ValleyRat & TillyMouse
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Posts posted by ValleyRat & TillyMouse
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Geez! Guns and geocaching, eh? Must be an American thing? Not an issue up here, eh?
Yepp, it must an american thing. It is forbidden to carry weapons in my country, and the risk of running into a maniac is quite low, since they are also forbidden to carry weapons
And we all know that maniacs never break the law.
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Thot and others,
Almost every Goodwill store I've visited, including those in the Rio Grande Valley have a few ski poles. I would really be surprised if the Goodwill and other thrift shops in Richmond and Rosenburg were exceptions.
I sharpened the tip of mine to make a snake stick; the web on the business end will capture the snake if the spear misses him.
Course, you don't have any snakes in Houston. . .
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In Texas, handgun carriers are required to keep their weapon "concealed." Not in a holster or otherwise in view. "Open" weapons tend to be provocative. Of course, this doesn't apply on the range.
It's illegal to carry a handgun, concealed or not, if the carrier has not spent the required time in a CHP class.
About 3/4 of the class time is spent in "conflict resolution;" none in killing people.
People who are bent on devilment seldom (never?) possess a Concealed Handgun Permit. I've never heard of a CHP holder involved in any violent activities.
My CHP permit resides in my wallet alongside my DL; my 9mm Derringer goes in a front pocket. Two shots; if I can't resolve the conflict in that many shots, I'm better off to run.
This also applies to SpouseTilly's equipment.
I'm sorry folks, but it looks like this thread is headed for a collision with Godwin's Law.
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Apparently the GSAK codes %lat and %lon format the txt file to Decimal degrees. Anyone know if there's a code to format the file to Decimal Minutes?
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I'm really liking 5.0.1a but I'm doing something wrong and can't seem to find what it is.
When I download waypoints from gc.com,
then launch GSAK-5 and load the folder of .loc files,
then export to a Street Atlas txt file,
then import the file into Street Atlas,
SA always prints the waypoints on my SA map in Decimal Degrees format.
In the GSAK grid the coordinates are in Decimal Minutes
In 4.2 I believe I got those waypoints on Street Atlas in Decimal Minutes format.
Help! What am I doing wrong?
Thanks
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I'm always amazed at the number of folks on forums (fora?) who search for reasons to be offended.
I'm NOT religious, but I see the statement as being entirely secular.
Perhaps the topic starter can tell us which words in that sentence are religious in nature.
Is it possible that the topic was started just to start an argument? Sort of like the posts seen on other forums that ask, "I'm a [insert your own noun]. Will you accept me in your group?"
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My hiking stick is a retired ski-pole. It works great in the sand of Padre Island, and with the leather wrist strap, it can't get away.
My tip however, is:
Don't leave home without a can of OFF, unless you want to return with little chigger-bumps all over.
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My Mesquite Border Patrol Cache in the Rio Grande Valley is hidden near the entrance to the Border Patrol Station. Both finders were also found by the Border Patrol. Texas Cops (even BP Agents) are nice folks, too.
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If I told you, I'd have to kill you.
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I'm from South Texas, and I don't know what's going on, either.
But then, neither do I care. In my short life as a GCer, I've found nothing to complain about, except there aren't enough caches in 78537.
I've submitted a few; all were approved.
As my smarter-than-me son once suggested, "Don't sweat the small stuff, Dad."
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When there are several pages of waypoints/caches resulting from a search, is there a way to CHECK ALL and download all pages in one large file.
It seems that I must go to each page (46 in some cases) and click CHECK ALL then click on DOWNLOAD WAYPOINT to make 46 separate files of caches.
Am I doing this all wrong?
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Deleted on re-read
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It's nice to have a Palm for caching; I don't have, but my laptop serves this and many other purposes. Here's my paperless method.
1. Create a suitable table in the vehicle for the laptop. Mine is just three pieces of 1/2" iron pipe, two 45-degree couplers, two floor flanges, and a table top of either plexiglass or plywood.
2. Use a good mapping program on the laptop -- Delorme Street Atlas and others are available on eBay for about $5. This gives you a map for traveling, as well as GCing.
3. Download the waypoints to Street Atlas.
4. Go online to gc.com and select the page for the appropriate cache.
5. Go to FILE|SAVE AS| create or select a folder and press <enter>. I have a c:\geocaching folder, under which there was a c:....\CorpusChristi and others. When finished with that area, I delete the sub-folders.
The entire page is saved to your HD and you have all the hints and tips and previous logs right there beside you when caching.
6. Of course, you don't carry your laptop to the cache. After parking, your Garmin takes you there. This step was added to counter the several cachers who sent me an email saying, "Hey stupid. That laptop is pretty heavy for carrying out into the woods!"
Oh well. After 20 years of Tech Writing, I've found it's not a good idea to skip a step when writing the manual, even if it's a "given."
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Thanks, boss.
We're now also looking for folks interested in becoming charter members in our group. We're tentatively calling it Valley Geocachers.
No dues!
Maybe a monthly online newsletter. That shouldn't be too hard; all four of the originators are documentation/newsletter/newspaper people.
Just a weekly (we hope) meeting for dutch-treat dinner and conversation.
Interested?
email writer29@rgv.rr.com
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Although the theoretical worst case (40-50') with both hider and finder GPS showing an accuracy of 20-plus feet, we've been pretty lucky.
Not as much experience as many on the forum, but we've only had a couple of DNF's and finally did find those after returning -- 5 times on one, 3 times on another, and those were due to innovative hides, not coord inaccuracy.
In every case of our 35 finds, the cache has been within 10' of our Legend's indicated Lat/Lon. We do spend at least 15 minutes walking around the area, giving the GPSr plenty of time to "settle down." It's also important that WAAS be enabled on the GPSr.
So despite the chance that the cache COULD be 40-50' off, if the cacher has a pretty good GPSr, IMO it's pessimistic to expect it to be found that far off.
No flames from you oldtimers, please; I'm sure it's just beginner's luck.
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Many eBay sellers sell their $5 items for FIVE CENTS, then post a shipping/handling charge of $11.50.
Unethical? That's a buyer call.
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How about Bug Spray Required/needed.
Chiggers and Mosquitos can really get bad here in S. Texas.
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Here's what the Express says:
Scavenger Hunt Turns Deadly
LAST UPDATE: 12/12/2004 10:27:08 PM
Posted By: Carly Miller
A man out on a scavenger hunt, ends up dying while searching for the treasure.
Police say it looks like 64-year-old James Max Chamberlain fell off a small cliff at Eisenhauer Park, off Northwest Military Highway.
Chamberlain went on the scavenger hunt Saturday morning using a hi-tech GPS system he had just bought.
His wife called police Saturday night after he didn't come home.
Chamberlain's body was found Sunday morning after an all-night search in the park.
"From the evidence, just leads us to believe right now, that he was walking along the trails, got to his destination, and he either slipped and fell down the ravine, or was trying to walk back up the little incline and slipped back," said Lieutenant Rosie Vasquez.
Chamberlain's death appears to be an accident.
He found the scavenger hunt online and was alone when he died.
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IMO, lurkers on GC.com are similar to Muggles; folks on the outside looking in.
I always carry a few GC brochures and pass them out to Muggles and Joggles in the area of my Finds and Hides. Most of them look like they might get interested if they received an invitation.
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I had a couple of emails regarding my mobile laptop table; some were building it from PVC Pipe. My plan should have said DO NOT USE PVC PIPE; it has to be iron pipe for stability. Here's the parts list.
1. A 12" nipple of 1/2" iron pipe -- Use a shorter nipple here if possible to keep the table at proper height while making it more stable.
2. A 6" nipple of 1/2" iron pipe
3. A 4" nipple of 1/2" iron pipe
4. Two 1/2" 45-degree Couplers/elbows
5. Two 1/2" Floor Flanges
6. One 12x12" table top made from plywood or plexiglass.
7. Self-tapping screws suitable for attaching the flange to the floor.
8 Flat-head (countersunk) machine screws for attaching the second flange to the bottom of the table top.
And for those who thought I was carrying my laptop into the woods. I do not have a plan for a chest-mounted table.
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I saw a thread a few days back where champions were posting max-per-day records. Now I can't seem to find it.
I know: SEARCH!
I've searched for every combination of words possible for the subject with no definitive results. If someone can point me to the thread, I would be 'stremely appreciative.
writer29@rgv.rr.com
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Ebay buyers should be careful about buying low-cost items. There are dozens of Serial-to-USB adapters available there now.
Lots of unscrupulous sellers make their profit on the shipping charges; e.g., several sell the adapter on BUY IT NOW for FIVE CENTS EACH. But the small-print shipping charge is $11.50.
That's about ten times the actual postage. He buys the adapters from Taiwan at $0.66 each; perhaps even less than that. That's my cost in quantity of 25. They are actually shipped from CA not Taiwan for $6 per 25.
That seems unethical to me, but not against eBay rules. If you bid without looking at the seller's shipping charge, then later decide it's not such a good deal, he WILL report you as a NON-PAYING BIDDER and you'll be penalized on eBay. You have no recourse, not even a Negative feedback on him.
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Not selling them. They, like most of my advice, are worth nothing. It's just three pieces of 1/2" pipe, two 45-degree couplers, two floor flanges, and a table top of either plexiglass or plywood.
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This has probably already been posted, but I can't find it. If someone points me to it, I'll delete this post, but . . .
Online, when researching areas for caching, while on the webpage for the site, we go to FILE|SAVE AS|[select or create a folder] then press <Enter>
That saves a copy of the webpage to the hard drive so we don't have to print the page and carry a clipboard full of paper, or be online when caching?
On caching trips, the laptop sets on a table between the front seats, with IE and Delorme Street Atlas running. We can switch back-and-forth between the appropriate webpage and the map program (with GPS tracking on); just press <Alt> <Tab> to switch.
To recall the page while on the road/offline, just type C: into the GO window of IE, then navigate to the folder where we saved all those webpages. Alternatively, you can just double-click on the html file that was saved in para 2 above.
Want the plan for my table? PM to me and I'll send it to you. You can build it for under $5. The plans are free.
Signs that you're caching too much
in General geocaching topics
Posted · Edited by valleyrat
When your main reason for going Yard-sailing is to buy more cache-booty and tupperware.