Lovejoy and Tinker
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Posts posted by Lovejoy and Tinker
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100 miles is about the maximum distance I travel on a semi regular basis.
From time to time I shoot off to, say, Bristol, usually without much notice.
By having all caches within a 100 mile radius of home up to date on GSAK and therefore up to date on tomtom, GPS and the smartphone all the time I don't have to waste time messing around with a GPX file (which may arrive in 5 minutes or may take several hours as one did last night) before I set off.
If I have time to do a bit of caching on the way or way home I have everything with me I need.
And the time taken to keep 7,000 caches up to date on GSAK is not really much greater than keeping a smaller number up to date - just a few more PQs to import once a week, which take a couple of minutes each.
And it takes no more time to transfer the extra caches to the tomtom, GPS or smartphone as it is always the same number of files, however many caches they contain.
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And I'm just daft I guess. Obviously. Since doing something someone else doesn't do makes you daft
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I keep a offline database of 100 miles radius of caches. I use the corrected co-ordinates function and this macro http://gsak.net/board/index.php?showtopic=7745 to give it a little extra icon to show the co-ordniates are corrected on the Oregon / 62S.
Now that would be useful if there were a specific icon for caches with corrected coordinates. Wonder if someone has done that other than in this colorado macro...
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The problem lies with these new fangled, fancy, all singing all dancing GPS devices. To get all the cache info you can't load the caches as Garmin custom POI's, you have to use the caching function built in, and that limits the capacity a lot. But gives all the info you might need.
Kind of like an Etrex and a smartphone/PDA in one unit.
I hadn't twigged that that was Wayne's issue.
Mind you, I still think it should be fairly easy to identify and delete archived caches from GSAK before sending to the GPS, as we do that anyway.
Disabled caches could, I suppose, be filtered out using a simple GSAK filter, again before sending the data to the GPS. I tend to keep them in as we have found disabled caches before where they have just been disabled while waiting for a new log or to check they are still there.
But you would need to know the reason for the disable I suppose.
Wayne, if you could sort out the archived and disabled caches issue, would that get around having to clear the database with each PQ upload. Or would you still need to do it anyway?
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For some reason, it may be me, but if I dont clear the database, I usually end up with caches on the oregon that have been archived for weeks or disabled, as it doesnt discriminate these on the map screen of the oregon.
If I have to clear the databse I would lose all the corrected co-ords.Ah, right, yes clearing the database each time will help with that. I run the archived cache macro after each weekly PQ upload and it does a pretty good job of identifying the caches archived since the last upload.
The Memory Map export macro (with LordElphs icons) does give disabled caches a different icon - on memory maps at least. But it may not do the same with your fancy GPS
Also for the oregon I can only transfer a maximum of 5000 geocaches to the device at a time and if I dont keep the database under that level it crops it to 5000 randomly and without warning.
Some GPS's storage capacity can be eaten up pretty fast by having vast ammounts of logs on each cache.Some people can only keep 500 caches on their GPS at a time (or less) and need to keep juggling what caches they keep on the unit by PQing the area they are going the following day. so this way allows them to add only the solved puzzles they need to use.
I see now, it's your expensive GPS that's causing the problems. But of course you have full paperless and we don't.
I load my entire database to both my Tomtom and Tinker's Legend (as POI's so it takes all 21,000 waypoints but only provides name, rank and serial number - and hint)
I only send either caches within a 40 mile radius or surrounding wherever we are going onto memory map. Much more than that and it slows down on my PDA (phone).
The memory maps get us in the vicinity using footpaths and avoiding water hazards and fences, then the legend takes over to pinpoint the cache and provide the hint if needed.
But like everything, it all depends what equipment you are using at the time and what you are used to. Some people like the original icons for the oregon, I cant get on with them, I cant even make out the ? on the map background.
I think for you the only help will be changing the icon on each of the solved ones to disciminate it. But watch your maximum storage on your device or you could end up walking right past caches that are cropped off
I see that now, it is all down to what equipment you have and what info you are trying to transfer to it.
As we don't do full paperless on the GPS our storage is not an issue, the legend seems to hold pretty much everything I throw at it. I think the last upload was in excess of 22,000 waypoints.
Anyway why arent you out caching? your nearly at 1000 !!!!!
A. Work
B. We're supposed to be reaching our 1000th with The Two Bears so they have some catching up to do. We're trying to limp to the line in the hope they can catch up. Trouble is we'll get to 999 then have a FTF opportunity that's too good to miss, and our 1000th will be a forgettable film pot in a hedge
And congratulations on your 2000th I noticed last night !!!!!!!
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Hopefully someone will find this useful!
Hi Wayne,
Thanks, that's interesting, as it always is to read new ways of doing things.
I'm a little confused (when aren't I) as to how this differs from the method I use, which is simply to use the 'corrected coordinates' function in GSAK to change the coordinates of a puzzle cache once it is solved.
At the moment I don't change the icon for solved puzzles but can see how this would be a great help in Memory Map so will start doing that from now on.
I do of course lose the original, published, coordinates, but most times these are just dummy coordinates. Where the coordinates are for recommended parking then when I update the cache with 'corrected' coordinates I just add the original coordinates as an additional waypoint.
In your instructions you say to clear the database. But I have always avoided doing this as over the months I have built up a good history of all caches within a 100 mile radius including many more than the 5 most recent logs that a PQ provides. I just add each new PQ to the existing database and the number of logs just keeps growing without limits.
Doesn't clearing the database remove all this history and leave just the 5 logs from the most recent PQ?
Now I have read your method I can't help feeling that I am missing something with the way I handle solved puzzles.
What am I missing
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I am curious about which cache this is? Looking at your caches, you only have 1 mystery cache, which doesn't seem to be the puzzle box kind.
It is their "NLC Lost Series #10- Coincidence vs. Destiny" cache.
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I think it's a good thing when COs take pride in their cache hides. There's nothing wrong about wanting confirmation that the extra effort was worth it. Why call it "ego stroking" and in effect discourage this sense of pride? I don't get why anyone would feel that a CO who hopes for feedback that they've done a good job has a personality disorder.
Have to agree with that sentiment completely. Well said.
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Like the OP I've made changes as well and even with logging out and then in they don't take affect.
SO..... I've given up making changes here. The hassle isn't worth it.
EDIT: OH SURE!!! NOW they show up So maybe it is the fact that you can't see the changes immediately.
I think it can take a while for the forum server to catch up with the main site server. I guess it gets updates every x minutes (or hours) and it depends when in its cycle you make your changes how long you have to wait for them to take effect on the forum server.
It always seems to get there in the end though
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Ok this isn't my first forum so I generally know my way around settings.
Something is wrong.
I have changed my avatar, my signature, and my user title. When I go to my account settings, it shows the new info. When I post... Same as it was when I first set up my account.
Do these changes need moderator approval or something?
Try logging out of, then back into, the forums.
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Thanks... I'll give that a shot. If our grands decide they really want to do this, we may end up with two GPS units in the house; one for the car and one for caching.
Actually a very good solution if funds will stretch to it. Follow the instructions for putting the caches onto the car unit as POIs. This will give you driving directions to recommended parking places or the nearest road access to the cache where you can then find a place to put the car.
Then hop out of the car and switch to your handheld unit which will have better battery life, be more rugged and easier to hold as well as giving you the arrow to follow all the way to ground zero.
We use a tomtom in the car which, via GSAK, has every cache within a 100 mile radius of home (updated weekly) stored as POIs.
Then for finding the cache we use an ETrex Legend with the same caches loaded as Garmin POIs (using the Garmin POI loader) and this gives us the cache title, number and hint.
That's pretty much all we need most of the time, but I do have a smartphone too for the full paperless function as and when required.
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I think you'd need more than a Baldrick cunning plan to overcome that problem
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Hi Les
Yes, if you have loaded the caches onto your phone at home then you have no need for mobile reception when out and about. Your phone will act just like a paperless GPS.
That's what I do as signal can be patchy here on the moors. Load a GPX file (from a PQ) onto the phone at home covering everything I'm likely to search for while out.
Of course if you want to post logs in the field you will need your mobile reception, but I tend to use field notes which I then upload back at home and expand during edit before posting.
Hope that helps and welcome to the fun.
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That's really quite clever and funny, well done them.
BUT
Is 'Cache' really pronounced 'CaYshe' in Oz? GeocaYsher?
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Watching this thread with interest as we have 3 caches in Mevagissey, one of which has in it's description not only the name of a pub, but a picture of the pub and a history of the pub.
This wasn't meant as advertising, but was included as the pub is of historical interest in the village as it used to house a pilchard press.
We mention it alongside the museum, aquarium, model railway and other attractions which people might like to visit while they are doing the series.
One of the other 3 caches is directly opposite what was at the time our sweet shop (now sold) and we specifically did not even mention the shop for fear that it would be seen as blatant advertising.
But if you can name a pub, why not name a sweet shop?
And if we then put a cache right outside each of our sweet shops and called the series "Sweet Success" or some other equally corny name, I would not expect it to be published, even if the name of the shop were not mentioned, as it would be a clear ploy to bring people to the door of our shops.
A cache can be a business advert even if it doesn't mention the business name.
It's a fine line but I think Happy Humphrey has it right, most people could judge when useful info has become blatant advertising. And it's not easy to draw up a list of which is which.
We have to leave those decisions to the reviewers and accept what they say as they are reading our descriptions with fresh eyes, and if they see 'advert' then others are also likely to think the same.
But a blanket ban on all pub names in cache descriptions? No. Judge each case on its merits.
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OK, I am getting annoyed with all the TLA's (Three Letter Acronyms) used in these groups.
Please keep it to plain English.
CO
D5
D/T
and many more else where, how are noobs - and there are many of us, supposed to understand what the heck you are on about.
I understand the need for them on the logs but NOT here.
Had forgotten why I stopped coming to the forums. Now I remember. I will consider myself told off. Sorry I annoyed you. I'll stick to what I decided a few months back and not post in the forums any more.
Hopefully enough people will stick around to help the noobs despite the tone some use to make their point.
See ya, or should I say TTFN
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Yes, re logged. Will see how long it lasts this time
Personally I don't see why it should be deleted. Can't see anything wrong with it, you've not been mean or worded your opinion badly. I see the CO has done one D5 cache themselves, perhaps that was easy too. Nothing wrong with stating your opinion though. I have commented on the D/T ratings a few times, both when I personally have considered them too high or too low. Don't expect the CO to make a change on my say so alone, but if several people start saying the same then it would help future finders.
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Your log is still there on the cache page
Did you put it back?
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im new to geocaching and as we speak im putting together caches to put out, the one i found the other day had a letter in it, like a disclaimer letter, telling people that if they found this by accident please dont steal or vandalise, can i download this letter or do people just make ones up?
Welcome
If you look on this page, there is a blue column on the right hand side and a little way down are links to various formats of the cache note for you to use. Pick whichever is suitable.
Notice you left a 'lighter' in the cache you found the other day, don't put one in your cache, they are banned items in case the cache is found by a child or heats up in the hot sun.
Other than that, good luck
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Welcome to the game Adrian,
Don't know about snow but those riddle (or more properly "Mystery" or "Unknown") caches are always listed with dummy coordinates - usually within a mile or two of the actual cache location.
So it's no good 'cheating' and going to the coordinates at the top of the page, there's nothing there.
Often you will see these dummy coordinates in the middle of a lake or some other unlikely place.
You are right, it's just a way to get the cache published with an approximate location so people know the rough area where the cache is going to be.
Sometimes these dummy coordinates might show a good place to park for when you have solved the puzzle or whatever you have to do to get the right coordinates.
The only people who know the actual coordinates where the cache is hidden are the cache owner and the reviewer.
Hope that clears that one up for you
Lovejoy
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I liked the were-owls explanation better
Me too
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We used an & symbol in our original name and it caused problems with the old forum. So we changed it to an and and after logging off and onto the forums a few times (over a couple of days) the problem disappeared.
But this is a new forum of course.
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Yes, if you change your user name on gc.com then all your previously logged caches will show your new name.
Your friends links stay the same (with the new name) and people will see your new name in their friends lists.
You don't have to do anything else - unless perhaps if you use the GSAK database when you might have to change the way it identifies your logs.
We changed our name a few months back and there were no problems in the site applying the name change across all our previous activities, lists, trackables etc.
Hope that helps reassures
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Although FTF is not an officially recognised 'achievement', the 'side game' itself is getting pretty close to being 'sanctioned' by gc.com in their knowledge books:
1.8. Instant Notifications - Chasing First to Finds
Dreaming of being the first to find a geocache?
If so, the instant notification feature may be helpful to you!
http://www.geocaching.com/notify/
This site feature allows you to create custom notifications to send to any email address you choose - even your email-enabled mobile phone. You will be alerted immediately when a new cache is published in your area. We can't promise that you will be first to find (some people just don't sleep) but it will make chasing the goal easier.
I suspect the only reason that the FTF is not recorded anywhere on the gc site is only down to the difficulties in identifying the FTFer which have already been discussed in this thread. I also suspect that if there were an easy solution then GS would implement it.
Personally I think things work fine as they are, anyone can keep track of their own FTFs using whatever rules work for them in regard to joint FTFs etc, and they can display them on their own stats in their profile.
But to say the FTF game is 'unsanctioned' is perhaps not quite correct when Groundspeak themselves make it at clear as they do in the knowledge books that the instant notifications feature is there to facilitate getting a FTF and apparently no other reason.
If I have to clear the databse I would lose all the corrected co-ords.
Keeping solved puzzles in GSAK
in United Kingdom and Ireland
Posted
Thank you, excellent tip