lifechooser

Cercocarpus... it seems the geocaching bug has found you! What you found was a geocoin, which will fit into a lot of caches. Geocoins usually have some sort of mission, such as getting to Peru, but the journey is usually more important than the destination. The way bugs and coins usually move is by small hops from cache to cache until someone who is going the right way can pick it up and take it where it wants to go. It's fun watching them move around. As you aren't heading for Peru, try to find a cache that you think the coin won't linger in for too long. To find a suitable cache, do a search near where you live, click on view map, and you'll see that there are probably hundreds in your local area. Find one that is a size small or above, that looks as though it could be pinpointed easily using google's satellite view, and nearby trees and buildings. Print the satellite photo, write the clue down and see if you can find it. I've grabbed a few this way. GC1G88V Looks like a great place to put it if you're driving, or perhaps GCVT4Q. (You can search by code too).

That would make sense given the colour scheme. Thanks Edit: I found it! http://www.newgeocoin.com/2010/12/geocoin-2010-christmas-stocking-grab.html

Thread hijack: I'm still trying to find out where my 10 year multi-event coin originated from. I've seen a couple of lists of these coins, but none match this colour combo. Can anyone help?

For urban cache and grabs, I use my HTC Desire Z with official app. Being able to check recent logs, only looking at the hint when I need to, and finding caches on the fly - it's superb, and the GPS is generally more accurate than my garmin, and much much faster. For a long walk, I use paper and my old yellow etrex. I hope to stop having to use it once the official app stops insisting on a data connection to show me a pocket query. Waiting for a GPRS or no signal means the phone is active all of the time, and the battery dies very quickly. If I could get a bearing and distance instantly, I would be able to keep the phone in my pocket and would manage a day's caching with it easily. The etrex is frustrating, but currently a necessity.

How do you add a waypoint on android? I've been typing co-ordinates into google maps or GPS status.

As I said in my post, I have a USB TB on my desk right now, that had a virus on it when I picked it up. There are many USB stick virii, I can't believe that you are not aware of any which work by spreading from PC to PC via memory stick. They're quite common and as a result many workplaces ban the use of memory sticks entirely. I certainly wouldn't call the risk of getting one at "extremely low". Remember that these days, virii generally stay hidden from view. You will be unaware that you have one unless your virus scanner tells you. Modern virii generally do three things - Turn your computer into a bot which sends out many thousands of spam emails in the background. - Search your PC for personal information such as bank details, or log keypresses to get credit card information. - Pretend to be antivirus software, then pretend you have a virus, and then annoy you until you pay them money to 'clean' your PC. Don't use found memory sticks, unless you are certain that you can deal with any virus they may contain, and *always* have a good antivirus installed. Windows Defender, AVG and Avast are all good, and all free or have free versions. (only install one as two can confuse each other and make them less effective).

I've got some experience with these types of bugs. One I have on my desk right now is a USB memory stick. I tried it in my PC and sure enough, it had a virus. I've cleaned it, but if I wasn't certain about the protection that PC had, I wouldn't have inserted the memory stick. However, I'm sure many less PC literate people will have looked at the contents of the stick and possibly become infected. Generally I think that USB bugs are a bad thing. Having said that, I have an SD card travel bug which seems to be doing quite well - http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=2967798 I chose an SD card, as most digital cameras use them and cachers can insert it into their cameras without any risk of virii - there isn't a virus in the world that can infect a digital camera, or even could. I have asked that people don't use it in their computers for the same reason, and also to avoid taking it out of the local area so that I can retrieve it. It's a 1gb card worth less than its tag, and sits in a keyring which is designed to hold it. Currently it's on its 4th owner, I hope to retrieve it after 10. A micro SD card doesn't have the same level of compatibility, it's a phone format really, and as such there is a minor virus risk, but I think that most people will be unable to do anything with it. It's also so small it might go missing.

It's going well then...

Thanks StealthRT, I'll email you back with details. Richard

He's mine. I named him after a friend of mine who is called Dave, keeps donkeys, and hence has the nickname Donkey Dave. Why do you ask?

At the last two meetings I went to, I won a geocoin, but they were both the same, so I wondered if someone wanted to swap a coin with me? I haven't registered the coin yet, so if you're happy to swap with me I'll send you the tracking number, activation code and a photo, and when you're ready I'll put the coin in a local cache. In return you will do the same with one of your coins - I'll probably set a mission to try to get my new coin home so ideally I'd rather do this with someone outside of Europe. My coin is a soundcatcher:

That's great news and congratulations on qualifying, I'm sure you'll both grab loads of caches together. Is he going to get a tracking number, and can I meet him tonight at the Hampshire monthly?

Another option would be to contact the CO of the film canister and ask if they will archive it, in return for being joint owner of your new cache.

I would go for giffgaff too, which I think you need to get in advance. Otherwise, Tesco is probably best as you can just walk into a store and grab one. Tesco is the UK's largest supermarket. Coverage is better in the UK than in America and Australia, as the country is more densely populated, so nearly the entire country has good phone signal. 3G is more variable, but you won't have any issues at all near London or Edinburgh. Don't expect too much in the way of signal if you go bush in the highlands though. I would plan the Scottish caches in advance, and practice signalless caching before you come. You may need different software, or to enter co-ordinates manually. I would not anticipate any problems at all if you are within 50 miles of London though. http://www.o2.co.uk/coveragechecker

The odd comparison never made between the UK and US is the $ per mile. A few years ago, the average American was paying $2 / gallon to fill up his 14mpg truck. 1 mile = 14c / mile. Meanwhile, here in the UK we were paying 90p/litre to fill up our 30mpg(uk) hatchbacks. 1 mile = 13p / mile (20.8c) Now Americans are paying $3.80 which is 27c /mile and we are paying £1.30 which is 20p or 32 cents. There is a point at which the Americans will be paying more per mile than Brits, and we're approaching that point quickly. The biggest change though is the percentage rise, gas prices in the US have doubled nearly, but in the UK they've gone up by 30%, because the tax rate is mostly static. We may be paying a lot, but at least the money is going towards public healthcare etc. The money that Americans pay is going to the oil producers in the middle east. The ideal solution is for Americans to drive European style cars. It would be better for the environment, for the US economy (buying less oil) and for world stability. What most Americans don't realise is that in the UK, nearly all large cars are diesel powered. Mine is a BMW 5 Series diesel. They're nothing like how they were 20 years ago, and get similar MPG to hybrids. Take a look at a BMW 320d Ed - 0-60mph in 7.8s, yet it does 55 US mpg. Now work out your cents per mile

Why?

I would be willing to bet that once someone uses the last washer, they will re-release it, and someone soon afterwards will refill the bolt to keep the game moving - and then add it to their watchlist so they too can see where their washers are being used. I think it's a great idea, do it!

I'm slowly updating my TB pages to say that I would like people to dip my bugs as they travel. I think it's interesting to follow cachers around for a while, and see where they visit.

I've tried to set interesting goals for my bugs, as I think getting cachers interested is the key to keeping them moving. I have a lock and key pair of bugs. The lock is in the south of England, and the key is in Scotland. Their aim is to meet up and then come home - Currently both are in infrequently visited caches, which I hope will be moved when the weather improves. I have another pair, called "happy snap". One is a 1gb SD card, designed to go in cacher's own digital camera. The other is a disposable film camera. I launched them both at a meet one month ago. One hasn't moved on (I know who has it and he has a plan), the other has photos and is on it's second 'owner'. I also have two racing bugs which are doing well, a keyring sized picture frame which has a dual mission to gather more photos, and only move west (currently held up by snow in New England) and a beaver keyring, which needs to go to Canada to find a mate, then return home (currently held up by snow in New England) ... and a few more bugs with more traditional aims of returning home, and just travelling.

I found this coin a few days ago: http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?guid=7b988f15-4ddd-487e-92f8-04fa641476c9 I make that 17 months missing, and I retrieved it last week from a cache created just 6 weeks ago, about 2 miles from "stuck up the inlet". No-one has admitted to moving it, but it goes to show that coins can return.

Thanks for the links, but I can't see it on either of those. Can anyone name this coin?

I got mine this morning too, they're great, thanks

I searched the saltway, and couldn't find anything like that. I think it's all best summed up by this;

Too late. I've already found one another 10 year multi-event geocoin, but in my favorite colours, on ebay. D'oh. By the way, how do I find out which type of 10 year multi-event coin I have? It's silver coloured metal, with a green outer band, and then all green (on the X side). The other side also has some white as a background fill.

I knew I posted here for a reason, that's a great idea, I like it