Joe_L

I’m irked by the closing of the “What Irks You” thread. It was a good place for one-off posts that didn’t need a separate thread.

Please don’t stand on a step ladder like that….

Years ago I posted a Needs Archived on a cache that I knew was gone. It was a magnetic key holder on a guide rail, and the highway department removed the rail as part of the bridge replacement. The reviewer changed it to a Needs Maintenance using text that was similar to the original post. A month or so later, after no action by the CO, it was archived. The text in the original post looks neutral to me. Just keep posting NAs as needed.

I’ve never tried this, but consider 1-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe with threaded fittings. The pipe can be cut to lengths that are easy to transport. Smooth fittings (couplings) would also work for joining the pipe, but they can be difficult to pull apart.

Found 20 golf balls that had been teed off from a backyard into a park down below. Donated them to a group that provides golf equipment to military deployed overseas.

There are some invasive species, such as multiflora rose and Japanese burberry, that I’ll trim back immediately adjacent to my caches.

1, 3 & 4 - I rarely check the TB contents of caches before I go out. So it’s always a surprise. Generally, I’ll retrieve any TB I find, just to keep it moving. When I get home and find out the mission (like if it wants to go some specific place), I’ll do what I can, especially if I have a trip out of town coming up. Other than that, I drop it as soon as I can. 2. I have no idea. 5. I try to drop TBs as soon as I can. On occasions, I’ve held onto a few TBs much longer than typical either because of extended periods between caching, waiting for a trip, absence of caches of suitable size, or in one case, trying to help a TB on its mission.

When I’ve geocached while on business trips, it’s always been at the destination. Maybe a short drive from the hotel. I’ve had occasional long drives, and I’ve considered stopping along the way for geocaches, like in a park or some other interesting location. The issue was never how long it would take, but rather, what might go wrong: injury, car doesn’t start, minor accident. Then I would be faced with the question from a boss: “What were you doing there? That’s not on the way to the job.”

Are you certain that the person who took the cache is the cacher you suspect? (How good is the video quality?) A member of the congregation may have taken it without knowing that it was allowed to be there. Or they asked the wrong person about it. And the gave it to the wrong person. (If permission was granted by, say, the pastor, the pastor might not have mentioned it to the secretary or council.) Does it make any sense that the cacher you suspect would steal your cache? Have they done things like this before?

You could try Liquid Nails (it also comes in a tube). Also, try roughening the tubes with a little sand paper to prepare the surface for the glue.

Thule and other companies make bike racks that use flat hooks to attach to trunks. Or consider renting an SUV or pick up truck for a day or two.

Sorry about that. I didn't look at the Help Center before posting which says to place it in another cache 2 to 3 weeks after picking one up. Bad memory. There is also nuance to the terms used about tracking that I didn't appreciate. But in the end, considering the popularity of iPhones in the US, the tag's position will probably be conveyed to the tag owner's phone. Per the graphics on the AirTag website, the tag's location and address are identified on a map. In the TB part of the game, once a TB is released into the wild, the only knowledge that a TO has about the TB is the cache that it is in or the cacher who has the TB. And that applies to the expectations of the cachers who pick up the TB. Obtaining a home address without consent is just unethical.

I can’t figure out the nested quote function, but a while back a comment was made about why I would think that the AirTag owner would show up. That is because that is the way AirTags are marketed. After the lost object is located, the AirTag owner goes to pick it up. There was the question of hoarding, but what about forgetfulness or less frequent caching. Four weeks seems to be the general guideline for dropping a found TB. Would a TB-AirTag owner show up at week five? Remember, the beep was added to minimize/prevent stalking so the use of AirTags can go beyond finding lost keys. I never expected to see an AirTag on a TB, but now I’ll take a closer look.

AirTags were made to locate lost or misplaced (and I suppose stolen) possessions, like keys or backpacks. Presumably, one would go to that location to recover the item. I would expect the same from a tagged TB - someone will come to my door and confront me about it.

Adding an AirTag to a TB strikes me as unethical. While the intention may have been to track the TB, the result is tracking a person without their consent or knowledge. Adding an AirTag is also creepy, for the same reason. Depending on where a person keeps their geocaching kit, the tag could track much more than just their home. And that is bad enough. This is what I would do: I would use a hand sledge or hammer to remove the battery so the battery can be properly disposed of. After determining that the tag is disabled, I would dispose of the tag in the trash. I would then drop the TB into a difficult cache, but not record the drop.

I see. I switch back and forth between the app and website on my phone. I lost track which view had the favorites indicators.

Thank you for providing a way to turn the indicator off. But it seems that you can only toggle it on and off through the app.

I think I recall a similar post long ago about a hide like this. The cap problems were solved by making an oval shape from a loop or two of heavy wire, like a coat hanger. The small diameter was a little larger than the inner diameter of the fence post. A bison tube or similar container was attached to the bottom of the long diameter. Then the loop was pushed into place inside the post; the wire is springy enough to push against the inner wall and hold the cache in place at the top. But not so tight that it can’t be pulled out.

My favorite TB was just the tag on a chain. It originated from a military base in Afghanistan in 2013, travelled to the US after a few drops, was logged as missing in 2015, then reappeared and was placed in a remote cache in Pittsburgh in 2016. It was there until late 2018 when I picked it up. I was amazed by the journey it made, and knowing that many TBs disappear, I was hesitant to release it because of its provenance. I held onto it much too long, but since TBs are supposed to travel, I decided that it had to go back into the wild, and I placed it in a war memorial cache, which seemed appropriate. Last I checked it was still moving, one way or another.

I choose the caches that I search for primarily based on location: I prefer parks and preserves. Or, if I'm in a new state, I'll pick one that I think I can readily find because I may not have a lot of free time while visiting. I do not even consider FPs. I'm in the test group, and the little hearts are just noise. If implemented, please provide a way to turn them off.

One last thing (and I wish I had checked this earlier), the Disabling a Cache section in the Help Center says : “You can temporarily disable your cache page if the cache needs repairs or if the area is closed temporarily.” So if the area is temporarily closed, then there is no time limit on how long the cache is Disabled.

Then, with that criterion, your only choice is to continue posting notes and trust that the reviewer is not operating in a vacuum. After all, your notes are identifying the physical constraints that are affecting your ability to re-enable the cache. The notes haven’t been month after month of “I haven’t had time to go out” or statements along those lines. Looks like something may change in the next few weeks per the GNW webpage.

My thinking was that access to the entire track, which appears to be needed for the current cache page, would not be necessary. Maybe one can’t easily get to the sign or the cache, but both could still be made active, which appears to be the point.

Here’s a suggestion: temporarily change and simplify the cache page and solution, but save the current version for re-use. Use the sign at the first stage for the letters and numbers for the final location. It will be much less elegant and less interesting than what you currently have, but it allows you to activate the page. Whether or not the cache is accessible as originally intended is moot. When the trail is restored and reopened, re-load your original page.

Maybe this will help, but it is an educated guess. I use Edge for work. Occasionally, there are problems with downloading intracompany files, and this is the work-around: I'm assuming that a download box will appear in the upper right corner when you try to download the PQ. In that download box, there is a circle with three dots. Right-click (I think) that and a number of options will appear, one of which is "Keep anyway" (or something like that). Click that, and I think it will place the file in the Downloads folder. Joe