Blaidd-Drwg

I like using %drop2. This drops the GC off of the front and leaves the last four characters. You could also use %drop2%typ1 This will result in dropping the GC from the cache ID and add a single character for the type of cache T=Traditional, M=Multi, V=virtual

Would a couple of cachers from the states be welcome My wife and I are going to arrive in town on 11 Nov. I've already claimed the 16th century Pub, during our last visit, but that just makes it easier to find. I may have missed it, but I haven't noticed a specific date and time yet.

I'm heading for London next month and I'm looking for mapping software for my Vista. Does anyone have experience with MapSource MetroGuide Europe, or any other mapping program and what would you recommend?

Still, more great info. Thanks all.

Go to Keenpeopleand after you create a user account go to Geocaching Stats and there is a GPX mapping tool. You will need to have received your found caches in a GPX file through a PQ. I'm not sure if you can create a workable GPX file using a program like EasyGPS.

Thanks Clyde

Delorme Topo USA v5.0 saves the .anr files for a route. The import into GSAK is straight forward. Search/Filter/Arc,Poly/Load from File. Then select the appropriate anr file from the Topo files. This technique avoids having to cut and paste every waypoint along the route.

Excellent LordSaw. That works great.

Again, and bear with me here, How? I can create a route in Topo, but how do you take it from there?

SgtSue, thanks for the reply, but I'm still looking for something a little more automated. I have used other programs to define a route manually by creating list of waypoints, much as you've described. What I was looking for was a way for the entire defined route, including twist and turns of roads to be transfered to the Arc Filter. Any additional help is greatly appreciated.

I'm looking for some highly intellegent individual to tell me step-by-step how to take a route defined in Mapsource and then use it in GSAK as a filter to determine caches along a route.

As many can probably address, I don't believe it is a SP2 issue. I have all XP patches applied and don't seem to have any problem. I use FireFox 1.0PR as a browser, along with a satelite ISP connection. I can also create PQs using IE 6.0

I have a set of the Pre-cip for warmer wear, but in cooler temps, I have a TNF Mountain Light Jacket, that I wear over layers. I have a pair of Eddie Bauer GoreTex pants for the lower half, and most importantly, I alway insure that my boots have a GoreTex liner. I'm on my second set of Vasque hiking boots. I've worn them in some fairly heavy weather conditions and my feet stay relatively dry. As others have mentioned, I always look for an attached hood on my jacket, although I like a goretex hat, like the OR in light, non blowing conditions. Everything but the boots are available at REI, as well as most other outdoor outfitters.

A waypoint is a geocache. The only differences in the Vista is the name, and ussually when you mark a waypoint, you get an altitude with it. If you are asking how to manually enter a geocache GC#, then you just need to edit a marked waypoint. Assuming you have the GPSr set to display the appropriate location format, then mark a spot, any spot. Before saying OK or GoTo, use the stick to move the highlight indicator up or down to the location box, then press down on the stick to select. Using the number pad displayed, change the location to the correct readings. and then select OK on the number pad. Then move the highlight indicator to the name box, and follow the same technique to enter the Geocache name or number, whatever you want.. After clicking OK in this box, you can move the highlighter to the bottom and select GoTo, and then cycle through the screens to appropriate screen, either the Map or direction arrow. If you are wanting to have the GPSr guide you to the cache via roads, check your owner's manual for how to use autorouteing. Enjoy

Having just completed one of our statewide cache fest, I would say that there is minimal if any difference between the capabilities of any of the units. I witnessed all of them successfully finding caches. I would go with the Vista C over the other two, strickly because of the compass. Price wise, it is a lot cheaper than the 60C.

Actually it is only two coordinates, the upper left and lower right. But like Robert indicated, it is in the plan for new PQ features. Hi, Thanks, and sorry for double-posting...didn't understand the 2 point system until I drew it out nfa I don't believe that using two points(LL, UR) will always define the same box. If the road runs exactly north/south or east west then the two points would work. But if the road runs NE-SW or SE - NW (diagonally, the box is not centered around the road. A technique used by some army systems is what is called a thrust search. You give a start and end point, and a width from the center line. This provides the ability to define a box on any orientation. Using only two points would require an Attitude (orientation) to skew the box to the correct orientation. How to program is for folks a lot smarter than me.

I believe I'd jump on it at that price. I've been using a Vista for the past year. It appears to be not quite as stable in heavy woods as the cheap baseline etrex, but it is accurate enough to find accurately placed caches. The purchase of city select or one of the other programs is a must as stated above. But even so, you can't get a better unit for less than your current offer. GO FOR IT

I've spent the last two evenings coveting a 60CS. The cheapest place I could find is Amazon.com and the price includes free shipping

I love to look at the REI cataloges and website.and often make purchases there. They are not always the cheapest, but it's a good place to start. As for a compass, I'd go with a bottom line Silva, available at just about anywhere.

OK, not trying to hijack the topic, but exactly what is a micro. When I started caching, a 35mm film canister was the standard micro. Now I find Altoids tins, breathmint containers and other small containers. To me, these are definitely micros. Now comes a gray area. Sandwich size gladware or tupperware containers, decon kit containers, various small PVC tubes and other containers such as paintball tubes or parachute flairs containers. Then you move up to what I have no doubt is a standard size, the small and regular size ammo cans. So what do people consider the gray area containers? Coincidently, when I completed a cache page last week, I was able to leave the cache size as not given.

Although I understand the idea of circular probable errors (your GPSr is off 30 ft, as well as the hider's GPSr being off by 30 ft, resulting in a 60 ft error), I have only rarely experienced this much combined error. In my experience, limited as it might be, caches I have found, are within less than 25 ft of the posted locations. In the instances where the found location has been greater than 25ft, I have either listed my found coords, or at least mentioned that I found it xx distance from the posted location.

This is about the only method I can come up with to contact the approvers for the OK area. I submitted a cache last Sunday afternoon and besides the original email from the geocaching.com website, I've heard nothing. I can see that a cache submitted after mine has been approved.. I can think of a few reasons for the delay, but any ideas on my part are just guesses. Does anyone have any ideals on how to contact the approvers, after a lenght of time.

Based on this website(http://www.outfitters.com/genealogy/land/twprange.html), there appears to be no baselines or meridians for the original colonies. I assume you live in the New Hampshire area, since some of your finds are from there. A baseline is the line from which townships are measured. A township is a 6x6 mile square.

Actually, you can easily plot your location to within about 10 meters using UTM. For instance in the UTM grid of 14S 550123 03854567, plotting it on a map, you would normally ignore the first 5 and the 038 leaving a location of 50123 54567. Ignoring the final 3 digits of both the easting and northing, leaving 50 54, defines a the intersection of a grid 1000x1000 meters. By definition, the given location is somewhere within the square using this intersection as the lower left corner. Adding 1 more digit to both the easting and northing, 501 545, defines a square 100x100. Finally adding another digit to give 4 digits for both easting and northing 5012 5456 results in a square being defined that is 10x10 meters. For all practical purposes, this is about as far as a person can descern on a map. The UTM as displayed on the normal cache page is defining a square 1x1 meter square.

I like to use TOPO USA 5.0. I import the waypoints and print out a map of the area I'm interested in. I try to print so that I can see all the streets. I don't necessarily get down to the level of names for the streets.