pizzachef

Just email me if you've got one that you want to get off your hands -pizzachef

You can connect them..you'll need a cable for your pda that has a serial connector (most handsprings are usb, but i think you can find serial cables for them) and a null modem adapter..which is basically a connector with a serial reciever on each end. Then you need mapping software on your pda..I've got mapopolis which has different versions to pick from, and it'll work with a gps. I got the $25 version which works with a gps (but i haven't tried it yet) and lets you search by address, but does not have turn-by-turn directions. I didn't really need that. The only drawback is you can't search by lat/lon coords, but the customer service rep i talked to said it was in the works...for what that's worth. But you can tap a spot on the map and it'll tell you the coords. There's other map options too...one i was looking at was by macrosoft called Quo Vadis which has searching by coords, but it was $50 and i dont think you could search by address. Delorme makes a handheld version of xmap but i dont know much about it. There's others...all available to suit your wildest dreams -pizzachef

The biggest difference..in functionality that is...seems to be that they use AAA batteries instead of AA I wonder how long they'll run on triples... -pizzachef

quote:Originally posted by OlyHippy:Yeah, thanks MOPAR. But it's interesting that you would put this in a thread I started. I know what you are doing, so do yourself a favor and email me privately if you want to look important. Those responses were honest oversights, but this topic is always relevant. Yeah mope...geez! Pickin on a newbie! hey, how's your snow plow doin? -pizzachef

I think manual land navigation is the reason letterboxing never made mainstream...even though geocaching is far from mainstream where I live... Most people want to have fun NOW...not in a week/month/year when they've finally learned how to properly use a map WITH a compass AND learned how many of their paces equals 100 meters. I don't think geocaching would have caught on and evolved into what it is without the technology... BUT I do agree with you on the importance of learning the manual methed (I'm and engineer and I know how to use a slide rule...and at 26, younger than calculators ) -pizzachef

you should get a Magellan. I just got a yellow one from outpost...keep an eye on them, they might have more sooner or later. But you DEFINITELY have to have an SD card...otherwise the mapping feature is kinda useless. They've got interstates and major highways, but that doesn't do much good when trying to find the way to the back of the neighboorhood where the cache is hidden. I got a 64 meg card from amazon for 40 bucks and i have Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas maps loaded and its only halfway filled. -pizzachef

I did a little searching and found some examples of threads that were closed or came close to being closed. One was a debate about firearms and geocaching and another was about geocaching drunk...there may have been others but I don't really have that much time to look. I can agree with closing those topics because they tend to get out of hand and people get rowdy and rude. This thread (as well as another very active thread) is about gasoline prices, albeit vaguely, and I get the feeling that South_Cache started it with a tounge-in-cheek intention and was probably expecting a few light hearted flames. The price of gasoline is something that affects the majority of geocachers and many of us have valid, geocaching-related, opinions on the matter. Thus, this thread seems to be on a valid topic. As far as my contention of off-topic posts belonging in general, I don't really know where else to put them. Jeremy is the moderator and for the most part, I'm okay with his judgement. I believe that most (admittedly not all) of the off topic threads are within the realm of general decency. (if that last link doesn't go straight to his post, scroll down to near the bottom of the page) The geocaching community is a cross-section of society, that has been said many times, and any question that one may have is sure to be answered by someone on these forums. I've made quite a few friends...some I've met in real life, others I may never...so why should we limit these relationships strictly to geocaching? Collectively we have a wealth of knowledge I'll share my modest portion with anyone who asks. -pizzachef

quote:Originally posted by Mr. Snazz: quote:Originally posted by South_Cache:Because I can: "If you have a topic that doesn't quite fit anywhere else, post it here. " Sorry, if you had any clue whatsoever, you'd know that this isn't the off-topic forum. Posts are generally still required to have something to do with geocaching. I asked Jeremy more than a year ago if he could add an "Everything Else" area so that we could post off topic stuff...I know a bunch of people who post here and there are things I'd like to discuss other than geocaching with my fellow geocachers. He replied saying that was a good idea, but for now the General area was the best places for that kind of stuff. Sice there is no Everything Else area, I see no problem with posting off topic things here. And I definitely don't see ANY justification for flaming someone for posting off topic stuff...and how is it that you have more than a clue than someone else? DId you get a clue book when you started?

If you're asking whether you can download maps with software other than mapsend, I'm no expert, but I believe you'll hear a resounding NO from the crowd. As far as putting routes on your gps that represent the trails, you're in luck. But you'll most likely have to make the routes yourself...this can be done in mapsend, but that's probably no good if you don't know where the trails are. Another option is ExpertGPS which uses topo maps that probably has the trails that you're looking for. The only problem is the routes can only be 30 legs so if it's a long, winding trail you might have to make multiple routes in a row. I also heard rumor of some new mapsend software coming out very soon...if that has any truth to it, a more learned person will most likely elaborate. -pizzachef

I used a Blazer 12 for a while...and I posted my first cache with it. It has a 12 channel receiver, so it should be fairly close to your actual position. To be safe, you could take readings at different times of the day an on different days even and average them together. Or you could just sit there for a few minutes and let it settle down on one good coordinate and post the cache, and if someone thinks its too far off, they'll send you some better coordinates But really...that it a usable unit for geocaching. I upgraded to a 320 (same as a 315) when I saw how much nicer the display was...that alone is worth the upgrade. It just depends on how much you're willing to spend and how much you're actually going to be doing this hobby. You can always make about 50-60 bucks on eBay selling your Blazer 12 Good Luck -pizzachef

Are our wonderful Magellans less prone to SA?? -pizzachef

I totally understand where you're coming from, I was a poor college student when I got started with all this and my first gps was a Magellan Pioneer, a little 2 channel reciever that I got from ebay. I got it because I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that I wasn't sure about. I had it for a week before I bought a Magellan Blazer 12, basically tha same unit but with 12 channels, also from ebay. Had it for about a month and then got a Magellan 320 from ebay, which I think is the best gps without maps for the price, I used it for a little over a year...it would be equivalent to the Garmin Venture which is priced slightly higher because they're more popular The first 2 gps's were about 60 bucks each and the 320 ended up being about 90. I now have base model Magellan Meridian. If I had it to do over again, I'd have strarted with a 315/320 and saved myself the headaches. I was able to sell the others back on ebay, but it was all just a pain in the bum. I would recommend you start with the Sportrac because it has more functionality than the Garmin yellow...btw, the sportrac yellow is basically a 315 with WAAS in a new case (if I'm wrong someone will corrent me )...so if you're worried about spending too much, a 315 may be slightly more affordable. Hope this ramble helps you in your decision! Good luck and research research research! dadgum, I sound like my freaking dad. -pizzachef

I zoomed in on Little Rock, AR and all the roads disappeared. When I zoomed back out there was nothing. So this CD is bad? Was it a bad batch? I've never heard of this phenomenon. But it makes sense...I can make smaller maps...of southeast and southwest Louisiana, but when i try north louisiana, which is closer to little rock, i get the error. Thakns for the help...now I have to figure out how to get Magellan's help with my not-so-legal copy of mapsend -pizzachef

I just got my MeriYellow and I'm having trouble with MapSend. I'm getting an error as soon as it starts to create a map. I can pick my four regions that are all less than 16 megs, give them each a name less than 8 characters and it still gives me this error. I posted a screen shot of the error below. Anyone else ever had this problem? Know what to do?? thanks -pizzachef http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/24128_1200.jpg -pizzachef

quote:Originally posted by JamieZ:I think the next one should be closer to Memphis. Jamie Wow...ask and ye shall receive, huh? -pizzachef

I also have one of those canopy tent things which is rather easy to set up. I guess on the very slim chance that Clayjar is summoning the rain by mistake, there's no such thing as too much shelter -pizzachef

I got every one right in 10 minutes... Did everyone else have to pay for their results?!?! Did some of you actually pay for that bogus test to keep existing? It says the test is free on the home page, but then they want money before they give you the results. I sent them a nasty email from my junk yahoo account saying that they were ripping people off. -pizzachef

h*ll yea... i'll put in for crawfish if it's feasible. sounds like a good time so far! -pizzachef

quote:Originally posted by Buck8Point:Has anyone seen the beautiful cabins at Lake Fausse Pointe? they come fully furnished, on the water, an sleep 12, all for the cost of 65 bucks a night. Depending on turnout, we could possibly rent one or 2 for the weekend... Buck8Point ------------------------- If I can't Fix it, It's Definately Broke. I HAVE seen those cabins, and I'd be willing to splurge on some ritzy accomodations...especially since it's winter and might be "cold" down here in south louisiana, some people might feel more comfortable in a cabin. Might even atract more people with the cabins...would we have to get permission to hide some caches for the weekend? I assumed so. Anyway, if we're voting, this one gets my vote. -pizzachef

quote:Originally posted by alexm:...mid to upper 40's at night, and mid 50's during the day?... alex hehe, that would about match the description of a cajun coldweather campout Why don't the results show up? They didn't show on the other post either? I voted for Feb. 8-9, but really any of the first three choices work for me (as long as they're cold, wet, and rainy ). The last two aren't so good. -pizzachef

quote:Originally posted by pbarr86:Where do you get those maps? Or did you make them?? Paul Just go to your state listing of caches and click on "state map". It must be nice to be surrounded by thousands of caches...we may not have too many, but the caches that are here are good ones! -pizzachef

Does he have an email address or anything attached to him so you can tell the owner where you're moving him to? The early hitchhikers had to improvise and come up with their own method of tracking. This hitchhiker has his own cache page, so he's more of a travelling cache, and the owner just keeps the page updated whenever he moves. -pizzachef

Yep..if you're in metric mode, it automatically switches from km to meters, and in english it goes from miles to feet when you get closer than 0.1 miles. You can download easyGPS for free, save all your waypoints, then upgrade the firmware, and then put all your waypoints back on with easyGPS again. easy peasy -pizzachef

Soooo....how'd ya take a picture of your camera? -pizzachef

The Northfinder feature is really handy...I mostly use it on the compass screen to make the arrow point in the correct direction. It basically eliminates the need for an electronic compass...except it doesn't work too well on cloudy days when you can't see the sun. -pizzachef