LeftyLeo

It is really a shame that the Wonders are a ll gone ... i havent been able to cache in quite a while and was working towards completing all of those somehow and they are all gone so now all that extra work to focus on particular goals and caches was wasted --other then still making a find, of course

They should have the same rules as a multi - though i originally felt you should get smileys for those stages - i now understand that those are for the complete challenge and as such should also have higher Difficulty level for doing all that work versus a single traditional cache (generally speaking)

Mount them so that they cannot be moved close together

Single throw... ~LMAO~ Come on, think of how much fun it will be for someone to try to hold the switches while trying all kinds of combos. Now, for a different take. Put together a box with the pushbutton switches and the lid locked but leave the bottom of the box open so that the switches don't do a thing. \------------ OH thats GREAT.. and set that in an ammo box have buttons and a handle..(or no handle....evil) and let them sweat.. oh i'd get some 'interesting" logs for that

----- All good ... mistakes are part of learning, if you are open to it You can ask the cache owner (CO) for help explain what you tried, you can sometimes ask other local cachers you might have met so far. Just be patient. You;ll get it :-)

It's unusual to contact the Event Host(ess) prior to logging an Attended. =-------------- Events in my area have log books to sign in

IMHO, there is no number of DNFs before a throwdown. A throwdown without the owners permission is wrong even with a thousand DNFs. There are no "rules" from Groundspeak as to how many. There are plenty of rules in place on what to do when you don't find something, you don't need to cheat for the smiley. (I'm speaking of the "you generically not you the OP. []) If a cache is missing, you get a DNF, period. Anything else is just fooling yourself. Of course we all play a little different, but if I have a throwdown on one of my caches it would be one of the few times I would care enough to delete a log. ------------------------- There is a rules posting on Throwdowns : http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=427 I agree that throwdowns are NOT legitimate finds. The ONLY time you replace a cache is with the CO's explicit permission. *** Just because you do not find it does NOT mean that it is missing! Could the cacher be new? could the Difficulty be more than a 1.5 ? Is it a puzzle and you didnt solve or bother to read the cache page? There could be a lot of reasons. I wish the 'new' cachers would ask for guidance. They really would enjoy this a whole lot better

Pretty close. My point is that these things need to be REQUIRED in order to establish an account, log on and use the app. YOUR point, that it will STILL be FREE, is also a good point to appease thos who whine, "but..but..but..geocaching is supposed to be FREE." "Free" means "no money changes hands directly for the service," not "you can be anonymous." Just reported yet another log containing "foul language" from one of these new cachers with single digit finds and no email address. They really are ruining this for long time cachers. I hear complaints everytime I talk to another cacher. It;s is quite terrible that this is happening. **E-Mail Address:The "send message" feature is disabled because this email address has not been validated by the user.** I am not looking to fight with them, if i have issues I email a reviewer ..but in general i sometimes email to keep them from posting spoilers and.or posting a log that is more than a TFTC .. If they cant find a cache they assume its missing and post horrible logs. Well, just because you can not find it does NOT mean that it is missing. Perhaps they should, at the very least, read the cache page! OH! its a puzzle? theres no container here? (face-plant) We have had caches ARCHIVED almost INSTANTLY by a reviewer based on a single complaint that its missing by a newbie and that cacher was SO angry they remover an entire historical trail series ! I am more than happy to answer/assist any cacher if they ask politely.

even if you dont have GSAK ..you can use cach'eye website but you would have to manually change the coords to corrected before hand. If you do have gsak, use the macro and the corrected coords come up red and uncorrected stay pink-ish

I use Chrome (browser) and an extension called cachelist - this allows you to 'check-off' caches on the geocache.com site and download a basic gpx/loc that you can put in gsak (and refresh for corrected coords info) then import into the cach'eye site or into google earth Another cacher does the same but uses geocaching.com's bookmark list feature and basically does the same thing (takes it to gsak, updates for corrected then goes to cache'eye) hope that helps somewhat

+1 to both of these answers. If they can figure out an easier way to solve it, or a shortcut, or stumble on to it by narrowing down possibilities, brute-forcing it, etc., then more power to them, I'd have no problem with that. As puzzle maker I should have made it not so easy to circumvent, and good for them they were able to conquer it, whether it was the way I intended or not. What I'd object to is if they just grabbed they answer off of a freely circulated answer list or Facebook group dedicated to deseminating all puzzle solutions to anyone who wants to get them without having to even try. If a puzzle cache goes from being found once every couple a months with detailed, interesting logs, to all of a sudden being found 3 times a week with a bunch of 'TFTC' logs, then clearly the solution has been compromised and published somewehere and it's time to re-work the puzzle and archive it and replace it with a new (maybe tougher) puzzle cache whose solution hasn't been compromised, IMO. I've brute forced a few mystery caches. I stopped telling the CO that I did. It bothered him. I have lots of puzzle cache hides. Some are very simple. Some are very difficult. I put three five difficulty mysteries in my newest series. One is mostly found by brute forcing. "Hmm... There's a hole here..." Several cachers have actually solved the puzzle. As long as they signed the log, I am happy. It is obvious that many finds on my difficult puzzles are by PAF. I am not happy about that. But as long as the log is signed, it's a valid find. That's my viewpoint: As log as the log is signed, it's a find. I have had reviewers ask if I really wanted to put out some of my obtuse puzzles. "YES!" On the other fin: I saw a cacher hide a cache. I said "That should be easy to find." After he left, I signed the log book, and discovered the TB (which was my big mistake.) It was a bonus cache: Find these two, and get the coords for the third. The cache had not been published yet. So he went back, tore my signature out of the log book, and changed the hiding place. I 'did not find it by the expected method.' I guess that's his prerogative, since it had not been published yet. But with that attitude, he is on my 'ignore list'. If he had done that on one of my caches, I would have laughed heartily, and congratulated him! Shame you didn't take the TB. If you found it and signed the log it's a valid find even if it isn't published yet. There is a ? cache near me and someone knew where other caches were and eliminated a large area and 'manually searched' the remainder and found the cache since the puzzle was too hard.. Is that cheating or 'alternate method' .. a signed log is a signed log.. (i have to agree with Harry, though it can be a bit of a let down for the co/puzzle creator) .. Do you think the co should be allowed to disqualify a find if the puzzle isnt found, but brute forced like that? (oh and i also agree that answers shouldnt be just handed out. I like to get people to try them, to teach them how to solve them... there are plenty that i have spent many hours on and still cant get, but thats why they are puzzles...and high diff's)

Now you know!!!! Me and my geocaching tools... **That's taking "Alternate Solve Method" a bit too extreme ... (too funny!! :-)

I have never had a bad Garmin GPS .. from the hand held to the Nuvi. I have upgraded along the way .. original yellow etrex to blue legend to Oregon 450t which i love OK.. I admit to breaking more than one screen... one was replaced for a fee ..i believe just under $100. at the time you sent in the damaged unit and you got a tested refurbished unit.. no problems there .. I even cracked one 450t within hours (i unknowingly dropped it and backed over it) and the store i purchased it from swapped it for me due to Garmin's excellent return policies with retail stores. The ONLY complaint I feel that I can make .. which may or may not be justified to anyone but myself, is that as a loyal Garmin customer, with registered devices, they will not give map update discounts. that can be expensive for one oregon 450t and one Nuvi255w I would like to think that there is better reason than just "no. we want all your money." ..and something more reasonable ..like a copyright issue on the map data or some such... at least that would be a valid, acceptable reason... even if I still dont like it - but that would be OK with me - if that is truthful .. SO, after all that... Still a loyal customer who often recommends Garmin, from experience, but refuses to bad mouth other manufacturers. Especially when i have no experience with any others. I tell other cachers not to take only my advice but to ask others as well. there are some in my are that do use non-garmin, and have great experience. With that... good luck to all ... and Happy New Year...

First off I just had to fix your spelling/grammar. Second-Why would special equipment equal a high D/T rating? If that equipment is a boat(Which does require a 5 on the terrain rating) or a climbing harness and ascender(To go UP the rope), I could understand. But how would a magnet, UV light, water bottle, or flashlight equal a 5 rating? Those are things that are used to retrieve caches, and each one could fit on your keychain. What should be done is that these caches are rated appropriately. Then there is the fact that sometimes saying what equipment is required could take away from the experience. There are also caches that need the special equipment, but there could be any number of tools to get the job done. I have a cache the you can't reach (and most won't be able ti climb either) Equipment I've seen used include an extension ladder, wooden dowel with a hook on one end, a stick form a nearby tree, even a cachers child(On his shoulders) Regarding the Chirp: I do believe if there is a Chirp, then there must be some other way of finding the cache. BUT Chirp is not the only one of it's kind. There are other beacons that can be read by different brands of GPS, and even some cell phones. Those are OK-they do not favor one over the other. Although I don't think that's what the issue is, with the Garmin Chirp-but that's a topic best for the forum regulars. Boats, SCUBA gear, ladders, special light sources, and IMHO beacon receivers and smartphones are "special equipment" that most cachers would not carry with them. That was really my point. I can not climb trees even with proper gear, so i avoid these 5 star caches.

I dont mind "special equipment" ... but then shouldnt that then be a 5 for Diff or Terr? and also if special equipment is needed, regardless of the D/T, it should be divulged on the cacbhe page just what equipment will be necessary, such as a gps that will receive a chirp signal (which by the way i thought these caches were required to have an alternate solve method for those without a garmin gps with chirp, seems thats concidered backing a particular manufacturer, and frowned upon in the rules)

yet sometimes you may have solved but want to keep the posted coords when they are for parking. but i would love to have a 'solved' tag of some sort or corrected coords to show while in a list view or on a map view...

I would like to see something indicating solved on a pq and/or on the map. but right now i have to stick to DB as well

Your reaction is correct: the idea is outrageous. It would be no different than logging a find on a traditional cache because she liked the description. I'm thinking it's the other cacher that's the newbie. By the way, personally I find it kinda silly to post a note just because you solved a puzzle, but at least it's not vulgar. -- Definitely not a 'find' but i have posted 'solved' logs . with comments..and to be found later ..at least CO's know their puzzles are getting action - i dont see any issue with that. then others can see its solvable ..

(removed by poster--topic in another thread)

i like the red/blue question mark idea that was mentioned too .. red for corrected coords i am sure i am not the only one that has solved a bunch of puzzles but no way on the map, or even on the search list screens to know at a glance which i have solved and which i have not

If you use GSAK (can i say that? i have no business connection with GSAK other than I am a user) - and the Cache'eye Macro.. the "corrected" "?" are red and the unsolved are purple on the map

Where is the new / continued thread for this, please

I just think that if you get a down vote there should also be a legitimate (courteous) comment telling why there is might be a problem with the challenge Why should it ruin someone else's fun if you vote? Cezanne Because, right now, it is unclear if a certain number of down votes might lead to the archival of a challenge. I personally don't have much interest in historical markers, so I'm not really interested in challenges that involve them. But I realize that some people *do* like them, and *would* enjoy such challenges. I would hate to see a challenge archived simply because some people don't like them. As such, I reserve a "thumbs down" vote for challenges that I subjectively deem to be "bad". THIS!!!! Wonderful example, too! I especially like your point of "filling a gap in the collection." I see that possibly coming into play as certain areas (such as the Washington DC monuments) get a lot of challenges listed. I can see some challenges getting down votes because it is repeating a challenge that is already listed, or just because it is deemed inferior to others in the area that are already listed. What is deemed "good" or "bad" may vary by region. Are you saying that the ones posted in the forums have gotten archived, or simply that they have gotten a few extra down votes? As long as the good ones listed here don't get archived, I don't see how you can deem the system a failure. I've seen bad challenges and challenges that don't meet the guidelines disappear before my eyes. All the challenges listed in my area I would rate as "okay" to "really great"; I don't see a stinker among them. (Though we don't have that many yet.) From what I can see, the system is actually working okay. YMMV

i have a question / comment on the beta maps .. but not sure where/how to post it. Just a thought on something that i had found very useful before Basically it is that the beta version doesnt have option for numbers and the list of cachenames/GCs along side . perhaps this can be added back? or maybe just the GCs overlaid on the map (names would be to long to overlay) LeftyLeo / Jim