Team Sand Dollar

AZgeocaching.com keeps stats for AZ geocaches. At the present 7th Avenue Wash http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=8144 has the most finds for AZ. 138 Team Sand Dollar

For many of you who are unfamiliar with caching in Arizona, a while back an article came out in the paper stating that geocachers where destroying archeological sites and stealing artifacts. This whole article was based on the word of a couple of sit stewards that notice that there where geocaches near these THEIR sites. And I emphasize THEIR site. Although the article was baseless, a lot of negative press was given to geocaching. In fact, at the site where the site steward claimed that articles where taken, the nearby cache had been visited only three times. I was one of the three visitors to that site, and saw nothing that resembled and archeological site. Then again I’m no expert, and the proximity of the cache to the site is unknown. The site steward just assumed that since there was a cache nearby, cachers must be stealing the artifacts. Because of the bad press, many people responsible for the public land in Arizona see geocaching in a bad light. Much has been done since the article to educate these people about our sport but there is still a long way to go. There are still those in the area that still bad mouths geocaching to whom ever will listen. This situation may be a result of earlier bad press. For this reason this cache, which is a very fine example of what a virtual cache is all about, must not give in to the uneducated. This cache violated no rules and introduced the caching community to a great area. I must be brought back.

Should the staff at Geocaching.com restore the Deer Valley Rock Art Center virtual cache.

GDC is that wonderful company that put all those road in palm bay and all over Florida. General Developement Corp. Thought they could get a bunch of Northerner to move to Florida. They Did! Lost Floridian in Michigan wanting to move back to Arizona. Lived in Palm Bay for 15 Years. Team Sand Dollar

Sorry dup message Team Sand Dollar [This message was edited by Team Sand Dollar on February 13, 2003 at 06:54 AM.]

Changes sound good so I'll give it a try and see how it works. Team Sand Dollar

I started to think about the Question... Why is word involved in this? Aaaah, I'll bet it's becuase you're using geocaching.com GPX files that put the kitchen sink in the field and you're editing out the placer/diff/terr/container, aren't you? GPSBabel provides a file with only Coords and Name but the name is to long and clutters my map. I like putting waypoints in by name and not GC number. I use a marco in Word to strip of the " by (team name)" information from the name to make it shorter. This text file I use for Topo USA and Xmap Hand Held. For Cetus I use the one with the complete name. Team Sand Dollar

I'll look into combining the steps. I'm for anything that will speed up the process. Now if I can just figure out why uploading the new waypoints to XMap HH dosen't always work. Team Sand Dollar

I've have been using a 515 with GPS Companion for about a month now and have worked out most of the kinks. These are the operating solutions I have gotten to work. 1) Cetus (freeware) provide good gps tracking functions. (replaces NAV) 2) GPSbable (freeware) provide format conversion. 3) Delorme XMap Hand Held ($40) ability to download maps to palm. 4) Delorme Topo USA 4.0 ($100) ability to download topo maps to palm (requires XMap HH). Also used to create waypoint file for XMap HH. 5) Filez (freeware) to delete waypoint file for XMap HH from palm prior to uploading new waypoints. So how do I use it. 1)Get .gpx and .prc files from Geocaching.com. 2)Use GPSbable to create .txt comman delimited file from .gpx 3)Use GPSbable to create .pdb file for Cetus from .txt file. 4)Use Word to modify .txt comma delimited .txt file to leave only North coord, West coord, and name of each cache. 5)Import modified .txt file into Topo USA 4.0 6) Send .prc file to Palm 7) Send .pdb file to Palm 8) Export Maps and Waypoint From Topo USA 4.0 to Palm. (Note the Waypoint export doesn't always work just right and sometimes takes multiple tries.) I know this seems like a lot of work but the end results provide me with desciption, waypoints, and topos for each cache I'm after in a very portable capacity. If you have a specific question you can contact me at teamsanddollar@yahoo.com Loran (Team Sand Dollar)

Another advantage to the 515 is that you can add a Magellan GPS Companion. It a nice toy once you learn how to use it. Team Sand Dollar

I've cached many time when the temp was above 100. Last summer I went after a cache on Camel Back in Phoenix. It was 100 when I started and 110 when I came off the hill. The down side is that I never could find the cache but then no one else has ever found it so maybe it isn't there. Now I'm caching in Michigan and its cold. Did two yesterday with the temp around 10. But I think I'll draw the line when it goes below zero. Team Sand Dollar

Go to www.azgeocaching.com and join thier list server. Not only will you get a lot of info on AZ geocaching but you will meet a lot of the area cachers. This group is very active and very willing to help. Just post your request on thier list server and watch the replies come in. Team Sand Dollar

First - its a nice toy. Second - it works well once you figure it out. Now that I've said the nice things I'll add the warnings. The unit is not user friendly. The map display shows to little when zoomed out and doesn't track that well. You need to be a Techno geek to figure it all out. The software that come with it is less than adaqate. Work arounds. After much searching on the forums I've come up with the following solutions. 1) Cetus (freeware) provide good gps tracking functions. (replaces NAV) 2) GPSbable (freeware) provide conversion of waypoints from .loc format to whatever. Not always the easies to understand. 3) Delorme XMap Hand Held ($40) ability to download maps to palm. 4) Delorme Topo USA 4.0 ($100) ability to download topo maps to palm (requires XMap HH). Also used to create waypoint file for XMap HH. 5) PiMover of tealmovr (shareware) to delete waypoint file for XMap HH from palm. So how do I use it. 1)Get .loc and .prc files from Geocaching.com. 2)Use GPSbable to create .pdb file for Cetus from .loc file. 3)Use Word to create comma delimited .txt file from .loc file. I created macros to parce .loc file and leave only North coord, West coord, and name of each cache. 4)Import .txt file into Topo USA 4.0 5) Export Maps and Waypoint From Topo USA 4.0 to Palm. 6) Send .prc file to Palm 7) Send .pdb file to Palm 8) Hope it works this time As I tried to state earlier it not an easy process but I'm still working on it. Hope this helps. All said and done I do like the unit I just wish it were more user friendly Loran (Team Sand Dollar)

I have just started using a Palm 500 with Magellan GPS Companion with XMap Handheld plus Topo 4.0 maps. I have been looking at the forums and have found probable solutions for many of the downfall with this setup. At present this setup is just a toy and I use my 315 for caching The main issue I have is I find that the streets and GPS position indicator don't always match. When sitting at home the indicator on the map puts me about 200-300 feet north of the house. Are others experiencing this problem or is the some way to correct this. Team Sand Dollar

quote:Originally posted by Freelens & Mosie:... I know you are from Arizona but you did mention that you lived in Melbourne for 15 years so rain shouldn't scare you. You won't melt. Hehehehe. Guess you should have noticed that spinning up newbies was not to good of an idea. Yeh, This is one tough crowd. This thread was started in fun and not intended to attack any person or group. Think I'll just stick to caching and awsay from these forums. Just to much stress. TSD

And how many replies. Team Sand Dollar

You are all taking me to seriously. I would rather be caching but it's raining. Also my family is back in AZ so I have nothing better to do than see what would result from starting this thread. This one isn't working so lets see how the new one works. Why do teams with the most number of finds... Have fun Team Sand Dollar

In all fairness I felt I had to include this thread. ... rarely post. We are too busy caching. ... post too often. It rains a lot more here in MI than it did in AZ. Here'e your chance! Team Sand Dollar

quote:Originally posted by DirtRunner:After 20, hell, 10 finds, one should be getting a pretty good feel for what’s out there, they haven’t seen it all by a long shot but they have put enough under their belt to be able to make an intelligent judgment on which direction they would like the see the hobby go. You scare me.... DirtRunner. Usually 10 finds is a good place and for some sooner where a person knows what is a good cache. It took me 420 before I hid one but I'm slow. Most caches are well thought out but some people think they have to hide a cache right away. These tend to be put out in a rush and not maintained when missing or damaged. Also too continue my rant on newbies .. they complaine about used golf balls but find nothing wrong with live ammo or butane lighters in a cache. Don't be scared of me, I want this game to continue forever with the least amount of rules, only sugestions. Team Sand Dollar

quote:Originally posted by Freelens & Mosie:Lets see a couple a day for over a year and a half. That's a bunch of double A's, alot of gas,shoe leather, typing. ... Today my wife and I discovered the Port Canaveral Locks, ... It doesn't rank up there with your 3 visits to the men's on I44 in September. But hey some of us go for quality over quantity. I go for both quality and quantity. Quantity only because I can't get enough of caching. It really doesn't matter where they are I have to try for them all. As for quality, I've hiked most of the Superstition Mountains and most of the other mountains in Phoenix. I've gone 3/4 miles into a lava tube and hunted in 100 degree temps. Now I get to find out what it's like to cache in the cold. (Moved to MI). I'll even be checking out the caches in Melbourne. Worked for Harris for 15 years and my inlaws have a home there. Also Quantity because I was out of work for 7 months. Had to cache to keep me from going crazy. Team Sand Dollar

I was just starting a thread to see how others would finish the sentence and what where their observation. This was not an attack on anyone just an observation. As for picking on new cachers, it is just that they tend to obsever caching differently than someone that has done a lot of caching. After awhile your not worried about being able to find everyone by yourself so if someone with you finds its or is already there it still counts as a find. You not worried that there is nothing good in the cache because you already have so may dollar store items already you don't know what to do with them all. And you know the difference between a challenging cache and one that should not have been placed in the first place because it could get someone arrested. I even don't have a problem with one that is in the middle of a bombing range because it is fully explained and also tell you how to get permits for access. You brought up the thought of Cache Police. I just replied with my philosophy that if we don't self regulate someone will do that for us. My only goal is to make this a better game for all. As for your comment as to what I was doing from September to March. Just trying to survive these trying times. Was able to hold onto my job un till mid February and then among the ranks of the unemployed until three weeks ago. Maybe my field isn't as important as yours but I learned my limitation in an Explorer Post in Law Enforcement and Knew I was just too high stung for the job. Team Sand Dollar

quote:Originally posted by SR & dboggny: WHO ARE YOU, THE GEOCACHING POLICE? Another comment by another newbe. Once you get a few hundred finds you might understand this game. The are no Cache Police just concerned cachers. If we don't self regulate someone will try. Such as the site stewards in AZ that tried to blame geocaching for damaged archelogical site only because they knew a geocaches site was near. Just wanted to see what others might complete the sentence with. The thread just hasn't gone that way. Team Sand Dollar

... have the most (not always good) to say on the forum. ... feel they need to hide a cache before they have done enough to know a good hide from a "I've got to hide a cache" hide. ... will not except comments from experienced cachers and take them as criticism. There are many more, but I thought this would make an interesting thread. Of course the way these forums work, only the teams with the least number of finds will anwser. Team Sand Dollar

quote:Originally posted by georgeandmary:Rubbertoe, 13 finds!? That's less than one a month. 13 finds isn't even a good weekend. Team Sand Dollar

quote:Originally posted by georgeandmary:Rubbertoe, 13 finds!? That's less than one a month. 13 finds isn't even a good weekend. Team Sand Dollar