kbootb

That was the first one, so no regular pattern. It was a discussion thread here, then Richard created it as an 'event cache' so it appears on the front page of geocache.com in the events diary (you need to scroll down for that). I then picked it up as it appears as a new cache, and I have pocket query set to flag up new caches that appear in certain areas, London being one of them. I would guess that Richard built up a mailing list of those that attended, as he was brilliant at sending reminders and had also printed out a checklist of people that had 'booked'. He had also tried to find pictures of the people from profiles and galleries. Some of them were clearly more difficult to find than others So, although I'm not assuming that Richard organises the next one, using any mail list he has built would be a great starting point and I am suggesting that your name could be added to make sure you get the message. (All that of course is just hints and suggestions, I hope some one reads this and picks up on it)

Thanks for the great evening. I must admit I was nervous, assuming that most people would know each other. Turns out the balance was about right, enough people were 'old hands' to make sure the atmosphere was lively. But also enough of us first timers to meet people we had only seen on the forum. Great to put names to faces. The geocaching arm of the Special Branch will stay in the memory forever. My snapshots are here. Mail me through the website if you would like to identify yourself and have your name added to the caption.

Is this the north pole?

For reasons I can't quite get my head round, some people use a different alias for placing caches, so it does screw around with the stats a bit.

I guess we have slowed down a bit. Life seems too busy, and the caches keep getting further away. However, we did have a week away in South Wales and went out caching 5 of the 7 days. Tried to make sure it was a worthwhile walk that happened to have a cache on the way. I think people need to reflect once in a while what they enjoy about the game and bit a bit selective. I'm fed up with urban micros and virtuals. Also, it's a bit solitary. Caching with others, especially newbies, has been good fun. Perhaps you are a bit burned out with the work that has been going on at GCUK. I got like that at work having spent many weeks getting a video conference service up and running and then getting little feedback about it.

I just put on the hat of invisibility and the muggles can't see me at all.

This page on the Department for Transport website states that: "Use of devices other than mobile phones are only prohibited if the device performs an interactive communication function by sending and receiving data. If the device does not perform this type of function, you can use the device without breaching the regulations." As a GPS receiver doesn't transmit data you shouldn't be breaking the law (as long as you operate it 'safely' of course). Gary They might not be able to get you with the mobile phone law, but you can be done for eating a kit-kat or drinking from a bottle, so the use of a GPS would fall into the same category. Driving without due care and attention I think would cover it.

Geocachuk stats shows 6380 Cachers. this includes people from overseas that have found a UK cache and a considerable number that have used a profile to place a cache but don't use them for logging finds. Can't remember the total number of caches, but about 4000 springs to mind.

Nowhere near that dramatic, but was caching in the Brecon Beacons last week in my 1 year old Toyota Avensis (Silver). I was begining to wonder about my sanity taking this through hubcap deep floods and hearing the front splitter scrape on some of the rougher roads. This car is not built for life in the country. Much more for cruising on the M-way. I hate 4x4s in the local area that are only used for the school run etc. Can I really justify driving one of those around town for the occasional run to try and find a tupperware box in the forest?

His e-mail is a link on this page www.northpole.com

They are extremely generous raffle prizes! Or a very big cache!!

As the person who's bright idea it was to start this collection in the first place I have to thank you all so much. But particularly Cave Troll and Joan who leapt to attention and took responsibility. I really wanted to join you but just haven't got the time to travel that far on that day. Have a great day and once again THANK YOU In case you didn't get it....that's a big thank you

No idea. Can you point us to a log that you are referring to?

It's a bit 'back to front' for us at the moment. We find we are re-visitng places we have walked before, just because there is a cache there. Can't believe we have walked up Sugar Loaf in south Wales at least 10 times and walked right past a cache before we discovered caching . So we had to go back and see just where it was. This then led us on to walk two more peaks that we hadn't done before. Even when returning to a walked area, the cache will always take us to a slightly different part, often making us go just a little further rather than taking a short cut, or at least make us look with different eyes.

You mean you use it for finding your way in the car, let me have details please. You need Laptop (or very long mains cable for desktop ) Seriously, you need a cable to go between serial port and the GPS unit. I have a copy of Autoroute 2001. Under tools menu there is an option for GPS but this is greyed out. Open the CD rather than running it and you will find a folder for GPS. There is an extra bit to install. The GPS entry will now work and allow you to configure your GPS receiver to display your current location. Nowehere near as good as a real satnav system but does work. Also possible to import all the caches from GSAK to Autoroute so you can have little flags all over your map. I have a power inverter in my car. Plugs into cigarette lighter and converts back to 240v ac so I can plug in my laptop charger. This set up does not power the gps unit as far as I know. Have to say, I don't use it in anger this way as I have a satnav system on my PDA - Navman system, but I have tested it and it works, or at least it did till I damaged the serial lead and can only get contact by holding the connector in place against the GPS unit. AH, the hours of endless fun this hobby can give, converting file types, importing, exporting...

Have a look at streetmap Look up a location, then scroll to the bottom of the screen. Just under the ask jeeves sign there is a box about copyright. In there is a button that will convert co-ordinates. Click on there and see what is reveled. Setting up a complex route would be very manual. Also, if you have Autoroute, create a route. Go to tools -> location sensor. Then point to a junction and it will display the coords in deg.decimal degrees.

Best one by far... but I got called away just when they did the bit about the grid refs. Did they explain the tile reference letters? Always wondered about that.

See this thread for some other uses. Some really tickled me. What do you use your GPSr for?

Thats what it does, your gps receiver will have a smoothing filter to average out the readings. Try driving at a few mph and then stop, your speed reading on the gps won't immediately show zero A car unit (or nav software on PDA) does more than that. It extrapolates your position. Drive into a tunnel. My hand held Garmin reports loss of GPS instantly, but the PDA using satnav has the little arrow carrying on for about 10 seconds before reporting loss of signal. If it didn't do this it would report loss of signal everytime you went under a significant bridge or tree cover. You can also see the effect if you ignore its instructions in nav mode and don't take a turn, It assumes you have made the turn and the arrow goes along the expected road until it has had enough readings that convinces it otherwise and then you will see the arrow leap to the real position. This is done to try and keep the map update as accurate as possible. Because of the delays in processing it actually has to 'think ahead' and work on the position a little in advance of where the calculation actually says you are. Similar methods are used to track fast incoming objects. The software gets a few readings, predicts future points and then compares actual readings with predictions and updates future preditcions. Without this, intercepting by sending your own missile up would be impossible, you need to predict the path. It seems the brain does a similar trick. If you work out the time taken for an image of a tennis ball flying towards to be processed by the brain and the time taken to get nerve impulses to travel to the muscles it would seem impossible to hit or catch a ball. The brain must be doing the predict and update trick. (Whoops, miles off thread, but been talking to a programmer about interception techniques)

Just reporting that I ordered some from Flecktarn on Sunday p.m. The site did not calculate the postage, but you do have an option to get a quote. About 9 p.m. I got an e-mail quoting £6 postage, not bad for 5 ammo boxes. So I accepted the quote. Received the boxes Tuesday morning which it as close to 'next day' as you can get from 9 on SUnday night. And I didn't pay extra for next day delivery, just the standard. OK I know I could get them cheaper in store but I couldn't find anywhere locally that had any in stock. All in all, pretty happy.

Try Surplus and adventure (a bit expensive) or flecktarn (about £5.00 each)

Certainly had the 'too cold to add up properly' effect. Or more likely, can't read my own handwriting! Only injury of note so far is walking straight onto a branch that was pointing straight at me. Nice puncture wound in the shoulder, lucky it wasn't my eye. I also posted this to point out that you would get a better response if you make the cache name a clickable link like this. Click on Aeolian sky and it will take you direct to the web page. How to do this? Not trying to patronise, but just in case you or any others haven't sorted this yet: First go the the cache page, highlight the address at the top of the browser and copy it. Then, once in the posting bit of the forum click on http:// button, delete the helpful http:// that come up automatically and then paste the address you captured previously. Click next and type in the friendly text you would like the readers to see.

Looks like there has been a change in registration of the Domain Name geocacheuk.com The record was updated on 30/10/04 and is now in teasel's hands geocacacheuk.org is still registered to Mark Thompson and is active until 6 May 2005

Almost speechless! Congratulations.

If I'm logging away from home I always try and leave a note in the log book when I will be back to log the activity. I'd give them a little while to get back and log, probably 2 weeks. A TB in limbo for a few weeks has got to be better than breaking the sequence of accurate logs. This seems to have worked for me. I have just returned from a weeks caching in South Wales (highly recomended). Left a TB early in the week with a note that I couldn't log until my return. 2 Hours after I logged it someone else logged that they had picked it up 2 days later.