budd-rdc

Although I have absolutely no expertise on surveying in Japan, I can confirm shorelander's translation. Could be 4.9 or 49, but I suspect 4.9 also. Can't really tell for sure what the number means until others in the area are found. As for the Yokohama "Naka-ku" marker posted by Klemmer & TeddyBearMama, I can also confirm the translation. I've spotted plenty of private/corporate survey disks which I ignore when I visit Japan. I always enjoy seeing the government/public ones, like the ones posted here.

Having heard rumors of how the epic multis are arranged in Germany, I can sympathize with your concerns. I can't offer much more of an opinion, since I've not visited Germany for Geocaching yet. You might have to look for a regional solution here. E-mailing the listing owner, posting a constructive note, or discussing this issue at a gathering, event, or local forums might establish a local standard that people can follow.

Very cool pic, especially of the benchmark and the Witness Post. My favorite Geocaching (Ground) Transportation is a high speed train, whenever I get the chance. A quick Google Image search for "Nozomi 500" will yield some cool images.

Very cool cause. I drink (water or tea, not soft drink) to that.

Put another way " If you hid it, how do you find it?". Adopting a cache you have not yet found, while frankly is sort of silly, would be exempt as would a log that you previously posted prior to the adoption. You found them. Lots of exceptions and "corner cases" here. Let's hope they are based on true stories and not "what if's" just for the sake of proving a point... or we might as well be playing a Virtual Geocaching video game. The controversy seems to be from people being afraid that logging your own cache is numbers-padding. The corner cases don't occur enough to really matter, IMHO. The ones I've seen are newbie mistakes, or from people who don't participate in the social aspect of the game. The important thing is that even the people who proclaim "to each his own" don't seem to log finds for their own caches.

Snarky is in there too. I followed the link to the other thread where Jeremy first used angst. We are too serious here. I better lighten up from now on.

I give her loads of credit for all the hike-in caches that she does. She impresses me the most with her ability to find easy caches, hard puzzle caches, and still find time to find hard caches like Return to Scab Island She is the only big number cacher that I was not referring to. I've gone caching with EMC on a few occasions, including two local night-only caches... so she drove 400+ miles just to do those? I was impressed at how she took her find counts seriously, by making sure they were accurate. She took the time to run a mini-audit with bthomas (a name familiar to most extreme adventurer/cachers) before going to the next cache, which wasn't a 1/1 but an EVIL TeamAlamo hide. I appreciate the unrecklessness. Minimizes angst. Let's not talk about hiking and TeamAlamo... My muscles get sore just hearing that.

So are you implying there is a prize for who finds the most geocaches? Surely you aren't trying to move this thread into a discussion about numbers.... If it isn't about the numbers, and numbers don't matter, then it shouldn't matter who logs what because in the end there is no giant chocolate bunny. Yes, I think he's implying exactly that... especially since Geocaching is a social activity, and social recognization is a reward. I've always said that numbers DO matter... never really understood the rants about "numbers don't matter" unless it was used to fend off people against too much scrutiny.

Quite simple for me. As soon as I signed up and saw that find count statistics were displayed to the public, I guessed that there was a competitive element involved, so I immediately treated Geocaching in "sportsmanship mode." I figured a find count was a measure of merit, so I guessed on my own that finding my own cache didn't deserve any merit, since I already knew where it was. To be fair, I visited Geocaches for a few months before I signed up, so I had time to study how the site worked. I still made a mistake for Train Station Locationless, where I logged multiple finds on different train stations, even though the fine print said one log per finder, which I found out later. For people who log finds to their own caches after it was moved or dislocated, it's a credibility issue. I have no qualms about it. However, if it became a common practice, the less scrupulous can take advantage of its "popularity" and increase their find counts faster so they can get accolades from other cachers for achieving their milestones faster.

I think trains are cool, but wouldn't label myself a railfan. One of my favorite caches is Hill 582 - A Tribute to Railroading! Ah... Cajon Pass... been there twice, but Hill 582 wasn't there when I first visited, and I was on time constraints the second time around (heading to Vegas). It was in my PQ, and I wanted to go there. You'll see that I've found a number of caches in that great area... and for the 1/1 hounds, these are almost drive-ups with any high clearance vehicles, 4WD or not.... enough caches to get your counts in a short time, too... no angst!

Because the absolute drive to gain "bigger stats" causes caches like mine to quickly be skipped in favor of "100 1/1s in a day." My friends that share my view get very disappointed when their adventure caches also get skipped over because of the "easy caches" nearby. Then people can further inflate their find status through all the aforementioned, shady practices. I'm proud of my ethically gained stats. Most of my caches are placed in locations that are not drive-ups, even if they are close to roads and freeways. I enjoy locations that require "local knowledge" to find. I also have a cache in an Open Space Preserve with nearly 30 caches, but mine is out of the way from the rest, so I only have 6 unique visits in the last 6 months, 1 of those by me. Disappointing? Nope. People post positive logs, and even if my caches aren't in the "Top 1% favorites" bookmarks, I'm satisfied. I adopted a lamp post micro because the location is at a train station, one of my interests. It has far more visits than any of my other caches, but I try not to compare the two. I get lots of just "Quick find, TFTC" because not everyone is a railfan. No biggie. They at least visit, and no one has complained except when the log sheet was full. As for "ethically gained stats", I'll just say that credibility is important in any social activity. Since the stakes are low (unlike Tour de France or Major League Baseball), you'll just have to let each play his own game... and bring a clean up crew later when things get out of control.

Leading by example is . Unfortunately, the 1/1 hounds will never bother with your caches. Even if you spend more time and effort advertising your example, you'll likely meet resistance. Your examples seem fun for those who already enjoy the outdoors regardless of Geocaching, and for those who are open-minded and already physically fit. I often see "newbie angst" in the forums by them calling veteran cachers "elitists." They should change their tact. They should call us "old farts." The behaviors KBI desribed above seem to fit the stereotypes of a decrepit old man: stubborn, grumpy, hateful, lazy...

Great song, fitting lyrics. We have a Parrothead/cacher named Changes in Latitudes in our area. He leaves signature guitar picks in caches.

At this point, it is commercial and would get out of hand. http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx#commercial surely some level of flexibility is open here? it's not like you need to go into the cafe etc to complete the cache. or would you be happy if the cache owner told people which establishments NOT to visit? that would mean that they can avoid the unpleasant palces and make their own independant choice of somewhere to eat. To me, seeing a recommended restaurant in the description is just tacky. I do agree with mtn-man that this might open a can of worms... "if so and so can mention this, why can't I solicit this and that...?" I'll disclose that I have a bias. I dislike caches placed just to showcase "my favorite places to eat." However, I've seen people post this information in the logs, which seems acceptable.

Only Garmin knows that answer, and as noted elsewhere, anything you hear regarding a future project is an unsubstantiated rumor, because they are a publicly traded company and want to avoid the perception that they release insider information. You might get a quicker answer from a shareholder than any of us here. If you really need a back up unit NOW, it doesn't hurt to purchase one without waiting for a newer version. Shop around to see if you can buy a refurbished unit. Same warranty, and just as reliable.

Yeah, it does. I hear rumors of lameness all the time at unevents in my area. If it's a new hider I haven't heard before, I still give the benefit of doubt and pay a visit. I've gotten positive e-mail replies when I've posted constructive comments in the logs.

I can see some people having "pride of ownership" for even a Wal-Mart parking lot hide... As the owner drives by it, he can proudly proclaim to himself or to his friends, "yup, there's a Geocache there, and I hid it. " Maybe the novelty of Geocaching hasn't worn off for him. As others have said, he may not have the opportunity to go on 10 mile hikes... keep in mind that you and I live in areas with dramatic terrain diversity, and are spoiled. Now, if the same owner keeps hiding caches at all the Wal-Marts around the area, he might have issues, and I can see how you can become annoyed. However, there's an easy answer for that... ignore the owner's hides from now on. Problem is, what happens when 5-10 different hiders do that? They can still be ignored, but now it takes more time (looking at maps, reading the title and description, etc.). If you are afraid you might just miss out on a great hide, it's annoying. Besides, you won't know how "lame" they are until you actually visit one first. I think this is where you can start to tie-in with Markwell's comments. These "caches you don't like" start wasting your preparation time: ignore lists, fine-tuning Pocket Queries, reading descriptions and past logs, etc. I have a temporary solution for myself, which I've said in the past: I ignore cache dense areas and drive right past them, and if I miss out on great hides, oh well!!

There are times where the cache is located next to obstruction that causes satellite signal to bounce or reflect, often referred to as "multipathing" so the coordinates CAN become inaccurate even if you are standing right there. Cyclone fences, walls, trees (especially with large trunks), tall buildings, power lines, and metal structures are some known causes for bad coordinates. There are techniques to minimize this problem, like using the GPSr's averaging function for extended periods of time (like 15 minutes), or finding an area nearby with less obstructions, and measuring latitude and longitude separately. In any case, you still should go back and check to see if you can repeatedly go to the location with a set of coordinates you obtained.

Not everyone likes parking lot micros, but there is certainly a legitimate 'market' for them. I refer you to this long-winded, yet heartfelt, rebuttal. Geocaching can frequently show you some beautiful and amazing places that you never knew were there, but that's not the ONLY entertainment it provides. And whether or not a cache plays tourguide for you needn't be a standard for quality. The lack of a breathtaking view doesn't automatically imply lameness. By the way, there's another airline pilot/cacher who hides caches in Japan. Don't know if he reads the forums much, but he has posted before. He uses micro containers and uses hiding techniques based on muggle-resistance, but they can't be dismissed for that, because the locations are interesting for people like yourself. I carried an open mind and took a detour to visit them, even if I was yearning for 5 mile hikes to the top of volcanos... and enjoyed them.

Based on Clayjar's tool. lamp post micros should be a difficulty of one, in my opinion. According to the tool, it would be a one if it is 'in plain sight or location is fairly obvious'.I use Clayjar's tool as a guideline. I ask, "fairly obvious" to whom? I base this on many newbies' experiences on their first ever lamp post hides, where it takes them time to find, and for some reason, inspire awe (and copycat hides soon after). I haven't taken that for granted. It's still subjective, as rating systems tend to be. Based on that logic, there would be no need for the 'fairly obvious' verbiage, since every new hide type is new for the finder. And I taylor my hides with newbies in mind.

Based on Clayjar's tool. lamp post micros should be a difficulty of one, in my opinion. According to the tool, it would be a one if it is 'in plain sight or location is fairly obvious'. I use Clayjar's tool as a guideline. I ask, "fairly obvious" to whom? I base this on many newbies' experiences on their first ever lamp post hides, where it takes them time to find, and for some reason, inspire awe (and copycat hides soon after). I haven't taken that for granted. It's still subjective, as rating systems tend to be.

You made up this statistic. I use to be naive and believe that parking lot caches were hidden either by an employee as the store or by a frequent customer who wouldn't have trouble asking permission of the store manager before hiding the cache. This I've found is not always true. But I suspect that it is for more than 1%. As Mr. T said, you'd never be able to prove that statistic to be accurate (although I'll bet it is ) But an excellent point, none the less. How much longer are reviewers going to look the other way and hit publish for caches that have obviously been hidden on private property without permission? Like this very recent black eye for our hobby. Bah... statistics don't publish themselves... "numbers don't kill people... people do." I've seen angst from hiders caused by reviewers rejecting caches due to not-so-clear private property issues, like a lampost just a few feet inside an establishment's parking lot, etc. I've heard a reviewer say that unless it's a CLEAR violation, he just holds his nose and hits the publish button, because he assumes in good faith that the hider has read the guidelines.... another issue for angst. I think this is the case where the participants are increasing becoming ignorant. Whether that's due to lack of education or from arrogance, we don't know... but freedom requires responsibility ("not free") and it rests with the hider.

Those ratings are somewhat subjective, but there's no harm in posting in the logs what you think they should be... but usually after you find the cache. Snoogans (the OP) have said in the past that it's better they are overrated so people are prepared. And I'll show my angst a little... LAMP POST MICROS ARE NOT 1 STAR DIFFICULTY. They should be at minimum, 1.5 stars, because they are hidden out of sight. People who consider them 1 stars probably don't rely on difficulty/terrain anyway. That goes along with one of the themes in this thread... Not realizing one's change of perception, or "taking things for granted" is a common cause for needless angst.

My primary GPSr's (I have two) are 2000-2001 designs, a Magellan GPS Companion and a Garmin eTrex Summit without WAAS. I also use a DeLorme Earthmate which attaches to a laptop or a PDA, made in 1998 before Selective Availability was turned off, which is just as accurate as the other two (despite claims to the contrary). I've checked the accuracies for all these by going to NGS Benchmarks with "location is ADJUSTED." The newer units have faster processors, and convenient features like mapping, so if used properly, they are quicker in obtaining coordinates, finding caches, and navigating from place to place.... worth the $ for those who want it. But the older units are just fine for the more patient Geocachers.

Thanks for the cool grass roots effort. I see some local participants in my area, too. No need to stress about the features... because you got the important thing, which are the coordinates to the restaurants. If you are going to add a feature, I recommend some sort of a downloadable file in XML-ish format like LOC or GPX, before doing anything else, so the information can be transferred to the GPSr.