purplywurply

Does anyone know of a geocaching application for the Nokia C5 (Symbian phone)?

You could make a tiny certificate and laminate it. People seemed to like mine.

Thanks for verifying this is a bug. Hopefully it can get sorted now.

Hi Is anyone else having a problem with the 'View Past trackables' function on the inventory section? I have used IE6, IE 7 and Firefox on different computers. I just can't click on it! My Operating System: Windows XP My Browser with Version number: IE 7.0, IE 8, Firefox 5.0 (Have already checked forums for other similar issues)

Another thing that helps is to keep a note with the TB or coin explaining how to log that you have picked it up. I know it sounds tedious but is does encourage people to log a find on the trackable item's page, not just mention 'picked up TB' on the cache log. Praps gc.com should have a 'report' function when people pick up TBs and don't drop 'em off after a month. Not sure how you'd police it, though.

Politeness costs nothing, and this sport runs on good will. Also, people have different reasons for geocaching and get different things out of the sport. Some people's idea of a rubbish cache is totally different to another's. I'd say ignore those tactless posters - sometimes stuff comes out the wrong way or people post when in a bad mood and don't think to re-read or edit what they have written.

Mapping 1:10,000 does exist, but it is old and out of date. Mind if I ask why you need more detail that that on a 1:25,000 map? It is amazingly detailed.

Thank you - as a religious person, that word just isn't helpful as a topic starter here.

Thanks for the ideas folks. I like the home made ideas.... It won't be very deep - waist deep max.

I have read this topic with interest. I think the fact of the matter is that anybody can find anything offensive and non family friendly. This might mean I find advertising of commercial toys offensive and therefore don't want any toys in geocaches. Surely we all have enough respect to see that prayer cards or religious tracts are not intended to be offensive. If it is ok to drop off a book, then it must be ok to drop off any book that would be for sale without a warning on the cover, as any book (or cd) could contain something that could be considered offensive. Where do you draw the line? prayer cards? good luck messages? certain images or symbols? I personally am offended by the title of this thread as the word crap has a stronger meaning in the UK than in the US. That doesn't mean I can't listen with respect to what people from the US write here. Lets get some balance - geocaching is a great sport and if you don't like something you find you can just leave it alone!

That was my first idea, but they do say not suitable for submerging.

fresh

Has anyone any ideas where to buy / adapt / make a container suitable for underwater cache? I'm UK

I would agree with this. Call it a puzzle, or call it a mystery- it's the cache type with the big "?" Thanks for a prompt reply - most helpful.

Hi I'm just creating a series of 3 separate caches that are loggable in their own right. Each one, however, provides a clue for a nearby big 'bonus' cache. The bonus cache also has 2 clues to find. You then listen to a story and use the clues gathered to find the cache. Do I call the main cache a multi cache or a puzzle cache? http://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.aspx doesn't make it too clear to me.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Several puzzle caches I have seen require a specific photo or clue to be emailed to the owner or posted before a find can be logged. How do I create a cache like this please?

As the owner, you can put them in the cache prior to publication via a log as you normally would. You can even drop them into an unpublished cache. As soon as everybody can view the cache they will be able to see the bugs in the inventory. Thanks - that's what I wanted to check.

I am just about to create 3 new geocaches, all with Travel Bugs. How do I ensure the TBs appear on the inventory as soon as the cache is published?

Just for the record I have been using an Etrex H for a few months and it has been fantastic. O also bought a data cable for it cheap in Ebay (less than a tenner) which is made by a company which is not Garmin. I needed a different driver but once I had sorted that it worked really well. The unit has lead me straight to many geocaches already.

I realised this needed careful thought - so thanks for all your comments. I'm just trying to be responsible. I'll check the wall out carefully..... if not no worries...... so many great places to hide caches around Yorkshire.

Hi I haven't hidden a cache before but have found a lovely square hole in a stone wall (Yorkshire, UK) just right for a cache box. I would need to put something such as a block of stone to conceal the cache. How would the reviewers look on this when I submit the cache? Obviously I don't want people taking the wall apart (in this case that would be impossible anyway.) How hard do people like the caches to be? I could mark the stone that hides it with an x or use wood or a different and distinctive type of stone? I want people to be able to find this quite easily. What does anyone think?

Hi one of the rules is that you must replace stuff taken from a cache with something of equal or greater value. Does that mean I must replace a coin with a coin, or a TB with a TB?

Hi The 100m error is a classic symptom of having the GPS set to the wrong map datum in the UK. You need to use Lat/Long on the WGS84 map datum. If you've set the units 'position format' to Hdd°mm.mmm (lat long degrees decimal minutes that geocaching uses) you need the map datum set to WGS84. If you've left the datum on Ordnance Survey GB then that is actually WGS36 and that gives the 100m error. You can run the GPSr on OSGB if you want but you must set both the position format and datum to OSGB. The reason we use Lat/Long on cache pages is that it is 'universal'. The OS grid reference you refer to is UK specific and only found on the paper based (or digital PC version) OS maps. Someone in Germany for example wouldn't have a clue what the OS Grid Reference is but they would know Lat/Long. The cache page displays the OSGB grid for our benefit in the UK. Any additional waypoints that are displayed on the cache page (parking, stages etc) are not converted. If you download the waypoints into your GPS from the cache page or via a Pocket Query you'll get them in Lat/Long degrees decimal minutes and that is the best setting to leave your GPSr on. Re the eastings and northings. The grid reference shown on a cache page (example N 51° 35.547 W 002° 44.586 British Grid ST 48621 88443) is correctly shown. The first group of 5 digits is the easting and the second group the northing. This is more usually written as two groups of 3 (ST 486 884). The 5 digits take you down to 1 meter. Example: S (500Km square) T (100Km square) 4 (10Km) 6 (1km) 6 (100m) 2 (10m) 1 (1m). You can check this on an excellent website that uses the Streetmap OS maps <a href="http://benchmarks.org.uk/map.php?&scale=50&bm&c=" target="_blank">http://benchmarks.org.uk/map.php?&scale=50&bm&c=</a> by entering the lat/long and the OSGB. They show the same location.* Hope this helps. Chris (MrB) UK Geocaching Information & Resources website www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk * Thanks to Gary and Jane for this excellent link to Streetmap Thanks for the explanation. I have an Etrex set to WGS84 and Hdd°mm.mmm. Strangely when I change the options to use the OS Grid (which I would like to do, as I am teaching my daughter to use maps and read grid references) then the GPS changes the very last digit in one of the coordinates. So, a few questions.... 1) Why does my gps change the coordinates when I change from one system of coordinates to another? 2) Is lat/long more accurate than OSGrid? 3) What degree of accuracy is lost if the very last digit in the coordinates changes? 4) Is it fair to assume that the hider used lat/long to log the cache?