Lasagna

This has been discuss on a number of threads previously ... Plucker has been known to freeze up. Two things to try ... 1. Change the order in which Plucker finds the files to enumerate (think the default is depth then across, change it to across then depth -- whichever it is presently, try the other). 2. If that doesn't work, try generating the Plucker PDB file using SunriseXP. It generates Plucker format outputs just like the Plucker desktop software does but is much faster and I've never had it hang up. The software's free and you continue to use the Plucker reader on your handheld to view the results.

Sometimes less info is more ... simply contact Garmin and explain the problem (not the history of the GPSr). They will often, in the name of good customer service, just give you an RMA to send it back to them to repair -- many times for free. If it's not for free, they'll repair it at a usually reasonable price (actually, they usually just send you a new refurb unit and fix yours later and put it into the refurb pool for the next unfortunate cacher who has theirs go south -- or north -- on them)..

Uncheck the "install to handheld" option in GSAK. Just export a GPX file from GSAK and then copy it over to the iPaq using the "Explore" window from your ActiveSync window. Once the GPX is over there, import it using the GPX import icon on the bottom of the Cachemate screen. On PPC's you use a GPX, not the Cachemate Palm PDB file format.

... or the one which sounds like it requires super human feats of skill to complete, but when you get there is a simple tupperware container and a log book asking you to perhap embellish your find a bit when you log it online. Nope ... never heard of any like that around these here parts.

Yeah, I wondered about that too. In the few caches I have found it seems kind of arbitrary sometimes what is a puzzle and what is an offset. I thought puzzles you had to solve something using the cache listing and then looking at a related website or something - doing it before you went caching. My idea, sort of like using a plaque, is simpler and it is using stuff that you "find" on the hunt so I thought it would be a multi not a puzzle. There was another thread discussing that recently, although I can't find it at the moment. Basically, the outcome of that discussion was that generally it would be listed as a multi if the coordinates shown on the page actually take you to the location of a cache container or object from which you will learn the next set of coordinates (directly, by reading a sign, or by solving a puzzle) and it would be listed as a puzzle if the coordinates posted were bogus requiring a puzzle to first be solved before finding the initial set of coordinates. In either case, if "in the field" puzzling was required, it should be stated in the description so people would know what to expect. The reasoning was that people running without the writeups could more easily recognize if the waypoint on their GPSr was a "real" location or a "bogus" one by looking at the cache type and thus not attempt to find a cache at a a bogus location. There was certainly a fairly large grey area there as well ... so it's not a hard an fast rule.

Just interested in your logic in choosing Germin. My wife bought me a MaGellan Meridian Gold to replace my ten year old GPS unit. While I was sometimes suspicous that my unit was not very accurate, I was never certain because I was never sure of the source I was referencing to. Yesterday, my son-in-law took me geo-caching for the first time, and we discovered my unit was off significantly. We could not "re-program" it either, so I referenced the user manual, and found out there was nothing to do about it except send it in. since it is no longer in production, I deciced against spending good money after bad, and I'll just pitch it. What next to buy? I'm looking at the eTrex Venture Cx on the web. Is that a good unit? What should I look for? This is a common problem with "Magellans" ... however, it's not really a problem but a feature. The Garmin's report your exact position at each sampling while the Magellan use an averaging feature. This makes them hold lock better and estimate based on previous direction and speed where you are located whereas Garmin's will suffer more quickly from degraded reception conditions. However, if you are aware of this feature, you can compensate for it without much difficulty (and I actually do the same with my Garmin as well). When approaching a cache, stop short and get a fix on the bearing and approximate distance to the cache. Proceed to that location and then sit the GPSr down and walk away. You can start looking awhile, but leave the GPSr alone. As the unit settles in and gets a good fix on satellites and discovers your not moving, it will lock in on the direction and distance where it thinks ground zero is located. Work with this information to form your search pattern.

Legend definitely ... the Legends gives you base maps (and the ability to later add street maps, etc.) and also comes with the computer cable and ability to download waypoints automatically. You can find these used on eBay for about $80 (make sure the cable is included).

All manufacturers market propriatary mapping software for their units ... you can roll your own and upload them, but it requires a lot of work and there isn't any real database of this kind of information. So, you pretty much need to buy the manufacturers,

Do you have an extra email account from your ISP that you can set to automatically forward messages (sometimes done by seperating addresses with a comma, space, or semi-colon)? If so, perhaps it will let you define a forward to more than one address and then have the notifications sent there.

There's one more very important circle you forgot ... the one formed by the cache owner's GPSr when they marked the coordinates. In theory what you said should be true, but if the hider's GPSr is not accurate, then what yours shows doesn't matter. To understand, draw 3 circles with the smalled possible overlapping area (your diagram, just spread your two circles out a bit and then draw another above them -- the owner's circle or circle C). If your theory were to hold true, then the cache would have to be in the very small cross section. However ... in reality, the cache could be on the complete other side of circle C, a full 2 times the margin of error away. A safer bet might be to assume that the "center" of the area overlapping circles between A and B is GZ with an accuracy of the larger of the two values between A and B's GPSr. (Still not perfct, but assuming the owner mark good coordinates, should be reasonable).

Ditto what Miragee said ... I have a Vista C and it's acquisition and lock are much much much better than the Legend and Vista. I've heard talkthat the Cx line is even better. By far however, if you want absolutely better reception, then the GPS MAP60CSx is the way to go (different antenna type), but this will mean giving up some of the features of the eTrex product line (actually , not giving up, just learning to do them differently -- buttons are different, etc.). If you like the eTrex line, then I would recommend the Vista Cx (you'll love the electronic compass feature since you don't have to keep moving to tell which direction you're facing)

I'm guessing if the hospital didn't mind and gave permission, it would be OK. However, satellite reception might be quite difficult if it's walled in on all sides and the walls are high. There's one near where I live that has the cache right outside the hospital entrace ... although come to think of it, it's actually an offset cache the requires reading a sign and then finding the cache nearby or a walking trail.

With a small enough offset from the actual cache, this will work. A better way would perhaps be to mark a waypoint right at the cache, then go a good distance away and reapproach the cache and mark again. Head off in another direction, and repeat. Repeat until you've got a good sampling. Average these coordinates.

You're a premium member ... create a pocket query for the area where you will be caching and have it sent to you. My Account Page ... right hand side ... build a pocket query.

This is a common issue ... if you purchased 6.0 AFTER the release of 7.0, Garmin will upgrade it to 7.0 for free. This keeps them from having to pull and restock stores when a new release comes out. You just need to register it onsite and then order the upgrade DVD. I did just that and it came in about a week. No charge. Here's the link: http://www.garmin.com/unlock/update.jsp Right at the top of the page in the box titled "Am I entitled to a free upgrade?"

Pull the PQ's into GSAK and then export them from GSAK in a text format. You can import this CSV file into a spreadsheet program and whack out whatever data you don't want.

From map or compass screen ... push menu button (left side, lower button), select "Data Fields and then select "3 fields". Once you have those showing on the screen, push menu button again and select "Change Data Fields". Move highlighted selection to the "long" field of the three. Select this field (depress joystick) and find the field value "Location". This will cause Lat/Long to show up in the 3rd data field.

Aren't subscriber-only caches completely unreadable by non-premium members? I don't think you can see anything about these caches if you aren't a premium member -- writeup, coords, logs, etc. I think the issue you're getting at is probably more the ability to learn the coordinates from the logs without having to log in at all. (Premium or not). On non-subscriber-only caches, if you aren't logged in, you can't see the coords, but you can read the logs. But, this is an issue regardless since anyone who posts a log and attaches a waypoint to it on a non-subscriber cache can already have that info read -- frequently used to post update coords by finders who disagree from the owner's posted values.

If it's a newer cache and the owner didn't delete it, the very first log entry on the cache at the very bottom of a "show all logs" page should have a published entry from the reviewer who initially approved the cache. You can contact them through the link to their profile on GC. If that log is not present, I would suggest contacting whatever local approver you work with to approve your caches. They'll either be able to help or can tell you who is the proper contact.

You mean something like this? http://www.cafepress.com/keenpeople.42453110

When I try that it says "There was an action associated with this log. The log type cannot be changed.", and it will not let me change log type. Hmmm ... what happens if you simply delete that log entry?

You can specify a wildcard to spinner ... so if you simply use a unique directory with no other files in it, spinner will pick up all the PQ's you dump there and process them. I do agree with the previous comment however ... you can use GSAK to pull the PQ's in from your email automatically (or drop them in a directory and then process them) and then export them in either HTML (for plucker to convert) or GPX for use with Cachemate. I understand your use of the Spinner and Plucker however since I personally liked the presentation better than Cachemate on a Palm. Cachemate on PPC is much better, but still a bit cumbersome for finding "nearby" caches to one you're looking at.

Actually, I think that might be a function of the Javascript "quick decrypt" functionality. What happens if you click on the "encrypt" a second time after you've decrypted it the first time? On my, it then reformats the text properly.

Can't ansewr your first question #1. Your second questions #1 -- the answer is yes. I just did exactly that. As for #2, been looking for a way, but haven't found it yet. Quite annoying.

Or the corollary: One should be comfortable enough with their own faith (or lack of one) to shut the freak up about it in mixed company. If they're not...etcetera. If you don't like 'm, don't take 'em. For probably the only time I can remember, I completely disagree with Auntie Weasel. Stuffing a cache with paper, of any kind, is a problem, but one or two little booklets, left by a FINDER and not teh hider? Relax, it's a diverse world. If teh cache hider left them, that is a bit of a different story - in that case it would violate the guidelines. Ah ... good point there. Applies only to the finder. Creating a cache whose purpose is to distribute those would be in the same category as a "commercial" cache promoting something and thus not appropriate according to the guidelines.