randco

Congratulations on your first find. You will probably always remember it. Best of luck caching. Mrs. randco and I both wish you a very happy and safe new year.

You might try GSAK. On your Mac, you will need to use Virtual PC, Parallels or Boot Camp to open GSAK. Once you get GSAK, then create a database in GSAK. Open geocaching.com and a cache listing page that you want to find. Then click on the GPX File button. Answer yes to the two popup boxes. When you are done transferring cache listing to GSAK use GSAK to transfer the files to your GPS'r. GSAK will have a lising for various gps'r manufacturers and their models. Select yours and hopefully you will have the data.

AKELA57, If you are in the Carrollwood, Florida area you might be interested in knowing about a geocaching event that will be taking place in Eagle Lake Park in Clearwater. Look at GC3993N, you might be interested. There are going to be newbie classes and there will be plenty of us around to help you out. The park has some really nice hides in it. We have found most of them at a previous event held there. This time we will try to pick up the ones we left behind. If you want to attend an event that will be held in a few weeks then Cacheapalooza 6 is where you want to be. It will be held in Jonathan Dickinson State Park near Jupiter Island, Florida. There should be around 500 cachers at that event. Look at GC30EFZ. There will be between 175 and 225 new caches in the park. Lots of us will be camping in the park for a few days. Some of the festivities start on Friday, January 19th and the main event will be Saturday the 20th. There will be lots to do at the event. If you or any other cachers want more information you can contact me through the geocaching.com website. The event caches are always a fun day and the oprotunity to meet and make new geocaching friends. Happy hunting and be safe.

As others have said, it can be as easy as ABC=123 or it may have a twist. This coding is called a cypher. Sometime the numbers are offset cyphers where L=1, M=2, N=3, etc. There are 26 letters in the alphabet that usually correspond to 26 numbers. Some puzzle creators will use an offset cypher for letters, much like the code/decrypt on the cache listing page. The twist is that the use a cypher to create a jumble of senseless alpha characters that are cyphered to offset numbers. These puzzles can be very frustrating. I happen to like the challenge of the puzzle and the reward for solving the puzzle plus the bonus of finding the cache.

If you get the opportunity go to an Event normally a meet and greet of fellow cachers. Sometimes the are small, with less than 25 cachers. Some larger events 150 to 200 cachers and every now an then a Mega Event with over 500 cachers. The Events will prove to you what a "fun little hobby" caching can be. We recently went to a Mega Event in the Ocala National Forest near Salt Springs, Florida. We spent 4 days, had a great time of caching and talking with other cachers. In January we are going to Cacheapalooza 6, another pretty big event in Jonathan Dickinson State Park near Hobe Sound, FL. See GC30EFZ Try an event, and enjoy the hobby...

Windsock58, I know this reply will not do you much good right now, but there is going to be a Meet and Greet Saturday September 17th at 5:30 pm: North Naples Country Club. It's a great way to meet other cachers and to have some fun. Look up GC32FE6 - Getting Over It - Part 4 Another big event cache is coming January 21, 2012 at Jonathan Dickenson State Park near Hobe Sound, FL. There will probably be well over 250 people attending. GC30EFZ - Cacheapalooza 6 Enjoy...

I have a Garmin 60CSx. We recently took a trip from Sarasota, FL to north Georgia then to Rutledge, GA then to Charleston, SC. We found that our GPS'r was sometimes off by 50' or more when we were not in Sarasota. I didn't think of it until now, but, should I have done the reset to New Location when I was in north GA and SC? I did calibrate the compass, but that didn't help. Here in Florida it seems that the posted coordinates and my GPS'r are pretty much in sync. I have never had this situation before, any ideas?

I have a GPS 60CSx and think it is a great piece of equipment. I use a Dell Axim IV PDA with Cachemate software to store the cache page listing. Got the PDA used for $35. It is also a good piece of equipment. Good luck and happy hunting.

Assuming the person wasn't just adding the thanks at the end of their wordy log. I agree with StarBrand. To me, getting only TFTC or TFTH on log posting is an insult. Is it too difficult to spend an extra minute or two to write about your experience in finding the cache?

The meaning of coordinates in plain English was explained really good in the previous post. But programming the GPS'r with the coordinates is only part of the equation. You GPS'r needs some type of base map. A map that you can assimilate to your area. A GPS'r with a detailed street map is much better and easier to use for navigation, number 1 to navigate to basic area of the cache and number 2 being able to switch to "off road" for more accuracy in finding Ground Zero on your handheld device's map. The follow road map will give you directions to get near the cache site but in most cases it isn't accurate enough to get you to the cache site. Even with a good GPS'r don't expect to get any closer than about 10 feet from the cache location. In some cases you may be up to 30 feet from a cache because of all the variables involved, like how good of a reading did the cache owner get when the cache was hidden or what type of device was used, etc. At any rate, welcome to the fun of geocaching. It is a great way to spend some leisure time.

You can check out the Cachemate software at Smittyware As others have suggested, using a PDA is a great way to cache. I purchased a Dell Axim 5 online for $30 and purchased the Cachemate software for $8. I write a query on GC.com. I open it in GSAK then I export the file to Mapsource and to my Desktop as a .gpx file. I transfer the .gpx file from my desktop to the Dell PDA. From Mapsource I transfer the waypoints to my Garmin 60CSx. Have a great time caching.

I would look for the Garmin eTrex series. We started out with the eTrex Legend and found it to be a very nice and accurate unit.

You must be kidding... I have a Garmin 60CSx. I use the GPS'r to get me near GZ using the Follow Road method. Once near GZ I switch to Off Road. It makes a hugh difference in the accuracy.

If you have a computer with a Vista OS you can use the Snipping Tool. You simply click and drag to capture the image you want then save it to your desktop. There are also some good free screen capture programs that can be downloaded.

Contact Garmin

Since you already have the Mapsource product, you might consider sending your filtered data from GSAK to Mapsource. In Mapsource, using the Routing tool, you can click on caches on the map in the order in which you would like to search for them. When you have the route completed plug your GPS'r into your computer. Make sure it is turned on, then click Transfer>Send to Device. When the dialog box appears unselect the box next to Waypoints if you have already uploaded your Waypoints from GSAK, but leave the box next to Routes selected. When you head out to do your caching press the Page button on the 60CSx until you get the Main Menu page. Select Routes then press ENTR. Select the route and press ENTR again. Start at the first one on the list. You can use the Find Next feature of the 60CSx or you can simply go back to the Route and select the next on on the list. If you mark your caches as Found they will show up on the Route as the "opened treasure chest". Be safe and have fun caching...

I would suggest that you read this. You will be glad that you did. Be safe and have fun...

yeah, i'm sure a dozen identical "attended" logs on some event listing will help you keep the memory alive much better than you could with just a single log on the same listing What difference does it make what the logs read? If I were to TFTC on a temp cache, would it be different than a TFTC on any other? Further, what would it matter to you if someone else chooses to log in this manner? Are you harmed in any way by this practice or is it just the very thought that someone else uses this method and you don't that you can't abide? It doesn't matter to me one darn bit. I am not harmed by those that want to log finds in this manner. That being said, the only ones they are hurting are themselves. They know that their finds are illegitimate. They are only cheating themselves. I have been to three events here in Florida. Have never seen temporary caches at any of the events.

Try reading this then this. After you have done the reading you should be able to decide.

A sport does not need to have rules. What are the rules in rock climbing? Fishing? (by rules I don't mean local regulations, which BTW the way geocaching is also subject to). Besides the definitions of sport and activity overlap. A sport is always an activity. It is apparent that you didn't read what I wrote. I said, "most sports".

If you got to GZ and looked for a cache and didn't find it, its a DNF. If you got to GZ and found the cache but didn't/couldn't sign the log, its a DNF. You indicate that you have looked at one of the caches 3 times. That means you should have logged 3 DNF's. As some of the others have said, there is nothing wrong with logging a DNF. Remember, the fun of the game/sport/activity is looking for the cache. It shouldn't be about the numbers.

The easiest way to get them to your GPS'r is with a program like EasyGPS or GSAK. I prefer GSAK. Open the .zip file you receive via email, then export it to your GPS'r.

Sports and games have rules. Geocaching has quidelines. Geocaching is an activity.

I can tell you that the 60CSx is a great handheld. I also purchased Garmin's City Navigator maps from an online source for about $75 and to make me paperless, I purchased a Dell Axim 5 PDA from Used Handhelds for $35. I purchased Cachemate software for the PDA from smittyware for $8. The screen size on the Dell Axim is 2" x 3" which is very nice for my older eyes. Yes, I carry two pieces of equipment but for me, its not a problem.

It seems to me most sports have Rules. Many of the geocachers on this forum say, "there are no rules, only guidelines." If a sport or game must have rules, then in my opinion, geocaching is an activity.