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Low Bat

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Everything posted by Low Bat

  1. Wow! Thanks "as77" for that link, it was quite informative. I never realized so much legal maneuvering for control had taken place.
  2. Thanks for the link Cache Viking; it sheds some light on the operational costs Jeremy is incurring. I still don't know if Geocaching.com is a for-profit or non-profit venture. Some may ask why it matters, as anyone is allowed to start a business and make money. Aside from my personal opinion, there are other factors that Geocaching.com may one day face. There is now a type of geocache that is available for premium (paid) members only. I'll coin a new geo-neologism and spell it as GeoCash. A geocash that is hidden on public lands may be in violation of a common usage rule that basically says the land may not be used for profit making activities. This rule has exceptions and varies with the government agency managing the land. Does a geocash violate this rule? The answer may take a judge's ruling if it ever gets that far. I read other threads that talk about geocaching simply being banned in some areas as officials become aware of the activity. On a side note, a transit agency that I worked for recently became aware of a multi-cache on their light rail stations. They get bomb threats and deal with suspicious packages from time-to-time, so when they learned of small containers hidden along the stations that attract people holding small devices, they had them removed. Geocaching in the post 9/11 world is another topic altogether. Now on to private land. Many geocaches are placed on publicly accessed private property; such as a shopping center. A geocash hidden without the owner’s knowledge or consent raises a question; is the property owner entitled to a share of the profits? Obviously nobody is going to take Geocaching.com to civil court as there isn't much money in it right now. However, those little green dots we see on the map are growing rapidly. The potential is there to make a bundle if the geocash becomes common. Years from now property owners who discover that their land has been used without their consent may start filing claims in the hope of a quick settlement. People sue each other for the smallest of things if they smell enough money. I'm not trying to send the message I'm against geocaching. I like this little hi-tech hide-and-seek game and hope it survives the coming years.
  3. I guess my opinion appears to be in the minority. If those that place geocaches don't mind that their efforts can be turned into someone else’s profit venture, then I have no leg to stand on. Every post I've read so far feels that Groundspeak (I gather it is Jeremy who runs it) simply made an unintentional error with the maps, and didn't mean to create a "get you hooked and make you pay later" scheme. Ok, I'll go with that. I don't know where Jeremy intends to take Geocaching.com. I would be willing to pay a fee, even if it were just to use the basic service, provided it was to cover the operating costs which must be a small fortune by now. I don't want to be a part of this site if it intends to profit from the free efforts of others. I maybe the only one posting here that to have this opinion, but that's the way I feel. Jeremy, if you are reading my post I want to say "thank you" for setting up a site that I have found enjoyable for nearly three years. I don't get to it very often and haven't found a lot of caches, but it has been fun. If $30 a year from members is what you need to cover operating costs, then please say so and I'll send it to you.
  4. Yes this site legally can turn into a pay service, and over time, I suspect that's what it will gradually become. Geocaching doesn't work without many people putting a lot of work into setting it up. Now all that volunteer work can become someone’s cash cow. I will gladly support Groundspeak with a voluntary contribution to preserve what we now have if they are really only trying to recover expenses. If the intention is to now profit from the free work of others, I will not support it. Here's an odd thought. What if the U.S. Navy is only letting us receive from their satellites long enough to get us hooked. Think of all those industries that are becoming increasingly reliant on GPS. Just because our tax money pays for those satellites doesn't make us immune from a user fee. When's the last time you went to a state or federal campground and didn't get charged?
  5. Ok, I've sent an email to Groundspeak expressing my dislike of the "for profit" changes (unworkable maps, premium access only geocaches). I've also read several threads with different opinions as to the changes we now face. I have no problem supporting the web site as long as it stays non-profit. The caches are placed, maintained, and posted by members for others members to use and enjoy. The web site is an integral link. I'd hate to see tactics like NetZero used to lure in a large membership base, then start charging for and limiting features to paid subscribers. It was mentioned that using the scroll, pan, and zoom features of the maps was always intended to be a premium (paid) feature, and that having such access for regular (free) members was accidental. Hmmmm..... does anyone else here have a suspicious mind? It was also mentioned that the older maps with lesser detail are still available in a separate link. I know a good solution. All Groundspeak needs to do is make the old maps with less detail work with regular membership, and the newer and better maps work only for premium members. As a regular member I would rather have my account default to the old workable maps instead of the newer maps that are frozen when displayed. This would also show, to a degree, that we aren’t being pressured to start paying.
  6. I have no idea how to remove a duplicate post.
  7. I looked for a Freestyle case on the internet without success. Actually I prefer cases that open with a simple Velcro flap. The zipper tends to be difficult to manipulate while the case is attached to a belt. The Ripoffs CO-78A is an ok fit, but I found the liner material will also wear away at the rubber battery door almost as bad as with the Garmin holster. Ok, now I got motivated to come up with a better solution. I so much like the design and quality of the Garmin holster (010-10309-00) that I decided to see what I could do to modify it. The first problem being a tight fit wasn't so difficult to fix. The shape of the case allows for some stretching if you pull it wider. This takes a little time but it will work. There is some slack (in stiff form) in material close to the seam that can be made to stretch allowing for the overall fit to accommodate the Vista C. Now the abrasion problem. There was nothing I could do to the case to modify the liner, so I focused on the battery door instead. Garmin made this door with a rubber coating so the unit will not slide when placed on a flat surface such as a dashboard. I tried Armor all, paint, and other liquid coverings, but found these would simply wear off in the holster. What I needed was a stronger barrier. Two ideas came to mind; super glue and nail polish. Not having nail polish, I tried the super glue. I painted on a single coat on the battery door and allowed it to dry. Later I used a fine sand paper to smooth out the surface. The result worked and the battery door no longer gets worn down in the holster. This might be more trouble then its worth for most people. Eventually Garmin will probably come up with a case well suited for the eTrex "C" series.
  8. Thank you OfficeMaven, glad you found a solution that works for you. I did see that case but assumed it was going to be a size problem too so I didn't order it. Today I went down to a store that stocks a lot of Ripoffs cases and tried every one they carry. That best fit I could find was a model CO-78A. It's not a perfect fit, but it will suffice until Garmin makes a specific holster for the "C" series. With enough of us contacting Garmin and complaining, I hope they will eventually take action.
  9. I'm looking for a case/holster for my Garmin Vista C and can't find a decent one. Here's what I have so far: I have found large generic pouches which any GPS will fit into, but that defeats the purpose of having a small GPS, so I rule these out. Garmin makes a neoprene case designed for the eTrex, but this doesn't really fit right on the housing of the color series. Also the screen is a different dimension so the clear window on the neoprene case is off. I never liked this case when I had a non-color Vista anyways. I very much like the protection, style, belt clip, of the "eTrex holster" offered by Garmin. It does have a drawback as the liner is an abrasive material that eats away at the rubber runners of the battery door. Now Garmin is saying this is the case for the "C" (color) series of eTrex as well. Although the dimensions are similar, the "C" series is slightly wider and is harder to get in and out of the holster. This tighter fit also adds to the abrasion problem. I wrote Garmin about my findings and got a reply saying my recommendations were being passed along to the design team. Next I looked at Ripoffs for cases. They have a large selection and I already use many of their products. The one they say is right for the eTrex is the CO-97A. This model is designed to be used with other radio products as well and as a result does not have a full sized flap to protect the top of a unit. The reason is to allow for an antenna and top mounted control knob. I wrote them for a recommendation and they came up with a questionable sized substitute (CO-42). Surfing the internet I find most vendors are simply listing cases made by Garmin that aren’t made for the "C" series. I did find something made by Everest, but by looking at the picture I can see it's too tall and also would interfere with the control stick on front of the GPS unit. Several web sites advertise a "Garmin belt clip" and show a picture of a case similar but different to the "Garmin Holster". When I ordered one I got an actual belt clip that was not the product pictured. So now I post this message to see what others have found to use as a case/holster for the Garmin eTrex Vista C. Any feedback is appreciated. Larry
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