T.R.a.M.P.
-
Posts
180 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by T.R.a.M.P.
-
-
I've got a Version 20 N95 (which is the latest firmware), and it has A-GPS enabled on it.
Sounds good, I'll try to make time to upgrade over the holiday period.
Oh - and can I add my apols to Dakar 4x4 for the thread hijack. I'll shut up now.
I should probably point out that I've got a sim-free model. Vendor-locked phones (T-Mobile, Vodafone, Orange branded, etc) will probably not have the v20 firmware out quite yet. v12 has A-GPS, though.
-
GPS is slow as hell to find a location, but I believe if I could be bothered to upgrade the software then it will download the almanacs for the sats over the net, making it much quicker (and a bit more expensive)
Ta for the info on the N95. One thing you may be able to clear up for me - the Orange upgrade bod said using the GPS was NOT free and used it "data streaming" to connect to the satellite
Is that correct? I had assumed that the GPSr worked the same as other GPSr's and used radio signals (for FREE)?What I think he's talking about is assisted GPS link. This is where the handset goes online to get the GPS almanac data rather than downloading it from the satellites. This going online makes fixing your position a lot faster (and once it's done it will work just like any other GPS) but it will incur you some data costs. I seem to remember reading somewhere that it won't do assisted GPS over WiFi, so you can't download the almanac at home over your home wifi (NB that may be rubbish - I may have invented that memory in my addled brain.)
I'm sure you can turn off assisted GPS if you want to.
Without it (and that's how my un-upgraded N95 is) it takes several frustrating minutes to get a fix. I've not timed it but memory says up to 5 minutes is not unusual. Once it's got it it holds it OK.
I've got a Version 20 N95 (which is the latest firmware), and it has A-GPS enabled on it.
You can pick up almanac data from anywhere, Wifi is just fine - you will have to state a default access point, though, and for the sake of convienience, setting it to your GPRS data access point is easiest.
It uses very little data, costing about 3p per almanac on Vodafone Pay As You Go. It only collects this data once per GPS "session".
Once it's got the almanac data, all the satellies will show up in the status page, and a lock is acquired in about 10 seconds after the data is retrieved. In total, I can usually get a lock in under 40 seconds in a 3.5G area.
If anyone has queries about the N95, do ask!
-
P of T.R.a.M.P here -
I popped it on my N95 Silver (v12 firmware) and had a play.
I've dabbled with similar things on the N95, and can answer you with why it works on the N73 - you're querying the phone's positioning API, which is universal code - which is very much the correct way to do things. In case the phone doesn't have a built in GPS, the API will try to find a bluetooth one, hence it'll work. It won't use cell-tower positioning unless the network supports it, and none in the UK do as far as I know.
As for the program, it's great, but a few pointers -
- It could do with a menu along the bottom of the screen. The current navigation is a little confusing and everyone loves menus.
- At one point, the display became scrambled and shoved everything in to the top left corner. I'm not sure how to recreate that, but it's a tiny bug.
- A satellite status page would be fantastic.
Great work, though! I'll be keeping an eye on the project
-
The general turnover of cachers might be slightly lower for puzzles and multis but I think the biggest factor is how isolated the cache is.
The frequency of visitors seems more related to how many other caches are within easy reach rather than the type of cache. It's pretty clear that a standard multi/puzzle with 3 or 4 other caches within say a mile, will be visited fairly regularly whereas a trad away from civilisation with no other caches for miles will rarely be visited.
Tell me about it.
-
If a particular cache is difficult to get to or is a Puzzle that takes some solving, putting TB's in it can often act as encouragement for someone to attempt it.
To that end I dropped a couple of geocoins in a puzzle cache I had solved previously - no one has been near it since I visited in September
I may end up going back to rescue them at this rate
-
I'm not planning on doing any caches on the way (but if there are any around I COULD do them on one of our training walks along the route I guess?) as I think the team would not appreciate any diversions or delays, as its long enough in all regards as it is!
Several others have offered some good advice about the practicalities - here's a link to a bookmark list of caches along the South Downs Way
I once started it but gave up after only a few miles when my companion's back trouble flared up
Good luck!
-
I did just that this last weekend
I had made a note of the tracking number on a Geocoin and dropped in another cache before I got home - only to find the number did not work
I emailed the owner and put a note on the cache where I dropped it asking the person that picks it up not to grab it but to send me the code so it could all be correct.
Unfortunately, the owner has not replied and the coin has now been grabbed. I got an apology from the cacher concerned but I guess the moral is to "do as JeremyR does - take them home first".
Trevor
-
If you like a cache to make you smile (read the logs), I would suggest Microcachers Revenge.
And while you are in the area you could try my one and only (so far!) cache...
Trevor
-
What do smart tags do??
Sorry if my terminology was off - what I meant was a Smart Name. This is referenced by the special tag %smart.
It is all in the GSAK help but basically Smart Names are something more meaningful than the default GCxxxx codes and if GSAK is exporting smart names then the MM setting needs to use the %smart tag because the %code tag will not have the desired effect.
I hope that helps.
Cheers,
Trevor
-
As for CacheMate, as far as I can remember if it is loaded into the current database it will open with \cmate:%code in the link box of MM.
Not forgetting that if you use the smart tags that should be \cmate:%smart.
Cheers,
Trevor
-
A bump for this thread by way of a question........
What I was wondering is.....am I a freak of nature, or has anybody else got skin so unpallatable that the ticks just drop off again?
Similarly, in 50+ years living and holidaying in the South of England I have never knowingly had a tick bite.
Having said that, I often get anonymous itchy bites - but no embedded ticks <yuck>.
Trevor
-
A little red kettle was the most unusual we have found!
-
I don't think it is important who created the hole in the wall, well I do but that's not the topic
It's the perception others could have of geocaching I have issue with.
Seeing a geocache container in a hole in a wall, gives the perception that it is okay to dig a hole in a wall.
Another point here is that placing a cache IN an ancient monument means that the cache seekers have to probe around - and possibly do more damage
I have to admit that I found a cache in the earthworks at an ancient monument and did not report it
- so I am certainly not perfect...Trevor
-
With my IPAQ installed copy of Tom Tom, I drop the POI (OV2) files into a directory on the Storage card called GB_PLUS_MAJOR_ROADS_OF_WE and it picks them up from there: -
\Storage Card\GB_plus_major_roads_of_WE
Cheers
Jon
My IPAQ has TomTom on the internal file store, so the location where I put the POI files is:
\iPAQ File Store\iPAQ GPS\United_Kingdom-Ireland
Hope that helps...
Trevor
-
Hello
Does anyone here use a Nokia N95 for caching? I've found the GPS bit on my phone after several months and activated it but it has co-ordinates for N and E?
Please help
Cat princess
Hi,
Paul of team TRaMP has set up his N95 and finds it very good. He has even persuaded Clive to write a GSAK macro for it
- check in the GSAK forums for that.I can't give a lot of details since I use other hardware - if you need more, post here again and I will try to persuade Paul to reply with details.
Trevor
-
I seem to be getting the Pilmuir map again - anyone else?
I have uninstalled my script and installed the latest but no change. Note the link seems to give me v1.0.6 rather than 1.0.7??
Trevor
-
Your PDA/GPS probably doesn't have an in built compass unlike your Etrex, so it only know which direction you are facing if you are moving above a certain speed.
Simon
Thanks for your suggestions guys. The smittyware forums suggest that the internal GPSr may not be providing the right information. Since it is supplied with TomTom I guess Simon may be right and it may not work if moving too slowly.
Its not too bad using the IPAQ for the logs and the old Etrex for the search - the display is much clearer in bright daylight anyway
Cheers,
Trevor
-
I am just about paperless having got an IPAQ with in built GPS - but I am currently still using the trusty Etrex for actual navigation to the cache.
Tomtom on the IPAQ works well and Cachemate gives me the cache information.
It should be possible to do away with the Etrex but I can't get the CacheNav extension to work properly. It just gives a compass rose with a direction to the cache but the compass does not reflect the current direction of travel. Am I doing something wrong or is CacheNav just not up to the job?
Many thanks,
Trevor
-
And another, wow!
Server Error in '/' Application.Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Exception Details: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Oh b*g**r - now its all come back here as well...
Anyone got the hamster food?
-
This is just getting ridiculous! I've been away a while but I seem to remember server upgrades being promised?
Ooooo a shiny new error, not seen THIS one before
Server Error in '/' Application.General network error. Check your network documentation.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Exception Details: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: General network error. Check your network documentation.
Source Error:
An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.
I got that earlier as well - but it all seems better now...
-
Two months does justify a reminder, in fact this thread has prompted me to e-mail the owner of a TB we've held on to for too long. This is for various reasons: the owner specifically wants photos taken and we haven't been anywhere interesting with both the TB and the camera, we've had less time to go caching recently, and when we have been caching, we haven't come across a suitable cache in terms of size or perceived muggle-resistance. I would never place a TB in a cache that I thought was likely to be muggled - we've lost a TB in a muggled cache recently and had a near miss with our Geocoin.
I've asked the owner whether they would prefer us to hold onto the TB and add to its mission, or place it in a cache near us in the near future. I've sent similar e-mails twice before - one met with no reply, and the other owners were grateful we'd contacted them.
We picked up a Geocoin a month ago that wanted to go to the US. Since my son was going to Philadelphia I emailed to ask if we should hang on to it. The owners replied that they would rather it got the chance to get over the pond, so we held it.
My son is now in Philadelphia - but his GPSr is playing up and his itinerary is rather tight, so it may end up coming home again.
There is still another week to go and it would be good to get a US log on the team account.
-
Is anyone having Google Earth problems today, or is it just my PC? I have tried reloading it a number of times, and switching the Geocaching layer off, but it's still all fuzzy The resolution is rubbish, everything's all blurry.
It's like the UK has been censored with big blurry squares.(And yes - I have used it before, and it doesn't usually look like this!)
Hi,
I occasionally get something like this. The first indication of the problem is when the Earth first appears - it has a rainbow coloured fuzzy ring around the globe and everything is very fuzzy when it is zoomed in. It only goes away after re-booting the pc.
I first noticed it when I installed a new printer/scanner, so I had assumed it was something to do with that - but it now seems to come and go at random.
Sorry that I can't offer anything but sympathy. Anyone else?
-
Hi, If you upgraded Firefox, you will need to install the latest version of Greasemonkey as well.
Not sure which OS Map script you mean (my one which puts a 1:50000 OS map snippet on the page or Lord Elph's which provides a linked grid reference to the more detailed 1:25000 OS Get-a-Map) but if it is my script, try re-installing it from the link in my signature.
Thanks for the reply. I have updated Greasemonkey with no success.
It was Lord Elph's script that has gone missing - but I have now successfully installed yours at home - many thanks!
It is my work machine that is playing up. I am at home now and have sent the relevant script to my work email to try tomorrow. I don't expect much luck since I was trying to install Lord Elphs scripts from his link. I will also try your script tomorrow.
I was hoping someone might recognise the error...
Cheers,
TRaMP
Well, now at work and the only thing that fixed it was reinstalling Firefox - and that took two attempts.
The first uninstall left all the extensions (in Program Files\Mozilla Firefox) and preferences (in Documents and Settings) and everything came back with the bug. For the second re-install, I deleted those files and now all is well. Of course I now realise that the problem was somewhere in those settings and I did not actually need to reinstall Firefox but it was easier my way
.Cheers,
TRaMP
-
Hi, If you upgraded Firefox, you will need to install the latest version of Greasemonkey as well.
Not sure which OS Map script you mean (my one which puts a 1:50000 OS map snippet on the page or Lord Elph's which provides a linked grid reference to the more detailed 1:25000 OS Get-a-Map) but if it is my script, try re-installing it from the link in my signature.
Thanks for the reply. I have updated Greasemonkey with no success.
It was Lord Elph's script that has gone missing - but I have now successfully installed yours at home - many thanks!
It is my work machine that is playing up. I am at home now and have sent the relevant script to my work email to try tomorrow. I don't expect much luck since I was trying to install Lord Elphs scripts from his link. I will also try your script tomorrow.
I was hoping someone might recognise the error...
Cheers,
TRaMP
Is that correct? I had assumed that the GPSr worked the same as other GPSr's and used radio signals (for FREE)?
- so I am certainly not perfect...
Cachers are old b*ggers really!
in United Kingdom and Ireland
Posted
That about sums up team TRaMP as well
The older half do most of the caching but our sons (18 and 21) have gone out alone. Mostly a few years ago now when they were at home bored with revising for exams and I spot a new cache while at work. Now they have both joined the rat race it is getting more difficult to prise them away from the video games
Trevor