Glenn

quote:Originally posted by RAD Dad: I love that Palmable Geocaching site. It makes things much easier. I have settled on iSilo. Looked seriously at plucker but it is a little more work than I am willing to put in for such a simple task, and Avant Go is a pain with it's size limitations and all, plus the stupid ads. Plucker really isn't that hard to use. It uses text files to configure it instead of a flashy interface. Its open source so it eventualy someone will write interface into it. When they do give it another go. - Lone Rangers

quote:Originally posted by *merlin*: It is my understanding the she was not trying to protect the name of the product so much as protecting the design of the geocoins she produced. If TM is not the way to do that maybe we can give her some help as to how to accomplish this. I looked in to trademarking an item last year. As stated before it is costly but necessary to legally protect your ideas. From my understanding a trademark on the name geocoins is just that. She would control the use of the name geocoins. But it will not necessarily protect the designs on the coin itself. If someone was to create a coin with same designs the only thing the that trademark will do is keep someone from calling the identical look coin a geocoin. If she really wants to protect the design she needs to trademark the design itself. If I am total off on this someone please correct me. A trademarked item needs to be distinctive. For example, Nike Shoes is a trademark. Shoes on the other hand (or should that be foot) can not be trademarked. It is too general. Geocoin seems like a gray area and may not be distinctive enough to even be trademarked. However, Chandler Geocoins or Canadian Geocoins is distinctive enough to be trademarked. Then back to the original concern this would most likely only protect the name but not the artwork on the coins. - Lone Rangers

quote:Originally posted by *merlin*: It is my understanding the she was not trying to protect the name of the product so much as protecting the design of the geocoins she produced. If TM is not the way to do that maybe we can give her some help as to how to accomplish this. I looked in to trademarking an item last year. As stated before it is costly but necessary to legally protect your ideas. From my understanding a trademark on the name geocoins is just that. She would control the use of the name geocoins. But it will not necessarily protect the designs on the coin itself. If someone was to create a coin with same designs the only thing the that trademark will do is keep someone from calling the identical look coin a geocoin. If she really wants to protect the design she needs to trademark the design itself. If I am total off on this someone please correct me. A trademarked item needs to be distinctive. For example, Nike Shoes is a trademark. Shoes on the other hand (or should that be foot) can not be trademarked. It is too general. Geocoin seems like a gray area and may not be distinctive enough to even be trademarked. However, Chandler Geocoins or Canadian Geocoins is distinctive enough to be trademarked. Then back to the original concern this would most likely only protect the name but not the artwork on the coins. - Lone Rangers

quote:Originally posted by worldtraveler:I thought about the possibility of differences in the map datums, but could they yield that much difference? And if so, what use is a Mapquest map outside the U.S. (for geocaching.com purposes) if it's not using WGS 84? It is an easy error to make. They get a Hong Kong map with HK map datum that they assume it is WGS-84. They dont have anyone in Hong Kong to verify that the maps are correct so they do know they made a mistake. Here is a random location in Sicily. First in WGS-84 map datum: 37 17.748N 014 38.233E Now in SICIL map datum: 37 17.815N 014 38.275E If the SICIL map datum was to be mistaken for WGS-84 map datum it would make a difference. How much I'm not sure. Maybe someone can calculate the difference for me. Then let me know how you did it. quote: You lost me here. My humble GPS V allows changing the map datum, but I leave it on the geocaching "standard" WGS 84 when hunting/placing caches. I'm not sure what you mean by "set the coord system for WGS-84". My unit only allows changing the map datum, not the "coord system". Worldtraveler Germin probably has a different name for it. Magellan calls it coord system. Its where you change what coordinate system your GPS reports it posistion to you in. On a mapping GPS you should be able to select the coordinate system and the map datum seperatly. The coordinate system is the system that is used when the GPS tells you where it (and hopefully you) is at. The map datum setting is used to tell the GPS what coordinate system is being used on the map that you loaded in to it. This way the GPS can accuratly place you the map. So you can load a map in to your GPS with, for example, SICIL map datum and be able to view your coordinates in WGS-84 and your location on your map will be correct. Otherwise you would have to veiw your coordinates as SICIL for your location to be properly shown on the map and when you switched back to WSG-84 your location on the map would jump because your GPS will be mapping your WSG-84 coordinate location on a SICIL coordinate map. Confused? ...

quote:Originally posted by worldtraveler:I thought about the possibility of differences in the map datums, but could they yield that much difference? And if so, what use is a Mapquest map outside the U.S. (for geocaching.com purposes) if it's not using WGS 84? It is an easy error to make. They get a Hong Kong map with HK map datum that they assume it is WGS-84. They dont have anyone in Hong Kong to verify that the maps are correct so they do know they made a mistake. Here is a random location in Sicily. First in WGS-84 map datum: 37 17.748N 014 38.233E Now in SICIL map datum: 37 17.815N 014 38.275E If the SICIL map datum was to be mistaken for WGS-84 map datum it would make a difference. How much I'm not sure. Maybe someone can calculate the difference for me. Then let me know how you did it. quote: You lost me here. My humble GPS V allows changing the map datum, but I leave it on the geocaching "standard" WGS 84 when hunting/placing caches. I'm not sure what you mean by "set the coord system for WGS-84". My unit only allows changing the map datum, not the "coord system". Worldtraveler Germin probably has a different name for it. Magellan calls it coord system. Its where you change what coordinate system your GPS reports it posistion to you in. On a mapping GPS you should be able to select the coordinate system and the map datum seperatly. The coordinate system is the system that is used when the GPS tells you where it (and hopefully you) is at. The map datum setting is used to tell the GPS what coordinate system is being used on the map that you loaded in to it. This way the GPS can accuratly place you the map. So you can load a map in to your GPS with, for example, SICIL map datum and be able to view your coordinates in WGS-84 and your location on your map will be correct. Otherwise you would have to veiw your coordinates as SICIL for your location to be properly shown on the map and when you switched back to WSG-84 your location on the map would jump because your GPS will be mapping your WSG-84 coordinate location on a SICIL coordinate map. Confused? ...

quote:Originally posted by Doppler: Say... has anyone placed a Bermuda Triangle cache? -- Doppler A multi cache with each location at one point of the triange. The triange is made up of Bermuda, Florida, and where else? To log this cache you must disappear in the Bermida Triangle and never be hear from again. ...

quote:Originally posted by Doppler: Say... has anyone placed a Bermuda Triangle cache? -- Doppler A multi cache with each location at one point of the triange. The triange is made up of Bermuda, Florida, and where else? To log this cache you must disappear in the Bermida Triangle and never be hear from again. ...

Seriously though. He hasn't told you what he has planned for the TB? Maybe he is waiting to do something special with it (hopefully not a trip to Iceland) or maybe he only geocaches on occasion or maybe he doesn't know the difference between cache item and a TB and he plans on keeping it. Have you asked him what he plan on doing with the TB and when he plans on placing it? Don't feel as though plans are set in stone. If he doesn't place it when he sais he will I'd also send an email kindly asking for an update (it may have been placed but not logged). Don't ask why he did place the TB, thats rude and if he wants you to know he will tell you. Sometimes more important things do some up but it is also courtesy to keep the TB owner informed. Sometimes (usually) the TB owner needs to be the proactive one. ...

My guess is that it may have somehting to do with how MapQuest converts the map datum on their Hong Kong map. Different countries, even different provinces, use different datums. Sicily uses a different datum than the rest of Italy. I've been reading a little about coord systems and map datum and even though the two are related they are two different things. When geocaching you should set the coord system for WGS-84 and the map datum for the country/area that you are caching in. If you don't you will still find the cache but your GPS generated maps will be off. Here is link to a page about the Hong Kong grid. Here is another page that talks about being aware of the different map datums outside of America. quote: And then there's the third possibility... and possible intrigue. The park where I placed the cache happens to be in an area where there is a large concentration of embassies, including that of the U.S. Do you suppose the discrepancies could be due to the imposition of selective availability? If so, this may account for the greater discrepancy (~1 km) near the cache (and embassies) and somewhat lesser discrepancy further away at the hotel. My limited understanding of the GPS system is that if SA was to be reinterduced it would have to be done system wide. You can not make a just a small location, say just an embasy, read different than only a few blocks away. A satellite sends the same signal to everyone that is listening. It can not select or deselect a certian building, city block, or even city. If you would want to "black out" an area, even a very small one you would have to "turn off" all the satellites that visable overhead from that area at that time. It would effect a very large area. ...

My guess is that it may have somehting to do with how MapQuest converts the map datum on their Hong Kong map. Different countries, even different provinces, use different datums. Sicily uses a different datum than the rest of Italy. I've been reading a little about coord systems and map datum and even though the two are related they are two different things. When geocaching you should set the coord system for WGS-84 and the map datum for the country/area that you are caching in. If you don't you will still find the cache but your GPS generated maps will be off. Here is link to a page about the Hong Kong grid. Here is another page that talks about being aware of the different map datums outside of America. quote: And then there's the third possibility... and possible intrigue. The park where I placed the cache happens to be in an area where there is a large concentration of embassies, including that of the U.S. Do you suppose the discrepancies could be due to the imposition of selective availability? If so, this may account for the greater discrepancy (~1 km) near the cache (and embassies) and somewhat lesser discrepancy further away at the hotel. My limited understanding of the GPS system is that if SA was to be reinterduced it would have to be done system wide. You can not make a just a small location, say just an embasy, read different than only a few blocks away. A satellite sends the same signal to everyone that is listening. It can not select or deselect a certian building, city block, or even city. If you would want to "black out" an area, even a very small one you would have to "turn off" all the satellites that visable overhead from that area at that time. It would effect a very large area. ...

quote:Originally posted by Markwell: The Mystery Item in question was the Travel Bug. For some bizarre reason, some of the old threads keep popping to future dates. Markwell Non omnes vagi perditi sunt Posts: 36 | From: Plainfield, IL, USA | Registered: March 09, 2001 Congrats on your 1 year geocaching anniversary, Markwell! ---------------------------------------- Quit your bellyaching and go geocaching!

quote:Originally posted by mrcpu: I'm curious how many people have gotten or are planning on getting a Charter Membership. It looks like a lot more people signed up as a member membership than ones that will not. So why do I see so many posts about poeple being upset about a membership based system? Quit your bellyaching and go geocaching!

Microcaches have their place. The middle of the woods is not one of them. Sometimes a film canister is the only way to go in an urban area. quote:Originally posted by macro: Can we all please get back to relevant topics? This forum used to be a great place to learn about the game....lately....I digress. Here is a topic.....Microcaches..love'm or hate'm? I can never find them first time out... probably because I am always in a rush or being watched.... but what is your take on tiny caches? How small is too small? 1/2 pint container? Film canister? Chapstick tube (cleaned out of course)? Chime in!

Microcaches have their place. The middle of the woods is not one of them. Sometimes a film canister is the only way to go in an urban area. quote:Originally posted by macro: Can we all please get back to relevant topics? This forum used to be a great place to learn about the game....lately....I digress. Here is a topic.....Microcaches..love'm or hate'm? I can never find them first time out... probably because I am always in a rush or being watched.... but what is your take on tiny caches? How small is too small? 1/2 pint container? Film canister? Chapstick tube (cleaned out of course)? Chime in!

I use a program used plucker. It is still being developed but it is stable and aviable at most palm download sites. It works with Windows, Unix (Linux), and MAC. READ the instructions bacuse it is not very intuitive. You have to edit some text files. It collects the pages and you can view then offline on you palm.