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Posts posted by ags
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I've probably come into this conversation too late - but you need to look at this page:
http://www.ualberta.ca/~norris/gps/nz/NZ2.html
and this page
http://www.ualberta.ca/~norris/gps/nz/NZ.html
I used to have an early GPS12 that didn't support NZMG. The stuff above worked O.K., but it was an approximation and the results were disappointing even for tramping.
As far as I know, the newer Garmin's do the full calculation for NZMG and are as accurate as the satellite readings. I've checked my newer GPS12 (with NZMG) against a few local survey marks and got 5 - 10 m accuracy. I guess this is the limit of the machine, rather than calculation error.
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Ohhh, I just gotta try this cache out now.I went there yesterday; my visit is in the logs. I'd recommend it. It's not a easy cache to get to, but that's part of the fun.
The rough part of the trip is on a (near flat) terrace high above the beach with a tiny creek running through it. It's fairly scrubby (you'll get scratched), and it's easy to fall into the ditch like creek. The track is seldom used and not well marked.
OTH, the track follows the creek all the way to the cache (which is an obvious geographical feature), and it's a straight line travel from the last waypoint of about 600 metres.
Mind you if a few more cachers go through, we have a four lane highway through the scrub.
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Great idea! I've been active in the open source community (linux) for a few years.
Mostly I've been involved helping others, and bit of article writing.
I can't program for nuts. Though somehow I recently got dragged into a web based project team and have had to learn PHP and SQL.
You can see my (pathetic?) code writing efforts by looking up core-lan-org at Sourceforge.
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Great idea! I've been active in the open source community (linux) for a few years.
Mostly I've been involved helping others, and bit of article writing.
I can't program for nuts. Though somehow I recently got dragged into a web based project team and have had to learn PHP and SQL.
You can see my (pathetic?) code writing efforts by looking up core-lan-org at Sourceforge.
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The 10 m resolution is a problem, but then the Garmin is usually reporting a 5 - 8 m positional error anyway.
I switch to coordinate mode (you have to memorise the coords you're after) and then use this as fine grained resolution. Also, the Garmin gives good compass bearings - I carry a small Silva compass and often do the last 10 m on compass.
The GPS12 is my second GPS. The first was an early model Magellan (three channel reciever). Fairly useless. My GPS12 is also an early model that I've had for about 3 - 4 years (?). Can't be software upgraded to support NZMG - which is a major annoyance to me - because I brought for tramping. (Current production models do support NZMG).
From 3+ years of use (abuse?), I have no real complaints. Usage in bush cover can be very good, once the reciever has a lock, but very difficult to obtain lock from 'cold'. (Leave it turned on).
My only comment would be that being an 'old' design (4 - 5 years), it must be due to fall off Garmins production line and be replaced. I don't how much the internals have been changed during the production run. On the other hand, to remain essentially unchanged for this long it must be a successful design.
TXT or SMS Cache
in General geocaching topics
Posted
As a fellow Kiwi, and a fellow geocacher in my local area, I'd better lend my support.
Firstly, I think it was right for the reviewer to reject the cache. They are only empowered to judge the cache against the existing guidelines. If it doesn't meet the existing guidelines, then it doesn't get approved.
This is a new (and novel) idea; I'll bet it doesn't meet the existing guidleines and it needs a decision higher up the tree.
Cellphones are a readily available technology, that most people have access to, or actually own and use. This isn't a special equipment required cache by any stretch of the imagination.
Compare this with the Wherigo caches that do require special equipment - only certain kinds of GPSr or Windows only PDA's. If we're talking about commercialisation, then should we ban Wherigo for being a closed source, vendor only solution? So that's, + 1 moderation points for using open source technology and openly discussing how it works.
Privacy issues with cellphone numbers are real. But if you feel that way, you don't have to do the cache. One of my nearest to find caches needs a kayak, but I don't have a kayak so I haven't done it. Have I demanded that the cache owner remove the cache because of that? No, I haven't.
In short, I say great idea. Send it up the tree for a higher decision.