jfitzpat

The ones around here all came with a lanyard (a neck strap). Perhaps that is what you are referring to. The cord has a very thin end, and a much longer, thicker portion. Lanyard installation was pretty simple: 1. Remove battery cover 2. Insert 'thin' end of strap under the the little bar (seems easier to insert from battery compartment side). 3. Wiggle, or use a pin to get the cord to protrude 4. Insert the thick end of the strap into the thin portion passed under the bar. This makes a 'girth hitch' with the thin portion of the strap around the bar. I hope that helps. -jjf

Keep in mind that approach can also make a big difference. I can think of several caches near here that can be reached via trail from several directions. From one direction, the trail may be very rough, or the incline very steep. But, coming from a different direction, it might be a leisurely stroll. -jjf

Keep in mind that approach can also make a big difference. I can think of several caches near here that can be reached via trail from several directions. From one direction, the trail may be very rough, or the incline very steep. But, coming from a different direction, it might be a leisurely stroll. -jjf

I have noticed two things with WAAS: First, proximity to ground stations makes a significant difference. Second, you don't see much improvement on a Vista until the unit has been on for about 45 minutes. -jjf

I have noticed two things with WAAS: First, proximity to ground stations makes a significant difference. Second, you don't see much improvement on a Vista until the unit has been on for about 45 minutes. -jjf

With most versions of MS Photo Editor, you can select "JPEG" as a file type when you "Save As...". Set the "Quality" to medium when the program asks, and your file should be much smaller. Good Luck, -jjf

quote:Originally posted by james f weisbeck kd7mxi terra utah: THE AMERICAN WAY OF THINKING SUCKS!!! You could always move to Cuba. I'll stick with rich and free. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by james f weisbeck kd7mxi terra utah: THE AMERICAN WAY OF THINKING SUCKS!!! You could always move to Cuba. I'll stick with rich and free. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Jake.Hazelip: Finger pointing? Lighten up. I'm only pointing to the errors that are plaguing us. Check out the GC.com forum, one person alone got 45 white screens! That's not just buggy code, it's bad code. For what it's worth, I've dinked around with some coding here and there. While I understand that there can be problems, I also understand that those problems are discovered during a closed testing period prior to public release... I'm a forum user and participant, I am NOT a beta tester. I think you missed the point entirely. You can't point at the "code", "bad" or otherwise, because you are dealing with a complex system. The forum scripts themselves are just one part. I'm glad you get the concept of beta testing. Like it or not, you are a beta tester. Read Jeremy's post. He has elected to participate in a beta program, making this a beta site. I can assure you, from far too many years of personal experience, that there is a big difference between 'dabbling', and bringing a commercial grade product to market. I've yet to meet a relatively inexperienced programmer who was not left stunned and dazed the first time he/she passed something on to a good QA department. Then they have to listen to my stock lectures on quality... The first 90% is easy, the last 10% is hard, really hard. If it wasn't, there wouldn't be so many crappy programs out there. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Jake.Hazelip: Finger pointing? Lighten up. I'm only pointing to the errors that are plaguing us. Check out the GC.com forum, one person alone got 45 white screens! That's not just buggy code, it's bad code. For what it's worth, I've dinked around with some coding here and there. While I understand that there can be problems, I also understand that those problems are discovered during a closed testing period prior to public release... I'm a forum user and participant, I am NOT a beta tester. I think you missed the point entirely. You can't point at the "code", "bad" or otherwise, because you are dealing with a complex system. The forum scripts themselves are just one part. I'm glad you get the concept of beta testing. Like it or not, you are a beta tester. Read Jeremy's post. He has elected to participate in a beta program, making this a beta site. I can assure you, from far too many years of personal experience, that there is a big difference between 'dabbling', and bringing a commercial grade product to market. I've yet to meet a relatively inexperienced programmer who was not left stunned and dazed the first time he/she passed something on to a good QA department. Then they have to listen to my stock lectures on quality... The first 90% is easy, the last 10% is hard, really hard. If it wasn't, there wouldn't be so many crappy programs out there. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Jake.Hazelip: I have very little in the way of disagreements with the arguments against my car analogy...except to say you're wrong. I would have to agree that the forum is operating very erratically, but I think it is a bit of a leap to bag on the company that developed the forum software without knowing more. Most of the time, this sort of software is deployed as source (PHP scripts, etc.), and there is a huge burden on the folks deploying the individual installation. IE, it may very well be Groundspeak specific enhancements that are causing the problems - modifications for unexpected platform, tighter integration to rest of site, whatever. To use your car analogy, if the new owner bangs on the windshield with a rock to create a pleasing pattern of spiderweb type lines, is it the manufacturer's fault when the wind finally blows a pile of safety glass pellets into the front seat? Also, a car is a turnkey product. Forum software is an add on for someone elses already complicated products. The script engine, HTTP server, or database could all be at fault. There are lots of possible configurations for all three. Certainly, some of the problems I see look like database and content caching issues (server, not page, related). Again, to use your car analogy, if you buy a kit car and the owner provided tires and engine don't match the spec and/or don't perform to spec, is it the kit's fault that the vehicle does not run to spec? Keep in mind that this is the same company that provided the previous forum scripts. And, per Jeremy, there was also a database migration and server upgrade at the same time. Complain all you want, but I'm sure Jeremy is doing the best he can, and I am sure that the vendors (generally small outfits as well) are trying to support him. Finger pointing, without facts, fixes nothing. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Jake.Hazelip: I have very little in the way of disagreements with the arguments against my car analogy...except to say you're wrong. I would have to agree that the forum is operating very erratically, but I think it is a bit of a leap to bag on the company that developed the forum software without knowing more. Most of the time, this sort of software is deployed as source (PHP scripts, etc.), and there is a huge burden on the folks deploying the individual installation. IE, it may very well be Groundspeak specific enhancements that are causing the problems - modifications for unexpected platform, tighter integration to rest of site, whatever. To use your car analogy, if the new owner bangs on the windshield with a rock to create a pleasing pattern of spiderweb type lines, is it the manufacturer's fault when the wind finally blows a pile of safety glass pellets into the front seat? Also, a car is a turnkey product. Forum software is an add on for someone elses already complicated products. The script engine, HTTP server, or database could all be at fault. There are lots of possible configurations for all three. Certainly, some of the problems I see look like database and content caching issues (server, not page, related). Again, to use your car analogy, if you buy a kit car and the owner provided tires and engine don't match the spec and/or don't perform to spec, is it the kit's fault that the vehicle does not run to spec? Keep in mind that this is the same company that provided the previous forum scripts. And, per Jeremy, there was also a database migration and server upgrade at the same time. Complain all you want, but I'm sure Jeremy is doing the best he can, and I am sure that the vendors (generally small outfits as well) are trying to support him. Finger pointing, without facts, fixes nothing. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Alan2: Anything else and we'll be shooting ourselves in the foot. Alan As much as I've already said on this issue, I have to loudly agree. I love backpacking, back country camping, and climbing. I've watched all three struggle with access issues. Enthusiasts always spout the same stuff, 'we are more environmentally sensitive than most land users...', 'our impact is miniscule, look at activity X...', 'it is OUR land, so we should get to do what we want with it...' A few loud mouthed, high impact, cretins always trigger a backlash. Then, everyone is shocked that Joe-Q-Public isn't outraged at the 'injustice' to the sport when the powers-that-be over react. Each time, I look to skip a few steps, but maybe they are inevitable -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Alan2: Anything else and we'll be shooting ourselves in the foot. Alan As much as I've already said on this issue, I have to loudly agree. I love backpacking, back country camping, and climbing. I've watched all three struggle with access issues. Enthusiasts always spout the same stuff, 'we are more environmentally sensitive than most land users...', 'our impact is miniscule, look at activity X...', 'it is OUR land, so we should get to do what we want with it...' A few loud mouthed, high impact, cretins always trigger a backlash. Then, everyone is shocked that Joe-Q-Public isn't outraged at the 'injustice' to the sport when the powers-that-be over react. Each time, I look to skip a few steps, but maybe they are inevitable -jjf

The sport is certainly family friendly, but I don't see why the average adult wouldn't enjoy it. You might find that you don't bother swapping trinkets, but the hunt is still fun. My older daughter and I are going to place a cache together in April that I think most adults would find very challenging. Enjoy! -jjf

quote:Originally posted by The KGB: It seems to me that it is not only bad to walk on a path but is just as bad to go off path. So you can't win for losing. I just havea hard time believing that a plant that gets "pushed" out of the way is in any real danger of certain death, I mean come on they sit out in the woods everyday of their lives in the heat and cold, maybe even freezing solid, and you know what, that plant is still there. It also runs the risk of being eaten by a violent and deadly deer. One thing to keep in mind is we are jsut as much a part of this environmnent as a deer and I have a very hard time swallowing that the earth can't handle me taking a hike through the woods. I said before, there are basically two types of people. It is the same thing with science, some people accept and apply the scientific method, some people apply psuedo science (ie, accept any data that agrees with what they already believe, regardless of the source, reject any data that disagrees with what they believe, regardless of the source). We have trails to minimize overall impact. Duh. When people ignore switchbacks, shortcuts, etc., because, like, deer do it, we get erosion and have to periodically close trail sections for revegetation. Duh. I'm not talking moral precept or politics, just day to day reality in National Park land management. Yes, you and I are a member of a species. We can tell from our DNA that we are closely related to virtually every living thing on the planet (there are sources of RNA that branch from ours waaaaaay back in time, but in general our genes are amazingly close to most other species). We are very sexual, as far as mammals go, so it is little wonder that reproduction (or at least the surrounding biological acts) is a prominent theme in our lives. We developed during very lean times, so it is not surprising that we produce and store body fat very effectively, and store gobs of it now that times aren't so lean. Like all species with some habitat adaptibility and no serious predatory threat, we spread and reproduce at a geometric rate until something (food supply, space, disease, whatever) brings our population growth in balance. Our spread, like any other species', creates competition. But, for some reason, Divine spark, evolutionary fluke..., we possess certain cognitive powers. Most notably, we can previsualize cause-and-effect at a distance and can communicate it. Eating, yum, coach, nice - but we grasp long range consequences (heart attack, diabetes, etc.) so many people fight biological desire with diet and exercise. And, like most orally fixated pleasures (ex. smoking), most people find fighting biology difficult, but it is possible. Land Management is the same thing. Joshua Tree, nice, rocks fun, trees pretty, cozy spot... But, more than a million people a year visit the park. If a million people did as they please, because, after all, one person is not much bigger than a coyote, big stretches of the park would become a desolate dust bowl, and much of the wildlife would disappear. So, there is a trail system, designated campsites, and certain areas of the park are closed to certain activities (ex. climbing). It is a compromise, trying to preserve as much as possible for the most number of people to enjoy. Duh. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Renegade Knight: Impact is relative. When I walk in the woods I have less impact than a deer in the deer's own habitat. Why? I dont' graze, I don't have hooves, I don't paw the ground, or rub my antlers aginst trees let alone eat them in a pinch. I don't urinate on sensative plant, or scatter my fecal matter where I happen to walk. Granted Humans have an impact on the planet, but you completely missed the point that was made about the deer. A deer in my garden would have more impact in MY Habitat than I would in it's. The point is that Geocaching is a form of 'tread lightly' to borrow the automotive slogan. Unless you are standing buck naked and have led a dramatically different life than most of us, you have already had a greater impact on the habitat than every deer in it - before you ever take a step. If that point, which I covered extensively before, is missed. We can focus on your narrow point. It is false. An experienced and conciencious visitor can leave impact on par with an elk or large deer, though it is hard with a tent at even moderate altitude. An average visitor to a park or wilderness area does not even come close. It is actually an interesting area of study. You should spend some time with a master tracker. Many National Parks and Wilderness Areas have a reference for one (for S&R, etc.) The reasons for the exceptionally high individual impact are numerous, but the biggest ones are probably that day trippers aren't generally aware of what they are walking on or potential consequences, no sense of stealth (we seldom see ourselves as "prey" or "predator"), and "subvert vs. avoid" - ie, a tendancy to push fauna aside instead of ducking or going around. You can try to 'reason' otherwise, but there is actually science to backup the experience of hunters and trackers. Casual human visitation is often detectable in aerial imagery, small population, large weight mammals generally are not. Again, a lot of this is no particular prey or predator behavior. Neither hunter nor hunted want to broadcast their existance to the world. Not limited by such constraints, humans tend to take paths of convenience, which are often errosive. Again, believe whatever you want, but spout it to a ranger with decades of wilderness experience while he/she is gagging on snow mobile fumes and you won't win a friend for your sport. Also, just to make it clear, I am not saying that Geocaching is particularly high impact. I've argued numerous times that exactly the opposite is true. I'm just saying that telling land managers that the problems they struggle with, trash, waste, noise, pollution, errosion, etc. on tiny budgets don't exist isn't going to help win any access battles. On another subject, for another poster, beaver dams are often partially dismantled to avoid negatively impacting an area. We also use hunting to control overpopulation and the resulting defoiliation. We use termination and relocation to deal with "natural" animal aggression to keep parks and areas visitor friendly. Only a few extremists argue 'animal good, people bad'. Most environmentalists simply point out that we, supposedly, have an intellect and can decide to preserve, instead of simply following instict and accepting the "natural" consequences. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by VentureForth: Not one park listed blamed overuse by tourists as a reason. Sheesh. Confront absurdity with absurdity. Go! And don't be afraid to get a little wet! Actually, 7 of the parks on the list are in trouble at least partially because of "overuse by tourists", provided that you meant 'visitors'. See the original report, not just the news story. I'd have to agree with an earlier poster. There are some amazingly silly things in this thread. I don't mean to pick on anyone, but arguing that a human being has less impact than a deer is precisely the sort of thing that gives a relatively benign sport a bad rep with land managers. Most land managers, even the not particularly 'green' ones like the NFS and BLM, realize that such a statement is absurd. Deer don't drive vehicles to get to the park. They don't wear clothes (no textile mills or synthetic manufacturing capacity). Deer don't leave, on average, pounds of trash each in trash recepticles at the park. Nor do deer leave tons of trash outside of the recepticles in parks which, amazingly, human visitors do. I don't recall families of deer generating, on average, over a ton of household garbage each year. Nor do I recall deer using nitrogen pumped fertilizer, the runoff from which is a major problem in the water supply of several national parks, forests, and monuments. In over 30 years of camping and hiking, I've never seen a deer spray paint graffiti. Also never seen one setup a campfire or scare away other wildlife with a loud boom box. Deer don't dump detergents into the streams when they camp (a problem that is so bad in some popular areas that it has required bans and active cleanups). I don't recall seeing problems with leftover food from deer picnics causing GI and disease problems in small mammals that live near the site. Also, although deer live in the park, us visitors account for most of the urine and feces. Of course, the deer also don't use paper and, generally, have the sense not to foul the local water supply - a feat that rangers can't seem to teach casual campers. Again, I don't want to pick on anyone. For all I know, the poster is not only lighter than a deer, but wears only palm fronds, lives in a cave, consumes no durable goods, and has never accidentally dropped so much as a gum wrapper outdoors. But, if you like to geocache and you want long term access to public lands do real research and accept the real problems that land managers currently deal with as a starting point. Believe what you want, but if you don't acknowledge human impact and fail to work with land managers to minimize the sport's, be prepared to not only lose access, but to have most of your fellow citizens not give a hoot. -jjf

I'd have to second the vote for Mr. Cox's program. If you just want to plot waypoints and tracks, it works very well and is free. Like ExpertGPS, it pulls the images from Terraserver.net. As far as commercial mapping packages go, I really like the topos that the National Geographic stuff prints. But, it is pricey (then again, buying all 15,000 printed quads would be pricey too ) -jjf

I'd have to second the vote for Mr. Cox's program. If you just want to plot waypoints and tracks, it works very well and is free. Like ExpertGPS, it pulls the images from Terraserver.net. As far as commercial mapping packages go, I really like the topos that the National Geographic stuff prints. But, it is pricey (then again, buying all 15,000 printed quads would be pricey too ) -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Irvingdog: Environmentalists want to turn the outdoors into their own private playground. They don't aprove of your game, so they don't approve of you. Environmentalism is a religion and don't you forget it. That said, the seperation of church and state should remain.......... I've long had a personal theory. I think that 30% to 40% of the population see everything in black and white. These folks wind up at the margins, ultra liberal democrat, ultra conservative republican, tree hugging murdering terrorists, environmental-concerns-are-completely-a-liberal-conspiracy nuts... You can almost flip a coin to determine what end of the spectrum they will be. Certainly, extreme switches aren't uncommon. James Rogan went from liberal Democrat to ultra-conservative Republic impeachment House Manager. I've seen many swings between self-absorbed hedonist and fundementalist Christian. The rest of us cover a spectrum, but because we can see shades of gray, we can almost always find some common ground. For example, someone may feel strongly about a society's obligation to its weakest members, but at least acknowledge that a country needs a sound economy to support a social safety net. Fortunately, when viewed with perspective, conservative and liberal goals often coincide on many issues. IE, compassion and profit often coincide. That is why there is increasing cooperation between industry and environmental groups. And, conservative money, like insurance trusts, is increasingly invested in 'green' areas. Now that the science is mounting and the long term economic impacts are better understood, there is a lot of hope for rational, moderate, and more effective environmental policies. That is, if the whackos at the margins don't kick down the barn. It makes my blood boil every time I read about an injury or death related to eco terrorism. Likewise, watching the recent "Lynxgate" unfold, which, if anyone bothers to look beyond unsubstantiated ranting, is utter crapola, has convinced me that destructive morons are not unified in their political views. -jjf

I'd have to second the recommendation to not associate geocaching with climbing when dealing with land managers. We historically have a bad rep, and still have a minority of morons who seem to make it their mission in life to reinforce it. As a group, we like to complain about land managers and pat ourselves on the back as an environmentally sensitive group, but I can trace most high profile access issues back to the reckless acts of a few climbers. As long as I'm complaining - Cranky Joe's suggestions for young climbers (Off Topic): #1 - Leave the chalk indoors. It leaves a mess, builds up and makes holds slicker, leaves 'beta' for the climbers that follow, and is largely a placebo. Wrist bands, a wipe cloth, and a little antiperspirant work better - and it is possible to climb 5.12 with neither. #2 - Before you bolt it, top rope it with friends and make sure it is a 5 star classic. The world does not need another mediocre clip-n-go route. #3 - Even if it is a 5 star classic, think twice before you rap bolt it. You could always top rope it with slack or solo it if you need the extra thrill. Bolts scar the rock and take away some of the challenge of route finding. #4 - If you just *have* to bolt the thing, try to conceal your placements, use camflauged hangers, and bolt to last. Hiding the placements and using hard to see hangers makes the route more challenging and less visibly offensive to non climbers. Bolting to last just makes sense, why drill a hole and drop in a junker? Put in a bomber stainless 1/2" in good rock and use the same bolts when you climb it with your grandkids. (For the record, I've placed some junkers by hand, on lead. In hindsight, I wish I'd rapped after the first ascent and put in something more durable and bomber) Now, on topic I've notice summit logs vanishing, but none of the rangers I've asked know about anything systematic or official. -jjf

I'd have to second the recommendation to not associate geocaching with climbing when dealing with land managers. We historically have a bad rep, and still have a minority of morons who seem to make it their mission in life to reinforce it. As a group, we like to complain about land managers and pat ourselves on the back as an environmentally sensitive group, but I can trace most high profile access issues back to the reckless acts of a few climbers. As long as I'm complaining - Cranky Joe's suggestions for young climbers (Off Topic): #1 - Leave the chalk indoors. It leaves a mess, builds up and makes holds slicker, leaves 'beta' for the climbers that follow, and is largely a placebo. Wrist bands, a wipe cloth, and a little antiperspirant work better - and it is possible to climb 5.12 with neither. #2 - Before you bolt it, top rope it with friends and make sure it is a 5 star classic. The world does not need another mediocre clip-n-go route. #3 - Even if it is a 5 star classic, think twice before you rap bolt it. You could always top rope it with slack or solo it if you need the extra thrill. Bolts scar the rock and take away some of the challenge of route finding. #4 - If you just *have* to bolt the thing, try to conceal your placements, use camflauged hangers, and bolt to last. Hiding the placements and using hard to see hangers makes the route more challenging and less visibly offensive to non climbers. Bolting to last just makes sense, why drill a hole and drop in a junker? Put in a bomber stainless 1/2" in good rock and use the same bolts when you climb it with your grandkids. (For the record, I've placed some junkers by hand, on lead. In hindsight, I wish I'd rapped after the first ascent and put in something more durable and bomber) Now, on topic I've notice summit logs vanishing, but none of the rangers I've asked know about anything systematic or official. -jjf

Regarding #1, the PDA add on units get reasonable reception, but devour batteries. Also, PDAs are a little flimsy and generally are not waterproof. With a basic eTrex going for under $100 new many places, you might save a little money, but your savings would be moot if you end up spending a $100 getting your PDA repaired after a 2-3 terrain cache. Regarding #2, if you search the forums, you'll find that several threads have discussed caching containers, and good filler items, at length. Personally, I like finding caches in clear, or semi clear containers (so I can just eyeball, then let the kids open - ammo cans, PVC tubes, etc., I open). Regarding #3, the simple answer is 'no', your GPSr will not work in a cave. However, you could give coordinates to the entrance, then offer different navigational directions from there to the actual cache. Good Luck, -jjf

Regarding #1, the PDA add on units get reasonable reception, but devour batteries. Also, PDAs are a little flimsy and generally are not waterproof. With a basic eTrex going for under $100 new many places, you might save a little money, but your savings would be moot if you end up spending a $100 getting your PDA repaired after a 2-3 terrain cache. Regarding #2, if you search the forums, you'll find that several threads have discussed caching containers, and good filler items, at length. Personally, I like finding caches in clear, or semi clear containers (so I can just eyeball, then let the kids open - ammo cans, PVC tubes, etc., I open). Regarding #3, the simple answer is 'no', your GPSr will not work in a cave. However, you could give coordinates to the entrance, then offer different navigational directions from there to the actual cache. Good Luck, -jjf