Seeker_Knight
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Posts posted by Seeker_Knight
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On 3/1/2020 at 11:53 PM, thebruce0 said:
Only problem is, posted logs are read by other people which imply the state of a geocache, and if they're couch logging they are not posting first-hand verified logs and can be easily misleading to other geocachers. So couch logging isn't an activity that only affects themselves. It affects the community. Couch logging is a Bad Thing overall.
Agree wholeheartedly that it is a bad thing, but learned a long time ago that trying to control other people just leads to deeper frustration. They are going to do what they want regardless of what anyone thinks. I just choose to not waste my time and energy on people who do foolish things.
Seeker_Knight
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2 hours ago, thebruce0 said:
Only problem is, posted logs are read by other people which imply the state of a geocache, and if they're couch logging they are not posting first-hand verified logs and can be easily misleading to other geocachers. So couch logging isn't an activity that only affects themselves. It affects the community. Couch logging is a Bad Thing overall.
Have to agree with that, but temper it with a bit of wisdom too. A young man asked an old wise man what was to be done about the whirling dervishes that seemed to plague their area, blowing dust all over the place and generally being a nuisance. The old man asked him what he thought caused the situation, to which the young man replied, "Why the wind of course". So the old man asked the young man if God or nature had made him master of the winds. And the young man said, of course not. Then why do you think it is your business to fret about the whirling dervishes, they are really none of your business. Just let the whirling dervishes whirl.
Last I checked, nobody gave me domain over anyone else's actions. Therefore, I figure I'll just let them be and mind my own business!Seeker_Knight
The other readers of this type of nonsense will also be able to discount the BS from the real postings.
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4 hours ago, lexistr said:
Hi! Name is Lexi and live in Dallas, TX. New as of today 3/1/2020 and love this newfound hobby! Introduced to me by family members in the Portland, OH area. Will continue to keep up throughout my travels!
Hi Lexist,
Welcome to the sport! You can have a great time with this activity and meet all types of good people too. Hope you have as much fun with it as I have. Good luck on the hunt!Seeker_Knight
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Like anything else, it is not the tool but the user who is dangerous. In the wrong hands a paper clip, pocket knife or even a pencil is a life threatening weapon. In the right hands it could become a medical instrument to save someones life. a device to pen the next great literary work, or the instrument to carve a masterpiece statue.
I've seen far too many videos of people abusing these little bikes, such as wheel stands on the public roads, weaving in and out of traffic, riding on walkways. through crowds of pedestrians and the like. There will always be unreliable people who insist on acting like idiots no matter what they are given. And there will always be those who make the most of the beneficial qualities of what they have. You just can't legislate your way around stupidity. Like evil, it will find a way into your culture by any means or device. If we went back in time and placed all our modern laws and restrictions on past generations, our societies would never evolve to the state we enjoy today.
The ONLY cure is prevention. We can achieve this by making certain that our youth know the difference between right and wrong. Beyond that, there really is not much to be done except to legislate ourselves into a world so mild, restrictive and daunting that we become paralyzed to the point of none growth. It is like any other situation within a free society. Everyone must take up the yoke of responsibility for their own actions. You have the right to say whatever you want, but it doesn't mean you can yell fire in a crowded theater, threaten violence against elected officials or anything else so rash and stupid. With freedom comes responsibility.Seeker_Knight
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On 2/26/2020 at 11:46 PM, thebruce0 said:
...couch logging earthcaches and virtuals and lab caches.
One reason why an irk of mine is the unqualified "everyone plays their own way" - often used to justify questionable, and sometimes antagonistic, behaviours. So, well, sure it's true, but within the guidelines and ethics of the intended positive and community spirit of geocaching
People who cheat themselves out of the experience by "couch logging" miss the whole point of the activity. While it is no sweat off my back what they do, it just seems sad to me. Kinda like cheating at solitaire.
One of the things I like the best about geocaching is the opportunity it gave me to teach my daughter by example, of what character, morality, strength, endurance, honesty and other admirable attributes can add to the overall quality of life in general. So maybe there is something of value in a cache. Do you have something of equal value to exchange if you want to take it with you? If not, don't do it. You will have your chance sometime in the future. Do you have the character to at least give a search the honest effort before resorting to clues and hints? There are a thousand different ways for a kid to learn quality values doing this activity. For me at least, therein lies the real value of the whole sport.Seeker_Knight
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On 2/26/2020 at 4:33 PM, Viajero Perdido said:
Are you expected to ride with traffic like full-size motorbikes, or can/do you ride on the shoulder like bicycles do, where it might be safer? Or more to the point, can it keep up with traffic and blend in?
Mixing with traffic scares me, and I'll happily add distance to my ride if it means finding a quieter road with less traffic or more space to avoid it.
These are 125cc, so they will do fine on secondary roads with no problem. They are street legal with all the typical safety features, so you can ride anyplace you want on the road. You can take them out on the highway, but expect to be in the slow lane and in a high tension state the entire time. I've ridden for years on larger bikes, and the highways are no joke. It is dangerous out there, especially on a small bike. I'd do it in a pinch for a few miles, but I wouldn't plan any long distance rides on the interstates.
I just want to use this to buzz around town from cache to cache. For that it will do a great job.Seeker_Knight
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On 2/25/2020 at 2:53 AM, Outyonder57 said:
Hello
I just joined today and of course have a lot of questions. I was looking around but not extensively so thought it faster to ask. What types of things are not allowed in caches? Are there caches for under age kids and for adults only? I am not talking about leaving inappropriate things but just think adults would enjoy finding things other than toys and vice versa.
Thanks!
You should look this up on the Geocaching website. They do not allow food, knives, ammunition, explosives, flammable fluids, adult themed items etc. The whole idea is to keep it family friendly so you can let your kids open the container without worrying about finding dangerous or offensive items.
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I bought a Rad Rover for my daughter's fiance, and thought about one for myself, but I am not physically able to pedal any more, and the Rad Rover just hasn't got the range I might need. It is limited to about 45 miles, and only if you pedal the whole way with the wind at your back. Other than that, it is good for about 25 miles and 22 MPH..
Enjoy your youth while you have it. Peddling should help you extend it a lot longer too. Enjoy!Seeker_Knight
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I got so tired of going to the gas station all the time filling up the mini van, just to run around and do some geocaching. So I found a way to make it a whole lot cheaper. Enter the little Honda Monkey 125cc. It falls a bit short on storage space, but a backpack should fix that problem. The good news is, it gets about 140mpg. So I can go out for a whole day, anywhere I want on about a gallon of gas. This is a lot more sensible than driving the mini van all over the state. My part of going green I guess!
Let''s see if this is actually practical for running from cache to cache. I know already that it will need a coffee holder.Is anyone else using one of these small bikes to do their caching?
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5 hours ago, ParrotRobAndCeCe said:
OK, what's irking me today is people who indiscriminately move travelers without paying attention to what their goals are or what their owners are trying to achieve.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, I retrieved a travel bug from a cache in rural Ontario where it had apparently been imprisoned for about a month. I was surprised to see that it's goal was to visit as many of the UNITED STATES as possible. At the time, it had seen about ten before it got dumped off in, of all places, Canada. So after taking it to Quebec with me the next day, I brought it back stateside where it wanted to be, and subsequently hauled it to Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee, all in about a month. I released it in Tennessee hoping it could fill in its map a little more in the south. I have been following it ever since and saw it make its way to North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Then today I got an email that the Tennessee retriever dropped it off in, of all places, ENGLAND.
Question: When YOU retrieve a TB, do you pay attention to what its owner wants, or do you just figure it wants to "travel" and put it wherever you like?
The lucky ones keep moving. A lot of them just disappear into someones personal "Stash", or worse yet, they get "Muggled" by unscrupulous players and even intentional vandals. It's not right, but this happens quite a bit. I'm preparing to set a group of 50 new TB's out there. My wife asked me how many will survive. I had to laugh a bit. There will be one for every State, but I consider anything over 20% success rate pretty darn good, Now she is mad at me for wasting the money on them. I just said it is like paying admission to a social event of sorts. You pay your admission, and see the show they put on the screen or the stage. Some you may enjoy, while others disappoint to some extent. Either way you get to have an "Experience" to enjoy to it's best possible outcome.
Seeker_Knight
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4 hours ago, Max and 99 said:
I don't know if it's the app or my phone, so move this to another thread if you want.
Today when I started a Waymarking/geocaching trip, I went to navigate to a nearby cache and my compass was all over the place on the geocache map: 1/2 mile west, then 10 seconds later 2 miles north, then 1 mile south, and 10 seconds later 3 miles to the east. Literally ALL over the map! It was useless. I made my husband watch the screen so he'd know I wasn't exaggerating. Every 10 seconds it was in a wildly different direction.
I logged out of my Android app, then back in, and it seems to work. So I'm not sure if it's the app (move it to that thread if you do), or just my phone.
Regardless, I'm curious what causes this. I don't know if I got lucky logging in and out of the app, or a different solution is best.
What your experiencing can be caused by a few different things. Yes the software for your phone may be finicky. But there is also the need to calibrate most electronic compasses occasionally. This basically allows the software to catch up with the "Live conditions". These things get moved constantly, so they will need to get straightened out from time to time. A simple matter of holding it as level as possible, and being as far away from known ferric metals as possible (not in a metal scrap yard for example), rotate it a complete 360 degrees. Let it settle, then do the same thing in the opposite direction. This will calibrate most units.
Then you have the things that fall into the "Other" factors categories. These include proximity to natural to ferric metal deposits in the ground, and they are all over the place. Magnetic variations from man made electronic fields like power lines, electric generation facilities, microwave stations etc. Unless you are out in the middle of a very barren area, these will all come into play, and they vary constantly. Then there is the effects of "Magnetic Ley Lines", Vortexes, Lunar influence and the like. These things do exist, and they can be very erratic at certain times of the year and certain localities more than others.
I used to do land surveying, and on occasion we would have to rely on magnetic readings to get our bearings when there was no "Known" baseline to work off of. You would lock your instrument on an assumed point, read the compass, lock the bottom plate, turn the instrument 180 degrees, flop the scope, and record how far you had to move the top plate to come back to the original backsight. This helped to reduce the affects of magnetic deviation, but it would actually change during the course of a day, especially if you were traversing long distances in areas that had lots of iron deposits in the soil. It actually got pretty creepy at times when it would change, and you hadn't moved in several hours. This little ball that we are bound to is hurling through space at incredible velocities while dodging all types of physical, solar and magnetic bodies. So it's not surprising at all that these little gadgets can only do so much to compensate for all of it. Best of luck, because that is what a lot of this is based on in the end.
Seeker_Knight
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8 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:
Prior to my first trip to Africa I wanted to bring some trackables with me and the closest cache with trackables in it was in a park about 10 miles away. It was in January and when I got to GZ there appeared to be at least a foot and a half of snow on the ground. After about a half an hour of digging around I found the cache. The mission for one of the TBs was to visit a waterfall and I took it to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
That TB got the mother of all waterfalls in one shot, from there everything is something less than!
Seeker_Knight
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On 2/3/2020 at 9:44 PM, Gyuri33 said:
I have no problem paying 30 bucks a year for the premium membership, but I have 2 boys who feel somewhat strongly about having their own memberships so now it's 90. My wife is a muggle for now, but if she's ever converted we'll be at $120. Now I know we don't all have to be premium, but it's easier and more fun if everyone has the same access. I'm just wondering if there might be maybe a family plan and if not would someone maybe consider it.
I would look at it the same way I look at visiting a Casino to play a bit. It is just a form of entertainment. Just compare it to what a trip to the movies would be, or a night out at a nice restaurant. From that perspective, it's still a bargain.
Seeker_Knight
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9 hours ago, on4bam said:
I still think you should be able to write stuff that "might" be offensive. Some people are just to easily offended and if they are they should use the ignore list. In any case, I would say what I write here in person too if that should be the standard to follow.
As for the above, both are acceptable in my view (who knows, it might be true
). It might be a cultural thing though.
This is most definitely a result of a cultural thing. Our entire society is littered with soft, thin skinned wimps that get offended by everyone and everything they come in contact with. We have gone from a warrior culture to something nobody 50 years ago would have ever imagined our country to become. We are all in deep doo doo if we ever get into a real all out war where EVERYONE has to go and fight. For now, we only send off the tough guys/gals who choose a military life. What happens if they ever start the draft back up and the rest have to go face the horrors of war. At that point WE ARE ALL DOOMED!
Seeker_Knight
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3 hours ago, ecanderson said:
"Land surveyors" are typically using DGPS, which is another entire ball game. If you have a fixed ground reference at a known point as a 'beacon', that's not even the same game, come to think of it. WAAS does what it does for either aircraft or consumer -- corrects for aberrations. But back to the original point, we're all operating on the same frequencies.
It has to do with the number of decimal places the software/hardware is designed to operate at. This whole system works on the time differential recorded between satellite signals. Start moving decimal points around in the process, and you get much different results. So, YES, they do use the exact same signals, but in a much more refined level of accuracy.
Seeker_Knight
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9 hours ago, The A-Team said:
In order to help clarify what's allowed and what isn't, here are a couple of examples:
1. "I understand why you think that, but I disagree and think that..."
2. "You're an idiot"
1 is acceptable. 2 is not.
Tough for a guy who used to think that number two was the polite way of just not physically clobbering some "idiot". Where and when I grew up, that WAS the kinder and gentler alternative! Being TOO stupid or TOO arrogant actually landed you a sound beating. Lawyers and law suits took that sting out of society. To quote a friend of mine "The internet allows cowards to think they can disrespect others, and shove their ideals down anyone's throat, without physical consequences". This has now evolved into "The internet now allows cowards to adopt any attitude they want toward others, whether it disrespects them or not, without the possible threat of someone disagreeing with them or calling them bad names".
Seeker_Knight
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21 hours ago, SamuelAbril said:
From today I am a new premium member, and I read somewhere that once you are premium you get your corresponding points with retroactive character to be able to assign favorites, I mean for example: if before being a premium member I had 500 found, they would correspond to me when I am premium 50 favorite points. But it doesn't appear to have any.
Is that so?From your listing description, they have not gotten around to doing your upgrade yet. There may be something coming when they do.
Seeker_Knight
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On 2/7/2020 at 12:27 AM, ecanderson said:
Whoa. Isn't that the entire point behind WAAS and EGNOS? WAAS was BUILT for the airlines in N.A. to deal with GPS errors caused by atmospheric issues, allowing them greater accuracy to the point where a pilot could theoretically (but shouldn't) take a hands-off approach to a landing.
That is correct, that WAAS will help THEM.. Where it ends is right in your hand. The equipment they are using is far more expensive, complex and accurate than the consumer units. It is the same for Land Surveyors. But there units can cost upward of $100k. So you can almost expect them to get much better results. Military grade is the best, and I don't even know if that level is available for purchase to anyone but the military. But then most of us have no need of aiming a satellite that is in orbit to a level that allows us military intelligence material. I'm really amazed that civilians are even allowed to access the signals at all.
Seeker_Knight
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1 hour ago, lacyjoy said:
Hi there, new here!
My brother is a big hiker and biker and has been into caching out on trails for a while! My husband and I recently spent the weekend visiting the DC area and decided to try out in the city. Spent a couple of hours on some easy nearby finds and we are HOOKED! Anxious to hit 20 finds and then work on creating some of our own to place! Any one else caching mostly in the city like us?Welcome to the fun! You can find these things just about anywhere, and all over the world. My Daughter went to school on St Kitts and Nevis Island, and there were not just a few, but a load of caches to explore. Unfortunately for her, being in a Veterinary Program takes up all your available time, so she didn't get to do much.
Being here on the mainland, you won't have any limits. Just pay attention to the better caches you find and you'll learn plenty. Some people go all out in their thinking and execution of creating a cache. Those are the real gems that everyone loves to find. Others are just a micro that just seems to be dumped at random. Can be a challenge, but more often just a boring waste of time. The better ones have a hidden reason for taking you to the location, like a beautiful view, a historic building or monument, a unique dining opportunity, or a really fun park. You'll understand this more as you go, and it will make you a much better cache owner or CO as it is normally abbreviated. So be safe and have fun. The world is your cache!
Seeker_Knight
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2 hours ago, ParrotRobAndCeCe said:
So which is it? Here we have one mod saying you'd have been ok if you criticized the "opinion" not the person, and a second mod saying you can't do either. I mean, I'm all for law and order, but it should be applied uniformly.
Kinda the way I saw it too, but I don't dare say anything that might be construed as offensive....
Seeker_Knight
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2 hours ago, ras_oscar said:
I remember the deleted thread and do not recall any content that I personally consider objectionable. I have participated in this forum for a long time and have come to develop a great respect for the tone of civility that is maintained to a large part by the work behind the scenes by the moderators. I understand that rebuff by a moderator to a participant is a private issue like a discussion with a therapist. Seeker_ knight, if you understand the reason for the moderator message, the purpose has been achieved and no further discussion is necessary. If you are still unclear as to the reason for the message, I'd recommend you PM the moderator directly to gain clarity.
I got a response and the complete text that was supposed to be with the first email. It's all good.
To:you DetailsHere is the complete text of the warning note you received from Rock Chalk at Geocaching HQ. You replied "Sound like a real nice guy to me! Yeah right!" to a post from someone whose opinions differed from yours. Had you criticized the opinion, rather than the person, you would have been fine.Regards,KeystoneHello,
I'm Rock Chalk, one of the Geocaching Forums moderators.
One of your posts has been removed, as it violated forum guidelines:
4. Personal attacks and inflammatory or antagonistic behavior will not be tolerated. If you want to post criticism, please do so constructively. Generalized, vicious, or veiled attacks on a person or idea will not be tolerated.
Please be more mindful about the guidelines with future posts, as continued violations of forum guidelines may result in suspension of posting rights.
Thanks for your understanding.
On Sunday, February 9, 2020, 1:56:58 AM EST, Geocaching <noreply@geocaching.com> wrote:
If you can see the full text of the warning I received, could you send me the rest of it. What I posted was the full extent of my email. Thank you. Just nice to know the whole story.
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26 minutes ago, ParrotRobAndCeCe said:
I only had one as well, and I found the old standard issue 7.62mm ammo can with intact gasket to be the gold standard . Mine was hidden in a flood plain and survived flooding every year including complete inundation in a couple of hurricanes (even Sandy, where it was completely underwater for weeks). They're readily available for under 10 bucks. Even if you have to replace a gasket, they're about $3, and I never replaced one in the ten years my cache survived.
We used to get them and the 50 caliber boxes at Sunny's Surplus, but they went out of business. I did see them offered in a government surplus sale, but you had to bid on them by the pallet as the smallest quantity. Where did you find them in an individual quantity? Especially at such a good price!
Seeker_Knight
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2 hours ago, barefootjeff said:
It doesn't seal, other than the overlapping metal lip, but the logbook is a waterproof stone paper one so it will survive a brief immersion without too much drama and soon dry out afterwards, especially in this summer heat. Interestingly the inside of the box was completely dry so the water probably didn't come up over the lid.
And this is the solution to the water proof issue. I was using the cheapo clear containers that snap on all four sides, which worked for a short time, but quickly lost the ability to seal properly. This ultimately resulted in almost complete destruction of my cache. I only have one, so it was a real PIA. So I did some research. I found a company called Seahorse Equipment Cases. They even have the military specification for being waterproof. I read the full spec, and it is a tough one to meet. You can find them on their web site: https://seahorse.net/
or other discount suppliers www.casesbymasco.com/SeahorseSeries
I've enclosed photos of the ones I bought. I don't endorse anything, and receive nothing for offering this information. Just sharing the end result of my rather long and protracted search for something better that what I had. A bit pricey, but super high quality. And still mush cheaper than some of the more famous cases.
Seeker_Knight
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3 minutes ago, on4bam said:
LOL.. Fidonet, those were the days. A friend was a "point' and we had fun testing different modems for a local shop playing with AT settings. Later the internet took over....
I was on giganet for years. 9.6 baud was a beast til.......
A message could take several minutes to upload/download, and perish the thought of attempting to make even a small image go through, let alone a sound file.
Seeker_Knight
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). It might be a cultural thing though.
Introduce Yourself
in How do I...?
Posted
Hi Scout Mom,
Welcome to the sport! You can have a great time with this activity and meet all types of good people too. Hope you have as much fun with it as I have. Good luck on the hunt!
Seeker_Knight