Jango & Boba Fett

Glad all you old clunky Wintel PC users have had your old GroundSource map window replaced by a jazzy new GoogleMap. Unfortunately GroundSource's downgrade in functionality has replaced the old map with an empty green box: Given that MicroSoft last updated Internet Explorer in 2001 (5.2.3) and stopped support for IE Mac users in January 2006 has anyone found a workaround? I know that you can choose to display a GoogleMap in a separate window but surely someone must test these thing before inflicting there crafty plans on the rest of the GeoCaching community. Maybe its an evil plan by the MS Tzar of Seattle to shift more soulless boxes. Off to cuddle my iMac ......

The end scene from Shakespeare in Love is a tracking shot of Gwyneth Paltrow trying to shake off the muggles in the helicopter as she races to find Holkham Haul. What you can’t see is the members of All Saints running in from the other side. Having finished shooting their video for Pure Shores , they are hoping for a FTF!

We have had a fair bit of success recently negotiating cache placements in Norfolk most of which has beendown due to two things: 1) Being able to give a contact of a Warden in another NNR that is known to the local Land Manager (many many thanks to Womble on that one) 2) We downloaded and then reformatted the online log for the oldest cache in Norfolk (Holkham Haul) with the approval of Diesel, reformatted it to make it print on only 16 pages, pasted in a half dozen of the posted pictures and submitted that along with the GeogachersU pamphlet and the GAGB INTRO.pdf. The biggest hurdle we have had is if wardens/land owners/land managers have had bad experiences of either treasure hunts (where large volumes descend on one day and trample & litter) or letterboxing where a tin box turns up in a newly dug pit/dismantled wall/middle of a nesting area - once they understand that GeoCaching is in some way regulated and they have a way of directly contacting the GAGB we have found them to be very positive. As an example when we turned up to meet a National Trust land manager last week not only did we get permission to place our cache but they requested that we place another cache in an area that they wanted to encourage access to (to relieve pressure elsewhere) and so that they could get regular access to visitor feedback. Keep an eye out for the reappearance of Viking Rider's Blakeney Quay Cache , is this a first being requested to place a cache in an NNR/Ramsar Site/SSSI? Oh and watch out on the reprinted logs front as you end up having to print off extra copies as often its the first time they have seen visitor feedback. We had four meetings set up for the day and had to make a two hour detour back into Norwich to print off extra copies - so a very big thank you to the 123 groups of cachers who have visited Holkham Haul over the last five years!

Thanks for all you're comments, and an excuse from HH to spend a morning inflicting Radio Scotland on the fine folk of Norfolk. We are planning our Tupperbare Cache - Norfolk Au Naturelle, it is in the pipeline, a real corker of a multi/puzzle with of course that slight twist (and if we wait until November then we might just be able to keep warm while we place it). Beautiful location in an extensive conservation area, safe, child friendly and with no flytipping, speeding cars or other undesirables. However to find the final cache you will either have to go hunting with the family or a member of the other gender (nice alliteration don't you think). Oh yes and rumours of some rather cheeky comments in the chatroom have reached the far east, even from those lurking in Wales, would it be possible to have the tar and feathers in separate bags? Enough discusion of these matters so almost time to close this thread down, but we'll keep a look out for any other Tupperbare caches popping up round the country, make a change from Motorway Madness.

We are three quarters of the way through our Nelson's County series so with our next cache being our 111th (see NC4 A Nelson for an explanation) we thought we would celebrate by going on a Grand Tour of other Nelson linked caches in the British Isles. With a window of opportunity between now and the 21st of May our plan is to go on a Nelsonian hunt and in a true Nelson Spirit help the cache hiders to Tap the Admiral with some Nelson's Revenge, we are saving a special bottle of Nelson's Blood for the FTF NC12 Tapping the Admiral. Our list is rather short at the moment but before stocking up on Grog and delivering it round the country we are looking for other names to add to our list: The Full Nelson (Hampshire) by paul_and_judith Never at Sea - The Nelson by JollyJax The Kiwi Coin Exchange 1 - Nelson by KiwiGary - we'll give KiwiGary this one after all Vancouver another Norfolkman sailed with Capt Cook Nelson's Other Column (Northumberland) by Moss trooper - may be archived but too good to miss The Dear Green Place by limplil Helges Hole by thunderbird30 Stiffy By The Liffey by Donnacha - on our list even though Nelson was Irelands first man in space, this one may have to wait though Our apologies to m0sgb, LollyBob, gisaclue, pikeymic, Bracknell Basebalers, JJ & MEGA and the claret one/the dragon lady and any other Colne Valley cachers, but after all you drove them out for their presbyterian views in the 1540s so Lancashire's loss was Norfolk's gain; but if baken cares to get in touch we might be willing to give him a plug. So we are looking for any explicitly Nelsonian caches, no use being close to or in a place where, oh and visits to Sicily, Barbados, Montreal and Gibraltar are on the cards but will have to wait till the kids (including Boba) leave home. And before anyone asks we are planning a Tupperbare Cache - Norfolk Au Naturelle but look elsewhere for details.

Starts 7:25 into the show and then continues through the show in chunks. Doesn't everyone in England listen to Radio Scotland. If you just want to strip out the GeoCaching bits it may be that you are looking for a ripper which will allow you to convert streamed internet radio to .wmv or .mpg files. Me I prefer my daily diet of BBC Scotland Northeast News, MFR Breakfast Show and Fred MacAuley. Well done HH, just too far to go there and get the T-Shirt! Did anyone catch the Wymondham Wanderers on Anglia TV News recently.

What is this with the armchair caching bit. Didn’t you get the joke HH & SP. Here we go for the hard of humouring - if someone is sitting in the privacy of their own home who knows whether they are naked caching, nude caching or using the combined resources of NORAD and NASA to get submillimetre accuracies. The joke is about not knowing what people are wearing of an evening at home. As we said in a heads up by e-mail to HH explaing that we were only jumped on his posted comments, not as a personal attack, but because we had recieved some really nasty anonymous e-mails in response to a tongue in cheek comment on Cryptik Soul Crew’s “Logging A Find: ... without finding everything” and started this thread [as a kind of put up or shut up to our anonymous e-mailer(s)]. On the subject of armchair caching we have no problem with it and indeed have had a private exchange with HH to tell him why his Armchair Cache Bookmark list is such a wonderful resource. So hopefully there will be no more barbed posts from Jango and HH’s, after all we don't want you thinking we're up for the Victor Meldrew GOG award ... Anyway just tugging my white sports socks off as we speak .....

OK folks who's up for a mass Nude Virtual Cachers Event at HH's Armchair Caches Please no need to post photo's to prove you were there in cyberspace! LOL

As we stated in the first post, this thread is to provide some relief to our poor mailbox, and to say that, whilst two of us are committed textiles (Yoda objects strongly to being strapped into his dog coat even in the worst of weather) we are neither strongly pro nor anti the concepts of either: NAKED CACHING - ie without GPS, Map or Compass, or NUDE CACHING - ie without clothes (given the provisos we have already stated, and that we're not forced to take part) nudecacher of all our correspondents at least had the decency to provide us with both positive comment and an e-mail return address, unlike some - even if we assume their suggestions were made in jest. Have a look at our Guideline 4; perhaps HH can tell us how he polices his pro-textile views on cachers who attempt his Armchair Caches? Sorry to jump on you Haggis Hunter, it's not personal but having already awoken a small "if vocal" community we don't want to start our inbox pinging again with stongly worded e-mails because we are providing a forum for extreme textile views. And why is it that no one has posted so far on Naked Caching, is it a crime to go caching without that little Garmin or Gecko to cover your embarrassment? So go on HH there's the challenge, address yourself to the issue of naked cachers - is it family friendly if you can't distract the kids by getting them to hold the GPS, fold the map, .....

Point taken and changed. Rather like the TupperBare idea though this seems to emphasise the lack of clothing over the lack of GPS/compass/map part. At leat your comments are more to the point than our previous emails. Aware that in the remote wilds no one is there to see you, and so you can choose to go hunting sans any artifical aid to navigation or midges, and am aware of the hardy nature of Scots (I learnt to ice scake in shorts and T-shirt at Aberdeen ice rink). This is more about caching in/near areas where naturalism is allowed rather than ,perhaps, doing/suggesting that someone carry out what might (although case law is confused, unless of course you are Steve Gough trying to rambler naked through Ross & Cromarty) be considered a criminal act. woops better get those off ahh that's better!

We had not realised that a tongue in cheek postscript to a comment on the Cryptik Soul Crew’s “Logging A Find: ... without finding everything” was going to generate any e-mailed correspondence. So in response to our correspondents may we offer our sincere apologies to all those who prefer to cache au naturelle. We do accept that caching without the artificial aid of either tools and/or togs must indeed be a great challenge, and had not realised that there were so many who still hold to the 1930s ideals of health and efficiency. As an olive branch (should that be fig leaf) we would be prepared to consider placing the first cache of a Naked and Nude friendly co-operative series along the lines of Motorway Madness, and if anyone else wishes to join in then you might find yourselves having to go a little less distance than to Muha 3 - Nacktcachen (GCPEFX). Thank you to “nudecacher” for pointing out the existing bookmark of caches which can be done without togs nude friendly caches . Given the nature of the British climate and the gently caressing nature of hawthorne, bramble and nettle our working title for this homage to “Motorway Madness” is “The Naked and the Dead!” Our working conditions for a cache to qualify as a member of “The Naked and the Dead” are: 1) The cache must be doable by a Naked Cacher (caching without the aid of GPS, compass or map) who is prepared to expend considerable effort in textural analysis to decrypt the subtle nuances of tone and content in the cache description. Simple give away hints and/or walk to the cache descriptions not allowed. 2) At least part of the route to the cache must be legally doable by a Nude Cacher (caching without the aid of clothing). 3) All caches will only be placed with the approval of the landowner and the GAGB in the frank knowledge that some cachers may choose to do it au naturelle. 4) A cache would immediately be removed/not be placed should a report about family unfriendly activities be reported by the naturist community. 5) All cache locations must be accessible by the public, even if that means you have to visit as a mixed couple or family [as a Naked Cacher pointed out their top to do cache is in a missile silo in which you must visit as a pair, under armed guard, and you only get 5 minutes access to the final location]. 6) The cache hider is not expected to abide by Conditions 1 and 2 while placing the cache; although one of us (Yoda the GeoHound) would like to point out that he always caches au naturelle. We already know some of your interesting private views but would invite you to post here in public instead, before we are driven to go anonymous. Constructive comments only are invited on: + a more cacher friendly series title than “The Naked and the Dead” + whether these guidlines are sufficient + offers to participate in placing a cache for Naked and Nude cachers + existing caches that meet the conditions for Naked and Nude caching + your experience of either Naked and/or Nude caching/cachers

We decided fairly early on that we did not want to find all our local caches all at once so after a couple of big days early on we only hunt down one or two att a time and try to combine theminto a good dog frendly walk. When we started back in October 2005 there were less than 70 live caches in Norfolk and it would have been very easy to clear the larder. By combining far flung big weekends with enjoyable smaller days (with good walks) in Nofolk and North Suffolk (anything up to an hour away), and the recent spate of inventive new cachers in the area, as long as we don't get carried away we can enjoy the quality locally and go south or west for high volume caching.

Manchester, is that the place near Cambridge? I wouldn't go there they say the world ends just past Nerwmarket!

Depend which you mean NC7 The Nelson Spirit GCVN94 is only 3.0 km away but difficult . Travel Bug Priory is easy and 5.6 km away. Of course could be the other Eccles in which case you could try Hemp Meadows Wood GCHY6J or Hills and Holes GCTQ8W which are both easy and less than 6km away Sorry but caches in Norfolk are a bit spaced out, but then we are a bit slow round here.

How do we know that you have done any "naked caching" for all we know you have a Garmin, Compass and USGS topo map hidden in that large ammo can!

Put in simple terms, in the good old days of selective availability your position was good to the nearest 100m and jumped around, you needed an arm like a blacksmith to carry your "hand held" and it ate battries. The ±3m you see on your Garmin etc is ONLY the resolution of the thing (ie if you select DD MM.mmm then ±1/1000th of a Minute (remembering that there are 60 minutes in 1 degree and 1 minute of Latitude - the north/south bit is equal to 1 nautical mile or 1852m, thats 2025 yards, 1 foot and 1 2/5 inches). All the other magic stuff that effects the accuracy of your little Garmin thingy mean that if you intend to call in a pinpoint airstrike, or stand ontop of that allusive micro every time you need to buy a Military Spec reciever (which you can't) and go back 30 days after you took your observations because even dgps is only spot on if you are very close to the reference. To get accuracies good enough to measure the movement of tectonic plates, say, which may only be 2mm per year you need to use a completely different way of processing the satellite signals (phase differencing rather than pseudo ranging). We use a bottom of the range Magellan eXplorist 100 and if you stand around at a position for 5 minutes anywhere in these Britanic Isles then WAAS is always activated (that's "we see D's" for those of you in Garmin land). Just to be complete for all those weird "Northing/Easting, feet and yards" people, just to show how basic our Magellan is it cost us £64, 19 shillings and 9 pennies and 3 farthings (that's pounds Sterling of course).

Like it Gerbil I must remember that one, unfortunately a DNF NC6 Do A Nelson due to the discovery of Avian Bird Flu near Dereham Norfolk will not work as it's our cache, but we will keep it up our sleeve for future reference!

Reading through this read I was almost enticed to go up into the attic and find a note book from 1994 when I used a clunky old yellow 8 channel magellan for some fieldwork in the Arctic. In those far off days your position would suddenly jump sideways 65 metres! Oh and the thing took 6AA batteries (I think), drained them in less than 4 hours and it was the size of a door stop. What most users forget is that that ±3m figure is actually the resolution of the system (work it out for yourselves 1 minute of latitude = 1852m so 1/1000th of a minute = 1.825m) so in effect it is saying that it can display a figure ±1/1000th of a minute of Latitude. The fact that a tiny box smaller than a mobile phone can do all that is pretty good so don't expect it to give you sub metric absolute accuracies as well - what are you trying to do call in a Scud Missile attack? Have a look at http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/...atisgps_08.html if you want to explore the issues of accuracy; in any cae no matter how powerful the algorythmns in your little hand held reciever any system depending on Broadcast Ephemeris is never going to give you an absolute accuracy better than ±10m even when it does constrain height - and who can trust it when it will not display cartesian coordinates anyway.

" I always try to find some way to shortcut a multi. It saves time and (in my twisted little mind) "encourages" the owner to make their next multi less hackable." Is this what I called "naked caching" earlier. Do you use any other atrificial means like GPS/map/compass. As one of those who has learnt to make multi's less hackable it does seem there is scope for "naked caching" but to claim a find you must actual physically find the final cache box and sign the log. Otherwise why not log it as a find if you "find the car park" or can down load the cache description, after all you have managed to "find it"!We have sometimes gone without GPS or had to overcome a missing micro on a multicache but have never gone out deliberately to go "naked caching" although there are plenty of dash & cahes that could be done that way if it's a case of never mind the quality feel the width.

Following other's posts went and checked the log of Slippery When Wet and fully agree. Finding the first stage of a Multicache is NOT a find. If it were what would be the point in setting anything but simple Dash & Cash or long slog in same way out caches. Can only assume that the "finders" are a bit too slippery and think the rest of us are "wet". I'd email them say that they seem to have chosen the wrong option, attach a copy of there log and then as soon as the email has gone Hit The Button!

There is another approach where it is possible for the cacher to lower the cache out of the tree. Works best when the thing up the tree doesn't look out of place - so an ammo box on the end of an orange climbing rope would be a no no. There are at least two such clever caches I know of in East Anglia but having found them I've sworn to the no pics no hints requests of the cachers! But think about it, what could be up a tree and how would you organise things so that just finding the lowering mechanism would not give the whole game away.

How do you keep on top of them all, with a planned 200 caches you'll spend most of your spare time on maintenance visits (1 per 4 months = 600 visits per year)? We spent March hidding rather than Finding and with all the research and preparation it has a draw all of its own. But you sart wanting to place on English Nature/National Trust/Stately Home parkland and suddenly you find yourself spending days setting up meetings with landowners and putting them at ease about the nature of caching - seems there are some renegade Letterboxers out there digging holes and hiding things inside walls. Having never met a Renegade Letterboxer I imagine they go out there on 500cc single pot Norton's looking a bit like Ogre the Biker, ripping up tracks and leaving gates open. Have a look at Dartmoor National park which has over 5000 unregulated hides. In case you wonder, (given that I've placed 3 Letterbox Hybrids) and have one more on the way - I enjoy the creative work that goes into designing the stamp but condem the damage done to GeoCaches/Orienteers/Wayfarers by the unregulated murky world of renegade Letterboxing.

It's only polite to email them first as I've found that some who are new to caching accidentally give the whole game away "it was such a hoot to find we came all the way back to the car park to that weird looking hollow tree - see our picture" sort of thing. However, that said, sounds like the final stage needs a little tweaking. Came accross some cachers the other day that always try to find the cache not only sand gps but also sans compass and map. They had managed to find over 25 caches using this method including three multis and some puzzle caches too. I couldn't believe it at first but they showed me the hidden verbal clues that litter most cache descritptions (without even decrypting the hint). I've tried it and it works. Was chuffed to bits that we were the first to defeat their cunning plan. We have also started to back engineer suttle anti hints in case there are other "naked cachers" out there. That's naked as in chef/gardener, of course they're not nude that would be silly!

At a recent Cacher's Meet there was some discussion on how useful or not DNFs were. It would seem that most of us found them useful as an indicator of how hard a cache is, but many people do not log DNFs. We must admit to not logging DNFs if those before us have already made lots of comments about coordinate problems, prefering to try again or email the cache owner. However if we really enjoyed the hunt, but had to eventually admit defeat [eg GCGAYP The Last of the Mohicans], we log it. We have two caches that generate lots of emails form cachers who are are seeking help. In both cases logged DNFs are outnumbered by unlogged DNFs at a ratio of 3:1. In one case the cache has a Difficulty of 4 and although DNFs are under represented the impression we get from emails is that cachers expected it to be hard. Our problem cache is in the centre of Norwich and has a Difficulty of 3, but in this case we have had several emails from cachers who did not expect it to be "Challenging. An experienced cache hunter will find this challenging, and it could take up a good portion of an afternoon." We've rechecked the cache a couple of times and even got a virgin cacher to go round and there is no way that it is "Difficult. A real challenge for the experienced cache hunter - may require special skills or knowledge, or in-depth preparation to find. May require multiple days / trips to complete." Some more DNFs would help we feel. Most recently a cache owner removed DNFs, including ours, from their cache's log aparently because of strongly held views against logging DNFs. + Do you log or don't you log them? + Do you find them usefull? + Would you rather they were removed after they served their purpose (eg a muggled cache)? + Are they a badge of pride or a dunce's cap? We would be really interested to hear your views.

Yes we've done it too and in all bar one case its ended amicably. One of us is 11 and always wants to know what has happened, was the cache missing, were we looking in the correct place, where are they taking that travel bug? The most sensitive tend to be "Hermit Cachers" that put things out there but just "want to be alone." Caught between the constant questions of an 11 year old and an unresponsive cacher the easiest course is to periodically send emails. Most people respond but if there is no reply after a few weeks and I'm getting tired of having my ear pulled I'll send a bunch of repeat emails just to see if there is anyone there. That is when the problem starts. Maybe I'm getting this emailing bit wrong but I always assumed it was rude NOT to respond to querries from other cachers. Obviously all that parental nagging to write thank you letters has been superceded in todays busy world. Anyway as I say in all bar one case things sort themselves out but as previous notes have said there are some ultra sensitive individuals out there, but they are few and far between. For most of us simple misunderstandings are simply overcome.