Roamingbull

That I would be wary of. I however received a message from a 0 finds also asking about a cache I found up in northern California. I thought it suspicious as well, but I answered his message. It turned out it was a producer from the science channel who was doing some research for an upcoming episode of "Unsolved mysteries". I ended up being in the show! He never even heard of geocaching but had to sign up to message me. The show was regarding a cave that had potential hidden gold in or around it. The cave was near the cache I found. The mystery intrigued me, so I did some follow up research and additional trips back to the cave. Somehow in his fact finding mission, he came across some of my work. With that he found the log I had written logging the cache as a find, and followed up on the web site to contact me. So glad I did not put TFTC! as my log, or he would never have known I found that while in the area looking for real gold lol.

Releasing my own coins has proven to be very disappointing. Not to discourage, but its rather sad. I have found using a clone coin is best. you can get as creative as you like, but you can purchase toy coins at the dollar store and imprint the track code on it. You can even take a picture and attach it to a tag or something like that. This way, your coin wont be stolen. You can always recover it, and send it out again if it gets waylaid. Some may be upset they don't get to handle the actual coin, but the trackable on their inventory will be the same. And you do not loose your investment. I lost all of my coins going out within the first 72 hours.

Never mind, I found the solution under Garmin 550, For anyone needing the same solution for the issue I had, type in %smart=20 on your GPS export cache name and description. Now it works great!

I read in these forums once that there is a solution for when the Nuvi 500 crashes when bringing up some caches in an area. Basic problem is, when you go to open some caches on the GPS the unit will shut down. I believe this is due to the title of the cache being too long. I read before a solution or a code you can enter into GSAK that will solve this issue. However, when I went back to the link I had saved, the topic would not come up. It must have been too long ago. Any help would be great! thanks -Roamingbull

This is always a fun topic. To me, Geocaching is a game you play against yourself. At the end of the day there really is no trophy other than your own self satisfaction of acheiving a goal you set. My thing is getting all caches in a given area. I dont even try for the most caches, because very simply I dont have the time to keep up. Someday, lord willing I will. But for now..not for me. The reason I bring this into this tread, is the rules you set for yourself...you set for yourself. The Groundspeak rules are guildlines to base your own set of standards on. For me, I will not log a DNF unless I one, arrive at ground zero and be within 30 feet. and two give it a good honest effort to find. There are times I arrive, and for whatever reason, I have to leave before really giving it a good look. Maybe my GPS died, Maybe I have realized I have to go back to work, or maybe Im just plain done for the day. In anycase, for these I usually do not post anything unless I feel the owner needs to know something. However, if I do get within 30 feet, and give it an honest try...(3 - 5 minutes) I will log a DNF. This is MY Guidline for this subject. For others it may be more strict. Some say if you even think of going for it, set you GPS, but never even get close...its a DNF. Some folks never log them at all. I would not stress it.

My thought is sort of easy...Ill post a DNF if I show up and look and cant find it. I may NOT post a DNF if I was not able to give it a good lookover due to too many muggles, or having to leave early for whatever reason. Basicly if I give it a good healthy go and come up empty Ill log a DNF. I have a bookmark page that I will save it into to monitor it for future updates. If it goes disabled, I have a bookmark for that too. I personally feel that DNF logs justify your statistics. If you dont find one now and then, and record it, no one can ever say your not trully looking and really finding the finds you found. confusious say How can one acheive perfection if one has never failed.

Thanks for the reply(s) I too hope I have one, that would be awsome. Great reason to put out a new cache with a cool reward for a FTF. Good luck to you all too. RB

I know that there is not a way to check up the status of a Jeep TB order. So I thought I would try to see if anyone else may have received one, or if anyone knew if they were shipping them yet. I would pretty much get a clue then. I know I sent my application out on the first day they were posted and have not gotten one to date. Still keeping the fingers crossed. anyone?

Just wondering if anyone has lost a cache or two with the current fire season in swing? Yes, in reply to the post below there is more serious concerns than a lost cache. Did not mean for this question to touch that part of it really. As horrible as wildland season is unfortunately it is a reality. I see the ugly party of it each year and my heart goes out to anyone who experianced a loss. The post was in fact just a general question on how the wildland season effected us in a less serious nature. If anyone had in fact had a cache burnt out in one of the smaller "spot fires" that did not cause any major loss. Thats it.

The game is for fun. That is the bottom line really. We have our guidelines but as we are not actually competing for something we do have the latitude to make our own rules of conduct so long as they fit within the overall guidelines and the law. So long as your not cheating yourself then do what you feel is right. Others may not agree, but they can play their own game. I logged a cache of my own as a find. Not because of "numbers" or anything else. The story that went with how I found it and where was just too cool not too in my opinion. I had too much fun with it to not log it and I enjoyed doing it. Our area experienced some flooding. One of my caches which I had intended to move before the river rose got washed out early. I had actually disabled it and was going to check on it as soon as the water receded. Before that occurred I got a found it log from a local cacher. He found it still intact, but wet and about 40 feet from where I had hidden it. I kept it disabled and was going to go out and fix it. I was not able to get it before we got several days of more rain and more floods. This time the river rose over the banks, closed roads, flooded houses, and caused all sorts of ruckus. The cache I was sure was gone for good. I archived it. a couple months later I was out on the river about a quarter mile down river from the archived cache location. As I was tooling along the river side, I saw a green lid sticking up out of the sand. On closer inspection I found my cache (a rubbermaid container with a snap lid) still intact but very water logged. Nearby was a log full of fishing lours and other cool stuff. I had a blast retrieving them. The log was actually still readable. I logged it as a find and Ill stand by it.

This one looks fun. Where is it?

Thanks, actually I do know about those. I know how to do the queries, and I have tried the swiss army knife. The furthest I got for that was I got the query onto the Swiss Army knife page, but I was not able to get the stuff to work from there. I was not able to download it from the Swiss army knife onto my GPS. I will try it again but that is where Im hung up right now. Thanks for the reply. Tony

I have an Explorest 400. I know how to do pocket queries and download from the web site. I just cannot seem to get the darn downloaded software to work with the queries. I just don't get it and have concluded for me its too much of a headache to deal with further. So I would rather just do it directly from the site. For me this is usually good enough. The problem I would like to solve is this. When I click "check all" on a given page that is all I can download. Once I move onto another page those checks go away. So in short I can only download one page at a time, and with my GPS that would mean on several files. So I would have to go in between these files in the field which can cause me to skip over a cache I was right on top of. I have got around this by using the bookmark page. There I can get it to do 50 caches on one page. But I hear that some of you do up to 500. I am assuming this is with the queries. For me 50 is fine generally but if I am going on a longer trip, having more can be an advantage when I do not have internet access for the road. So any suggestions out there. So using the bookmark page, I was very happy with the default google map as it allowed me to click caches directly into a bookmark. the disadvantage to that was that there were no red check marks on those that I had already found and truthfully I dont always remember. The view map feature is great, but it does not refresh automaticly after you have clicked into a cache page. Yes the refresh button works but that gets old. Anyway I see that the default map is back to Map Quest. How can I get the google map back? Those are my questions if they make any sense. thanks and cache on!

ELL

Forgot a couple Geo coins - I log these but have to have it in my hands and take it from one cache to the next. I see that there is a descovered link now, I may use that. Here is another angle TB or GEO coin in a cache you have already found do you go get it. - I have to say yes I do (coins) or a travel but that I can really help along the way. Oh and I understand what an armchair cache is now so as long as that is the rule of the cache (what it is set up for by the owner) then Yes I would, have not done so yet however. Logging caches or taking credit for a cache that your other half or "team found" but you were not there - NO (this is what I at first thought an armchair cache was)

BTW, HERE IS HOW I LOG MY STUFF Logging false finds: NO Logging a find because you tried : NO thats a DNF Logging a find on a GC.com cache for a cache you found listed on another site:No I dont even know how to do this if I wanted to. Not sure I understand the question. Logging a find on a missing cache you replaced: Maybe. I had one where I replaced the cache for the owner after I went looking for it. I found the exact location and method of the hide. Container was gone. I replaced it (with permission) and logged it as a find. I like to play for the red checks on the map, thats my motivation. If i could never log this just because I replaced it then I would have a spot with no red check and that just would not do. If I had previously found the cache and replaced it for a favor then NO I would just post a note. Logging a find on a missing cache, owner says it’s OK: Maybe. Depends. Like the above question I found the location and the owner confirmed my find via email. Allowed me to log the find and they replaced it. I did log it as a find, but got over there as soon as I could to log it on paper. I did not log it a second time if you were wondering. Logging a find on a multi cache if you didn’t do all the work (not finding all the stages, someone else did or you just get lucky and find it): Yes, as long as I was a part of it. I have also several times found the last stage by luck or by cunning. Reading clues or a good guess. This is actually an acheivment so yes I would log it as a find. No differenct then when I started to do this without a GPS. Logging a find on a mystery/puzzle cache if you didn’t do all the work (not finding all the stages, someone else did the puzzle or you just get lucky and find it): Same answer as the above question on multies Logging additional find for ‘bonus’ given by the owner: NO Logging additional find because cache was moved or altered: Yes (sort of) again I (and I say I) play for the red checks. There have been some caches that were archived that I had previously found. They were reactivated exactly as was before even using the same paper log with my name still on it from when I found it before. I took my red check back by "finding" it again. then when I was in the area and not going out of my way, I would resign my name on the paper log. If it were a different hide I would not do this. Logging additional finds because cache has more than one stage and owner says it’s OK: No Logging pocket caches (not listed anywhere): no dont even know what this is Logging pocket caches (a previously listed cache): no. Logging ‘retirement’ cache: no. Logging temporary event caches (either on the event page or another, permanent cache that the owner says you can log them on): Yes I feel its part of their event and if they set it up that way I play by their rules and I did find it so its not a lie. Logging multiple finds on a moving cache: Maybe. I have only one find on a traveling cache that keeps poping up in my area. It would be another find (location) but I dont know. Have not got there yet. Logging a cache you found with a group: yes, but I have to be present at the find. My other half and I cache together. Sometimes I sign her name, sometimes she signs mine. Our rule is whoever finds it signs it with their name first. But we are both actually there. Logging one find for a cache listed on this (or any other) site: Not sure I know what this question is. If its listed on this site, and I go out and find it then Yes. But is that not what everyone does or am I not understanding this question. Logging ‘arm chair’ caches: I am guessing this means if my other half finds a cache without me and I go to log it as a find for myself. Absolutely NO NO NO. We each have our own accounts. Logging locationless caches: Sure if I do it. I have not to date. Logging virtuals: yes There was one vertual I had visited many many times before I was into this game. I knew the answer and was very familiar with the site. I logged it as a find and was honest in my log of the nature. It was from my hometown some thousand miles away. The owner excepted my log. I thought it was really cool that site was there it was a rush just finding it on the site. Logging earthcaches: yes Have not done so yet tho. Logging webcams: yes. Logged my first one the other day Logging events: yes. Logging your own cache (including events): Ok I would say NO but I did this once. Here is the story. There was some major flooding up here. My cache had gotten washed away so I archived it. I was out on the river and by some stroke of luck found it sticking up out of the sandbar way downriver still intact. I logged it as a find. I did find it that was not a lie. Logging an archived cache : I have logged a find on some caches that were archived. I did find them. They were archived for whatever reason but the cache itself is still alive and well. Logged my find on the paper log and went to log it on the site and found it was archived. So I still logged it anyway. Respond to as many or as few as you’d like. If there is a situation I’ve missed, feel free to add it. Once again: please keep replies on topic and only voice your own opinions- don’t comment on anyone elses. If you think this thread is useless, that’s not the topic here, start your own thread. Edited to seperate and clarify the multi/mystery finds.

Thanks perfect

I have been courious for some time, and I am still new to this so forgive the rookie question. I know how big the game is, how far it reaches, how many members, its basic history etc etc. but what is behind the scene now. Who controls geo caching, where is it located, how big is the headquarters or is there a headquarters. How many work or volunteer to keep the site up and running. Where does the membership monies go. These are questions I have been pondering for a bit. For all the fun we are having it sure would seem like someone has to be doing a whole lot of work in the background and I just wanted to know more about that. Thanks for the hard work !

encrypting it for a while to allow them time to change it is a good idea. Didn't think of that. But I would stick to the delete key if they did not do it in a reasonable time, say a few days or so maybe a week. Its not that I disagree with the content, if someone did not like the cache or felt it was inappropriate they could say so but there is a right way and a wrong way to do that. They could send me an email and be as verbally abusive as they wanted there. insulting derogatory remarks on a public forum (cache logs) in a sport that is supposed to be fun is not in my opinion worth saving. Perhaps I would post a note after I deleted it to state what occurred in order to preserve a record of the logs previous existence. Luckily this has never been a problem for me. The criticisms I have read on other cache logs in this area anyway have been educational and helpful.

I know this topic is sort of old, but I had to share my nano experience. It is disabled now but the container was no larger than an eraser of a small pencil. It actually had a log in it rolled up and compressed. The width of the log was about a centimeter but made up in the compressed length. Very interesting. It was magnetic container that unscrewed. What it was in its previous life who knows but yes I agree a nano category would be great. Happy caching.

Certainly if someone had a bad experience or found a cache to be unsafe or inappropriate a log to indicate that would be correct. However, a demeaning, insulting or abusive remark is grounds for a deleted log. If anything else to discourage discontent and a negative representation of this game. I would delete such a log with an email to the finder of why it was deleted and an invitation to re log their find in an adult responsible manner. If that offends the person who feels they are somehow above basic social etiquette then offend I will. No one is too good or too experienced to be courteous. -RB

Found a benchmark JHF13 There is a JHF12 and 14 but not the one I found while out and about. How do you log a benchmark not in the data base?

Stats are all about what goals you set for yourself. It is almost impossible to do a true stat page for this game. You have too many variables and unequal grounds. Some people have a thousand or more finds and can say they found each one individually. Some cachers are actually a group or an organization where several people share and log into the same account. Some married folks share an account, while some don't. Then you toss locationless caches into the stats and that can rack a lot of numbers up. So the numbers someone has may not represent a true record of what one person has actually found by themselves in the field. I like that you can look at stats for fun, and it does give you some people to look up to, but if your in this for a competition, you really have to do it against yourself, or find cachers in your area you know are caching like you do. That's my take on this post. Take care

It may be a mistake. I know that when you click on the log type colume, if you have a mouse that has a wheel scroll, sometime it is easy with out knowing it to accidently move the log type up or down. Then you do your log, and click submit. I almost submitted a this should be archived log, but caught it in time. -RB

I honestly did not read all of the posts here cuz I have to run, but one reason that trail may have been closed is for evidence. If it was a fire, the cause and origin may have been under investigation. Any disturbance of that area could cause harm to a crime scene. Same thing as if you went through a police taped off area. The other reason is for safety of course. I would have just written that one off and returned later when the trail re opened.