KC2WI

Is this event going to happen? (I'm guessing it's not because as of Aug 31 there is no v=event listed. 3 weeks is probably not enough time to generate enough interest for something planned to be a big event.)

Any good place, activity, or thing usually gets ruined, or at least degraded, once the general public discovers it and especially if it becomes a fad. CB Radio was a prime example of this. In the mid-70's it used to be a nice useful civilized way to communicate. But when it became a fad it became useless with all kinds of idiots on the air and just too many users. Things have calmed down some but it never really recovered. So are any number of vacation spots that got discovered, developed, and "improved". Or great places to hike to that used to be quiet, secluded, natural. Geocaching is no different. But you can still do it the way you want and just like the old days. Actually read cache descriptions and logs and plan ahead instead of just looking it a list or map of locations on your smart phone or GPSr. Personally I don't mind micros if they take me to an interesting spot or just provide a quick stop along a route. I don't even mind them if they takes a long hike to, as long as they are not impossible to find once you get there. I'm not that big on trading trinkets anyway.

Cachers who don't leave the cache placed/hidden exactly as they found it.

Agenda, yes. Although if they were maintained I'd say I'd cut them some slack since it is so hard to motivate kids to learn and this could be a creative idea if properly implemented. But if not maintained, definitely NA. Or, maybe create a 'class account', adopt all the caches, then make it a class project go out and find all these and clean them up and maintain them on a regular basis. That would teach some 'environmental responsibility' instead of putting out geotrash.

I'm not sure what "write only" means. The GPSr writes these files but never uses the data for anything? There is no such DOS/Windows attribute as "write only". The standard FAT32/NTFS attributes are read-only, hidden, system, and archive. In any case it doesn't matter what those attributes might be set to, some other operating system can ignore them. If the GPSr does not modify the actual GPX file then how does it know to change the symbol on a geocache that you found and marked as found? I'm assuming it changes these two files when you mark a geocache as found on the GPSr. If it doesn't use one of these files then where is the database file it is using? It has to be some file on the GPSr. It is too late for me to test tonight, but it would be an easy thing to edit these files and remove one of the 'found' entries and see if the GPSr reverts to indicating the cache as not found.

I have often thought that the OC horse trails / Confusion Flats area would make a great place for a geocaching get-together. It is a great place for geocaching. I have been thinking of planning a spring/summer meet and greet event in Glenfield or somewhere in the area for awhile but haven't gotten around to it. Glad to see this event being planned. Fortunately for me the date doesn't conflict with the annual fall K2P ham radio camping/picnic at Kring Point on Sept. 13 this year. By the way, the grocery store in Lowville is Tops, not Price Chopper. Also the besides WalMart there is the usual Family Dollar and Dollar General for cheap supplies and geocaching trinkets. If you are coming fromthe south, there is a Tops and Great American in Boonville. Also the dollar stores and one in Lyons Falls as well. If you want to go out for a meal or a drink, the Central restaurant in Glenfield is the closest place and the food is very good. Ham radio operators will be interested to know the Black River Valley Amateur Radio Club's repeater frequency is 146.955 (no pl) and the coverage is good in this area. We will also probably have a 440 repeater up by the fall. Otter Creek Horse Trails info and map on the DEC web site.

If you log the geocache on the web site as found, then the gpx file you download will contain the <sym>Geocache Found</sym> tag, otherwise it is <sym>Geocache</sym>. As far as I can tell this is the only indication in the gpx file itself. I checked the entry for a cache I found after downloading the PQ for the area. Looks like the GPSr doesn't modify the gpx file. In the Garmin folder there are two files: gpslogs.xml and gps_visits.txt. These both contain a record of the caches you have marked on the GPSr unit as found, not found, etc. So you could edit these files to remove references to the caches you want the GPSr to not show as found.

The gpx file is a plain text xml file. You should just be able to open it an a text editor and do a search and replace for the 'found' attribute. I think you could search for the string "Geocache Found" and change it to "Geocache"

I have never had a problem with scout caches but it seems to be a common problem. Yes, geocaching.com is not the only geocaching web site or "authority", but it is the major one. Groundspeak ought to be working with the scouting organization to try to head off these problems. One of the rules of the merit badge program should be checking to make sure a "temporary" cache is not placed too close to any other cache. Scouting ought to be teaching responsibility along with everything else involved with the geocaching merit badge and that means either specifically placing temporary caches and removing them after a set period of time if they are not going to be maintained, or maintaining permanent caches per the rules if they are listed on geocaching.com.

Nope. You are not required to do that. This is just a game. The thing that bothers me is when a NM or other notification(s) of problems has been posted, and the CO does nothing for months. If the CO is local they should be able to check and fix the cache within a few weeks, unless the cache is a really difficult one to get to, in which case allowances can be made. But what is especially annoying to me is when a CO has caches spread over hundreds of miles that he/she doesn't maintain. Even more annoying is when there seems to be no fix and no response at all for many months after a string of DNF/NM on a cache that should not be hard to find. At least theCO could post a note saying he/she can't get to it right away and would someone help? Or the cache could be temporarily disabled. If I plan ahead before going geocaching and read cache info on the web site and there are notes about wet/full log or need maintenance, I might try to bring along some supplies to help repair a cache, or I just might avoid NM caches. If I am just finding them as I go by reading the GPSr then I may or may not have the supplies or time to dry out a cache, etc. Either way, the fact that a cache has not been properly maintained is not my fault. If I find it I am going to count it as found whether or not the physical log is signable. That's all I'm saying.

Sorry but I don't buy that. If I find a cache I log it as found. Choice of proper cache container and cache maintenance is the responsibility of the CO. It is not my fault or my problem if the log is a soggy unsignable blob or the tiny strip of paper in a micros is so full there is zero room to sign.

I do not always replace a full or soggy log, but if I do I say so when I log the find on the cache page and I offer to send it to the CO. If the CO doesn't respond within a reasonable time, I toss it. So far, no one has ever even responded so I conclude that most COs don't care.

If computer users have to create an an account and provide an email address to access geocache info on the geocaching.com web site, then smartphone users should also be required to create an account and provide an email address.

I found that the 'html scrubber' makes some confusing and unpredictable changes to some fairly basic html code that should be good (since it was generated with Dreamweaver).

If I find the cache I claim the find whether or not I can sign the log. I would not do this if the cache included some kind of required puzzle that had to be solved to actually open the cache. I have not come across anything like that yet. If the log is full or is a wet soggy mess or the container is frozen solid that's not my fault. For my caches I don't check whether everyone who claimed a find on line signed the log. Really, it's just a game and if you want to cheat then that's your problem.

I'd say the CO is responsible for maintaining the cache but not the quality or quantity of swaq. If the cache is damaged or wet then the CO should be notified. If I come upon a wet cache I try to dry it if possible and I notify the CO with a needs maintenance note. I generally don't stock my caches with much swag. I might put one or two semi-valuable or interesting items in a new caches but I definitely don't spend much money on swag because I know it is generally just going to disappear and be replaced with junk. If people are taking their kids or grandkids to caches and allowing them to trade nice swag for rocks or other junk or just take stuff then they don't understand the premise of geocaching and they are not bringing up their kids properly. If I find real junk in my caches I toss it.

I never did any night or winter geocaching until last year when I went to the Long Lake (NY) Mid-Winter Geocaching Get-Together. Then I went snowmobile caching and did a night cache by snowshoeing. Now I've resolved that any new cache I hide will be winter accessible if at all possible. I also plan to modify a couple of my existing caches to make them winter accessible, and I'm looking to hide some night caches.

This is obviously bogus logging. Anyone can sit at a computer and "find" them. I don't have any problem logging a legitimate find even if I can't sign the log. If a log is full, or so wet/degraded I can't sign it, or (as in on case nearby) the container is degraded such that it can't be opened, that is not my fault. If I made the effort and actually found it, then I see no reason not to claim credit for the find. If the CO ignores log entries saying the cache needs maintenance, that's not my problem. I don't think most COs really care about the log anyway (at least in northern NY). I have replaced a few full or wet logs and posted a note that I have the original and if the CO wants it to contact me. No CO has ever contacted me. After a while I throw the old junk out.

I don't see a problem with contacting the cache owner(s) privately and letting them know that the landowner may have a problem with their caches, and/or with other geocachers trying to find those caches. If the landowner indicated they wanted to contact the cache owners, then you could ask the landowner for their contact information and include it with your email to the cache owners If you do this, you have not revealed cache owners or cache locations to the landowner nor have you involved reviewers or other geocachers. You are not being a 'geo-cop.' It would be up to the cache owners to decide how they wanted to handle it. The alternative is to stay out of it. That's fine, but then other geocachers might get in to trouble. And most likely if they do, you'll never get permission to hide your cache(s) on the property.

If the PQ results in >500 then you can't get it by email. Go to your PQ page, click the "Pocket Queries Ready for Download" tab, download zip file. It usually takes a few minutes for new PQs to show up on this list. When you set up the PQ, check "Include Pocket Query name in download file name" at the bottom. This will make the gpx files easier to keep track as opposed to just using the number as teh name of the file.

Winter caching is at least as much fun as other times, if not more. I'm planning to hide some snowmobile accessible winter caches this year, and I'm looking forward to the Mid-Winter Geocaching Get-Together in Long Lake NY this season. last winter's event

I hope to be able to hide a cache on 11/12/13.

I can't see cache details on geocaching.com unless I log in, and to have an account to log in with I had to provide an email address. There is no way that someone not logging in and not even using a real GPS and should be able to see cache information!

I have a Garmin 62sc. It is much better than my old Magellan Meridian, but I expected better for a $300+ supposedly top of the line unit. It will sometimes give unstable readings that run me around in 20-40 foot circles while looking for a cache. Position updates are too slow. When aproaching a geocache/waypoint in a moving car, it is typical to drive a few hundred feet past the waypoint. You have to slow way down or actually stop while approaching and let the unit catch up.you' The programming / menu sequence is quirky. Certain functions are only accessible from certain screens and it doesn't always make sense.

I would not claim a find if I did not find an actual cache. However if I find a cache that has an unsignable log (wet, full, etc.), then I found the cache. I will log it as Found not DNF, because I found it. The only time I *might* consider 'fotologging' and claiming a find is if I'm pretty sure I found the remnants of a damaged cache and send a picture and/or description to the CO who confirms that I found what was left of the cache. So far that situation has not come up.