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I started geocaching shortly after getting into letterboxing. With letterboxing you had to carry a log book to 'collect' the stamps in letterboxes (get imprints of the rubber stamps). So from the start, I also felt I needed to have a log book to record all my geocaching finds. I actually got the large, official geocaching log book from Groundspeak, not realizing the log was meant for caches. I still record all my finds in a log book (now about to finish my 2nd and will get a third). At a minimum I record the name of cache, date of find, coords, and waypoint. If a puzzle or multi, will record all the additional coords. If I picked up or dropped a tb or geocoin, I record that. If part of a puzzle series, will record any clues or info gathered. Anything interesting that I want to record will also go in. I also keep any maps of the locations I go to, mainly for any parks that have caches. When I retire a log, I put that all away as part of my mementos. There have been times I've thought of creating a log sheet template to print out my own geocaching recording log that would allow for more info to be recorded, and make it available to others who want it. But haven't gotten around to it.

I've never seen a bison tube that I'd call a 'nano'. Smallest bison I'd call a micro, but at the smallest range for a micro (largest micro would be a 35mm film can or an altoids tin).

Check out the Florida Geocaching Association website here: http://www.floridacaching.com They have a forums area. May get a better response posting this there.

Geocaching-U has a great geocaching brochure. I carry a few with me in case I get any questions about caching. In my area, several of the cachers (myself included) are scouters, and have done info sessions at scouting events. Me and another cacher did one at a camporee this past weekend which had over 2000 scouts (Boy Scouts, Webelos Scouts, Venturers and Girl Scouts) and introduced many of the scouts and scouters to caching. We should samples of caches, explained how the 'game' is played, gave out brochures and the like. We setup several temporary caches in the park the camporee was in, and also setup several new caches as well, increasing the number in the park to about 20 or so (its a biggg park). I've been asked to do something similiar at another major camporee in the council early next year. I've also promoted cito and geocaching events to scouters as yet another intro method. There have been some intro to geocaching events at one of our local county parks, put on by local cachers. That's another avenue. Many parks have a wide range of classes/sessions free and open to the public at certain of the parks. So doing one on geocaching (especially if the said park has several caches already) is a good option.

Another point with reading the logs is it will help you know if there are any issues with the cache. Recent finds tell you that everything is ok. No recent finds may mean there may be a problem with the cache. Recent attempts without finds will indicate there may definetly be a problem. In addition to the advise of going after larger caches and those that are easy finds, also see if others have recently found them. That can also help.

Another point with reading the logs is it will help you know if there are any issues with the cache. Recent finds tell you that everything is ok. No recent finds may mean there may be a problem with the cache. Recent attempts without finds will indicate there may definetly be a problem. In addition to the advise of going after larger caches and those that are easy finds, also see if others have recently found them. That can also help.

Strongly recommend this. After wasting time looking for caches in the wrong place due to mis-entering the coords by hand, I almost always upload the coords and pretty much only enter by hand coords for puzzles and multis.

Best way to figure out that the other is cache is the GPSr. So far, I've only encountered other cachers on the trail 4 times. * once I came to a spot and encountered a father and 2 kids. We quickly figured we were all caching and proceeded to look for the cache. After quite a while, we had no success and all left. (I would find it on a subsequent trip there and it was a very tricky micro). * another time I came to a spot and encountered a couple and son looked. We again worked to find the cache, which we did, and went our separate ways. * another time I had just found a cache (located on a fence near a road) when a car pulled up next to me. Found out it was the cache owner and we chatted. * another time I came to a spot and encountered a father and 2 kids. We proceeded to look for the cache (would later find out it was lost). After a while we gave up, and decided to engage in a day of caching, which was fun. (i don't get much group caching). So you never know what will happen on the trail.

I do not look to a "geocaching magazine" as my source of up-to-date information. I look to a "geocaching magazine" for indepth articles and other things that, quite honestly, I DON'T expect to see on an internet forum. When it comes to the quality of articles, I expect to see that in magazines (and certain on-line sources), but NOT a forum.

Look again. I got the Legend HCX yesterday for $195 on Amazon. Still the same today. Last week it was $203. You actually have to click on the price at Amazon to see the 'real' price. As noted, its really $195, which is pretty good. Froogle was showing prices around $190, but those place might add shipping, whereas Amazon would give you free shipping.

As noted, any GPSr should allow you to do so. Any that allow you to enter the coords by hand (which should be any of them), make this possible.

Its not really a question of accuracy. Both units are as accurate as the current sat config will allow. Even units without the high sensitivity chips are as accurate. The question is: how many sats can you lock onto and under what conditions. The high sensitivity recievers can find and lock onto the signals under heavy tree cover and in ravines and places where ordinary recievers lose the signal. They hold the signal better up close to your body and in the numerous positions you might hold the unit. They keep the readings continous and not in and out. As best as I can tell the new chips are every bit as good as the sirf chips but that is just my opinion. That's kind of what I meant by 'accuracy'. I've seen in some situations where getting the right location was difficult if not near impossible due to tree cover or other facts. Makes it really hard to nail down the place to start looking when your GPSr is pointing you to wildly divergent places. My understanding was the quad-helix antenna of the 60cx 'fixed' a lot of that. Now we have the eTrex H series with the better chips. Sooo, is one better then the other or pretty close or what? Sounds like they are about the same.

That's the question I'd like to see answered. In addition to the different chipset are the different antennas used: quad-helix for the 60cx and (I assume) patch for the Legend (like all the eTrex). So what is the difference in terms of accuracy of the 2.

A comparison of the accuracy of the 2 is something I haven't seen. I know the 2 use different chip sets, but there is also the difference in antennas: the 60 using a quad-helix, and I assume the HCX (like all the eTrex) uses a patch.

What people do with the coins is kind of up to them. Nothing says you HAVE to release them as TBs. There are some people who collect the coins and keep them. They may bring them to event to show, but they never go into a cache. What some may do with extra rare coins (or expensive ones) is trade with others for other rare coins. In this sense, the coins are just another collectable item. Keep that in mind. Geocoins can be a collectable item, a trade item (trade geocoin for geocoin, either in person or thru a cache) or a TB. Yup. You can discover both TBs or geocoins that you spot in a cache but do not take. The advantage for you is you can get the unique icon that is associated with that coin. For the owner (and others) they have a verification that the coin is still in the cache and has not disappeared. Its the same thing. You can "discover" a coin that you see in a cache and do not take, or that is possessed by another geocacher that you met. Again, this allows you to get the icon for that coin, but makes it easier for the owner (and you) because if you 'take' the coin from the cache or person, then you have to return it back to the cache (a separate activity) or the owner must 'take' it from you. Don't know what you quoting. You either physically take the coin from the cache (with the intent of moving it to another cache, which means that when you log your find on this cache, you must ALSO take the coin from the cache so that you can put it in the new cache. The other option, as noted, is the discover option. You can 'grab' it from a person. I have over a dozen activiated coins that I own that stay with me, both physically, and in my GC account. Keep in mind we are talking about 2 kinds of 'grabbing' and 'placing'. One is the physical kind. You grab the real coin from the real cache (or person). The second is the record or virtual kind. Updating the information on gc.com to show that you 'grabbed' the coin from a cache or person, now putting in 'your' position, and then putting the coin in its new location (cache or person). To affect the second, you need the info on the coin. What usually happens is that before you can update the gc.com info, someone has picked up the coin you dropped off. As they have the info on the coin, they can do this, tho its usually better for record keeping to give people the chance to move the geocoin record from the old position to the new one. Does this help?

The 2008 Scoutmasters Camporee in Broward Country Florida will have a geocaching event. Another cacher/scouter and I are doing this. He'll be setting up several temporary caches in the park where the camporee is being held, and I'll be handling the training sessions for the scouts before they go for the caches. I plan on recruiting some Venturers to assist (with the idea that one goes with the group of scouts to 'help out' as needed). Hopefully this will be a success. I plan to also have brochures on geocaching to have available, as well as a list of the 'real' caches that are in the park we're using.

I have a bookmark list of several scouting related caches: http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.a...bd-3347eb0605fc Am always trying to add additional ones. Others have given several resources for scouting & geocaching. They do geocaching/scouting training at Philmont Training Center now. I will be involved with a geocaching event at a large camporee in my area in a couple of months. As to coins, I am aware of 3 scouting related geocoins. One was issues by a Venturing Crew that geocaches, Crew 4485. I have 2 coins issues by a Troop in Hoxie, Kansas as a Jamboree fundraiser.

What StarBrand says here is basically how I started to geocaching using an eTrex Venture. Before I started to use EasyGPS (which I quickly replaced with GSAK), to upload the coordinates to my unit, I would spend time in an evening inputing coordinates by hand of the caches I planned to hit the next day. Let me tell you, spending time looking for a cache and not finding it and then checking and see that I had miskeyed the coordinates (thankfully I always took a hardcopy of the caches page with me), made me quickly switch to a method of downloading the coords. I first used EasyGPS, which was fine. But didn't like that it use the GC* 'name' for the caches, rather then the discriptive name. One of several reasons I switched to GSAK and never looked back.

This is the same thing I do. Logging DNFs helps everyone. As an Owner, if people are logging DNFs, I should check to see that everything is ok. As a Finder, if people are logging DNFS, I may rethink attempting to find it until I see some Finds (or confirmation by the owner that everything is ok). Also, as a Finder, I can review past DNFs to see if there have been any changes (owner confirms its fine, others have found it, owner has archived it either permanently or temporarily because of problems, etc) before I try again.

Well, there are some good ones at that price. Garmin's eTrex H is about that much. Don't think it has a serial cable, which will mean inputing locals by hand. Magellan, the other major GPS vendor, may have something similiar with their Gecko line. Another alternative might be a used one.

My present GPSr is a Garmin eTrex Venture. While I've done well by it, there are times when I am frustrated by antenna and memory limitation (never thought that would be an issue, until recently). Using serial vs USB has also been a pain. (FWIW, I also use GSAK). So for awhile I've looked at what I would like to replace it. For some time my 'dream' replacement has been the Garmin GPSMAP 60CX. A way better antenna, SD card slot, uses USB. Color is nice, but not a major issue. (I've never downloaded maps to my GPSr). Now Garmin has a new, undated line of eTrex, the "H" series with an improved antenna. I don't get the impression its as good as the quadhelix in the 60, but obviously an improvement over the patch antenna in the older eTrex. Of course, what's held me off has been the price of the 60: between $300-400. That may not be a lot to some, but I don't usually drop that much money on most things. So I've looked at the eTrex H line as a alternate to getting the 60. In looking at the different models, the one I like is the Legend HCx (I don't care about an altimeter or compass, i carry a compass with me). Its about $200-300. But I am curious as to what others think. Any recommendations?

The difference is that geocoins can being a travel bug OR a trade item. Some people leave unactivated geocoins in caches as a reward or trade item. Thus, the person finding them can then keep it, trade it, or activate it themselves and set their own goal. If the geocoin is activiated, yes, its a traveler like a travel bug. Moving it to another cache always helps. First off, this is why its a good idea to include the travel bug's mission with the travel bug. It can really help people who may take the TB without knowing the mission. And besides, who knows if by your just moving it to another cache will help it along its way? Well, is it your fault you didn't know the mission before you took it? No, then don't worry about it. Moving it along will still help.

It was L&O: CI (Criminal Intent) that had geocaching as a major part of one episode. However, it showed the cacher as using a small trowel to dig up caches, and made it seem that trowels are a standard piece of equipment for cachers. Also showed part of the geocaching website. The bad guys in the episode also made use of gps tracking to commit their crime.

How about a FSM geocoin?

I created a bookmark list of ALL the caches in the Florida Keys. I take a look every so often for new caches to add in, so I think its fairly up to date. You can access it here: http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.a...ad-a0047f2aacff Enjoy!