were walking back to the car, he looked more closely at it, and found it to be "quite dumb" and said it wasn't even worth trading for. I see this gimmic as nothing more than circumventing the commercial rules. Needless to say, the token promptly went into the trash. I will not support this circumventing type behaviour I find this coin to be promoting.

Was that in our area? If so I'll have to keep an eye out for some listed as large. Yeah, somewhere nearby. But if I say anything else, I'll spoil it. And most likely be hung!

I found a 32 gallon trash can in the woods. Yes, it was a geocache!

Yeah..all I can hope is my TBs never land in there. But it's typical - some people can't abide by a few simple rules and ruin it for the rest of us that do.

Who would've known ? Here I've been using my son to carry the equipment without much success all these years!

Great advice. Then, if you find you enjoy benchmark hunting (and I predict you will), why not click the "nearest benchmark" link for every cache you're preparing to hunt? You will be amazed at how often there is a benchmark at, or very close to, a cache. Meanwhile, while searching the benchmark data sheets, if you see a dozen recovery notes for a station, click "nearest caches". There's probably a reason why a particular station is so "popular". The logs are another clue--especially if many of them say, "Stumbled across this benchmark while doing 'The Bear in His Den'." Combining these two aspects of the hobby will give you many opportunities to grab multiple targets at one location. -PFF- Just be careful with this method though...I have seen multiple recoveries listed on a mark - only to read (and see pictures if provided) not one of them has found the correct mark! Multiple recoveries on a mark can be very misleading! Just becaue a benchmark is there - it does not mean it is the correct one! Verify all the stampings first! Reference Marks, Azimuth Marks and Main Stations all look very similiar to the novice. And, especially around here, one agency (WIDOT) is very good at ripping out the original mark and placing their own in the same spot!

Darn, I forgot about it. I was busy dealing with a blizzard and delayed and finally, canceled flights!

I'm already forced to support "social awareness" it's called taxes. Please keep it out of my geocaching.

Sounds quite interesting! I'll have to check my calendar, but I think the afternoon is empty!

I love how you have chosen the most recognized constellations to showcase! Very nice! Wish I could get one for my collection. I'll settle for enjoying the pictures.

I've done two similiar caches in my area (now both archived). Cache A had two sets of coords at WP1. You needed to decide which path you were going to follow. (each set of coords was a difficult 3-4 stage multi). One set led to a dead end non-loggable cache and the other led to the loggable cache. But that was clearly stated on the cache page. Cache B had four sets of coords and you had to figure out which one led to the cache. The coords were quite spread out over several miles. Instead of driving to each one, I plugged in all the coords into Street and Trips - and all but one set of coords (which was in a park) were in the middle of busy intersections. Saved a lot of driving around. I really enjoyed doing these caches (Especially cache A). It's a gamble that you are on the right path. Although, that type of cache is one that was not found very often, but it served as a 'bragging rights' of sorts for those who did find it because of the difficulty and the fact those who completed it did not give out any info to those attempting it. Cache B was not as difficult as it seemed if you had the right resources - but once again, it was a cache that was not found often.

We tested a UV pen on a stop sign near our home as we were thinking of using it for another cache set up. The UV writing was not invisible until the sunlight hit it.....something to consider!

It is a challenge to figure out where the line is when it comes to the Oneida nation of Wisconsin. it kind of blends in with the rest of Green Bay. You have to look for tell tale signs such as fire numbers and places that allow casino style gambling. I think a number of the Green bay area caches are on the Reservation but likely placed by tribal members. I know specifically two caches that are on reservation land and the owners are not tribal members. The others....I'm not sure. As for where the tribal land is and is not - it's confusing . Our one cache if looked at from a distance on map shows it to be on tribal land, but is in a park where the land is owned by the city not the tribe. As for having a Walmart on the tribal land - nope. I got the in for the event as it was going to highlight the tribal history and contributions and I was working through govt channels. It wouldn't hurt to approach them and see if they have changed they mind. There are some beautiful areas and some great history to showcase if it would be allowed.

I know we were planning a geocaching event in our area that highlighted the local history, and had approached the nearby Native American Tribe about placing caches on their land. They were open to it provided they were temporary (ie event caches only that would be promptly removed) and we could make arrangements to be accompanied by several tribal elders when we wanted to hide the caches to ensure we would not disrespect any areas and to stay far away from areas we shouldn't be. (It's hard to know what is and is not off limits just by looking). In the end, we did not have our event nor placed the caches.