Team Kryptos

Well, I'm not sure if I am the best at this but I can make some suggestions. If you are giving a prize away you may not want to limit it to cachers. Not everyone has a GPS. This could be done with something like a Pictocache. You have to find a site from pics for clues to track down the location. This would help get poeple to wander around the area and see any sites you would like them to visit. You could make them find clues at each location, then put them together to solve a riddle or simple (or hard) puzzle to find the final site. Does this event have historical significance? You can use that in planning a hunt. Anything to make the tie-in to your event. If you are interested in a Geocaching 101 type event look for a 'geocaching powerpoint' in Google. We have found several and they can be easily altered to fit your event. You could also set up some temporary caches nearby for folks to find. Use temporary caches so the real caches in the area don't fall victim to one time cachers. You could demonstrate some of the different types of caches folks might find. A camo micro, puzzle cache, pictocache etc. We recently had an event here where we showed a urban camo micro, a 'woodsy' camo micro, a fully stocked ammo box (so the kids get something, or you could do local merchant coupons, event coupons or something similar), and a simple puzzle cache. We had experienced cachers available to take people out for the hunt and to explain and answer questions. The whole event lasted about 3 hrs. This could be lengthened or shortened to your needs. Find someone with a well travelled TB so you can demonstrate that aspect. Maybe do a google earth film to show its travels (I haven't done this but have seen one, so I don't know how hard it is to do). One with some fun pix would be best. If you have some of those fiendish hiders in your area approach them to see if they have an idea for a cool hide that they would share to show folks the creativity (and evil) that our hobby provides. Thats all I really have. Kudos to you for trying to set up an event for folks. Best of luck! Team K

Well I guess I will try to tackle the OP's actual question. I just finished "The Code Book" by Singh. It was a fascinating look at ciphers and the history of cryptography. It does a great job of walking you through the old ciphers like Caesar and Viginere's. It explains in a pretty straightforward way how to do frequency analysis and how to use it to break ciphers. It shows both encryption and decryption. It even goes so far as to show you how to break the Enigma code. (tough but doable) Lots of great history on the whole of cryptography. IMO a great book to learn about cryptography in general. Can't recommend it enough. It was easy to follow until they started on quantum cryptography. At that point my eyes glazed over and rolled back in my head and a trickle of steam began to flow from my ears. But that is only the last chapter.

Guess I'm the only one. But they did issue a new download if anyone cares.

Have any other Mac users running Mac GPSPro had a problem with the latest update (6.5)? I just got the new update a couple days ago and since then it crashes every time I try to open a waypoint file. Emailed tech support but since its the weekend don't foresee an answer till next week.

Check out Mac GPS Pro. You'll have to fork out some cash but they have support for most GPS units, I'm using a Vista Cx with USB connection and it works pretty good. It crashes once in a while but a simple restart does the trick. You can also get topos through them for the Mac.

We've got a Vista Cx and have had the same accuracy problems from the start. I was so excited to get this GPS and its been pretty disappointing. One day we hit 20 caches and they were ALL off 60 ft+ in the same direction. Datum is correct. Sure made me a better searcher!

We had a couple glass jars in the area. Both were placed right next to a BUSY hike/bike trail. Both had been hidden the day before and both were half full of water when we found them. One was used to replace a cache that was hit by a mower, why they thought glass would hold up to a mower better than plastic I will never know. I would hate to be anywhere near that when the mower hit it!!! I just don't think glass would hold up well next to a busy urban trail. Perhaps on a sheltered placement that won't see too much traffic or weather, a glass jar might work. Best to start out right and get some durable, beatable, sizable containers. You will thank yourself after having to trek back to replace the cache.

Did the software updating work? I've got the same problem after having the unit about a week and after I did an extensive exploration of the new unit using the manual to "explore" all the options, so thought I'd changed something but sure can't find out what. I did find a way around it by going to the backlight menu, then holding down the "find" key until the find menu would pop up. From there I would tell it to find something and a dialogue box would pop up and tell me the GPS was off and did I want to turn it on. After telling it to turn the GPS on, it worked fine. Seems that the default changed so that the GPS was "off" when the unit was turned on. I've e-mailed Garmin but then they said it would take 5-7 days to get back to me. Thanx--- The update worked for me. I did not do the restart like you did. I was told it is something with the track log. When you turn it off it causes a freeze. I now have 2.4, there is another update too. No problems since.

You've witnessed someone talking to their GPS like a cell phone while on a FTF run for an urban micro.

Some folks play the game just to find em. Let them enjoy THEIR game. Some love to hide them. Let them enjoy THEIR game. Any new RULE would just split us up more. Look at all the threads with people p*ssing and moaning about how others play the game. A majority of the time it has no effect on those who complain, they just like to complain. Be it number of smileys or how you log a coin or placing of lame micros. They are the ones missing out IMO. I get to experience my hides 30-40-50 times, everytime I get a "Found" notification. Those poor souls only get to experience it once, for 2 minutes while they sign the cache. It really comes down to YOU and how you want play it. Let everyone else be.

GPS makers just don't like us Mac users yet! Spring for MacGPS Pro software. I have a Vixta Cx and it works well with that. It uses a USB cable to hook to unit. You will have to get maps too. MacGPS pro has individual state maps on DVD for around $30, or you can buy a micro SD card with preloaded maps from Garmin. Pricey ($90) but you get multi-state coverage with plug and play ease. That is what I have done. Depends on your location which map you buy. I believe the Legend Cx is the same as a Vista Cx without the compass/altimeter. I have had some crashing problems with MacGPS Pro, but it just quits and you have to restart the program. The Mac itself doesn't crash (isn't that why we laugh at PC users?) Minor inconvenience compared to hand-entering coords.

I can barely notice your accent! I just got a Vista CX. Had a few problems at first (lockup, accuracy) but it had older firmware 2.2(program in the GPS) Once I updated that to 2.4 everything smoothed out. Now I love it. I am running a Mac G5 computer with MacGPS Pro software. Compass works well, haven't used altimeter much. Plenty of room to store lots of coords. Using a Micro SD base map chip from Garmin. Good battery life, good backlite, interface is easy. If I can help let me know.

Not a cacher till.... Burning a sick day=FTF!!! You check out every hidey-hole when walking anywhere, woods or city, just in case. You no longer groan when the coords lead you to a tank. You bite back at the skeeters! Hand entering coords is as fast as dialing the phone. You've read this thread.

Me too. Should be interesting to see what their idea of a "treasure" is. I signed up for it, so if it actually arrives I'll go hide it. I don't think it's a hoax. I guess we'll soon know for sure. You hide stuff from them? I didn't read the contest info, but I thought they would've hide stuff in a few select locations around the country on their own and people would go look for it. So by signing up, are you placing stuff for the movie people's contest? Then will the regular public (and likely some geocachers) go out and look for the treasure you and others hid? What's in it for you and the other people who signed up, besides the enjoyment of hiding something? What do you get for the caches you hide now? All I've recieved is warm fuzzies and I am happy with that. If they send me one I will surely hide it. And hopefully there will be more in my area so I can find one too.

We did a similar thing (to OP) here. We put out a cache on the location of the first placement in NE. On the 5th anniversary of the first placement. Gave away 5 fully stocked regulars (1 ammo, 4 L&Ls) and 5 micros. A couple were so-so placements but a bunch were GREAT! It got 3-4 people to plant their FIRST cache, and those cachers have turned out more hides. It spurred a great FTF race. I met some folks I only knew in logs. And it was a ball too! Darwin lives in the caching world too. If the placement is lousy, the cache will eventually find its way out of existence. But IMO this type of thing gives an extra nudge to those who are on the fence about hiding a cache. They are out nothing. And when they start getting the log-emails and enjoying them, they will hide another for you and me to find. And another, and another, etc. Some people are grumpy about micros, others about "poor" locations. Just get me outside and gimme a log to sign. If you hid an ammo box made of gold someone would B**ch that it was too heavy. Hats off to Snoogans and the rest of you for giving so generously to the rest of us. I just hope someone brings one back to my neck of the woods.

Just got my Vista Cx so I don't know how to fix either. But sure would like to know. While out caching it happened to me and the coords changed. What the H*** good is that?

I am using a Vista Cx with a G5 running MacGPS Pro. Works good (not great, some crashing) together. I got the Vista Cx because it does not require a different cable, it is USB. Some other Garmins req. a special cable, more info on MacGPS pro site if you go with that software. As for maps, you can get state specific topos (around $30) from MacGPS Pro site, or if you have the Garmin Cx models you can spring $80 and get regional micro SD cards with topos on it. I did that and for my $80 I got all of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, part of SD, Minnesota, Missouri. Go to Garmin site for your region. Easy installation! After punching in coords by hand for 350 finds ( and how many DNFs) the waypoint files are a blessing. And the maps on my old Maggie left MUCH to be desired.

Ok, found someone to let me us their PC, will this tie me to that computer for updates? I mean are there cookies or some fiendish security that will only allow me to use that PC?

Has anyone else had issues with the Vista Cx freezing up at the welcome screen? I have only had the unit for 6wks and it has not taken any hard knocks, batteries are new. I am using it with a Mac so am kind of SOL as far as updates. anyone else with this issue?

The icon is up. No more generic coin.

We have a couple caches at one of the local cruising spots. While there for some disc golf one time we saw someone in their work truck, with a friend whose head would only appear once in a while. We walked over with camera, smiled and waved and watched them high-tail it out of there. Momma Kryptos won't let me go out there to check on caches alone anymore, seems she's jealous! Also, while reading this thread i got the idea to fill all the caches in these areas with $3 dollar bills.

Not sure what you consider the cream of the crop, but here are some of my faves from recent weeks. Night Cache -The Dark is Rising GCVEJ7 Great night cache. Nice riverside walk - Riparia GCTT8M careful, needle in a haystack, but nice trails. Geocache/orienteering - Iron Lilac GCQA4R Nice lake, interesting solution, many good caches nearby. Wildlife/interesting hide - 52Card Pickup GCTVET Different type of hide in a nice park w/ lots of wildlife. Webcam - UNO campus cam GCHTFZ, Creighton Webcam - GCP9FF PictoCaches - Dundee Pictocache GCT6FY, KryptoKache GCV9FH Puzzle Caches - Almost Apriori GCR9QP, Brrr! Its Cold Out Here GCTRF4, one easy, one more difficult. Like I said, these are just a few of my recent favorites. We all have our favorite types. If you want density for numbers I would start at the Iron Lilac, this is at a lake with a dozen or so caches around it. There are a few grab and goes around the airport/downtown area. Hope this helps a bit. M

I stand behind Harry Dolphin. Every cop I've ever met made me prove I was doing nothing wrong. I have stood in the rain for over an hour while cops searched my car for no reason. They have stopped me while walking down the street, again for no reason. Then when I didn't have ID had to sit and wait for proof till they were satisfied. I've had my car and house broken into. " Yep it sucks, probably nothing we can do" Wow thanks guys! Did you ever see a cop ask the young mother pushing her child on a swing what she was doing? How about the businessman with a briefcase. Do they have to strip on the side of the road while LEO goes through their belongings. Explain it to me. but if I am staring at a GPS suddenly I am a security risk? Also, Geocaching has been around for 5-6 years. There have been a few high-profile instances where a cache has been blown up for fear of a bomb. Or where people tromp around parks in the middle of the night with a GPS. Don't these agencies talk about this? LEO would have us think they do so much training. Why not just a little bit about Caching? I would think a 15 minute lecture on what it is, what a cacher would have on them, and how to confirm a cache site etc. would save countless hassles for both sides. They are going to run into far many more cachers than Al-Quaida.

I started with the Exp. 200 too. Loved the unit but quickly grew weary of entering in the coords all by hand. Our all day cache trips were always preceded by 8 hours of research and data entry. NOT FUN. But the unit was always dead on. It would lead us to within 10 ft 90% of the time. A couple weeks ago we got a Vista CX and Mac GPSpro. Love it! I can set up a pocket query and D/L all the coords in a few minutes. Hundreds of them. Got the SD chip with topo maps that cover my geographic area for 750+ miles. But I haven't been less than 60 ft accurate yet. Maybe AFTER I find a cache and have sat at the same spot for a while , the GPS will settle down and I will only be 30 ft. away. I have to calibrate the compass most everytime I turn it on. It just doesn't jive with all the claims I have heard from the Garmin side. /missing my maggie!

Little birdy sez these ship this week. 4-17