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Tigerz

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Everything posted by Tigerz

  1. It's not obvious "thoughtless geocachers" deserve all the credit. After all, the series was approved on a major federal highway. This is also the case with portions of at least two other power trails. It doesn't take much of an imagination to see all sorts of issues pulling in and out of traffic.
  2. The following is from one of the cache owners ... If you haven't heard...we had to archive all 1021 ET caches as of today (1 March). I am afraid it is WAY our of our hands. Groundspeak pulled the plug on the caches due to Nevada Department Of Transportation filed a law suit through the Nevada General Attorney's office. There is nothing we can do.... So sorry for the bad news...it happened fast! A close call with a snow plow was what finally pushed NDOT over the edge We are both disappointed, but understand the seriousness of a law suit, something NO ONE wanted. You can still grab 800+ down on Route 66 (GC2J17A) same distance from Las Vegas as the ET trail
  3. It's flippant remarks like that turn people off to even trying. We currently have 2 of the best reviewers anywhere. I have direct email access to both and the telephone number for one of them. Both have been incredibly professional and an absolute pleasure to deal with. They are not the problem. The system is the problem and it's broke. Even with the relationship we have with our two reviewers, these days we just call the authorities. If it's blatantly unsafe or in a prohibited area, we don't even mess with GS. We're sick and tried of trying to do the right thing and being labeled as whiners, cache cops, or worse. It's a lot less hassle to just call the cops or land owner and let them deal with GS. I wasn't being flippant at all. There is an alternative to hitting the NA button if you want to avoid being targeted as "the person that shut down so-and-so's cache". Sounds like there's more to this story, however, if you're finding the need to escalate to the local authorities and if you report caches so frequently. Attack my wife and me as the problem since we've reported at best a half dozen caches out of nearly 9000. Matter of fact, delete my message in your response so you can look good in the process. You've made my point.
  4. There's always the option of contacting the reviewer outside the archival process. This is usually the best drama-free solution. We aren't beholden to only hitting the Needs Archived button. It's flippant remarks like that turn people off to even trying. We currently have 2 of the best reviewers anywhere. I have direct email access to both and the telephone number for one of them. Both have been incredibly professional and an absolute pleasure to deal with. They are not the problem. The system is the problem and it's broke. Even with the relationship we have with our two reviewers, these days we just call the authorities. If it's blatantly unsafe or in a prohibited area, we don't even mess with GS. We're sick and tried of trying to do the right thing and being labeled as whiners, cache cops, or worse. It's a lot less hassle to just call the cops or land owner and let them deal with GS.
  5. The Groundspeak SBA system doesn't work quite as well as it's perceived. To begin with, the obvious way of reporting a cache is a very public one that can put the reporter at odds not only with the owner of the cache, but other cachers who find the cache "fun" and "okay." The existing system also puts the onus on the reporter to prove there is a violation. In many instances the cache remains active until the cache owner agrees. We reported a cache that was near a 480 volt welding receptacle and another that required stopping on an interstate. It took an inordinate amount of time and multiple communications before they were archived. During this time, new finders will being placed in harm's way. Our most recent experience is a problematic cache that was placed by a seasoned reviewer. Other than writing GS, how do you work that one? (We haven't had much success emailing GS ... can't even get a blooming problem with a travel bug fixed.) Bottom line, the approach used by GS puts pressure on the wrong individual. It should be up to the cache owner, not the reporter, to validate their cache one way or the other. Likewise, that process should be quick and anonymous (if the reporter chooses) and fairly hassle-free for the reporter. To do otherwise, discourages the reporting of bad caches. Given the problems we've experienced, I don't know ... yet ... that the OC version is all that bad.
  6. bingo. i don't care about GSAK simply because i don't use it. in your example, GSAK just provided the framework for you to interface with the API, but that doesn't have to be GSAK. the same could be done by anyone from any platform using any framework or language. if/when GSAK gets access to any potential GS API, then i still won't care about GSAK. good for GSAK and their users, but everyone else will be left in the dark. All I can say is wow ... opencaching's version of a PQ is "limited" to 5000 caches. You can run it any time on any frequency. It's lightning fast ... I downloaded around 3700 caches and had them in GSAK in well under a minute. There was no 1000 limit, no need to open a browser and download a GPX/ZIP, and then no need to upload it to my software/GPSr of choice. It is all done simply and straightforward by the user. Yes, they need to correct issues like cross posting and proximity, but the possibilities for opencaching.com are truly limited solely by our own imagination.
  7. i'm quite aware of what's going on there, thank you. exactly my point. i don't care about GSAK. obviously you have no idea about how open source development works. it literally lives off the "Bozos that just fell off the turnip truck", because those are exactly the people who have the brilliant ideas but never get to turn them into something real because of corporate restrictions. several whole worlds of operating systems and related applications were born from that very idea. chances are you're using at least one of them (firefox). You should care about GSAK. I've been playing with the API (and some suggested snippets from Clyde) and have a macro that will download caches in seconds from the opencaching.com website. Call me one of those bozos ... I don't have a programming background (although I've written a number of GSAK macros) and all I was doing was kicking the tires. No way would have GS allowed me to do that ... and it was literally in minutes that I accomplished what I wanted. An open API anyone can play with gives a decided advantage to opencaching.com.
  8. We're in nearby Florence and will be glad to cache with them or point them in the right direction depending on their interests.
  9. Actually ... the posted portions of the SC bill have been incomplete. Among other things, the bill also outlaws hiking (but makes no mention of letterboxing, terracaching,etc.). Go figure. The full text of the law can be found here. Note the phrase "... however, the department may promulgate regulations allowing any of the acts or conduct by prescribing acceptable times, locations, means, and other appropriate restrictions not inconsistent with the protection, preservation, operation, maintenance, and use of such lands ..." My read is geocaching and hiking are fine as long as you have permission. After all, why have a "Heritage Preserve" folks can't walk in and enjoy? As for "Wildlife Preserves," that's a different story. In our home state of Alabama, physical caches in wildlife preserves are also frowned upon (unsure however if it's the law or local thinking??). As for ensuring adequate permission, policing ourselves, etc., let's just say that system is broke. M
  10. Love the orange fetish comment! Most of the review sites mentioned are good, knowledgeable, and largely unbiased. Given our interest in geocaching (rather than travel per se), GPSr specific sites tend to be more knowledgeable/hands-on than the consumer type sites/magazines. I don't recall an event where the topic of GPS devices wasn't discussed. When I'm asked, the first words out of my mouth are to ask them what features are important to them and how they intend to use the GPSr. When they respond "I want a good one that will last" I walk them through mapping, paperless, touchscreen, etc. options and the resulting price range. To the extent my wife and I own one of the devices they are considering, I invite them out to cache and let them use it. As we cache, I'll coach them through the device demonstrating its pros and over-stressing its cons. I personally feel that is the best way to buy a GPSr. I strongly encourage those in the market to get with someone of similar background/caching style and go to school on them. To me, that's much better than an online review. As someone who has been burned myself, there's just too much at stake in terms of caching enjoyment, reliability, and even safety by choosing the wrong GPSr. Personally, the last place I would look for advice is these forums. The story and the resulting flame wars are generally the same ... usually with the same participants. As Maingray eloquently once put it, I don't trust anyone with a high forum post count to geocache find ratio. Likewise, look to those who do not have a vested interest in one brand (e.g., beta testers getting free hardware). Lastly, look to those who have been heavy users of multiple brands (my wife and I have found over 1000 caches each with a Magellan, Garmin, and DeLorme). In addition to caching, we have used all 3 for travel routing and have called tech support for all 3. Look around, there are others just like us ... just explore your advice giver's background upfront! One final thought ... if you're comfy with a PC, then review the geocaching community's 3rd party software support for a given GPSr. Some of the devices out there require proprietary software from the manufacturer to load geocaches. Others are open, strongly supported, and can be loaded simply by dragging a downloaded pocket query GPX to the GPSr drive icon in the Windows file manager. [Edit: Corrected typo ... still working on my first cup of coffee ]
  11. Likewise ... how about a locked container where the owner limits the combination? ... or a challenge the owner (and the vast majority of cachers) are unable to complete? In the latter, my issue is not the challenge itself, but the ownership by someone who doesn't appreciate the difficulty of the cache. In a similar vein, switching shoes, when is it okay to delete a log? It's been awhile now and I still see a good bit of confusion around both of these new rules.
  12. Version 1.23 + Added user requested option to shown the hint backwards Please note it will be necessary to reset your personal defaults given this is a new option. The macro will prompt you to do this and will present the Main Menu for you to make your selections. To the extent you had any of the Advanced Options set, click on the Advanced tab and make your desired selections there as well. This is a one time occurrence and only necessary because we've added a new option. By default, the Backwards Hint option will be set to off and the hint (if you've selected to show it on the Main Menu) will appear just as it always has. Version 1.23 can be downloaded here.
  13. The DeLorme PN-40 maps do not have the clarity/resolution or ease of use of google maps mobile found on an iPhone or BlackBerry Storm. Although considerably easier than cutting your own for a Garmin GPSr, the PN-40 aerial maps can still be a challenge ... even with the improvements made in Topo 8.
  14. CR ... CA ... CRAP ... all pretty much the same
  15. You'll need to first install GSAK. GSAK is available here. There's a trial period of 21 days before you get a nag screen. Once you have GSAK installed, download the macro and then open the downloaded macro file. GSAK will automatically recognize the macro and install it. You then run the macro from GSAK's Macro / Run/Manage drop down menu. Once the macro is running, the options of what you'd like to send to your device are menu driven. After you've run the macro, you'll need to load the resulting "Points of Interest" using Garmin's free POI Loader. You can download it here. Additional details/instructions can be found in the FAQ and support thread mentioned above. If all you want is the cache size and hint, GSAK can do that as well. From the Send Waypoints to GPS screen, enter "%Con1 %Hint" (without the quotation marks) in the Waypoint Description Format (Comments) field. The result will produce the first letter of the container type followed by the hint. For example a lamp post micro might read something like "M Under the skirt."
  16. The GSAK-based 60CSx macro has been updated. This macro allows you to approach paperless caching by placing most of the cache page on a Garmin Cx/CSx/HCx GPS receiver. It works with any Garmin eTrex, 60, or 76 model that accepts a card. An introduction, FAQ, and screen images of what you might expect can be seen here. The latest version 1.22 can be downloaded here. We've also set up a support thread here. Enjoy!
  17. We've signed up at both ... Kay 'n Mike
  18. As for XMap ... I went to the DeLorme website. I was signed in (via tracking cookies) as a PN-40 owner. I searched for XMap in their online store and I provided the link and the price they provided me. What I saw and shared started at $750. I have no way of knowing otherwise and frankly, no one has provided a link to anything different. Not that it matters ... even if it's $100 or $200, it's still not free which was the whole point. Sure you can use Topo 7 and not the kludges. When you do, you're limited to 800 characters per cache page, no field notes, and no semi-automatic logging. You also can't easily enter user notes, corrected coordinates, or user defined child waypoints for things like parking and trailheads. To the extent you don't use Topo 7, you load the caches one at a time or use the kludges just like I stated. Because a PN-40 got a WAAS lock after only 5 minutes certainly doesn't make it a good, much less serious, GPSr. Saturday, I took my PN-40 on a 70 mile drive. It was 20 miles in to the drive before I got WAAS and then it kept dropping in and out. About the only good news is I went the whole weekend (16-18 hours of heavy use and two battery changes) without my PN-40 locking up on low power. Now that we're talking truth and fact, how many of you had your GPSrs provided to you by DeLorme? Is that the reason you defend the PN-40? I don't blame you for keeping quiet on that one. At this stage, had I had a hand in testing the PN-40, I'm thinking I'd try to find myself a rock to crawl under and hide. I fully expect one or more of you to pop up now and say you have no allegiance to DeLorme. That's great and I welcome your objective, fact-based input with external links to support your position. On the other hand, if you're obligated to DeLorme, be professional and acknowledge the same when you make your comments.
  19. It's a shame you DeLorme haters try to make it look like every discussion is an argument! Do you see an argument here? Maybe your eyes are jaded from your bad experience, but I see this as a good discussion! Those free maps aren't known about by the majority, that is my point. Where can you download maps for the PN-40? X-map is a good start! I never referred to myself as a DeLorme hater. I certainly don't appreciate the implication. I call it like I see it ... truthfully and honestly in as simple a language as I can. I bought a PN-40 because I thought it had potential. It still does, but right now has some significant shortcomings (again power lockups, still won't routinely acquire WAAS, routing lockups, corrupt cache pages, and kludges to get more than one cache in it). As it is now, it's not suitable for routine, much less serious, geocaching. And just a small detail ... free maps including everything you need to put them on your Garmin GPSr are ... ummm ... free. DeLorme's XMap "starts" at $750. Now one more time ... where can I get free maps for the PN-40? As for quality, many think the free maps from ibycus are the most detailed/current around. I have them on all 3 of my Etrex Vistas and they work just fine.
  20. It's a shame you PN-40 fans have to argue with every point made, yet you provide very little data in support of your position. Maingray shared there are free maps for DeLorme GPSr units that meet many needs. Where can I download the same for my PN-40 ... assuming I can get it to turn on?
  21. I just heard a gavel ... case closed.
  22. I agree, totally. And so we have four or five of us with the actual hands-on experience with the PN-40 hosting simultaneously the maps and imagery available through their ($40) download subscription. But again, regarding the other possibilities of photo imagery and rasterized USGS 3DTQs loaded simultaneously with vectorized Topos on a handheld GPSr for back country usage, what are they? Are there any? Who has actually done that with other than a PN-40? Yes, the DeLorme Wiki is more involved than buying and downloading an ITune, but what is the more simple alternative to the PN-40? Which one do I buy today, download the imagery tomorrow and have up and running Sunday by following a comparative Wiki with all the steps in one place? So what is the final conclusion here? If the PN-40 is the only one that can host all those media forms viably out of cell range, how does it rate? The best of one? The least worst of one? Once again ... there are other options. I have personally rolled my own topo maps on a Garmin 60CSx. I thought it was too involved for the effort ... until I ran in to Topo 7. At this point, the best option to me would be to purchase USGS Quad maps and install them on whatever flavor of GPSr. From my perspective, Topo 7 is just way too involved/time consuming/resource intensive for a signifiant geographic area. As for what someone should buy today ... the PN-40 as it exists today is simply a non-starter for any kind of routine geocaching or hiking. The power problems, lock ups, and kludges just make it impractical from the start line. Hopefully, the new beta due today will help ... time will obviously tell. Forget the maps, what we have now with the PN-40 is not reliable. Today, like it or not, the market belongs to Garmin. Although they all have limitations, the 60CSx, OR 300, and OR 400T are all reliable, trustworthy GPSrs suitable for both routine and serious geocaching. Incidentally, I would also add the Magellan Triton series to that list if they had just an ounce of customer service and/or user community support.
  23. Exactly! I agree wholeheartedly! Did I not say that $30 for my 22GB of DeLorme imagery against $10,000 for 22GB of iTunes was apples to oranges? My intent was to use that as a prod to evoke a bona fide apples to apples comparison form someone else as I do not have the facts regarding the cost of other services from which one can download maps and photo imagery to a handheld GPSr. Now, Lee has provided some very interesting alternatives concerning iPhone usage. I'm currently with a year to go on my current cellphone contract, so any iPhone for me might be a while. In the meantime, as I encounter other geocachers, I am going to see if they are iPhoning it. And as long as the iPhone is sight unseen for me, I am not going to speak disparagingly of it. Again, any cost data on downloading aerial imagery and other maps on other handheld GPSrs? And, how easy/difficult is it? A step-by-step, like this, is available? http://delormepn40.wikispaces.com/Selecting+Imagery The veracity with which the PN-40 is defended is not at all credible or practical. From 10,000 feet, the mere fact a wiki step-by-step guide is needed tells me the process is too complicated. The veracity also comes across as a challenge to others. On the surface, $30 a year for the DeLorme mapping library appears to be a good deal. Yet, in fact, it's actually $40 per year when you include DeLorme's insistence on sending the access code in a physical package via snail mail. Although I bought it online at the DeLorme website, I had to wait days and pay an additional $10 postage for it to arrive. For an experienced cacher routinely caching a wide geographic area (I focus on 3 states), the time to manipulate Topo 7 is significant. We're talking weeks to build a library of sufficient coverage. As a side note, Topo 7 does not appear to be built to handle that size library. It's incredibly resource intensive, appears to freeze, and will bring a quad core processor with 8 GB to its knees ... only app I have that does that and I run some fairly intensive statistical and multimedia editing apps. When you think of your personal time at even a relatively low $5 to $10 an hour, the bottom line is much more than you would spend for an off the shelf package (talking topo and marine) from a competitor. Having said that, I personally much prefer the USGS Quads on my PN-40 over what I had on a Garmin Oregon 400T. For me, the PN-40 won that one hands down. As for real-time, dynamic mapping, there are other options out there. I have Google Maps on my BlackBerry Storm, including a real-time satellite view. In addition to providing greater resolution/clarity, the Storm also routes ... and without locking up! Oh ... it also handles my iTunes podcasts ... and even doubles as a phone. Shoot ... I can even follow these threads on my BlackBerry! There are pros and cons to any GPSr solution. There is no perfect GPSr. My wife and I own a total of 9 (or 10??) GPRrs from the 3 major brands. I'll say it again ... there are pros and cons with all of them. I personally think this thread would be a lot more objective (and enjoyable) if folks weren't quite so defensive and were a little more open/aware of other possibilities.
  24. Okay, I'll bite ... Specifically what problems or "unsubstantiated claims" do you think would call for FTC or other regulatory agency's action? Yep, but I won't bite. Read my whole comment and the referenced thread instead of taking it out of context. I'm not here to battle with words. I referenced problems that have been acknowledged repeatedly on DeLorme's own forums. The one thing I regret is not mentioning the problem with the DeLorme plug-in and corrupt cache pages ... you can read about that here.
  25. Dakboy ... if I may, let me share some advice my Dad gave me at an earlier age. He called it his "Rule of Holes." The first thing you need to do when you find yourself in a hole is to quit digging. Since I bought my PN-40, I have found about 1000 caches and traveled several thousand miles with it. I test and work on things for a living. I also geocache and travel more than most ... all the time putting the PN-40 through the paces. As for the problems with WAAS, you might read here. Details regarding all the problems with DeLorme's Delbin/interface protocol can be found here. Issues regarding the accuracy of the PN-40, including what needs to be done to validate the readings, can be found here. Something of a side note ... I'm frankly amazed DeLorme has not been called to task by Consumer Protection or the FTC for their unsubstantiated claims. As for the kludges, I'm intimately familiar with them. I'm the author of the GSAK macro. Don't forget to check out the threads where people are getting WAAS as well. Oh, and the threads where people are reporting excellent accuracy whether they're getting WAAS or not. Short version: if the unit shows "2 feet to cache location", I look down, and I see the cache at my feet (which happens pretty often), I don't care whether I have WAAS or not because it dropped me on GZ regardless. At least DeLorme is actively helping those customers who are having these problems. DeLorme makes no attempt to hide the fact that official software to load multiple caches at once hasn't been released yet. You'll also note that no one is obligated to use those kludges, and that no one has actually reported being infected, and that no one has actually proved that the 3rd party "malware site" actually was hosting malware. We only have Google's say-so that the site had been reported as possibly being linked. You also aren't required to use T7 for all PN-40 functionality. Not even to cut & download maps - those can be done online at data.delorme.com. DeLorme is in a very bad spot with the Topo USA software. They've got close to a decade (maybe longer) of loyal users who have been trained (at someone's expense) on how to use the software. Now they're seeing a much larger user base. Do they alienate their longstanding customers just to make complainers happy, or do they keep a consistent interface and evolve it to be what you want it to be? DeLorme released specifications a long, long time ago (have Garmin or Magellan actively engaged GPSBabel developers and/or contributed their own code to make it work?). No one coded to those specs to make GSAK and other GPSBabel software work with it. They're working more closely with interested parties to make it easier this time around. If people really are this hung up on the color of their GPS, they seriously need to get a life. I just got a new cell phone this weekend, the only reason I even bothered making a choice on color was to make sure that I couldn't confuse mine with my wife's (identical model).
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