jfitzpat

I've chipped my Vista out of an overnight freeze with an ice axe. I just dropped it 40' onto a boulder a week or so ago (my daughter was supposed to catch it ). I have reinforced the click stick with a little doughnut of duct tape and have a little square of lexan over the display. I've heard of a few people having display/PCB connector problems, but my unit has been extremely durable. -jjf

I've chipped my Vista out of an overnight freeze with an ice axe. I just dropped it 40' onto a boulder a week or so ago (my daughter was supposed to catch it ). I have reinforced the click stick with a little doughnut of duct tape and have a little square of lexan over the display. I've heard of a few people having display/PCB connector problems, but my unit has been extremely durable. -jjf

This thread has actually been pretty interesting to me. Our not posting was originally somewhat contrived. As in, you kids can't have accounts and post on the internet because of xxx (past problem). Since you can't post, you can't trade, since you can't indicate what you took and what you left... Real objective, enjoy the hunt for its own sake, don't get too interested in the trinkets. Use a map and compass, so a useful skill is being learned, and it seemed pretty harmless. It had honestly never occured to me that, by letting the kids sign the physical log, we were potentially robbing someone of enjoyment. Frankly, I don't get it. The game seems focused on count, and enjoying the journey. Why cache at night and miss the view, just to be first? But, my own sporting goals might also seem silly to other people. It matters to me if I lead a pitch or second it. Using chipped holds, stepping on bolt heads, and yarding on pro (French aid) all diminish a climb for me. I'm not sure what I'll do with my new found perspective. Part of me thinks that we should leave fresh log books unsigned. That way, those of you who really care can pretend you are first. Part of me thinks that I should sneak back after the kids are done and write 'Neiner Neiner TS on you!' -jjf

This thread has actually been pretty interesting to me. Our not posting was originally somewhat contrived. As in, you kids can't have accounts and post on the internet because of xxx (past problem). Since you can't post, you can't trade, since you can't indicate what you took and what you left... Real objective, enjoy the hunt for its own sake, don't get too interested in the trinkets. Use a map and compass, so a useful skill is being learned, and it seemed pretty harmless. It had honestly never occured to me that, by letting the kids sign the physical log, we were potentially robbing someone of enjoyment. Frankly, I don't get it. The game seems focused on count, and enjoying the journey. Why cache at night and miss the view, just to be first? But, my own sporting goals might also seem silly to other people. It matters to me if I lead a pitch or second it. Using chipped holds, stepping on bolt heads, and yarding on pro (French aid) all diminish a climb for me. I'm not sure what I'll do with my new found perspective. Part of me thinks that we should leave fresh log books unsigned. That way, those of you who really care can pretend you are first. Part of me thinks that I should sneak back after the kids are done and write 'Neiner Neiner TS on you!' -jjf

quote:Originally posted by cachew nut: I don't know where you got that idea. I also carry a survival kit. And I was serious about the Kio3. If you don't have any then you should consider getting some to keep on hand. If you are survival minded then you would already have some. If some nuclear incident happened, it's going to be too late to go looking for some. You can read about it here: http://www.medicalcorps.org/ki03.html I'm sorry, some states have started stock piling it, and it was a recent topic of debate in California. I thought you might be making a tongue and cheek reference to what is going on here. I meant no disprespect. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by cachew nut: I don't know where you got that idea. I also carry a survival kit. And I was serious about the Kio3. If you don't have any then you should consider getting some to keep on hand. If you are survival minded then you would already have some. If some nuclear incident happened, it's going to be too late to go looking for some. You can read about it here: http://www.medicalcorps.org/ki03.html I'm sorry, some states have started stock piling it, and it was a recent topic of debate in California. I thought you might be making a tongue and cheek reference to what is going on here. I meant no disprespect. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by DARC: It would be a lot easier if the baro used the sat altitude to get a reference or to do initial calibrations. FWIW, on my Vista, if you select Calibrate one of your options is to calibrate from GPS elevation. -jjf

There are a number of free projection libraries floating around, like PROJ4. In addition to datum conversions, several do distance calculations as well. As for basic parsing (ddd.ddd, d mm.mmm, dms, etc.) I'm not aware of anything, but that is usually pretty minimal code. Good Luck, -jjf

There are a number of free projection libraries floating around, like PROJ4. In addition to datum conversions, several do distance calculations as well. As for basic parsing (ddd.ddd, d mm.mmm, dms, etc.) I'm not aware of anything, but that is usually pretty minimal code. Good Luck, -jjf

quote:Originally posted by cachew nut: Don't forget your pottasium iodate in case of nuclear attack. I take it that you think all this survival supply stuff is non-sense. Living in an urban area that has had riots and earthquakes multiple times in my lifetime, and rolling blackouts a year ago (before all the Texas energy folks started going to jail ), I tend to think anyone who doesn't keep some water, canned goods, and candles/flashlights at their home and office is a Darwin Award waiting to happen. The Sierra range, especially when approached from the west, has a well deserved reputation as a "mild wilderness". Still, enough people die of exposure each year, that I would pretty much never venture out into it without the essentials. Back in April, I got in a snow storm with a friend. Old hands, we had almost ditched our fleece earlier in the day. After all, we were only 30 minutes from the car, and another 5 minutes to town... It was a silly, wet, cold, reminder for us. But it was actually pretty serious for a pair of day hikers on the Ernie M. trail. Shorts and cotton t-shirts, hypothermia was a real possiblity. Again, it depends on what you are used to. If a day hike is a trudge through a shopping mall, you probably don't need supplies to tide you over until you can reach the food court. If you are going to spend the day doing a moderate alpine route near Tuolumne, getting hurt or spending an unexpected night out, without a soul around to call for help, is a real possibility. Then again, a heck of a lot of people call for help using their cell phones along the Pacific Crest trail. Oddly, "It is getting dark and our feet hurt!" (a real call) is not generally considered an emergency by the county or the NFS...

quote:Originally posted by cachew nut: Don't forget your pottasium iodate in case of nuclear attack. I take it that you think all this survival supply stuff is non-sense. Living in an urban area that has had riots and earthquakes multiple times in my lifetime, and rolling blackouts a year ago (before all the Texas energy folks started going to jail ), I tend to think anyone who doesn't keep some water, canned goods, and candles/flashlights at their home and office is a Darwin Award waiting to happen. The Sierra range, especially when approached from the west, has a well deserved reputation as a "mild wilderness". Still, enough people die of exposure each year, that I would pretty much never venture out into it without the essentials. Back in April, I got in a snow storm with a friend. Old hands, we had almost ditched our fleece earlier in the day. After all, we were only 30 minutes from the car, and another 5 minutes to town... It was a silly, wet, cold, reminder for us. But it was actually pretty serious for a pair of day hikers on the Ernie M. trail. Shorts and cotton t-shirts, hypothermia was a real possiblity. Again, it depends on what you are used to. If a day hike is a trudge through a shopping mall, you probably don't need supplies to tide you over until you can reach the food court. If you are going to spend the day doing a moderate alpine route near Tuolumne, getting hurt or spending an unexpected night out, without a soul around to call for help, is a real possibility. Then again, a heck of a lot of people call for help using their cell phones along the Pacific Crest trail. Oddly, "It is getting dark and our feet hurt!" (a real call) is not generally considered an emergency by the county or the NFS...

A lot of the LA Angels are so-so. I wonder if the rules were too confining. The problem with using them as virtual caches is that they move. I work downtown and they have been shuffled around quite a bit. -jjf

Except for Urban/Park type outings, I pretty much always carry the "10 essentials". This is a mountaineering list that was first popularized in the 1930s. You'll see variations of it, but the memory helper that I generally use is: Mom's - Map Cafe - Compass Serves - Sunscreen and Sunglasses Everyone - Extra Food and Water Extra - Extra Clothing Helpings - Headlamp (flashlight) of French - Firestarter and Matches Fries - First aid supplies and Ketchup - Knife This sounds like a lot, but it really doesn't have to weigh much at all. For example, a breathable ultralight water-resistant jacket weighs less than a pound. Put a space blanket, a thermal headband, and an extra pair of socks in the pockets, and you can weather a pretty chilly night. A 'fire starter' is generally a candle, gas stove, can of sterno, etc., but a couple of tablets from a solid fuel stove weigh almost nothing and will get even wet wood burning in a pinch. I go lightest on food, a couple of cliff bars or granola bars. As long as I have water, I can go quite awhile without food without serious discomfort. Over the years, I've pretty much used everything at one time or another. -jjf [This message was edited by jfitzpat on June 05, 2002 at 11:09 AM.]

Except for Urban/Park type outings, I pretty much always carry the "10 essentials". This is a mountaineering list that was first popularized in the 1930s. You'll see variations of it, but the memory helper that I generally use is: Mom's - Map Cafe - Compass Serves - Sunscreen and Sunglasses Everyone - Extra Food and Water Extra - Extra Clothing Helpings - Headlamp (flashlight) of French - Firestarter and Matches Fries - First aid supplies and Ketchup - Knife This sounds like a lot, but it really doesn't have to weigh much at all. For example, a breathable ultralight water-resistant jacket weighs less than a pound. Put a space blanket, a thermal headband, and an extra pair of socks in the pockets, and you can weather a pretty chilly night. A 'fire starter' is generally a candle, gas stove, can of sterno, etc., but a couple of tablets from a solid fuel stove weigh almost nothing and will get even wet wood burning in a pinch. I go lightest on food, a couple of cliff bars or granola bars. As long as I have water, I can go quite awhile without food without serious discomfort. Over the years, I've pretty much used everything at one time or another. -jjf [This message was edited by jfitzpat on June 05, 2002 at 11:09 AM.]

In Southern California, the only poisonous snake you are likely to see is the Western Diamondback Rattler. They look just like the rattle snakes in a John Wayne western. They are pretty common, but many day hikers go years without seeing one. As many folks mentioned above, look before touching, and leave them alone and you should be fine. You might want to review snake bite first aid procedures, especially if someone young or elderly will be hiking with you. Slightly north of the LA area, I have had numerous hikers warn me about a 'dangerous' snake ahead. Often, the critter in question is a King Snake (Mountain King Snake?). The bright orange-red markings are striking, but the snake is harmless. I don't know if hikers are intimidated because the snake resembles the deadly coral snake, which is not a California native, or just make the (natural) assumption that anything so brightly colored and poorly disguised must be deadly to survive. Relax, and enjoy your visit. The grease from an In and Out Burger is probably more dangerous than our snakes... -jjf

In Southern California, the only poisonous snake you are likely to see is the Western Diamondback Rattler. They look just like the rattle snakes in a John Wayne western. They are pretty common, but many day hikers go years without seeing one. As many folks mentioned above, look before touching, and leave them alone and you should be fine. You might want to review snake bite first aid procedures, especially if someone young or elderly will be hiking with you. Slightly north of the LA area, I have had numerous hikers warn me about a 'dangerous' snake ahead. Often, the critter in question is a King Snake (Mountain King Snake?). The bright orange-red markings are striking, but the snake is harmless. I don't know if hikers are intimidated because the snake resembles the deadly coral snake, which is not a California native, or just make the (natural) assumption that anything so brightly colored and poorly disguised must be deadly to survive. Relax, and enjoy your visit. The grease from an In and Out Burger is probably more dangerous than our snakes... -jjf

quote:Originally posted by SpongeBob SquarePants: But be patient. The future is bright for WAAS. I tend to think that support for it will grow among aviation, marine, agricultural, and (yes) even recreational users to the point where the government will keep improving our ability to receive the signal using our handhelds. Gosh, not too long ago we were complaining about 100m accuracy from Selective Availability, remember? I wasn't trying to be critical of WAAS in my original post. I am a little skeptical if WAAS will ever meet the needs of IFR aviation, but, as you mentioned, a lot will depend upon the number of birds and the density of ground stations. Also, I can't argue with anyone who likes Spongebob. Squidward is my first animated role model since Bullwinkle retired... -jjf

quote:Originally posted by The GeoGadgets Team: I do not, however, appreciate emails like the one I received from BassoonPilot yesterday claiming that he has received emails from folks concerning this thread (or others, it wasn't specified). In his email he states that he has received eleven emails that contain "humorous comments about the state of your hormones". You should always consider the source. We are talking about an individual who really thinks that geocaching.com stats a truly indicitive of anything. Emoticons notwithstanding, he has used his counts vs. reason logic on several occassions. It seems natural that someone who puts misguided credibility in certain numbers would fling a count (real or otherwise) of emails at you as if it were a valid point. He personally dropped me a note containing, what I presume was, his feeble attempt at biting sarcasm. He made some reference to Pop Psych. Of course, the obvious reply would have been, 'Gosh, your right! But since I nailed your buttons, doesn't that make you, like, really, really shallow?' However, I'll still wait till his acorns drop and he starts shaving regularly, then we'll talk about acting like a man. As Hawkeye pointed out, you always act like a true lady. (Not terribly PC, but I hope you'll take the comment as it is intended). I thought that the topic was a valid one, and touches on core values that the sport depends on. And, as I mentioned before, adhering to certain rules, even when 'cheating' is really easy, helps demonstrate certain important values to our children. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by BassoonPilot: I notice you didn't say anything about the more important relationship mentioned of posts/finds. Mine is a bit higher than 1/1. Perhaps I post too often; would you suggest I post less or cache more? The problem with statistics isn't generally the numbers, but the interpretation. Look, your count is quite high for the time interval, and you used homepage statistics, instead of, say, reason or logic, to attack another person's thoughts. To me, that says obsessive compulsive and insecure. IE, you see your own statistics as a measure of self worth. A yardstick, even, to measure yourself against others. Frankly, I can think of, oh, a 100,000 things off the top of head to better measure oneself against others - starting with things like honesty, courage, public service, etc. and running right down to far lesser virtues like tidy nails and NOT humming Broadway show tunes incessantly in elevators... But, the problem with my scales is that once a person attains any measurable stature on one of them, they have generally reached a level of maturity where they do not feel that they constantly need to compare themselves to others. So, we'll use your scale. *Gasp*, my count remains 0/0, while my posts keep stacking up! Of course, I'm responsible for over 2,000 free aerial and topo maps being served up a day, 500 of which I estimate go to cachers. And, I've participated in clean-ups and trail maintanence drives at parks and rec areas all over SoCal - a hot bed of caching - for as long as the sport has existed (longer, actually). So, using your, uh, logic, your contribution to the sport must be staggering. Assuming that 'infinity' is not practical and giving me a mercy score of one, you are still contributing about 450 times as much to the sport as me. At that ratio, even my modest contributions would explode into a pretty big chunk of time and money... Seriously, get a life. Are you *really* saying that you think your stats here mean squat as a citation of authority? If so, rant on, I'll get back to you after your voice changes and you sprout pubic hair. I have small children in my own family already. Actually on topic - the trinkets relates to something Hawkeye and I talked about awhile back. For quite a long time, I wouldn't let my children take items. I wanted the hunt to be enough. They still aren't allowed to post for several reasons, one of which being that I don't want them to think that the numbers mean anything. Once trading entered the picture, we started leaving items which the girls pay for themselves. Always taking something of less value, and always bagging trash, gives an opportunity to take something pretty unimportant in the great scheme of things, like Geocaching, and use it to stress each individual's obligations to self, family, and community. If you play, you carry your weight and you keep things going, and so on... Kids watch. Caching can be a nice family activity. Time together, a walk outside... But, if you aren't trading fair, you are also teaching a lesson. Ask yourself, do you want them proud of the count ('we found XXX!!!') or a 'free' trinket? Or, would you rather that they be proud of the small investment in time and money that they made to further the sport each time you go out with them? -jjf

quote:Originally posted by BassoonPilot: I notice you didn't say anything about the more important relationship mentioned of posts/finds. Mine is a bit higher than 1/1. Perhaps I post too often; would you suggest I post less or cache more? The problem with statistics isn't generally the numbers, but the interpretation. Look, your count is quite high for the time interval, and you used homepage statistics, instead of, say, reason or logic, to attack another person's thoughts. To me, that says obsessive compulsive and insecure. IE, you see your own statistics as a measure of self worth. A yardstick, even, to measure yourself against others. Frankly, I can think of, oh, a 100,000 things off the top of head to better measure oneself against others - starting with things like honesty, courage, public service, etc. and running right down to far lesser virtues like tidy nails and NOT humming Broadway show tunes incessantly in elevators... But, the problem with my scales is that once a person attains any measurable stature on one of them, they have generally reached a level of maturity where they do not feel that they constantly need to compare themselves to others. So, we'll use your scale. *Gasp*, my count remains 0/0, while my posts keep stacking up! Of course, I'm responsible for over 2,000 free aerial and topo maps being served up a day, 500 of which I estimate go to cachers. And, I've participated in clean-ups and trail maintanence drives at parks and rec areas all over SoCal - a hot bed of caching - for as long as the sport has existed (longer, actually). So, using your, uh, logic, your contribution to the sport must be staggering. Assuming that 'infinity' is not practical and giving me a mercy score of one, you are still contributing about 450 times as much to the sport as me. At that ratio, even my modest contributions would explode into a pretty big chunk of time and money... Seriously, get a life. Are you *really* saying that you think your stats here mean squat as a citation of authority? If so, rant on, I'll get back to you after your voice changes and you sprout pubic hair. I have small children in my own family already. Actually on topic - the trinkets relates to something Hawkeye and I talked about awhile back. For quite a long time, I wouldn't let my children take items. I wanted the hunt to be enough. They still aren't allowed to post for several reasons, one of which being that I don't want them to think that the numbers mean anything. Once trading entered the picture, we started leaving items which the girls pay for themselves. Always taking something of less value, and always bagging trash, gives an opportunity to take something pretty unimportant in the great scheme of things, like Geocaching, and use it to stress each individual's obligations to self, family, and community. If you play, you carry your weight and you keep things going, and so on... Kids watch. Caching can be a nice family activity. Time together, a walk outside... But, if you aren't trading fair, you are also teaching a lesson. Ask yourself, do you want them proud of the count ('we found XXX!!!') or a 'free' trinket? Or, would you rather that they be proud of the small investment in time and money that they made to further the sport each time you go out with them? -jjf

Seriously, they are kind of apples and oranges. The Garmin topos are 1:100000 maps that can be loaded into the unit itself. Handy for orientation, since you can see your position directly plotted, and in relationship. The NG CDs are the 1:24000 maps, with some enhancements in some areas (more trails marked, etc.) Very good for producing custom printed maps, with considerably more detail than the Garmin topos. Good Luck, -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Bagbug: You have a map76 or a 76s ? hehehe Bag Actually, my daughters and I primarily geocache with a map and compass. I have taken to carrying a Vista with me to the mountains. Optimum reception isn't the primary issue for me. Size and weight are a big issue when a rope and rack puts your pack at 30 pounds to start. Frankly, if the Vista did not include a barometric altimeter, which I carried anyway and almost weighed as much, I probably would leave the Vista behind. A backup compass and 1:100000 map is nice, but aside from size and replacing an altimeter, the only reason I carry the Vista is reliability and durability. The eTrex line still has the widest operating temperature range that I can find. I have also yet to find another handheld commercial line as physically durable. I'm not just talking specs, I'm talking dropping units off cliffs and expecting them to work when it is so cold and wet that taking off a glove is a real physical hardship. Now, I have stated many times that there are many nice units out there with strengths and weaknesses that should be considered when someone is selecting a unit (see the archives if you are interested). I'm sure that the new Magellan unit is a fine receiver. The reason that I cautioned you is that, from a scientific or technical viewpoint, amazing reception isn't really established. The original reviewer clearly understood this, which is why the comments were qualified as "subjective", and why charts were followed with some points on why certain data might be misleading. Distinguishing general impressions from quantitive measurements reflects well on the reviewer(s). As Kerry pointed out, some of the measurements exceed the statistical variation in the overall system (ex. some measurements seem to exceed the threshold of the low-pass filter style signal processing built into the unit). Why this matters, or how it impacts the credibility of certain other measurements is not always immediately obvious to people who do not work or study in technical fields. (I was going to make a crack about guessing that your own career leaned towards food services, then follow it with a "hehehe", but I did not think you would see the humor. For some reason, I don't picture your ability to 'take' and 'dish' as being in balance. ) -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Bagbug: You have a map76 or a 76s ? hehehe Bag Actually, my daughters and I primarily geocache with a map and compass. I have taken to carrying a Vista with me to the mountains. Optimum reception isn't the primary issue for me. Size and weight are a big issue when a rope and rack puts your pack at 30 pounds to start. Frankly, if the Vista did not include a barometric altimeter, which I carried anyway and almost weighed as much, I probably would leave the Vista behind. A backup compass and 1:100000 map is nice, but aside from size and replacing an altimeter, the only reason I carry the Vista is reliability and durability. The eTrex line still has the widest operating temperature range that I can find. I have also yet to find another handheld commercial line as physically durable. I'm not just talking specs, I'm talking dropping units off cliffs and expecting them to work when it is so cold and wet that taking off a glove is a real physical hardship. Now, I have stated many times that there are many nice units out there with strengths and weaknesses that should be considered when someone is selecting a unit (see the archives if you are interested). I'm sure that the new Magellan unit is a fine receiver. The reason that I cautioned you is that, from a scientific or technical viewpoint, amazing reception isn't really established. The original reviewer clearly understood this, which is why the comments were qualified as "subjective", and why charts were followed with some points on why certain data might be misleading. Distinguishing general impressions from quantitive measurements reflects well on the reviewer(s). As Kerry pointed out, some of the measurements exceed the statistical variation in the overall system (ex. some measurements seem to exceed the threshold of the low-pass filter style signal processing built into the unit). Why this matters, or how it impacts the credibility of certain other measurements is not always immediately obvious to people who do not work or study in technical fields. (I was going to make a crack about guessing that your own career leaned towards food services, then follow it with a "hehehe", but I did not think you would see the humor. For some reason, I don't picture your ability to 'take' and 'dish' as being in balance. ) -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Alan2: jjf: I don't know about WWII vets but I spent two years in Japan in the USAF during the mid 60's and don't recall ever seeing a toilet seat off base. Basically you just sqautted over a hole and did your thing and got the heck out of there as quick as you could due to the smell of the "benjo" ditch. It wasn't the place to read Life Magazine. Alan My experiences in the 70s were the same. My last trip to Japan, just a few weeks ago, my hotel had the highest tech toilet seat I've ever seen. Heated, strange jet controls, a gust of air freshener... I would have laughed anyway, but my first recollections of Japan made it seem even funnier. The black toilet seat story comes from my father. I never was sure if I believed it, but I've read it elsewhere and I saw some of his South Pacific buds making fun of him for it. -jjf

quote:Originally posted by Alan2: jjf: I don't know about WWII vets but I spent two years in Japan in the USAF during the mid 60's and don't recall ever seeing a toilet seat off base. Basically you just sqautted over a hole and did your thing and got the heck out of there as quick as you could due to the smell of the "benjo" ditch. It wasn't the place to read Life Magazine. Alan My experiences in the 70s were the same. My last trip to Japan, just a few weeks ago, my hotel had the highest tech toilet seat I've ever seen. Heated, strange jet controls, a gust of air freshener... I would have laughed anyway, but my first recollections of Japan made it seem even funnier. The black toilet seat story comes from my father. I never was sure if I believed it, but I've read it elsewhere and I saw some of his South Pacific buds making fun of him for it. -jjf