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NomadVW

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Everything posted by NomadVW

  1. Primary Alternate When all else fails, a beat up used mini-van.
  2. Let's not forget that not every country in the world operates by postal codes. Please keep requirements internationally practical. Japan for instance might have an address like: Iwakuni-sh Marifu-cho 5-Chome 3-8 Japan All one line, like so. None of those indicate a "postal code" like one would assume in the states or places where they are used. Iwakuni city, Marifu Town, and then the block and home # VW
  3. Really, all of these are great, but in the end it won't ever give you all of your finds. Likely they'll have archived some caches that you've found between the time you started caching and the time you'd have interest in knowing all of your finds. So, a pocket query won't give you all of your finds - only all of your finds that are still active caches. You should really search the forums. This topic has been hashed over a few thousand times. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=109199 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=109926 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=108662 Theres three in the last month.
  4. My opinion of photo's for waymark creation: Someone shoulda told the guy that built the Washington Monument that he needed a photo to prove that it was going to be there before he built it. After all, whether I go take a picture of it or not, it's still there. It's a waymark whether you like it or not. It won't take much effort to weed out "unverifiable" waymarks. They won't be there when someone goes to look for it. I'm not seeing that this is going to be any huge issue unless there's someone that does it on a "waymark creation spree," which I have faith that the already in-place system will find. It's called.... people visiting the waymark. Photo's for logging a VISIT to an already created waymark? Well, once again - Verify the visits..... This leads us to assume that waymarkers will be naturally dishonest without someone to monitor them. I've got a couple or four waymarks here in Japan and one in Oklahoma. I didn't create them so that I could be some "TPTB" guy. I created them so that people will go visit them and enjoy them like I did. If someone says they went and enjoyed it, but really didn't.... who's loss is that anyway? It certainly doesn't detract from the "game" for me. In fact, it doesn't affect me at all. In fact, it doesn't affect anyone else... but them.
  5. For folks with ready topo maps available, Google Earth would probably do the trick. The reason I bought ExpertGPS was its ability to do better than average map calibration of electronic map images of my own. I don't use the downloaded imagery/topo maps from ExpertGPS because I'm overseas. Even on a recent trip to Oklahoma, I found the ExpertGPS map data to be really lacking compared to the more up-to-date imagery from Google. Additionally, I use ExpertGPS to do map plotting for aviation procedure development because I like the way it imports CSV files that I give it from Excel. I've heard other programs do similar things, but since I've already paid for ExpertGPS, I make it do what I need it to instead of paying more money for software that does the same. I also use GPS Trackmaker and purchased it because it handles track creation better than ExpertGPS. ExpertGPS trackmaking is only like drawing with a pencil - though you can export "routes" to your GPSr as a track. GPS Trackmaker works differently enough and also calibrates imported images ( though not as well as ExpertGPS because it's only 2 point calibration instead of 3 point calibration on ExpertGPS ) All that to say.... ExpertGPS has been worth the money for me and my individual uses and I've had good support from their staff. VW
  6. Don't forget to convert any lat/longs from GC.com in Japan to Tokyo Mean Datum, since Google seems to refuse to do the reverse math for us. It's these kinds of things that make me glad GC.com hasn't adopted Google Maps whole scale yet. For those that also want us to "just use Google Earth," try taking a peek at those areas where the hi-res mapping isn't available, like maybe the majority of the world.
  7. :raises hand: But they pay me for 24/7/365... so it's unavoidable.
  8. You'll want to read this recent post which addresses this. It doesn't really "answer" why benchmarks didn't move. It says there are "features" that exist that make it non-movable. Only two features exist for benchmarks. Downloadable LOC files, and the outdated NGS database. However, I'd say there are features on GC.com that make locationless's non-movable - like... pocket queries for example, which we're now completely without. In fact, as far as I can tell, we're completely lacking downloadable coordinates completely for the time being. This isn't an anti-Waymarking post. I'm slowly but surely wrapping my mind around the WM.com concept. This is a ... "benchmarks should move too" post. If GC.com is going to be for boxes with a log, then benchmarks simply don't belong there. I understand that benchmarking is a little different in the setup already on GC.com, so an immediate move might not be practical. However, at some point, current trends continuing, GC.com should be for geocaches, which benchmarks are not. I'm not a jump-up-and-down avid benchmarker, though that may have more to do with the fact I can't log any benchmarks I find in Japan. VW
  9. Sounds like you're suggesting a complete removal of the non-searched for benchmarks from the NGS database from the GC.com files. At this point, the NGS database is 10 years old and even _they_ have updated since then. The advantage of either moving it to Waymarking is the ability to now log newer PIDs or benchmarks of non-NGS origin. The US still has the full NGS database they can search at whim - and some places in the rest of the world have similar, though less than comparable, databases to work on. Some would say this would cause a search twice. For example, if I was going to hunt the BMs in San Diego county, I'd dload the datasheets through the NGS database, then come back to the GC/WM site to see if any of the BMs I'm going to look for have been listed as found/not found. (ideally through a pocket query... oh, did I just ask for pocket queries for BMs? There's something that's been asked for a bunch and could've been done while coding wm.com) But this is what we do to search for BMs now, because after we search the NGS datasheets, we have to figure out if the BM is even listed here. VW As a non-sequitur, it does seem odd to me that locationless move cause there's no "box" at the end to open and sign, but benchmarks stay... because.. well.. it's convenient.
  10. I have the Tungsten E and have no problems seeing the screen out and about. The Tungsten E lack of Wifi is a little frustrating to me - and the fact you can't get it without a whole "pack" is annoying. Additionally, you can't plug a GPSr into it. All in all, I like the Tungsten E for all the stuff it can do not cache related, and it carries cachemate fine. It's not a "superGPSr" tool, but it's a great PDA with cachemate support. VW
  11. After having a category I'd proposed on the first/second day of WM.com beta release appear on the WM site under someone else's name, I determined that I'd back up and watch the discussion a little longer. It wasn't a locationless. It wasn't a virtual. I had the expectation that category proposals were first come, first serve - which was incorrect. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...0entry1670019 The initial excitement has wore off for me and now not even bothering to watch the new proposals. The Creating the Process thread is beginning to look like the requirements to get a driver's license.
  12. Search by Coordinates: Multimap Uk says coords for Basingstoke are: N 51d 15m 45s E 1d 05m 37s So, click on "Hide and Seek Cache" and in the coords box, you can enter the degree/minutes version of that lat/long. Or you can use the cache Lime Pickle as the centre point. Yes - it's a whole different experience caching outside the states. I really didn't appreciate it until I got to Japan where I found fewer maps, different map datums in use, and an entirely new terrain. Sat imagery is at the lower end of resolutions, only providing a bunch of green trees. It really gives a whole new feel to caching when you have no idea really where the GPSr is taking you. VW
  13. The great thing about Waymarking is you can "vote" down the popularity of categories to whose rules you don't agree. Conversely, you can "vote" up the popularity of categories to which you do agree. Time and people will determine whose rules people ultimately agree with. VW
  14. I'm a voter for #3, and would take 10 when ordered. VW
  15. There's a slight "offness" to the reasoning here. I'm not going to Starbucks and griping that they sell a drink that I don't use. Granted, I get no benefits from Starbucks except the venti quad mocha's caffeine. I look at this more like a magazine subscription. If I was paying for Time magazine, and they said "we're no longer taking editorials, but we'll let you know when you can see them again." Some time in the distant future, they came back and said "Ok, you still can't do editorials, but we're going to put this new magazine out that has things like editorials, and we think they're close enough - so there you have it." Personally, I'd be peeved. In the geocaching world, I did come into the game paying my $3 a month last year liking locationless and virtuals. I particularly like locationless caches here in Japan where, of the caches within 30 miles of my house (a whopping 13), I own 7 of them. The newest one is 19.? miles away - which in its location translates to an approximate 4 hour round trip by car. Locationless caches continued to give me an opportunity to "do" geocaching. It's been made perfectly clear that Waymarking.com is NOT Geocaching. You can count dozens of posts that say that somewhere. I signed up and sent money in to pay for Geocaching. If Waymarking is NOT geocaching, then like the others - I have a justified reason to ask why Geocaching subscriptions are paying for Waymarking. Now - before I get flamed for this - understand that at $3 a month ($30 a year for me), I could really care less what they do with the money. But don't discount people that do care and are asking this question. It's a valid question. And the "oh, your subscription paid for bandwidth in February" response just doesn't really fly. At least just tell people - "You're right, geocacher dollars are being spent on Waymarking concepts." And then tell us whether this is going to continue indefinitely or if the sites are actually going to be split after it goes full time public? It's understandable that the launch of the idea is paid for from Geocacher dollars because it's a solution to a Geocaching.com obsoleted functionality.
  16. This has already happened, and while the waymark submitter certainly didn't handle a response in any way, shape or form as tactfully as possible, fact is he met the "listed requirements" and got told - "that's not what I meant." This topic as evidence. Though - this has been the case for caches since we started this whole thing, right? We like to say we follow the "Hike your own hike" mentality, but we really don't mean that. I mean, "cache your own cache" doesn't really mean that. It means "cache the cache owner's cache." Heck, I've found caches and because I admitted that I didn't have a pen to sign the log, I couldn't claim it once. Ultimately, WM.com will have the same mentality as GC.com. People will either like it or not, and will play it or not with the reality that you're playing by someone else's rules. VW
  17. Woo... never mind. I found the "advanced search" feature finally. Now I can search by country Edited to say: Hmm.. can only search the low end categories. Oh well.. will wait for more search functionality later I guess. VW
  18. Definitely more waymarks than visits in my neck of the woods. I've waymarked two.. and.. uh... as far as I know - with only a 10nm search range, I can't tell if there are any elsewhere in Japan without some extensive radius searches. VW
  19. For my PDA I use this: http://www.freewarepalm.com/calculator/mimee.shtml
  20. I bought a pair of Leki poles a couple years ago. I've used them on everything from short hikes to Grand Canyon touring. I love staves for the support and the increase in speed they give me on longer hikes. For the climbs/descents you just can't beat them. A few years ago I was section hiking the AT and I just went and picked up some rake/broom handles at Lowes. They worked great, but not being collapsable was a downside. I find that the wooden staffs I use cause as much "ruckus" in the woods as the Leki poles without the rubber tips. The only thing that does cause noise on my Leki poles is the spring joints knocking against the inside of the staff. I've been thinking about coming up with a way to pad it and make it quieter if anyone else has already done it. I have the Leki Super Makalu's with the forward angle grips. VW
  21. Never mind this category. WM admin got to it. Locked and stuff.
  22. If someone can find said locationless, can you let me know? I'd like to log it before it becomes a waymark category (edited to say - only a waymark category). I'm unable to find an active locationless that is "Swimming Holes", unless it's a cache description without the word "swim" in it anywhere. VW
  23. In Japan, there are both "Natural" and "Man-Made" hot baths. The second, most commonly called "Onsens" are more common nationwide. However, they don't fall under the umbrella of "Natural Places" - which is what "Hot Springs" is currently listed as. "Onsens" are a great tourist sight-see as well as local attractions. Not sure if they apply to other countries as commonly, but here in Japan, they're all over the place. VW
  24. I think I understand that at some point we will receive the option to similarly "PQ" waymarks in areas. I'm curious if we will ever receive the ability to "range out" on the location filter distance. In a big city, 10 miles as the crow flies is quite a bit of distance. In the country (or in Japan, where I am - unless in 1 of 3 or 4 cities that are bigger in radius than that ), 10 miles won't contain much but trees or corn fields - as the case may be. So... can we get a settable origin radius? VW
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