ckhd

I absolutely LOVE mine! I like putting detailed maps in and the fact that memory is unlimited (just get more/bigger memory cards).

South headwall. Exactly as described. In fact, I didn't even look at my GPS until I found the mark. I didn't even realize that the coordinates were so close until I took the pictures and got back in the car. I did find Y66 that had been previously "not found" by the NGS. The disks are not the same. Y66 did have "Y66" stamped in it. I suspect that happycacher is right, and it has been replaced. Oh well, there aren't any other concrete bridges nearby (at least not in the ±6 second range), so I'll just have to log is as a DNF.

I need your opinion: I went in search of this benchmark. ER0206. The NGS didn't find it previously because the intersection that the description refers to has been moved about 800' to the East. I knew where the 1934 intersection used to be, and using the description literally drove right to this benchmark and found it within 5 seconds of exiting my car. The coordinates are .002 minutes off N, and exact W. .002 minutes = about 12', my GPS had an estimated error of 13', so I consider the coordinates to be EXACT. The problem I have is that the original data sheet says "STAMPING: X-66 1934". As you can see from these pictures, X-66 or 1934 isn't anywhere on it. Is it the correct benchmark? Why or why not? There isn't another benchmark listed very close to this one either... What are your thoughts?

Hey, warbones! Welcome from the 'other place'. I use a Magellan Meridian Platinum. The same as a Gold, but with a compass and barometer. I really like it. The bottom line is to play with some. See what you like, see what works for you. Borrow your friend's GPS to see if you like it, borrow your co-worker's to see if you like it. Go to the store & play with their display models. Nobody can tell you what GPS is right for you. They can tell you, like I have, which ones THEY like and which ones are right for THEM. My 2¢ BTW, the debate between Garmin and Magellan can get as ugly as Ford vs Chevy!

LAZYMAN, have the cops called you yet?

I don't know anything about the garmin, but I know a little about the 2000 xl. The 2000xl is a decent unit, in spite of being old. While it tracks 12 satellites at once, it doesn't have 12 parallel channels, like the new ones. That means that it's not quite as 'fast' at acquiring the position as new ones, but it's still really good at it. It will give you just as accurate readings as a new one with WAAS turned off. I have used a 4000 xl, which is the same as a 2000xl, except that it holds twice as many waypoints, everything else is the same. The 4000xl works fine under tree cover (well, pine trees, I don't have too many other kinds of trees around here). When I have used the 4000xl, it has gotten me within 10' of every geocache I looked for, which is about the same as my Magellan Meridian Platinum. The 0' to .1 mile thing has to be a goofy setting. Accessories for the 2000xl are hard to find. If you didn't get it with the data/power cable as part of the deal, you will have a hard time finding it. I looked for about a month for one for the 4000xl, until the owner of it finally realized that he had a 'power' cable, and after a few quick knife cuts, I found out it was also a data cable that didn't have the serial plug on it. I quickly remedied that.

Amen brother! I plan on hiding. I'm just not going to make a 1/1. I plan on making a 5/5 where people will complain that I didn't rate it at a 5/7 (I have the location picked out already). I am also planning on making it more that a $10 cache. Not something I can buy at the dollar store and hide on the way to work. I'd only be able to do maintenance once or twice a year, but from what I've seen, that's about all that normal caches get anyway. Also, I won't cry or complain when a ghost cacher finds it, or when a fake cacher logs it. Also, to clarify: I am NOT saying to change geocaching, I'm not complaining that there are 1/1 caches, I'm not complaining about anything really. My sole intent was to enlighten the people who are so upset at 'ghost' cachers as to why I ghost cache. I also am fully aware that people with limited mobility cache, and it's awesome that there are caches accessible by them. Keep placing 1/1 caches, there are people that love/want/need them. I hope I am never at the mobility point that I need 1/1 caches, but if I ever am, I may be one of those that love them, right now, I'm not. Let's move past 1/1 caches. I am also fully aware of ALL the other posts suggesting I have overlooked some point. I didn't. If I'm stupid enough to go on a big cache hunt that ends up logged last by a fake cacher, and it ended up not being there, oh well. I'll know for next time to look at a users stats who logged it. Aside from that, if it wasn't worth getting there anyway, I'm stupid for going to find it. If I get there and I felt like it was worth it, I'll log it. If I get there, the whole area sucks (it's a city dump or something), but didn't find the cache, I'LL LOG IT AS A DNF. I did stray from my original intent a little, and I apologize, but it all factors in to why I ghost cache. I know many of you don't like it. I know that some of you are mad at me, and I know that many of you don't like me for it. I don't care. Your approval of me is not my validation in life, I'm sorry. If you don't want me to scrutinize your cache, and then only attempt it if I feel like it, to only not log it if it sucks, go ahead and make it a member's only. It won't hurt my feelings!

The reason I posted this I have been reading the forums since I started geocaching (yeah, just 3 months), and common reoccuring themes are: ghost cachers (which I am), people who trade crappy (which I don't because I almost never trade), people who "cheat", which is impossible (and I don't pad my stats), and people who don't notify at all when they have a DNF. Starship Trooper, if you want to see what I'm "protesting" over, just go back to the thread list. You'll see prime examples. Radman, I know it wasn't built around me. It wasn't built around you either. If I remember my geocaching history, it wasn't 'built' to be like what it has 'evolved' into either. And as stated, I DO log DNFs. I also don't really care if the cache itself is junk, as long as it has some worth to it. I am also not saying that I disapprove of junk caches, or of 1/1 caches. I am simply stating to the complainers of 'ghost' cachers why I usually don't log. I think it's good when people take their kids out to 1/1 caches. I myself, take my boys (4 and 6) to caches and benchmarks. My 4 year old even easily made it to the cliff cache I went to rated at a 3/4. I think you missed my point all together.

I really like my Meridian Platinum. Bottom line: find some place that will let you play with one and look at the screens and get a 'feel' for the unit. Buy what you like, not what people tell you to like. IMHO, both Garmin and Magellan make quality GPS units, especially in the $200-$300 range (I'd advise anyone to stay away from low dollar anything).

That sounds like it would be fun! I won't be able to go though...

Why I TN/LN/DNSL/DNSOL almost all of the time. I know it’s long, but read it ALL before you gripe. Just to clarify: TN/LN/DNSL/DNSOL = Took Nothing/Left Nothing/Did Not Sign Log/Did Not Sign Online Log. I had to post this after all the licking/whining/crying going on. Yes, I may be a ‘newbie’ to Geocaching, but I am, in no sense of the word, a ‘newbie’ to GPS, the ‘outdoors’ and the wilderness. I’ve used GPS technology since 1990, and have only lived where I can get cable TV for 7 years during life (right now is not one of those times either). I have spent countless nights outside and countless days hiking through dense forests. Right now, I live surrounded by National Forest. My house is so far away from power lines, that it would cost me upwards of $80,000 to get ‘real’ electricity (I rely on solar). The phone company won’t even talk to me about service. Four wheel drive isn’t an option for me, there are many days out of the year that I would have to stay home if I didn’t have it. My children know about bears and mountain lions. They know that when their pet cat or dog disappear suddenly, it’s most likely because of a mountain lion or coyotes. They also know that they need to be careful, because they could become a bear or lion snack. Many people come up from the city, and camp in my driveway (which is about ½ mile long) and think that they are ‘roughing it’ to the extreme. I am not a ‘newbie’ when it comes to those things. Now that you know a little about me, on to the point. I discovered Geocaching in January. Stumbled across it. At first, I was excited. What an idea! Hide stuff, then see if others can find it. I went and found a few. Not nearly as exciting as I first thought it was. I did SL on the first few. Two were on the side of the highway that I drive every day. Wow. Amazing. How wonderful to find a little itty-bitty Tupperware container so close to the road, that if I had a flat there, and pulled off to change the tire, that I might have run it over. One was actually at a scenic place, that was a tiny bit harder to get to, but I had been to that spot so many times in my life, that it just wasn’t that amazing. In fact, it was part of my dad’s ranch at one time. So far, it had been the most interesting by far. I did find one early on that was actually quite interesting. It was one next to a local graveyard that I didn’t know existed. I learned a little history there. That one, even though it was right next to the road, was worth stopping for, even though the best thing in the cache was two McDonald’s ketchup packets (totally serious). Now days, I’m very selective about the geocaches I look for. If it’s rated 1/1, what’s the point? I probably drive past it twice a day anyway. I’m not going to let a ‘cacher’ waste my time by making me stop, find a deteriorated Tupperware container that has pocket change and McDonald’s ketchup in it. They might as well just put in the coordinates of an actual McDonald’s. At least I could log a find of “Took Dr. Pepper, Left $1.50”. If it’s got a higher rating than 1/1, I’ll think about it. Recently there was a new cache placed in my area that had a higher rating, and compared it to cliffs in Great Britain, so I thought that it would be worth a look. I stopped by on my way past, made the short, moderately steep hike and found the cache. I have to say it was worth the hike. The cliffs were cool. They also reminded me of the cliffs the cache owner thought of. I took something, left something, signed log, signed online log. It WASN’T a waste of my time, therefore I logged it. Bottom line is that if it was a waste of my time, I’m not going to trade or sign logs. If it was worth me stopping, I’ll at least sign the log in the cache and most likely the online log – and trade if I have something to trade. In fact, I was the ‘first to find’ of a cache just two days ago. It was rated at 1½/1. It should have been rated at ½/½. It completely wasted my time and gasoline, but it was my own fault. I had a hunch it wouldn’t be worth looking for, but I went anyway. Then, on top of all that, I get on the forums and see total hypocrisy. In one thread, users will say that signing the log is a must, and logging online should be done, and then in the next thread, 30 seconds later, say that Geocaching is all about the find, not numbers. What are we competing for? Did I miss the thread that stated someone was giving away a mansion in Beverly Hills to the cacher with the most finds? Is it a million dollar prize? Why do people get so upset? That brings up another thing. The same people that say it’s all about the hunt, also gripe, moan, and complain when they say someone is ‘cheating’ (he logged 80 finds in one day). How can you cheat? Seriously, how can you cheat at something like this? Why are people crying “foul” when there is no such thing as a foul? How is this person cheating you? Do you seriously feel inadequate in the shadow of their false claims? Do you seriously think that geocachers are so stupid that they will believe someone that in just a few days goes from a newbie to having quadruple-digit cache finds? People know what’s going on. I also can tell you that MOST geocachers don’t care. Go ahead and pad your stats, it’s not only no skin off my nose, but it is also NONE OF MY BUISNESS. All of that has led me to decrease my interest in Geocaching. No, I’m not giving up. I’m not committing “forumicide”. I still look online to find caches that I might like to go find, but I’m not wasting my time with all the ketchup caches. If it looks interesting, and it ends up being a valid use of my time, I’ll log it. Otherwise, I won’t. Oh, and for the DNF whiners, I have logged the one DNF, and will log all DNFs I encounter. I have shifted to benchmark hunting. Why? Well, primarily because there isn’t a ‘benchmark owner’ that is going to cry. I also don’t have to look forward to trying to come up with a good trade to get the used McToy from a benchmark. I’m also not benchmarking for ‘stats’. One of the first benchmarks I looked for had been monumented in 1980. A mere 24 years ago. It was a very easy find, right where the description said it was. Big deal. I decided that I wasn’t going to look for anything that had been found within my lifetime, focusing on ones previously listed as “did not find”. It has been much more rewarding than looking for Tupperware that was hidden in the middle of town last week. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to find a benchmark that either hasn’t been found since before 1970, or to find one that the USGS has lost. It is at least a challenge. I know that the Government didn’t put the benchmarks in notably scenic or interesting areas, but so far, benchmarks have lead me to much more interesting places than 90% of the geocaches I have found. In conclusion, gripe about me doing TN/LN/DNSL/DNSOL all you want. It isn’t going to change the fact that if you waste my time with the cache, I’m not going to waste any more of it by logging it. Make a cache that is worth while, and I’ll log it. Now, gripe away… I’m going out to find some benchmarks. edited to fix the word "gasoline"

Use: WGS84, set it to DEG, MM.MMM. That way, everything will be the same as the Geocaching pages. My friend has a 4000 XL, which is basically the same as the 2000 XL, except that it holds more waypoints. Even though it's older than any geocache you'll ever look for, it's still a very usable unit. I borrowed his for my first 10 or so geocache finds before I bought my newer Magellan.

I'll help you with your problem. My friend has an old Magellan 4000 XL, and he could really use a donated MeriPlat... The address is...

I use it all the time. I haven't tried to get the altitude stuff to work. If I want to know the altitude, I usually just enter the same coordinates into my Mapsend Topo. Neat little program. I just wish that the satellite images were newer...

I have a MeriPlat and use the compass all the time. I didn't really miss it when I was borrowing a Magellan Pioneer or the Magellan 4000XL. It's not a requirement, but I like it.

When I'm driving, I use track up (there's too many distractions while driving to add another). Other times, I use north up.

My headache is so bad, it feels like it's sandwiched between two trucks! -or- My headache is *this* big, and it's got Peterbilt written all over it!

Don't just stand there, my head is stuck!

I second the meridian gold. You won't be disappointed.

Before I make the next statement, let me assure you that I know that a Boeing 747 has a lot more and a lot more sophisticated instruments than a Cessna 182, and especially a Piper Cub (don't have the 182 anymore). I have used and still use GPS while flying. It doesn't mess up any of my avionics, and the mount is right there on top of all the instruments, and within a few feet of all the antennas. Bottom line is, the plane belongs to the airline. They can tell you not to use a GPS on their planes if they want to. If you don't like it, use another airline. If all airlines end up banning them, use your car. If I had someone flying with me, and they had some gadget that I thought might jack up the instruments, I'd make them turn it off too. It's not worth getting lost because it messed up the NAV instruments, or running into a mountain, etc... my 2¢

Mmmmm.... Fluke-ish! Those would be cool! Many o' iPAQ meets it's untimely doom against a tile floor...

Being a pilot, I know that air pressure at any given altitude will change with weather. That's why altimeters in airplanes have an adjustment dial. When you are flying past, or landing at an airport, you call them on the radio and ask for a setting. They will tell you what the current barometric setting is so you can adjust your altimeter to the correct barometric pressure. I would be very sceptical of a barometric altimeter if I had adjusted it more than a couple hours ago, and more than 1000' in altitude ago... I have heard the satellite triangulation method in GPSrs is 50% less accurate than the horizontal accuracies. i.e. if your GPS is reporting a 30' EPE, then the altitude could be off by 45'. Also, I would recommend getting a Magellan Meridian over a sportrak, for two reasons. 1) The Meridian doesn't have the stress crack like the Sportrak 2) The Meridian can use SD cards If you get a Meridian, get at least the Gold. If you want a barometer & thermometer, get the platinum. You can get them used or a "new" store demo for just over $200. Paid $209 for mine on eBay. Edutid fer speling

The term "Township" has nothing to do with a bunch of people living near each other. When there is a numbered township, it is so that the government has an easier time of finding stuff. 1 township = 36 sections.

Whatever. I'm not saying I didn't find them. I DID find them, or at least what was left. The descriptions were EXACT. I went right to them. Took me literally 10 seconds of looking once I parked my car, and most of that was walking across the old highway. Found the perfectly round, perfectly sized hole in the concrete, exactly where the description said it was. NOBODY WILL EVER FIND ER0209 or ER0210 INTACT ANYWHERE ELSE. I will admit that there is a very, very slight chance I'm wrong on ER0211 (just because the headwall was too deteriorated to see the disk impression anymore), but I'd say the percentage would be in the range of .00003%. Nobody is going to see those three disks again, except for whoever took them, and whoever that person shows.

PDF preferred, but whatever is OK. I couldn't find it on the Garmin website. TIA