Thrak
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Posts posted by Thrak
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Yesterday I found something bizarre in a geocache. In the cache was a fairly decent forgery of a $100 bill. This was not the standard "joke" bill. I asked two different businesses to check the paper and both used their "pen" to mark the bill. Both said the paper was genuine. In both cases I told them I had found it and asked them to check it for me. In neither case did I try to pass the bill.
One business said he was certain it was a forgery and the second said it was real and offered to take it in payment for my purchase (restaurant manager) but I told him I didn't trust it and paid him with my credit card. After checking online how to tell a fake and then carefully checking the bill I found four items that told me it was fake. No "security" strip hidden in the bill. There is one in every bill larger than a $2 bill and they are in a different location depending on the denomination. If you have a black light (I don't) the strip will fluoresce and it is a different color depending on the denomination. Only $1 and $2 bills don't have that. The holographic head that shows when held to the light was on the wrong side (left instead of right). There was no "ridge" on the shoulder of the portrait. It doesn't show when you look but you should be able to feel it. Then my wife noticed the most blatant thing - the image on the back of the bill was upside down. The "top" of the bill should be the same edge both front and back. Bizarre that neither of the business owners caught that. Just goes to show it isn't as obvious as one would think. As I said above, the second business was willing to take the bill in payment but I didn't trust it (hadn't checked these things myself at that point) and didn't give it to him. I took it to the bank this morning and turned it in. They will send it to the secret service. VERY weird thing to find in a cache. Given that the paper tests good it is likely a $1 bill that was "washed" and then reprinted into a One
$100 bill. The images (other than as noted above) were very good. The bank said the ink didn't look right to them but I just attributed that to wear as it was an older bill. The said they would have caught it right away but were pleased I hadn't passed it to the business and caused them to take the loss.
Now that is a weird thing to find while geocaching.
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My Droid Turbo 2 is good for geocaching. Screen can NOT be cracked if dropped. I put a 200 GB microSD card in the phone so there is definitely plenty of storage. The phone gets me every bit as close as my dedicated 78s. (Still have my 76CSx but I left it on the hood of the truck a few too many times when driving away and the compass freaks out so I have to turn it off and back on again to find out where the dang cache is.)
My only complaint with using the phone is the "new and improved" geocaching app. I liked the old one. The new one pi$$3$ me off.
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There is a well known geocacher with (last time I checked) something like 50,000 "finds". I've met the cacher. I ran into him while he was looking for a cache. I found it on the opposite side of the road from where he was looking. As soon as I said I had found it he got in his vehicle and left but did log it as a find although he never signed the log or even touched the cache. I know he has logged caches as "found" even though he never actually found them because he was "sure he had looked in the right place".
I log caches only if I have signed the log. The only one I need to really care about is myself and I have no desire to "cheat". I would only be cheating myself. I figure it's the cheater's problem. If they need to inflate their number of finds to feel "cool" or whatever it's a pretty sad state of affairs but it really doesn't affect me.
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There was a cache called "Dirty Sanchez". Try explaining that to a young geocacher.
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Probably rather than soft coords posted by the CO, there will be one less digit given on the published coords. Then the GZ circle will once again be large enough to make it interesting. So the game will survive when the consumer-grade ultra-precise GPSr's arrive. Yay!
Only the elite premium members will get the extra digit.
Give it up plebes. The Platinum Members will pwn all of you! We won't even NEED coordinates. We will be allowed to claim a find for all geocaches in existence plus all future geocaches!!!
Bwahahahahahahahaaaa....
(Oh, wait. I think there are some people already doing that...)
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No reason at all to change and it's a short name that is easy to fit on logs of all sizes.
Thrak isn't generally available in most places. It's taken by King Crimson fans (I think) but that isn't where I got the name. That is a story in itself.
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A number of rattlesnakes - some extremely close encounters.
Lots of Black Widow spiders. I hate those things.
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Having finally "gotten used to" the problems and deciding I had to just live with them I now have a new problem. I can't calibrate the compass. The 3-axis compass should work when standing still but it now acts like a 2-axis compass instead. There is a 3-step process to calibrating the compass on the 78S. First you hold the unit flat and turn it in a circle until it beeps. Second, you roll the unit until it beeps. Lastly you turn the unit end over end until it beeps.
Step one works fine. I don't know about step three because step two fails every time. I've updated to the latest firmware, tried different batteries, etc. No dice. I simply can't calibrate the compass anymore. This happened in between uses. One time it worked fine and the next time I went to use the unit it wouldn't calibrate.
No help from Garmin at all.
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Meh...
One of the reasons people shop at REI, and even buy a membership, was because of the true 100% guarantee. It encourages people to spend a little bit more by shopping at their store, and actually use their product, rather than baby it. It's also one of the reasons I shop at L.L. Bean. I know that if anything breaks at any time, I can return it with no questions asked.
Generally speaking, GPS and other electronics don't get the same kind of treatment as other products. They aren't eligible for use with the 20% member coupon, and usually aren't part of employee discount programs. When I worked at L.L. Bean, the GPS's were off limit for employee discounts because the store only made a 10% profit on them vs. the 40-50% markup on other goods. So I can understand limiting the return policy on GPS units.
A year sounds like a long time, but usually problems start occurring after a year. Seams rip in backpacks, poles snap in tents, stoves start to fail (though many manufacturers have a lifetime warranty). It's just nice to know you can bring it right back to the store for instant replacement rather than waiting several weeks by sending it to the manufacturer. If REI really is having trouble with people taking advantage of the return policy, they ought to have considered limiting the number of returns on a particular item (replacements can be tracked) rather than limiting the time frame for return.
Anyway, that's my rant. I'll probably still shop at REI because their modified return policy is still better than most stores.
My Garmin 78S is about 1.5 years old and just developed a problem. The compass has a 3 step calibration sequence and the second portion now fails. Garmin is no help at all. I'd love to return it for a replacement unit.
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I'm not familiar with the model you mention but I can tell you that we use a combination of an off-road and automotive GPS with great success. I use the 78S for actually finding the geocache. I have an older nüvi 760 automotive GPS. I use GSAK and a macro I downloaded from their macro library. It converts the caches in GSAK to a format that works GREAT on my 760. I get the full cache text, the hints, last logs, travel bug info, etc. It's formatted very nicely in multiple colors and is extremely easy to read and use. My wife loves it because she can get all the cache info in a very easy to access and use format.
I load up my PQ in GSAK and then run the macro. it makes a file that I then load into the 760 using POI loader. It's quick, easy, and great.
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Thrak found
BoBoLu's Hot CacheMonday, 08 August 2005
Just got my GPSr in the mail today - was waiting when I got home from work. Figured since Bobolu was the one who told me about geocaching that I'd try for a couple of his hides.
Found this one without much trouble - great hiding spot. Took blue carabiner and TB&TB wooden nickel. Left dollar and U.S. flag lapel pin. TFTC
P.S. Wonder if Bobolu will figure out who I am.
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If the person was a noob, or maybe hadn't placed many caches, I would try to message them first. If they didn't respond or refused to change it, I would report it.
Cache referred to in original post: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=031b59b4-2019-44f9-8b88-19217c9ba657
User has 731 finds and 24 hides. Not exactly a n00b.
The cache has 3 favorite points.
It's a freaking 4x4 post - one of two posts holding up a sign.
Whatever...
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I recently found a "cache" that didn't fit any of the guidelines. There was no physical container. There was no logbook. The listing said to "bring a Sharpie". When I got to GZ the "cache" consisted of a post that had a bunch of signatures on it. That was the point of the Sharpie. You needed one to write on the wooden post (although there were some signatures in pen).
I've been on the fence as to whether to report this or not. After all, I'm not the "cache police".
When you find a cache that doesn't follow any of the guidelines do you report it or just shrug it off and go on about your business?
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I once ran into some folks who have HUGE numbers of finds listed who were searching for a cache. My wife and I located the cache on the opposite side of the road from where this "team" was searching. We told them we had found it. As we were signing the log the other folks left. They didn't physically touch the cache nor did they sign the log. I checked and, sure enough, they listed it as a find. It's my feeling that, if they are in the area when a cache is found or, if they feel they "would have found it if it was really there", they claim the find.
What other folks do doesn't really affect me. What I do does affect me. I give back extra change at the store. I've seen people drop money and told them about it rather than just picking it up for myself.
I've logged a DNF on more than one cache listed as a 1/1.
If I log a cache as found it means that I have personally signed the log. For me, that's the only way to go.
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I once got approval for a cache that "technically" didn't meet the 528' restriction. On a straight line it didn't quite make the cut. On the shortest possible route (without walking down the middle of a stream) it fit within the distance requirement. You can get approval in the same way for a cache that's on the other side of a canyon or on the other side of a mountain if there is no possible way to get to the cache without taking a longer route.
I certainly wouldn't push the limit needlessly.
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I know that's VERY easy to accidenatlly add a bookmark to the wrong list. The site keeps the name of the LAST list on which you worked as the default, so the first time in, it'll show YESTERDAY's list. Chasnge it before you 'add', and the default will be changed to the newly selected list for subsequent transactions.
Been there - Done that - More than once. GAH!!!
You can also simply number your listings if you like. I have a private FTF list and each entry starts witn 001, 002 , 003, etc. (Yes, I need that many places in the number. I used to do the FTF thing.)
I also have a listing of Virtual Caches I've found and I keep those sorted by starting them with the year - 2000 cache name, 2001 cache name, etc.
As for other bookmarks I've never had a long delay in them sorting properly. I simply refresh the page and it's automagically correct.
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Here is the biggest cache that I ever put out. . .
The cache is called "RIP Good Buddy"
And no, its not the girl! Its what she is sitting on!
looks like an awesome cache! just looked it up and its only 20 miles away from me, definately going to get this one next weekend!
Wait, give me a hint...where's the cache?
The cache is the vehicle. The girl is simply swag. Remember, trade even or trade up!
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Lack of this feature has annoyed me in the past. It's annoying me again today. I'm taking a cruise to Hawaii with my wife in early November. The only way I can see to find any kind of Hawaii bookmark list is to search through caches in Hawaii and see if there are any linked bookmarks on the cache page. NOT an efficient way to do things.
It seems to me that a "Search Shared Bookmarks" feature where I could simply enter "Hawaii" or "cruise" as a search term ought to be a piece of cake to implement.
(Of course things ALWAYS seem like a piece of cake to the folks who don't have to do the actual implementation...)
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When I started geocaching I wanted to get a FTF. The guy down the block who introduced me to geocaching had a lot of FTFs and I wanted one too. I couldn't seem to manage it. I finally got my first FTF while visiting Montana (I live in California). The cache had been published for maybe a week and nobody had looked for it yet. I was visiting my daughter and snagged the FTF. YES!
I later got pretty into the FTF thing and snagged a lot of them. These days I don't really care and others get all of the local FTF logs. I have 230 FTFs - I think that's probably enough for me. I don't say I'll never go for one again but I just don't have the same level of drive or commitment that I used to have.
As for it "not being fair" or "I can't get any FTF because I have children and I'm not retired" arguments. Tough. I'm not retired either and, as I said above, I have 230 FTFs. I've seen posts by people with children who have FTF logs. I know people who work and have young children and still get the FTF - taking their kids along with them for the find.
Being FTF can take commitment. I can remember zooming out of the house at 10:30 at night - when it was raining - when I had to get up at 5:30 the next morning for work - to head out to the river and search for a cache. Yes, I got wet. Yes, I got poison oak on both arms (and I also had to pee while there so you can guess where else I got poison oak), yes I was tired the next morning. I got the FTF. This wasn't an isolated incident either.
If you are CRAZY you can be FTF too.
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There was a local series placed at "tractor" signs along the road. I was out of the area and saw a tractor sign and, just on a whim, I stopped and looked for a cache. Sure enough, there was a cache there. The only problem I had with logging it was figuring out what cache it was as I had no idea what the name or GC number was nor did I know who had placed it.
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Had to take a look. Found what is needed quickly but I can see where this would not be a simple puzzle for maybe 95% of the cachers out there.
As others said, it's often just knowing where or how to approach the thing that is the real trick to the puzzle. I've run across some that just make me shake my head. Sometimes I've gone back and taken another look at them later and had that "D'Oh!" moment where I realized that my brain had just been turned off or something the first time I saw the puzzle. Others have eluded me totally...
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I've posted more than one DNF on a cache that others have said was a quick find. D'Oh! I still can't figure out where I might have looked that I didn't look the first two times. Obviously I'm missing something but at least I know I wasn't searching for something that was actually missing...
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I have been caching with a Garmin Colorado 300. The only think I HATE is GSAK. I can't bring myself to pay to get rid of the nag screen so I have to wait for it to count down from 600 each click. It takes forever!! Is there a way to load my pq directly to the Colorado?? And as long as I have your attention....how do I delete geocaches from the Colorado???
I thought that I would figure this out by now, but I must be missing something
Thank you so much!!!
I'm cheap but I bought GSAK long ago. The functionality I get from it is waaaaaaaaaaaaay worth the small price. Don't get me wrong - I'm not an advanced user or anything. GSAK can do amazing things that I don't know how to do and I'm too lazy to learn. Even a low-level user like me can download and install various macros, though.
I have a nice macro that makes all the cache listings extremely nice when loaded to my nüvi 760. My wife uses that for listings, hints, etc. (everything you could possibly want and in various colors) when we geocache together and I use the GPSMAP 78S for actually finding the caches. I have another nice macro that zooms through a pocket query listing and marks all the caches with a DNF, Needs Maintenance, etc. as the last log. When I go on a trip and have maybe 1500 caches in my trip query I don't need to bother looking for questionable caches. Once the macro marks the listings I can then right click and select to remove all marked listings. I end up with only caches that have "found" logs as the last entry.
There are many macros that smart people have written and you can download for free.
I don't have any financial or other interest in GSAK - I just think it's well worth the small fee for such an incredibly useful program.
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I try my best to NOT DNF, but when I do, I log it.
I tend to log it when I DNF as well. I hate it when I look for a cache that 5 or 6 people have failed to find but they didn't log it so neither I, the cache owner, or other cachers have any idea there may be an issue with the hide.
I know far too many people who don't log a DNF. I guess it makes them feel "stupid" or something so they don't want to admit they couldn't find the thing. I've logged a DNF on several 1/1 caches. My wife and I looked diligently but failed to find the things. I figure I really "should" be able to locate a 1/1 with 2 people looking for 10 minutes or more. If we can't find it within that time frame there well may be an issue that needs to be addressed.
No caches on map
in Official Geocaching® apps
Posted
I hate the new app. Unless I tell it to search the current location every single time it doesn't update or show me caches. What an idiotic requirement! I want it to show me the local caches no matter where I am without always having to switch to a different screen and select "current location" for it to search. Of course when I do find caches that way they are always 1.2 miles away until it finds it's brain.