Jump to content

kbraband

+Premium Members
  • Posts

    210
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by kbraband

  1. It's currently more by coincidance that we run into a collegue that is also looking for geocaches.

    But I'm wondering if it would not be possible to geographically visualise the members of Groundspeak.

    This way we could more easily join together.

     

    I would suggest the same way as now for the geocaches, and maybe splitted in 2 groups (people that own geocaches and people that only log geocaches) Of course every member needs to allow if he is shown in the map or not.

     

    So what would you think about this functionality?

    I think you're referring to home locations of geocachers. This functionality is not available on geocaching.com, but you could do it using Google Latitude if you had a group of geocachers who are all willing to opt in as your "friends". Even if you don't have a smart phone, you can set your home location on your computer and reveal it only to your friends.

  2. As others have mentioned, pretty much any functional gps will work to find caches. The biggest issue you will have with an older one is that it will have a tougher time holding a satellite lock while you are in the woods.

     

    Good Luck and have fun.

     

    Another important aspect to keep in mind about your Magellan 2000 that has not been mentioned is that, according to the manual, it only shows coordinate accuracy to two digits after the decimal. Newer GPS units (less than 10 years old or so) have three-decimal-place accuracy. This is somewhat important when you search for caches because your accuracy won't be as precise as with new units, which may cause you to search in a larger area at ground zero because you won't be able to enter the full set of coordinates that you find on the web page. It will be even more critical if you hide a geocache using this older unit. I should say, other geocachers will be even more critical. Expect to see posts on your cache page from people who search for your geocaches complaining that your coordinates are "off." It used to be that a 40ft. margin of error was perfectly acceptable. Nowadays I see people complain that coordinates are "off" by 10 or 15 ft from what the cache owner listed.

  3. While I respect other reviewers' choice to do so, I have no reason to hide my identity. Here is what I look like. Perhaps other reviewers will post their pictures, too, so that folks can get to know us better.

     

     

    I agree with the Keystone dude. Here's me (IowaAdmin) being interviewed for

    a certain podcast about geocaching during Midwest Geobash '07.

    1343418513_9881aa6ae3.jpg

  4. In the beginning there was the following people

     

    Dave Ulmer

    Mike Teague

    Matt Stum

    Jeremy Irish

     

    Do any of these people actually geocache today? If so, what are there nicks?

     

    Just learning my history

     

    Thanks

     

    You're kidding, right? You've been at this almost as long as I have. :(

  5. Just a little heads up - the correct way to write (spell) the name of this program is EarthCache.

     

    It might not seem a big deal, but it really is to the advantage of the program is people are consistent, especially when writing to seek permission to place an EarthCache, getting items in the media or asking people to get involved.

     

    In that case, it would be helpful for Groundspeak to be consistent also. In the guidelines it's repeatedly spelled "Earthcache."

  6. Hi, A.R.,

    To clarify my posting from nearly three years ago... As you know, reviewing geocaches is a moving target. The guidelines and practices change over time. I have since had discussions about this particular topic of electical equipment with other reviewers and with Groundspeak powers that be. What I now do is in the case of electrical equipment caches is ask the cache owner if he/she has permission to place the cache where it is. Most of the time the answer is predictably "no" although I did have one recent example where the owner said he did have permission to place a cache on a box that he said was a cable box, so I held my nose and approved it.

     

    Thanks for your cordial discussion of this touchy but important topic.

    kbraband aka IowaAdmin

     

    I ran across this quote in another thread and think it's worth it's own discussion.

     

    http://forums.iowageocachers.org/viewtopic.php?t=820

    Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:43 pm Post subject: No caches that simulate electrical equipment

    IowaAdmin

    I recently turned down a new geocache listing because the cache was on or near electrical equipment. That owner then wrote to me to tell me about 4 other similar geocaches that were approved. So I looked at each listing and archived each of them. This policy is endorsed by Groundspeak and most approvers. It's unsafe to make a geocache look like part of electrical equipment, whether or not the nearby equipment is actually "live." It may encourage some geocachers -- including children -- to open "live" equipment. So even though you can buy these types of containers on eBay sites, please don't submit them for approval. They are simply not a good idea and may lead to tragic consequences in the future.

     

    Whoa! Seriously?

     

    Reviewers can now make up unpublished guidelines and enforce them, or not, even on existing caches, at their whim? :laughing:

     

    Groundspeak has unpublished policies that some Reviewers abide by but some don't?

     

    The last I heard if a cache was within the guidelines the Reviewer must publish it. Has that changed? Whatever happened to 'If it's within the guidelines hold your nose and publish' which, I think, has always been the norm for caches a Reviewer didn't care for?

     

    "This policy is endorsed by Groundspeak and most approvers."... well then, shouldn't such 'policies' be in the Guidelines?

     

    It's not that I am against the restriction, it's that I am against unwritten and unevenly enforced rules.

     

    When did perceived safety become a guideline, or a policy, for that matter?

     

    And what happened to caches that were once acceptable becoming grandfathered when the guidelines change... must we now archive all of the electrical box caches?

     

    Edit to add: This isn't about IowaAdmin, a person I respect and appreciate, please keep it about how we are to know and follow Groundspeak's policies and guidelines.

  7. Check out the Iowa Geocachers Organization at http://www.iowageocachers.org/

    They have regional forums, including one for NW Iowa.

    http://forums.iowageocachers.org/index.php

     

    If there is anyone in this group from the above areas please email me at powwow@cableone.net. I would like to know if any geocachers in this area would be interested in forming a club in this area. If anyone knows of any geocachers in this area please have them email me.

     

    Thank you

    Guy

  8. In Feb. 2001 I had been a GPSr owner for about a year and was searching the Internet (this was pre-Google) for information about GPS user groups. I found a posting in a Yahoo users' group by a guy named Jeremy Irish suggesting that people check out a new GPS-based outdoor tracking game. I followed Jeremy's link and saw there were no active geocaches in Wisconsin, so about a week later during a business trip to Chicago, I found my first cache there. I came back to Wisconsin and hid my first cache.

  9. I'm a volunteer ski guide for blind and visually impaired skiers through the B.O.L.D. program of SE Wisconsin, so this thread is interesting. The blind people I know through the program are active physically and have more ambition to to take on challenges than most sighted people I know. I think some of them may be interested in geocaching, so I'm going to check out some of the links provided by previous posters. Thanks!

×
×
  • Create New...