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The_Hypnotoad

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Everything posted by The_Hypnotoad

  1. I only have one cache and I try to keep it stocked with good swag, but it gets real annoying how no matter what I put in there it always ends up with rocks, crappy swag, or nothing at all. I've put LED flashlights, carabiners, small cache containers, keychains, and all kinds of cool random stuff. People even steal the pencils I leave for the log book. That's what I think the problem is with swag these days. No one trades up.
  2. Beta testing is to just have another cacher try to find it before activating it.
  3. Ok, way off topic, but I've noticed that people on this site use "IBTL" in the wrong manner quite often. I should start my own thread on the subject. Oh yeah, IBTL!
  4. Official App from Groundspeak - Installs: 50,000 - 100,000 c:geo - opensource - Installs: 100,000 - 500,000 Of course that is only number of installs, not active users. But it seems "free" trumps "pay" even when it [marginally] violates the TOU. Does that number for c:geo represent the original c:geo that was on the market. For a short time the original and the opensource were both on the market at the same time. Maybe they still are for all I know.
  5. Nice. How did you do the embossed text look? Light and dark paint, offsetting the stencil in between? That's exactly how I did it, using flat paint. I just placed it today.
  6. Here's one I plan on putting in my cemetery cache. People have complained that the cache container is a micro, so this should hopefully keep em happy. The cemetery isn't active anymore and has a bunch of spots that are wooded. It should blend right in perfectly. I copied the idea from a post that was on page 29 of this thread.
  7. With GPS Status go into the settings, tools, manage a gps state and reset. Then, go to settings, tools, manage a gps state and download. That should help with accuracy for finding and hiding as well. GPS averaging is a very good tool also.
  8. There's a cacher in my area that likes to take pictures from the point of view of the cache. Like this one. Anyone else still wondering where the cache is??? If someone does this to one of mine, it's getting deleted.
  9. I'd like to know more about this, I can't find any info. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places?
  10. The largest that I have seen was a section of pipe about 20 feet long and about 8 feet in diameter. The log book and all of the swag (magnetic items) were all stuck to the inside of the pipe. For a cache that's a building is the log book and swag just laying around somewhere inside the building, or is it really a container inside the building (in which case, I wouldn't really characterize the building as a cache. I know there are cases of caches which are containers withing containers (I own one where the outside container is about the size of an ammo can) but if the external container is large enough that one can walk inside of it I have a hard time calling the external container "a cache". The CO must be pretty irresponsible for making a cache that resembles a pipebomb. Unbelieveable! I'd like to see a "pipe-bomb" that is TWENTY FEET LONG AND EIGHT FEET TALL!!! Pull yer head out Mate! Cough, cough...SARCASM! Cough.
  11. Yet another altoid tin bites the dust. This was rusted shut and I broke my thumb nail prying it open. It's too bad. The CO took a log and cut a part out to perfectly fit the altoids can. It was a decent cache, besides the tin.
  12. The largest that I have seen was a section of pipe about 20 feet long and about 8 feet in diameter. The log book and all of the swag (magnetic items) were all stuck to the inside of the pipe. For a cache that's a building is the log book and swag just laying around somewhere inside the building, or is it really a container inside the building (in which case, I wouldn't really characterize the building as a cache. I know there are cases of caches which are containers withing containers (I own one where the outside container is about the size of an ammo can) but if the external container is large enough that one can walk inside of it I have a hard time calling the external container "a cache". The CO must be pretty irresponsible for making a cache that resembles a pipebomb. Unbelieveable!
  13. It's only ok to hide things in the woods if it's listed on geocache.com. Haven't you heard?
  14. I came across this one in a log a few days ago.
  15. I think it's funny how so many people say you can play however you want and treat the Groundspeak rules more like guidelines. When it comes to FTF, watch out. Don't get caught between a geocacher and their FTF.
  16. Before I decided on my new policy of ignoring all trackables, I would occasionally want to move them, as from a rarely-visited cache. But if I logged that I had taken the trackable I would frequently start receiving nagging emails to move it along within a week or so. So I quit logging when I removed them, becoming (as you say) an "irresponsible" TB holder. I just could not stand the emails. The real solution turned out to be giving them up altogether. Indeed, if anybody puts a trackable in one of my caches and I get an email from the trackable owner I list it as missing just on principle. I honestly don't care if the trackable is actually there in my cache or not, and I am not inclined to go out of my way to help out some whiny TB owner who thinks I owe it to him to go check to see if his trackable is in my cache. The basic problem with trackables is that owners don't realize that those who move their items are doing them a favor, not vice-versa. I don't want anyone's help moving a TB if they aren't going to do it correctly. The way you do it is fine if it works, but I think it's irresponsible to sit on them for months or never even log them at all.
  17. That is not how we prefer to do things here. Lets try not to alienate other caches just because they want to cache for numbers. As long as they are following the guidelines and not disturbing you then what does it matter? If you don't like the practice then so be it but i doesn't break any guidelines. But don't try to put someone down for it. You should post this in the anti smart phone user, challenge, and boyscout threads.
  18. Is it good manners to log a trackable when you find it in the wrong cache? I found a cache that said it had 3 TBs, but it only had one, and that one wasn't listed. So I logged that I picked it up and dropped it in the correct cache. Later, I thought maybe I was stepping on people's toes by doing so. I think it's real irresponsible of people to not log their travel bugs. I've noticed cachers that have been caching for years dropping the ball on TBs too. I saw a cacher that had collected several TBs, then over 6 months later they stuck them in one of their own caches. At least they finally passed them on, which is more than most can say.
  19. I went caching with my friend the other day, and we each had an android phone. We also had an old garmin GPSr with us. The most accurate device was my buddy's motorola droid, then my HTC G2, then the old garmin GPS 72. The garmin seemed to only be accurate down to about 20 feet, and it took several minutes to lock onto the satellites. If there were trees overhead, forget it. It was terrible, and we put it away. The phones were much better than that particular unit.
  20. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Smart phones are amazing tools for on the fly caching, as they allow you to see what caches are in your immediate area without having to download a PQ. The latest batch have actual GPS hardware installed, as opposed to the earlier editions which claimed to have "built in GPS", yet in reality had nothing more than software which triangulated cell tower data, so accuracy has improved to the point where they are fine for casual, urban hunting. If you are a P&G junkie, you'll probably never have a need for anything else. The only real problems I see with smart phones are precision and durability. The GPSr antenna in today's smart phones is a patch antenna roughly equivalent in signal absorption to the ones found in the old time yellow eTrex. They are pretty dependent upon clear sky and a favorable satellite constellation. So long as you have both, the antenna will absorb enough signal to make the displayed results manageable. Back in the day, there were many caches hidden with the old yellow eTrex, but considering the availability of more precise tools, I would not recommend using one now. I would not hesitate to hunt for an urban cache using an old yellow eTrex, if that was all I had, but if I had to step into an environment with heavy tree cover, I would acknowledge the fact that my accuracy was greatly reduced, making my hunt that much harder. As for durability, there really is no comparison. Even in the strongest aftermarket case, a smart phone will not take any where near the rough handling that a basic handheld would shrug off. To date I have driven over my 60CSx with my truck, and crashed my motorcycle with it mounted on the handlebar. Both my 60 and my Oregon 300 have left the roof of various vehicles to go bouncing down the blacktop at speeds between 30 and 45 MPH. all three of my handhelds are repeatedly immersed, as I am fairly clumsy, and I always have at least one of them with me in my kayak. Other than some cosmetic damage, they all work fine. I've seen smart phones reduced to overpriced paperweights from simply being dropped. On a related note, I would like to stress to folks who use smart phones and those who use dedicated handhelds, that the so called "accuracy" displayed by the device is a mostly meaningless number. It is generated by various algorithms, depending on the device and the software update, and is there mostly as a feel good addition, designed to give warm fuzzies to the person holding the device. Feel free to giggle at the guys out in the field comparing a smart phone to a handheld, arguing about accuracy, pointing to the displayed EPE (Estimated Position Error) numbers. I hid a cache with my smartphone, and people have said the coords were right on. I know my phone isn't the most accurate, but I don't think they're as bad as people think they are. Cell phones that use antennas to triangulate location are not accutate in the slightest. That's probably what gives smartphones a bad reputation in general. All phones use an antenna. Same with GPSs. Some just work better than others. Some phones use cell towers to triangulate where they are, and some use GPS satellites. That's the difference.
  21. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Smart phones are amazing tools for on the fly caching, as they allow you to see what caches are in your immediate area without having to download a PQ. The latest batch have actual GPS hardware installed, as opposed to the earlier editions which claimed to have "built in GPS", yet in reality had nothing more than software which triangulated cell tower data, so accuracy has improved to the point where they are fine for casual, urban hunting. If you are a P&G junkie, you'll probably never have a need for anything else. The only real problems I see with smart phones are precision and durability. The GPSr antenna in today's smart phones is a patch antenna roughly equivalent in signal absorption to the ones found in the old time yellow eTrex. They are pretty dependent upon clear sky and a favorable satellite constellation. So long as you have both, the antenna will absorb enough signal to make the displayed results manageable. Back in the day, there were many caches hidden with the old yellow eTrex, but considering the availability of more precise tools, I would not recommend using one now. I would not hesitate to hunt for an urban cache using an old yellow eTrex, if that was all I had, but if I had to step into an environment with heavy tree cover, I would acknowledge the fact that my accuracy was greatly reduced, making my hunt that much harder. As for durability, there really is no comparison. Even in the strongest aftermarket case, a smart phone will not take any where near the rough handling that a basic handheld would shrug off. To date I have driven over my 60CSx with my truck, and crashed my motorcycle with it mounted on the handlebar. Both my 60 and my Oregon 300 have left the roof of various vehicles to go bouncing down the blacktop at speeds between 30 and 45 MPH. all three of my handhelds are repeatedly immersed, as I am fairly clumsy, and I always have at least one of them with me in my kayak. Other than some cosmetic damage, they all work fine. I've seen smart phones reduced to overpriced paperweights from simply being dropped. On a related note, I would like to stress to folks who use smart phones and those who use dedicated handhelds, that the so called "accuracy" displayed by the device is a mostly meaningless number. It is generated by various algorithms, depending on the device and the software update, and is there mostly as a feel good addition, designed to give warm fuzzies to the person holding the device. Feel free to giggle at the guys out in the field comparing a smart phone to a handheld, arguing about accuracy, pointing to the displayed EPE (Estimated Position Error) numbers. I hid a cache with my smartphone, and people have said the coords were right on. I know my phone isn't the most accurate, but I don't think they're as bad as people think they are. Cell phones that use antennas to triangulate location are not accutate in the slightest. That's probably what gives smartphones a bad reputation in general.
  22. I use an HTC G2. It works good, unless there's a lot of tree cover above. I find most caches I go after, but my phone has it's limitations.
  23. I may very-well be incorrect, but I thought the remains of the Titanic weren't found until the 80's. How did they know the direction the ship was pointed at it's final resting place? They're probably more likely arranged the same direction the ship was facing when it went down or facing the final resting place. That's still a cool memorial to the deceased.
  24. What would it matter anyway? FTF is a side game, it has nothing to do with GS. I don't think cache owners should log their own caches, but if you're going to log your own cache what does it matter if they are first to find or last to find?
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