Not So Lost Puppies

I don't remember if I posted my quess before, but it is Jan 13th 2007.

a quick check to see if the PQ will work or not is just to preview it. If you get results in the preview you should get results in e-mail.

Yes, the first 'geocache' (stash) was hidden because of the turning off of the Selective Availablity on the GPS system, which made everyones personal GPSr accurated enough to find a bucket in the woods. Not everyone uses a GPS to hunt and find geocaches. It is NOT a requirement, you can find them any way you want to. Even just wandering around in the woods without a map or compass if you really want it to be difficult.

maybe your mail server or client decided it was junk mail?

I believe that the PQ GPX files only have 5 logs, if you do not clear your GSAK database between new PQ GPX imports, you will keep the earlier logs for caches that were already in your database, which will let you put more than 5 into your Palm with Cachemate. If you do a GPX file download directly from a cache page, I think it comes with more (maybe all?) the logs. I haven't tested that.

That usually means that the set of activation codes to go along with the tracking numbers hasn't been fully loaded into their database yet.

there is a wooden nickel trading thread already that you may want to post in.

You can get GPX files from the individual cache pages themselves. There is a link near the coordinates on the cache page to download a loc or a gpx file. It is handy for grabbing a newly listed cache into your software. but for mass listing, PQs are the only way to get them from GC. note though that you can share GPX files with others.

If you check it to always run on a particular day, or even every day, they will handle when it runs, and it may not be at 24hr intervals depending on the server load. You do NOT get to chose the time a scheduled query runs, it runs as the server gets to it. Though the first time you tell a PQ to run, if you tell it the current day, it will run pretty quickly, usually within 5 minutes. I may have been wrong about running a particular query more than once per 24hrs, you can't schedule it for more than once per day. But you are limited to 5 per 24hrs, not 5 per day. though for most people it is the same thing... but watch if you doing something like getting ready for going on a trip... if you expect to run one the next morning, don't run 5 of them the night before. you can't run the 6th until 24hrs after the first one your ran. edit: Markwell: That is a pretty good site.

Many local organizations have implemented "cache rescue" processes. They list archived caches and request someone to volunteer to check that the cache had been removed and any remnants of it also removed it had been destroyed.

as was stated, as a premium member you can filter low terrain rating caches... I would say you probably want to look at terrain ratings of 2 or higher, and a cache size or small or larger. There isn't really a way to determine that it is really in the woods unless you look at them on a map. you can display nearby caches on the maps in GC, or there is a kml add-on to google earth that will show you cache locations. That would give you a good idea which ones are really in the woods. But I don't think many terrain 2 or higher would be urban, though they may be in a community park.

The * ...7days is only in regards to the "My Finds" pocket query. One thing to note though is that you "PREVIEW" your queries as often as you want. Every minute if you really want to. Previewing your PQs is a very good idea, because it will show you what you will recieve when it runs (though you may get some new ones, lose some archived ones between your preview and its running) and it shows if you are going to get what you want without wasting one of your allowed query runs for the day. You can only have a max of 5 PQs e-mailed to you in 24hrs. And any specific PQ can only be run ever 24hrs, not once a day... 24hrs between runnings. I believe that means that if you ran (e-mailed) 1 PQ at noon yesterda, then 4 at 8am today, you cannot run another PQ until noon today, and then not any further until after 8am tomorrow when you could run up to 4.

My opinion is that you should have two of them then... one for your car routing and one for out of the car use. I don't believe any of the current units can handle both tasks very well. You also would be pretty upset if while caching you dropped your portable car gps and it broke, since they are not as well protected from drops, and also more expensive than most handhelds. While I don't have an opinion on a car routing GPS, I think a good starter GPS for geocaching would be the foretrex or other under $100 handheld units. Especially if you are going to also have a car GPS, because then you would have less of a need for any mapping ability in your handheld. If you have an Aldi's store in your area, check there... Last I was at ours, they had the foretrex 101 (wrist mount, uses AAA batteries) for $70, though I've heard the price has dropped again as someone got on for $40! recently.

you don't get coordinates from the cryptexes, you get clues as to where the photo was taken... you have to find that location and then find its coordinates.

I think they pretty much already have the needed control over the tracking numbers... you need to get your design approved before you can get tracking numbers for it. If you only do 100 but ordered 250 tracking numbers, you need to get your second design approved as well. I still don't see where in their documents that the end product needs to be made of metal, just that the design must be approved. If they saw the numbers being used with an un-approved design item they would be within their rights to 'lock' those tracking numbers. I have a couple of geo'coins' that aren't much more than just stamped aluminum. not even close to the 'quality' we are used to, but they were approved and got numbers. They have already shown that you can put them onto 'paper' coins for circulation. (the replica coins) so why should you need to even bother with the metal? If geocoin tracking numbers are only allowed on metal coins, then these replica coins should be banned.

I figured out the error with #5, it is a problem with the link, the text shows the correct web page. You need to go back to the page with the cryptex link and it should have a link to the next page (which will have another link to a cryptex) Any clue to as to how many cryptexes there will be?

I get a Not found error for cryptex 5

My personal thoughts... I think it is too expensive to take out tromping through the woods and risking it breaking (either drop, or wet, etc) Though it may do well to use in the car to get you close and then do your wifi logging. For paperless, I like using an older PDA that I could easily replace without spending much $, since paperless doesn't require anything fancy in a PDA, even old Palm III work great for it, and are very inexpensive.

I would think as long as you purchased the required number of tracking codes it would be ok. I thought the min was 100 of them (if you don't care about icon)?

what are directions?? what is a FAQ? What does RTFM mean?!?! I and my wife both routinely deal with the issue outside of these forums (my wife doesn't visit the forums here, so she is spared ) in our jobs as computer support techs. (actually I'm a network admin, but also do the duties of PC support) so I'm well versed in the process of holding my tongue while explaining something yet again (at work it is often to the same people over and over) I commend you on your ability to research and read those seem to be abilities that are greatly lacking in the general population these days. And geocaching being something most anyone can do, brings in all portions of the spectrum. and speaking of those individuals... I had heard a new error message for them some time ago... PICNIC = Problem In Chair Not In Computer goes along with the I D ten (put the number there) T error and PEBCAK (Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard) But without those people, many of us wouldn't have the jobs we have. Of course without those people maybe the US would be a major player in the non-service industries again as well. Would you like fries with that?

hmmm.... but if you submit your artwork and pay them for your tracking numbers, what does it matter if that artwork is on a hunk of metal or a hunk of wood? as long as you don't change your approved artwork? I didn't think they ask if it will be on a piece of metal or done through an 'approved' mint. shouldn't we be able to put the tracking numbers on any material, as long as the artwork meets with their approval?

Source? I haven't seen it clearly spelled out, but I'm sure that many would consider it to be 'tampering' with the mailbox. In any case.. I can't think of any time when it would be a good idea to place anything on a mailbox of any kind.

Good point! Of course most landowners in Wisconsin post their land to stop it from being invaded by a bunch of people in orange clothing around Thanksgiving. So now this thread has a bunch of people giving a bunch of reasons why an actual NT sign may be invalid (which we wouldn't know unless there was a note on the cache page or we did some research on our own). We have other people saying you should always assume the sign is correct and either heed the sign or find a legal way to the cache. Now we had another adding that no sign doesn't mean you can trespass! So I guess the moral of the story is the cache owner should do all this work so everyone else doesn't have to! The cache owner should also post all pertinent info on the cache page! I agree that if there may be any question as to the question about private property trespassing related to common hunting of a cache, that it should be made clear in the cache descriptoin. If there is private property in the area, and there is a clearly legal public way in, it should either be shown, or at least mentioned in the cache description that there is a legal way into the cache. I have seen that listed on some, and thanks to those who listed it! I'm not saying the owner must always list the exact path to find the cache, but at least let us know there is a known public access route. And also let us know there is property we should not go onto. Yes, it is the cache hunters responsibility to find the proper way in, but its good to know there are wrong ways. I also think that if it is on private property and permission has been granted, that it should also be noted if the neighbors know about it (and they should be told about it!). We've had to explain to a county sheriff's deputy what we were doing when I returned from a cache that had permission (owner's in-laws property) because the neighbors across the street called 911. (luckily my wife had stayed in the car with our dog so he didn't feel the need to find us in the woods - probably with gun drawn. story posted in other threads)

I enjoy night caches... better when we are prepared to be finding it at night. We've done a couple at dusk and took us longer to get to it than expected so it turned into a night cache... without a good flashlight. I've done two of them using a little "red" LED keyring light while it was in its package (it was in our swag bag). I've done another using my cell phone and gps backlight to try and light my way for the 1/3 mile hike back through the woods. I don't really have any issues (physical or mental) tromping through the woods at night, (as a boy scout I used to run through the woods at night, usually only by the star/moon light) but my wife is sometimes abit nervous about it. She is getting better about it though.

I saw this in another thread that is very relevant: direct link to the quoted post