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macroderma

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Everything posted by macroderma

  1. There's an active thread discussing this on the GSAK forums. It appears to be a glitch on the geocaching Web site. --Larry I had the same problem - deleting IE history fixed it
  2. I am quite impressed The linkage between OSM mapping and the database is quite tight - in some way better than GSAK, although I think the latter has an edge in manipulation -especially when one considers the macro library Although lack of API access is a definite drawback it is not too much hassle using GSAK GPX exports via a dropbox account
  3. Yes I have looked there but the question has been asked before and unanswered so I thought I'd try here Anyway, after an evening playing I discovered the offline functionality is delivered by QLandkarte, which had not installed correctly so the links from OCM did not work. Sorted that out now and I must say the two are a pretty good combo on my laptop Run fast too
  4. Hello All Looks like I will be working away from home in the near future so I will be away from my PC with GSAK Although I can upload my GPS at weekends with a fresh GSAK export and I can use Cachesense in the week it would nice to have a copy of my offline database with me - with GSAK-type manipulation I have an old EEPC901 now running Linux Mint and I discovered Open Cache Manager which is very good. The ability to view maps with a cache overlay (like the gc.com maps on the website) is really good, but as far as I can see I need a data connection to make it work In an ideal world I would prefer not to be reliant on WiFi - or WIfI via my phone! Documentation is a bit sketchy and after some googling I still haven't found out if it is possible to use OCM with offline maps (like I can with Cachesense) Anyone know? Or should I use an offline map viewer like GMAPCatcher and a gpx export?
  5. Agreeed... The reviewers volunteered their serviced to Groundspeak and should only be answerable to them. The ban on placing caches on land that is managed or owned by the M.O.D. should only be put in place if and when someone from the M.O.D., who has the authority do do so, contacts either a reviewer directly or contacts Groundspeak and informs them of the ban. The fact that some nameless person, who may or may not have that authority, has told the someone in the G.A.G.B., who definitely have no authority to implement a ban, that caches are no longer permitted is totally irrelevant and should be ignored until such time as the above condition has been met. Actually, the person is not nameless (Richard E Brooks, Senior Environmental Advisor (Access and Recreation), Defence Infrastructure Organisation) and the GAGB have not imposed a ban (they can't as they don't list caches). Groundspeak (via the reviewers) have imposed the ban based on the information forwarded to them by GAGB. As I understand it, the MOD contacted GAGB and told them of the ban. GAGB tried to negotiate, but were not able to get them to change their mind. I do agree they should fight harder in situations like this - the MoD is not the same as a private landowner, it is "owned" by us. I respect that they have a job to do, but the job title of the contact (Access and Recreation) acknowledges they also have a responsibility to share, where practical, the vast tracts of land they use. The easy option for the MoD was to say "ban all caches" without even specifying where. However, we shouldn't let them get away with the easy option. In this case I do think we should be tougher, to not simply accept what they tell us but challenge them to justify it and be suffciently awkward that a blanket ban is no longer the easiest option for them. Most importantly we should require them to be explicit about which areas they would like banned. As I see it there are 2 risks they might be concerned about - that of packages being left near sensitive areas such as barracks, and that of searchers setting off unexploded munitions. The first could be dealt with by limited exclusion zones round such locations. The second could be dealt with by requiring caches not to be camouflaged as munitions - tupperware type containers should be OK because as far as I know there are no guns that fire tupperware rounds - bear in mind we are looking only at the additional risk caused by caching over other activities that are allowed. Rgds, Andy I have cached on and off MOD land for years, indeed I am an employee! I think the DIO may have some misconceptions - I don't know of Mr Brooks but he may have come from a different area of the old Defence Estates organisation after the most recent reorganisation 1. Geocaches are identifed as such and left in an exact (well, within 20 feet or so) position which the MOD has access to. There is absolutely no danger of them being mistaken for anything else. The land manager could easily request a mapped listing of geocaches, decriptions even photos for his security staff who could also be present when they are placed. 2. Geocachers can easily respect super-sensitive areas - all they need is to be told. Those areas should be off limits to the general public anyway 3. If there is a a real danger of unexploded munitions there should be NO public access to the area anyway.Saying you can come in but don't touch anything is a total cop out IMHO. MOD knows which areas are live firing areas - the rest of pretty safe, the worst you might find is an unexploded thunderflash or smoke grenade - far worse is sold openly in November to the yobs around my house. 4. On my local ranges I suspect the land manager has far more issues with dog mess and litter plus burned out BBQs than geocaches - they may be regarded as 'litter' by some, but it is 'maintained litter' and carefully placed with the owner's knowledge. 5. If DIO is adamant can we not request a pilot programme in a less sensitive area and see how that goes? 6. A range of well-intentioned, motivated, centrally coordinated and navigationally aware people going around MOD land should be recruited to help DIO in its land management role. I would be happy to assist in reporting some of the reprobates I see (with photos times and places!!!) Security in iteself is not enough - JSP440 (the bible) requires judgement in its application and not just blanket bans as they actually can be more dangerous as they engender a fasle sense of security
  6. 76Csx does not support PQs directly - you need to download them to your PC and then export them - GSAK is ideal Use GSAK to manage your PQs then export to the 76Csx - hints will export but there is a character limit so you will not get the full hint if it is over 20 or so characters
  7. Aha!!! Thought there had to be an easy way! Thanks - if I am ever lucky enough to get back there I will do a proper PQ of that area alone!
  8. Just looking at my GSAK database and realised that I am getting Channel Islands caches with my southern and southwest england PQs Is there an exisiting filter somewhere? Easy to make one, but I am lazy! The CountryStateCounty GSAK macro doesn't seem to label them with anything Thanks Edit:typo
  9. Hi Go to Edit Menu/Preferences.../Routing On that tab you can chnge your routing preferences (I suspect you are on direct routing rather than road)
  10. They don't speak a lot of French round there. The Swiss cachers tend to hang out at swissgeocache.ch. Thanks, I will go and have a look
  11. We are off to Switzerland (Bern Oberland area) in early May Before I venture into the french/german speaking boards does anyone have any tips/links to swiss geocaching resources, hiking routes, maps etc? Preferably in English....... Many thanks PS We could take TBs with us.....
  12. I want to know if i can upload my current memory map collection (all version 5.0) just like i can to my pda, to the new memory map 2800 . Or do i have to re-purchase all the maps again which would be a non starter to any person with one iota of sanity. This system looks promising or is it too good to be true like the locked out system as in satmap. I agree - MM may have produced the ideal solution The satmap system is fatally flawed IMHO - I want the ability to plan and use OS mapping within one system of PC/rugged GPS. At the mo I can achieve it with a PDA but it is far from elegant and I end up carrying an Otterbox as well as a GPS!
  13. Anyone seen one? The blurb says compatible with MM V5 - does that mean I can upload from my (extensive) collection at 50 and 250k?
  14. If you are considering a 60CSx you may wish to consider a 76Csx, recently they were selling cheaper. The innards are identical, form factor is different (more like a TV remote control) but it is designed to float (I think it is aimed more at the marine market) rather than just be waterproof I use one and am very happy with it
  15. I use an EEE Pc but went for the XP version Works a treat and ideal for travelling - but I think the keyboard is better on the Aspire I have all my geocaching software loaded onto it - GSAK, cachemate, memory map and mapsource Acer Aspires (or soemthing very similar) were selling for around £230 in Tesco Extras recently
  16. I activated mine and placed it in a cache... maybe everyone else did the same (as intended by Garmin)? Found it at the weekend It WILL NOT be disappearing into a collection
  17. Like you I am interested in the ASUS for GSAK as it is the ideal size for travelling (I find even a 15" laptop rather bulky) and has WiFi for PQ downloads, googlemap access etc. Plus I often end up carrying two laptops - one for work and one for caching, unless I can load up everything into my PDA (and then I have to work off cachemate and no updates) If I could run GSAK on my PDA I would, but Clyde has made it clear that he has no intention of supporting windows mobile versions (he probably has his work cut out with XP/Vista!) The new 900 has a slightly larger screen and seems to be retailing at around £320 - I may wait though for the larger battery in the 901 due out in July
  18. I bumped into this one today while looking for something else Anyone know of any background? I thought it is an easy, interesting and worthwhile add-on to some of my caches that are in good GPS reception areas
  19. Thanks for that I have had a play and now sussed how to do it. Is there a way to export to the findstats macro and create some sort of chart of the counties visited or even create a county map Interesting but this is only resloving things in the GSAK database What I would like is the ability to filter on multiple counties or regions at the PQ level - then I would not be downloading hundreds of caches I will never go near This has to be A Good Thing from GS's point of view as it will surely reduce the overall number of PQs It looks like we are heading that way which is great - but how long will it be?
  20. I think that it is down to feedback and experience All of my caches have to fulfil the crietria: "would I like to do them?" Works for me
  21. Any update? I am getting to the stage where I will have to do some radical surgery on my PQs (currently based on original placing date) to feed GSAK - or sign up for another account The new filtering system will allow me to filter PQs properly (and probably reduce the number I need) I cache all along the south coast and occasionally in London, Wales and the Midlands as I move around for my job, so it is tricky coming up with a PQ filter that doesn't include all of the UK. I suppose I will have to move to a combined geographic filter (say 200 miles based on Bristol) and hiding date (to keep PQ below 500) Anyone have any ideas?
  22. I had the same issue with one of my caches. Strictly it broke the proximity rule with the final hide position of a nearby offset cache being within 0.1 miles. In actual fact there was no direct connection - there was a field and no footpath or other direct route between and they were nearly half a mile apart by road The reviewer exercised discretion and permitted it when I explained the facts Both are still going strong
  23. You must have just skimmed the topic. One thing I and others have noted is that pretty much all local guidelines are most certainly still in place. Bridges and rail lines are no issue in the UK. Dry stone walls are. Exactly the opposite is the case in the US. Nothing has changed with these UK guidelines. You have not been asked to change the way you write up cache pages at this time. The only thing that really changed is the closing of a couple of charity based topics in the forums. That is the main "global" aspect of things I've talked about. I've demonstrated why you have to think globally regarding that when I posted regarding various possible charities. To those who wanted to do the commando challenge, the air ambulance charity is a good one. My follow up post explains why some other global charity efforts might be offensive to UK cachers. Mandy's calendar initiative shows that if you ask for permission and if the charity cause is one that Groundspeak feels benefits cachers, it might be approved. OK, maybe the cute dog avatar helped. "US cabal". Amazing what some people will say. Yes, hard work continues at Signal's Ninja Cabal Empire Headquarters. World domination plans continue with earnest. Those comments do you no credit and reinforce my impression that some people have been in the hierarchy of GS for too long and are too ready to accept the party line and unwilling to accept any criticism of it Railway lines and dry stone walls are just fluff - we are talking about much higher level policy and vision I will read the revised policy with interest
  24. Well, I have read all the way through this thread and I am none the wiser As I understand it we have guidelines which previously have been interpreted by local reviewers to ensure conformity with local custom, practice and law. That seems to be commonsense Those guidelines are now to be interpreted globally by a US cabal that does not permit any local variation I don't care for the 'this was our idea, and we decide the rules' argument. GS has been taking money from us for years to improve and run the website. I believe that gives us some say in how this sport develops, and in particular how local issues should be incorporated A lot of level-headed people, whose judgement I respect, seem to share my opinion that asking for local input and then ignoring it in some crusade to impose a global policy is nonsense My premium membership is due for renewal in July - if things carry on as they are (we will do what we want and don't care for your opinion and will buy you off with platituides until you get fed up and go elsewhere) it will not be renewed I can waste the money on charity instead
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