FollowMeChaps

I was thinking of using Christmas as an excuse to upgrade my GPSr as I'm currently just a lowley yellow etrex user. That said I find the yellow 100% reliable provided I use 'caching skills' in dense tree cover, etc. I would like to have maps on my system so would be looking to upgrade to the new Garmin eTrex Venture® Cx, GPSMap 60CSx or possibly the older GPSMap 60CS (non-x) which can now be picked up cheaply. Before going down any of these routes can anyone advise me what would be the REAL cost of upgrading to a system like this? I don't mean the price of the unit, that's relatively easy to establish, but what also does one need to buy in the way of sim cards, mapping software, cables and cases, etc to get a real advantage from it. For instance when I got my WAAS etrex it cost c. £60 from the US on ebay. However, to take full advantage of it I've had to buy a cable, case, GSAK and Cachemate licence and recargable batteries/charger. All in about £100 not bad but 40% more than the face costs. I gather that if I upgrade to the cat's wiskers then there may be a host of other gizmos I will need but without knowing anyone with one it's hard to find out. Any advice would be happily recieived. Thanks FMC PS If you are using Christmas to upgrade from the GPSMap 60CS (non-x) and want to sell on your old model then email me - we might be able to help each other out.

I thought that this was working fine for me but have just noticed that Hampshire is not yellowed when I've found caches there. Anyone know why this might be? FMC

Surely not? Why should they feel embaressed ? Walking around in strange unfamiliar places , poking into dirty holes , acting suspiciously , doing your best to be unseen , bristling with electronic gagetry - and all in search of a hidden lunch box!!!!!

Here, here! My thanks too Neil

Probably the wrong place but can I ask an ignorant one being just a lowley yellow etrex user? What would be the real cost of upgrading to a system like this? I don't mean the price of the unit, that's relatively easy to establish, but what also does one need to buy in the way of sim cards, mapping software, cables and cases, etc to get a real advantage from it. For instance when I got my WAAS etrex it cost c. £60 from the US on ebay. However, to take full advantage of it I've had to buy a cable, case, GSAK and Cachemate licence and recargable batteries/charger. All in about £100 not bad but 40% more than the face costs. I gather that if I upgrade to the cat's wiskers then there may be a host of other gizmos I will need but without knowing anyone with one it's hard to find out. Any advice would be happily recieived. Thanks FMC

Actually it's one I'm setting around the event area that caused me to ask the original question. Please steer clear of the Mynydd Llangatwg as that's where it'll be; puzzle and stages already set just waiting for me to get there to place the box - hopefully within the next 2/3 weeks. FMC

The one on the left or the right?

I rang the Park today to get a definative answer about their allowing dogs - the good news is they do. However, they now only have 10 spaces left for that w/e and it's still 6/7 months away and a bank holiday to boot! I enquired about the DoE field to be told that they do not usually let it out to the public, only DoE particaipants. As I'm not one of the organisers I left it there but thought that I'd best use this forum to alert derrylynne so negotiations could start. I for one plan to be there but due to family circumstances cannot confirm until much nearer the time. I'd hate to be excluded because the limited hard pitches are full. Not being one of the woosie cachers a field and a tap would suit me. FMC

Thanks for all the suggestions to date - please keep them coming - I'm hoping for some nearer to home for me - SW, S. Wales & Midlands. I'd also like to apologise to any who have misinterpreted my original posting. I was genuinely bemused as to how the GC Clayjar system allowed 5/5s in the UK but guessed there probably might be some outside my limited experience. I was certainly not knocking other pepoles own cache ratings. The query arose for me as I have one in development which when rated on Clayjar scored surprisingly low given its extreme terrain and difficulty. As has been correctly pointed out, I have only done only one 5/5 which was really great fun but would not have scored as high via the Clayjar system. This to me indicated that there may be other systems in use in the UK - I wanted to use the Forum to learn - isn't that what it's for? I didn't want to approach the owner of the one I'd experienced least this be misinterpreted as a criticism. I didn't realise that others on the forum would do their own investigation of my cahes and reach that conclusion themselves - boy have I learned something! FMC

Get you - and what side of bed did you get out of? You got this assumption from where?!!! And I had thought that all cachers were friendly.

Can you tell us which, or add a link?

Come on now HazelS - let's have a picture posted here.

Any chance of a picture / more details?

Do you know of any genuine 5/5 - Difficulty/Terrain caches in the UK using the GC scoring system? The only one I've done marked like this would definately not score this high on the GC report a cache page which points to http://www.clayjar.com/gcrs/. It seems that to score 5/5 one needs to hit the following buttons: -Specialized equipment includes: Boats, 4WD vehicles, rock climbing gear, SCUBA, etc. -Take more than a day to hike in, find the cache, and hike out again? -So overgrown that I can't see the other side! Some type of machete or other cutting device is probably needed. Very likely to have thorns or poison plants. - Finding this cache requires very specialized knowledge, skills, or equipment. This is a serious mental or physical challenge. I am preparing what is a really difficult multi in the Welsh mountains that requires mountain skills/experience and challenging maths but still it only rates 4/4.5 - Do others use their own system? I know I can run a search on 5/5s but that desn't mean they are genuine. Come on, give me some challening caches!

The Beast at Fry's Failand Delight GCRTG2

More sloe gin, of course!

Oops! What was I thinking of? I was forgetting the GeocacheUK calendar - why don't we all use that? http://www.geocacheuk.com/portal/index.php...r&Itemid=49

Some of us are very wary of the Google Monster - try googling your cache name and see what that comes up with!!! I prefer to give Google a wide birth when I can and would resist any move towards us all using a single IT company facility on GC.

What about one disguised as a rivet?

I'm in full agreement with everyone: 1. dissapointed by short logs, but that's the loggers perogative and I accept that 2. try to tell stories myself when I have one to tell 3. hate negative logs - I'll always email the logger and challenge what I think to be an unjustified log

Seems like a good idea to me provided the link can be placed somewhere. Don't forget next May's South Wales event http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=145899

Bruce I get up that way occasionally so if nobody nearer volunteers I'll make a point of having a look. It's a pain when TBs go missing. I lost one recently in Somerset http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...57efd&log=y. I can't guarantee to do it before your visit next month so if anybody else on this forum can.......

I'm a recent convert to these Greasemonkey scripts as I use Firefox at home and I now get useful OS rather than those GC maps, all the logs not just 5, etc.. If someone does write the necessary script (I'm a PC language luddite myself! ) I'd love to hear. FMC

I think the original question referred to the GC pages. I also find it frustrating that cache pages are in US date format. Can they be changed?

I just wanted to post a public THANK YOU to the UK reviewers Deceangi. Eckington and Lactodorum. Whenever I submit a cache for publication I always get a first class and speedy service. Caches are always approved, or queried where necessary, the same day and most often within about an hour or so. I had 2 approved today at different times and both within the hour. If only most of the commercial organisations I dealt with were as fast and efficient as that! When you see all the caches approved in the weekly notifications it amazes me that only 3 god folk have done that - read the listing, followed any links, checked the placement and followed up on queries and permissions and all this as well as reading and moderating forums. And they do this as volunteers! Aren't we lucky and don't they do a GREAT job. Keep it up lads we UK cachers need and really apprecaite you!