Shop99er

I have a personal TB that I log in and out when I register finds at the site. I also have a pen and ink logbook that I fill in. I also use it to write down clues that I will need if I'm working a cache series.

I love to cache in cemeteries. Especially the older ones that we have in Kitsap County, Washington. I'm not freaked out at all, but I am careful where I walk. There is no way I'm gonna intentionally walk on a grave!! I guess I figure the occupant will come to get me. A couple of the ones here that I have been in are utterly abandoned. No one has been buried in them for 70 or more years. Unfortunately, the cemeteries are also no longer cared for. At night, they can be real creepy. The Burley Cemetery is a prime example. The folks there were colonists of a sort in the late 19th century here. From what I gather, it was a very early attempt at a commune, as we understand the term. After the colonists had pretty much all died, they seem to have been forgotten. This is probably the saddest place I have been to in a long time. There is no one left to take care of their grave or headstones. Anyway, caching in a cemetery is, for the most part, a lot of fun, in a somber sorta way.

In Washington State, we have a series called "Cemetery Quest". This was put together by HeadLlama, and is a pretty popular series. As far as I know, there have been no issues with it. The series is located in mostly older, and nearly unused cemeteries here. The containers, with the sole exception of the final, are micro-sized. One cache in a cemetery, unrelated to the quest was pilfered a month or so ago, but that was most likely kids. I have a cache in one of the few older cemeteries that HeadLlama managed to miss around here. My container is also a micro. For a cache in a cemetery, I think that a micro is the best. There is less possibility of being spotted by those that might be offended, and there is less disruption of the grounds. Regardless of your personal beliefs on death, religion, or anything that might be related to a cemetery, I have always believed that one should be respectful.

I'll e-mail a DNF'er on one of my caches if the no-find is my fault. Otherwise, they need to ask for hints.

I will delete a DNF only if theDNF is my fault. For example, when I get "Fat Finger Syndrome" and mis-type the coords when I submit the cache. Even then, I shoot a message to the cacher involved, and let them know what I'm doing, and why. I have had one log that I put in deleted. That owner never said what he was doing or why, but I could guess. The same owner has never answered any e-mail that I have sent. These were harmless "ho-do-ya" types of questions.

Personally, I think COAdmin was only partially wrong on the issue that started all this in the other thread. He was absolutely, dead-on, out-of-his-mind wrong to archive the Plaque. Yes, I know it's been un-archived. Using the Plaque as a way to get at Team360 did nothing to enhance CO's standing with anyone in the GC community. It showed that he is willing to take some form of revenge, no matter whom else gets caught in the cross-fire. If 360 asks for a local to maintian the Plaque, I have no doubt that hundreds, or thousands of members would jump at it. I probably would too, and I live north of Tacoma. Oh, wait....... that's nearly 4 hours away, by Interstate........probably too far.......

I believe that TB's should travel from cache to cache. But, that is only a hard and fast rule with my bugs. If you want to mail it, contact the owner and ask. The bug belongs to them, so whatever rules there are, should also be theirs.

If a minimum number of finds were required before a cacher were allowed to place one, what would it be? 10? 20? 50? More? And who is to say that any number is a good one? I know a player that does mostly virtual and reverse caches. Therefore, there is no knowledge of hopw to hide a phisical cache to draw on. This player has over 30 finds. And NO, I'm not gonna tell you who it is. The guidelines for setting a cache are just that. Guidelines. Yes, there are a few hard and fast rules for placing. Other than the 528-foot rule, I don't agree with many of them, but it's not my game. The point is, we don't need minimum requirements, or some other set of rules for players to hide a cache. You either learn as you go, or you don't. If you don't, people won't come hunting yours, and that's the ultimate statement on your abilities.

I have used Shop99er as an internet name since I first connected, many moon ago. It comes from the shop that I did my Apprenticeship in, was a Journeyman in, and am now a Supervisor in. The real Shop99 has been a very good place for me, at least, to work for the last 20 years, and I have always had a very strong loyalty to it.

I've been trying all day to upload 1 image, and have not been able to. I can do anything else I need to, though. I always get directed to "internet optimizer". Whatever that is. Anyone know what's going on here?

What you might want to do is: A) Talk to this Ranger's Supervisor. Offer to bring your lawyer. Let the world know who this creep is. Name, photo, the works. As long as people allow him to extort money for setting caches, he's gonna do it. It doesn't matter what state the Ranger works in. And, assuming the parks don't have an official, published policy regarding fees for caches, then the Ranger is committing a felony. Having worked for the Government for most of my adult life, I have learned a few of the rules.

While the game is free for all to play, I would have no problem shelling out a few more bucks if it wold help clear up the current problems. And, there should be some sort of "Premium Time" for the paying members if the rates were to go up. Say, between 1900 and 2300, Pacific Time. Players who don't want to pay can still play, just like most of us did when we started. If they don't get to use the site at all hours, well, that's the way it goes. It is just like the special tickets at the big amusement parks. If you wanna play when you wanna play, you gotta pay.

I keep getting the server busy error a lot, too. Also, I find myself being re-directed to an adserv page..... This has been going on for the last 2 or 3 days. Is it gonna get fixed? A frustrated "premium" member.

I have a Sport Trak Map. Got it at Best Buy for 140 after rebate. It's a pretty good machine. really nice if you get the Map Software that goes with it.

Thanks to all who have answered so far for the info. Bein's how my Magellan gizmo auto-averages, how can I use that to my best advantage? Will wondering off, and taking a reading from another direction help? And, if the readings are different, how does one "manually" average them? Or is there any real need for that? Thanks again.

Hello, I am using a Magellan Sport Trak Map. I'm haveing some difficulties when I take coords for my caches. Is there a minimum amount of time I should let the think percolate? Should I re-initialize it every time I want to take coords for a new cache? If so, should I do that for every waypoint on a multi? Or should I just paint a big red X on the hiding spot, and call it good? Thanks,

OK, I'm real new at this, so I'm clueless. What is a Geo Coin, how do they get treated, and how do you get one? Thanks, Mark