larsl

Ultra-cheap (just buy a serial connector): http://www.nomad.ee/micros/etrex.shtml

Check the checkbox labelled "The descriptions below are in HTML", and write the HTML in the description box. Uncheck the checkbox labelled "Yes, this cache is currently active". Check it again when you're done.

I'm pretty sure that you can upload routes (and tracks) to both eTrex Legend and eTrex Venture - I can do it to my basic yellow eTrex, and I don't think that's something they would remove from the more advanced units.

The easy rider breeder cache has been travelling the area around Stockholm for a few years.

Aw, that's the fun part of multicaches - trying to figure out where the final cache is without going to any of the previous steps. With Google, a good map, and decent math software many multicaches can be at least partially solved without leaving the computer.

If you already have or can get the actual maps you can use the free program Quantum GIS (http://qgis.org) to load the tracks from your eTrex and overlay them on a raster or vector map. I use this to map my tracks from backpacking trips.

One way would be to export your routes to a GPX file, then open it in a text editor and replace all <rte> with <trk><trkseg>, all </rte> with </trkseg></trk>, and all rtept with trkpt.

I'm using Firefox on Linux, I haven't had any problems with geocaching.com or forums.Groundspeak.com.

I never trade (except for taking or leaving travel bugs), I often write very short logs, and I don't feel guilty at all.

Why do you need more items? As long as there is something for any finder who wants to trade I don't think it matters if there are 3 items or 20 items in the box at the same time.

It depends on what you are going to use them for. LOC files contain cache name, owner, waypoint name, cache types and coordinates. Groundspeak GPX files contain all that and some more info (logs and descriptions I think, but I've never seen one so I can't tell for sure). LOC files can be downloaded by anyone, GPX files only by premium members. If you're only going to use the file to transfer the waypoints to your GPSr the LOC files will work well, I don't think there are any GPSrs that can use the extra info in the Groundspeak GPX files. As for software, there are lots of different packages. I use GPSBabel because it's free and scriptable. It can upload an download data in many different formats from Garmin and Magellan units (including the eTrex family).

You can do one of the steps in a multi one time and come back and do the others later.

Leave the DNF and add a new "Found it" log. There is no reason to remove or edit old logs unless they contain false information or hints that the cache owner doesn't want there.

You could just add a random offset to the coordinates to simulate an uncertainty of ~10 meters - that would make the search about as difficult as it is today.

Wait a few years and then use Galileo instead.

GPSBabel. I have my browser set up to run gpsbabel on any downloaded GPX or LOC file, so I can just click the LOC link on a cache page and it will be transferred directly to my eTrex (if it's connected and turned on, of course).

Would the new ver. of GSAK work...since it uses GPSBabel ?? If GSAK includes a version of GPSBabel you should be able to use that version with QGIS. I've never used GSAK so I don't know what the exact procedure would be, but you may have to edit the device settings in QGIS to tell it where that version of GPSBabel is installed.

I'm not a premium member so I've never used a pocket query, but it sounds as if you are downloading a LOC file instead of a Groundspeak GPX file. The LOC files only contain the names, waypoints, and coordinates for the caches.

LCD displays always get slow when it's cold. Batteries run out of power much more quickly when it's cold too. I was out looking for a cache where the owner wanted a picture posted with the log - I had two fully charged batteries in my camera, and I could only take two pictures before it died (it was around 0°C).

Most free software distributions publish checksums on the net so you can verify that what you got from the cache is exactly the same as the original package.

Yep, this is a good idea - I already have the 3 CDs for Mandrakelinux 10.1 Community burned and ready for my next cache. I see it more as a propaganda thing though, geocachers typically have access to the internet and can download free software themselves (although it may take a while for people without broadband connection). Nitpicking: Open source is generally not in the public domain - somebody still owns it, but they allow everyone to share it.

How do you work around this? Keep the track active by *not* saving it? Sheesh. What if you have to keep going? On a Garmin Map76S, how long does it take for a track to start overwriting itself? is this only a matter of time, or is it speed also. For example, does walking use less track storage than flying over in an aircraft at 100mph? This is one of the most annoying things with my GPS (Garmin eTrex). I don't understand why they didn't make a firmware where you can choose to keep the timestamps in saved tracks - I don't mind that most of the trackpoints are removed, but I'd really like to keep the time info. I was on a 6 day hiking trip in the mountains this summer, and the tracks typically last about one and a half day. To at least save some time info I marked waypoints now and then with names like 011530, 021220, 021442 etc (the first two digits is the day number, the other four is the time of day), and when I got home I ran the GPX file through a Perl script that synthesized a timestamp for each waypoint with a name like that (another annoying thing with the eTrex - it doesn't save timestamps at all for waypoints). Another way might be to bring up the current position on the GPS and snap a picture of the display now and then, but this requires more work when you get home (unless you have a clever OCR program that can read the position from the pictures). How long a track lasts depends on the shape of the track. If you just keep moving in an absolutely straight line you can theoretically go on forever since the GPS only needs two points to represent a straight line. The "less straight" your track is the more points are needed to draw it and the sooner it will start to overwrite itself.

No, it can't (unless CRW is just another name for EXIF). It's written for EXIF JPEG files.

Requiring the user to have a certain CD in the CD tray sounds like an extremely stupid and unfriendly trick. Are you sure that most mapping software does that? I know that I would never even consider buying software that hogged the CD drive whenever I wanted to use it (of course I would never consider buying software in the first place, but I guess I've been spoiled with free software as a GNU/Linux user). Quantum GIS is a free mapping/GIS program that does not require a CD to be in the tray, and which can transfer data to and from a Garmin USB device if you have a version of GPSBabel that can handle USB devices.

I only post a DNF if I think that I have looked in every possible hiding place at the cache spot. If not, I'll be back later. Many times it gets dark (or I get bored) before I find it.