Midnight Rider

Hey all, My employer was kind enough to issue us new cell phones and I got a Nextel i710 that has integrated GPS. I can purchase ($20) Trimble navigation software from Nextel that will allow me to use the phone as a GPSr. Has anyone used this and if so, was it pretty good or ???? http://theta5.cellmania.com/web/itemdetail...830217&IID=4520

Sorry you are having such a rough time with the new Magellan. The Meridian Gold is a really nice little unit. I would contact Magellan first before contacting the company you bought it from. Magellan may be able to walk you through something and save you the trouble. Good luck no matter what.

Actually, when this happens, you are to challenge the other cacher to a duel. A "lightsaber" fight with your walking sticks can be substitued with the winner being the first person at the cache. Clearly, the answer is to drink the vodka as fast as possible to avoid kids or other people from finding it. Once this is done, fill the bottle back up with water and replace it where you found it. See the duel outlines from question 1.

In my cheap-O typical fashion, I have not one, but two "sticks" that use. They are the center part to a century plant and found them both while hiking in the Guadalupe Mountains of Texas. They are very strong and one of these days I plan to carve some stuff on them to commemorate our vacation that year.

Ill tell ya what... after reading some of these adventures, logs and cache descriptions, there better be something nicer than a smiley waiting for me. :-))

Theres a cache right now, but I cant find it, and it has $100 for the FTF. Its someplace out in the boonies of the New Mexico desert. All I can recall LOL!

4x4, I agree with you believe it or not with the exception of your first comment. I was asking a question.

Ive yet to come across a cache description that did not include the information that it would cost something to enter the park, park your car etc.

Actually, I never said anything of the sort. I asked why people do it because it seems, IN MY OPINION, to go against the grain of doing this activity as it is basically 'cost free'. Im not judging anyone. I dont give a tinkers dadgum if you want to pay to cache or not. As I said earlier, sticking caches in parks where you have to pay an entrance fee is not something I would do ("I" being the operative there). Im seeing the parks issue as a separate activity from the caching. If Im out caching, Im out to cache, not hang out in the park. To ME, thats a separate activty to be enjoyed on its own merits. Again, this is solely MY OPINION. Again, I havent told anyone what to do or what not to do. I asked a question regarding the rationale of placing caches in parks as I am new to this activity and wanted to understand the reasons behind it. My question has been answered 10 fold by now and it seems we are deteriorating into arguing semantics. Well, considering that they are hardly related, I agree. Ive already come to that conclusion, thanks.

Ive done about 15-18 caches so far and not one of them has been 'lame' nor have I paid to do them. Its really too bad that this topic has turned into a judgement on other cachers with regard to their willingness to pay to cache.

Good topic. As some may notice, Im an Allman Brothers fan. They are a very trade friendly band and I already have plans to place CD's in caches. As for software, speaking from a technical and security standpoint, you would be nuts to install anything you get from a stranger. Just my .02

There's thriftiness (an attractive quality in anyone), and then there's the plain ole "look under the table! there's free gum there!" cheapness (do you really wanna date that?) Hey, grousing about the park fees when you can well afford it is borderline "mmm! looks like doublemint!" Since Im the one 'grousing' about park entrance fees, Ill try to explain my 'cheapness'... I dont have a lot of spare money and I currently work two jobs to make the ends completely meet so that I have a bit of money left over for fun stuff. As a matter of fact, this second job is why I have a GPSr now after having wanted one for several years. In the past, I have had very expensive hobbies and currently I am trying to find fun stuff to do that is pretty low cost. Geocaching, digital photography (no film, rechargeable batteries etc.) and metal detecting (cost is batteries) seem to fit the bill for me. I dont, however, believe I want to pay to cache unless Im going to the park for a day trip (which I do throughout the summer) which lets me kill two birds with one stone. Im not against putting caches in parks, but after reading the responses and thinking about it more, its not something I would do.

What issue? I'm very confused about what it is you're trying to say. Could you be a bit more clear? Apparently, some caches are placed in parks that charge entrance fees. Some people, like myself, may not want to spend the money to enter the park strictly to find those caches, but would probably seek them out if we were in the park for other reasons rather than to specifically cache. I see this activity as being basically 'free' with the obvious exceptions of cost for equipment, gas etc. I was just curious as to why folks would put caches in places that charge admission fees and this includes considerations for those that are concerned about cache quality. In otherwords, some folks would probably find it bad form to pay to find a cache and then discover that the cache had a bunch of crappy stuff in it. This whole issue is boiling down to individual preference and thats fine.

Didn't you read my post? If you park in their parking lot you have to pay, it's not an entrance or use fee. So park just outside the lot and walk the extra 100 yards or so. No drama. Yeah, I read your post, but that doesnt apply in Texas. We are charged whether we walk in, drive in, bike in, etc.

No, you and 4x4 made some good points regarding the general costs of just doing this activity. Nothing is indeed free. That said, I spoke too soon with my 'complaint' and I didnt really think about the various aspects of the way others would see it. The next time Im in a State Park, Ill be checking to see if there are caches there, but for the times that Im not in a SP, Ill be doing the ones on the outside I suppose I was thinking of the overall family attractiveness to being able to do something without it costing money overtly to actually go and find a cache. I see geocaching as a family friendly activity and for some families, the cost of going to a park would be cost prohibitive, IMHO, to find that golfball or smilely sticker And I readily acknowledge that there are caches practically everywhere so if cost is an issue, then the person or family should stick to the ones that are "free". I want folks to understand that I have nothing at all against the parks here in Texas. I was just curious about the issue of placing caches in parks where people may want to find the cache, but may not want to have to pay to do this activity.

Living in such a unique area, you could do a wildlife series of say, 5-10 animals including their pictures. Include a prize at the end for people that get all of your cards.

Ok, my point is that I dont want to pay to cache in a park. If Im going there for other reasons like a day trip, camping or whatever, thats entirely different. Of course I want the caches to exist in the park. Others wish to seek them. Its not bad to pay to get into a park. I think my question was lost on some folks. :-)

Some interesting and somewhat surprising comments here...

Heh, the parks do not permit metal detecting.... Ill take a relic any day over a coin

I see the logic in the "then just dont do those" recommendations, but I thought there might be something more profound for the reasoning LOL! I go to Garner State park a lot so I will do caches there, but I dont think paying to cache is a good idea. I didnt know if others did that or not. lets here some more views!

Yes, but thats a no-no. :-)

Ok, I admit it... Im a cheap a**. If I can do something for free, Im there. Im all about not having to spend money outright. That said, I was checking out some caches to do today out in our fabulous hillcountry and quite a few I came across were in state or local parks that require a user fee. Its not that I dont have the money, but wouldnt it be better if the caches were out in the public where you dont have to worry about stuff like user fees? I dont mean to be picky, but I guess I just dont get it. Yes, the lands are pretty and yes, you are supporting Texas Parks and Wildlife, but honestly, I do that already, but if Im caching, I dont want to take my wallet if you know what I mean.

Hey Welch, thanks! Worked like a charm.

I think it defaults to within a 100 miles of the ZIP code you select. I would ideally like to reset mine to about 25. Anyone know how to do this?

Or you could always just spend $200 for a Magellan Meridian Gold and have unlimited SD card capability.