Joe_L

If you don’t have a converter handy, you can do the math. There are 60 seconds (“) in a minute (‘), so pull the seconds out of the latitude and longitude: 52.509"/60 = 0.875 4.54005"/60 = 0.076 (Three places to the right of the decimal are all that is needed.) Those values are then added to the minutes that are already there: N 51°34.875' W002°57.076'

I agree. The definitions are based on coordinates. Taking the definitions from the Help Center literally: 2.3. Mystery Caches Puzzle caches The posted coordinates are usually bogus coordinates. Geocachers must solve a puzzle on the cache page to get the coordinates for the first stage or the final container. 2.19. Bonus caches A bonus cache is a Mystery Cache for which you have to find clues in other caches. Sometimes the coordinates for the bonus cache are in one other cache. Caches 1 through 6 would all have coordinates listed on their respective cache pages. Cache 7 is a bonus cache found from the other caches.

Yes to this. Learn basic map reading skills and how to use a compass. Always take a map, rudimentary or detailed, when walking or hiking in undeveloped areas. Maps and compasses don't need batteries, either.

I found a cache on a wetlands walkway that had a “toeboard” rather than a handrail. The walkway construction with 2x4s. The toeboard was made of 8-foot 2x4s laying flat and supported from the walkway deck at the ends by short (4 to 6 inch long) 2x4 pieces. The cache was placed in a partly hollowed out short 2x4 piece placed under the toeboard, between supports. It was “out of place” compared to the other short pieces, but only if you were really looking.

This might not be in the same category as your original question which I truncated, but: Have something based on a physical measurement of the battery, like the distance between the terminals. (Or some other battery dimension, if you can determine if all 9V batteries [that is, regular; alkaline; rechargeable] have identical dimensions.) You’ll probably need to attach a ruler or scale to the stage since I suspect that many cachers do not carry a ruler with them.

And just to note the USA law - from the US Department of the Treasury Resource Center FAQ webpage: Is it illegal to damage or deface coins? Section 331 of Title 18 of the United States code provides criminal penalties for anyone who “fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States.” This statute means that you may be violating the law if you change the appearance of the coin and fraudulently represent it to be other than the altered coin that it is. As a matter of policy, the U.S. Mint does not promote coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage: however, there are no sanctions against such activity absent fraudulent intent. The key word is "fraudulently". The full text (such that it is) can be found in US Code Title 18 Section 331.

Pennsylvania started something like this through East Stroudsburg University. https://www.ticklab.org/

The state did a fast-track bridge replacement over a creek, which included demolishing the bridge and the guide rails on the approaches. There was 9 year old magnetic key holder cache on the guide rail…..

Thanks for that. I think that piece of information gets lost in many discussions. The deer, on the other hand, do a great job of distributing the ticks.

Permethrin-treated clothing is the way to go. Light colors so you can see them. Have one set of pants (at least) and a shirt treated and use those for bushwacking/geocaching. Wash them sparingly - the Permethrin is only good for a few washings. Many people stuff their pants cuffs into their socks. When I've worn my treated pants, I've never had a tick get to my skin. On two or three occasions when I wore regular jeans, I've had an embedded tick, which I discovered within 12 hours each time. Tweezers to pull it off. Visit the Centers for Disease Control website for good information about tick and tick-borne diseases. The University of Rhode Island has excellent information about ticks. After I've been out, I shower and do a tick check with a mirror. Ticks quest (which means the tick waits for a host to happen by and grab on) from the tops of grass and small plants. They climb and crawl. They don't jump and they don't fall from trees. They wait for something to brush by and try to grab on, but will crawl back down the stalk to re-hydrate, then crawl back up again if nothing comes by. They also nest (for lack of a better word) in the damp leaf litter, so one can get a tick when kneeling or sitting on the ground. Ticks don't live too long without moisture to rehydrate, so toss your clothes in a dryer for a cycle to kill them. But they don't do well indoors because they dry out. If you track one into the house, it will probably dry and die before it finds a host. I try to avoid tick prone areas, like tall grass. But one can't always to do that. Also, a good hard rain will knock the questing ticks off the grass. Joe

PVC threaded fittings are tapered, so after several rotations, the fitting is “tight” and can’t get much tighter. One cannot keep turning it snug like nut and bolt. As stated by others, it is difficult to keep these connections dry. I would try the thick o-ring around the threaded part approach. Maybe a flexible rubber pipe coupling trimmed to length? If the proposed location is under a bridge, it may not be exposed to any rain or snow and will stay very dry. I don’t recommend putting PVC in the dishwasher since the heat may affect the PVC; it could deform a bit. (For real PVC piping uses, 140 degrees F is the maximum.) I have a cache held by a magnet under a bridge. I used a blob of two-part epoxy glue to hold the magnet to the irregularly shaped container (match case). Joe

The "3D Buildings" function in GoogleEarth affects the elevation. (In Pittsburgh, it throws the elevation off by 4 to 6 feet.) Joe

That's true, too. But in many (most?) states a single DUI/DWI is a misdemeanor.

SwineFlew’s post barely touched this subject: A US citizen with a DUI/DWI conviction from any state in the past 10 years will not be allowed to enter Canada. It does not matter whether you intend to drive or not; the DUI/DWI conviction in the past 10 years is sufficient grounds to bar entry. There are waivers that can be applied for, but like any bureaucracy, they take a long time to process. And there is no guarantee of a positive outcome. For official information, see the Canada Border Services Agency website. Joe

The 52' was left out of the longitude: should be E 103 52.138

A few thoughts: 1. Knowing the CHS without knowing the threshold score that triggers the email doesn’t provide any guidance. 2. Similarly, knowing the CHS without knowing what a “high score” is doesn’t provide any guidance. 3. Since the behavior of the CHS with time and events is unknown, knowledge of a CHS at an isolated point in time is not meaningful. That score could change abruptly or gradually in either direction. Based on posts over the years, the documented responsibilities of being a CO, and GS’s general description of what affects the CHS, we have a very good idea about what keeps the CHS high (or high enough, I suppose). We even have a good idea about what pushes the CHS below the threshold. There are quirks in the algorithm that occasionally yield a misleading score from time to time, and these just need to be lived with.

I have two deployed and both have kept their contents dry. Both have a gasket, though. The cheapest models don't appear to have a gasket, and the ones I bought were on sale at a sporting goods store for about $15. (One of these hides is under a rock ledge, so it's out of the elements. The other is on the ground under a pile of typical geoflage.)

Please check this.

I suppose another dilemma would be a Mystery Cache with the bogus coordinates outside the blackout area, but the actual cache inside the blackout area.

How about a hollowed-out telephone book as the cache container?

That was just convenience. Feel free to calculate rates on a different sample size.

Back to the original question. (Too much time on my hands.) As of this afternoon: Alamogul – 183,693 finds From profile page: About 816 find logs (traditionals) in the last 80 days (since 4/30/18) (OK, I don’t have that much time on my hands.) So that’s a rate of 10.2 finds/day. 200,000 – 183,693 = 16,307 finds to reach 200,000 16,307/10.2 = 1,599 days mondou2 – 173,814 finds From profile page: About 781 finds in last 24 days (since 6/17/18) So that’s a rate of 32.5 finds/day 200,000 – 173,814 = 26,186 finds to reach 200,000 26,186/32.5 = 806 days So mondou2 will pass Alamogul before Alamogul reaches 200,000. QED No need to thank me. Past performance does not guarantee future earnings. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Your mileage may vary. If you have an FTF for more than four hours, seek medical attention.

Maybe not scary, just high anxiety. The place was the East Ohio Street Corridor Walking Trail in Pittsburgh, but “street” is an anachronism for “four lane highway,” and “trail” is wishful thinking for “sidewalk”. The trail begins several feet above the highway and separated by a 4-foot high railing but then descends to the road elevation, narrows to about 3 feet wide, and is separated from the road by a standard Jersey barrier with no shoulder. While signing a log at the third or fourth cache, it dawned on me that cars and trucks are whizzing by at 50 to 60 miles per hour, that there are hubcaps, trim, and other car parts on the trail, and that this portion of the highway was once known as the “Death Stretch”.

This is a night cache/puzzle cache in North Park: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC455CY_the-legend-of-blue-mist-road It hasn't been found for a year, but the CO is active and diligent, so I think the cache is in good shape. Tough one though, the CO used little reflectors. Joe

Absent any other information (for example, how large of an area you plan to cover), I suggest using the USGS maps. They are made to fit together, so if you need more coverage, get the adjoining map - there will be no gaps. They also have a standard legend, scale and scale bar, and true north/magnetic north arrows. (They are also available in pdf, but watch your scale if you print those on smaller size sheets.) State and national parks usually have maps, but not necessarily topo, but they do show amenities and parking, and you can work these details with the USGS maps. Maps from other sources will likely use different mapping conventions. The maps, whether purchased or printed on your own, can be rolled up into a tube for safe keeping when not in use. Watch your declination. Joe