sc

This is probably of interest to a VERY limited audience (with too much time on their hands)... but here goes. Although my Earthmate runs from external power when used with a laptop, it eats AAA batteries rather quickly when I'm using it with my Palm IIIc. I have been saving "Polarpulse" batteries from used Polaroid film cartridges thinking they would be of use if I could just find an application. here are the pictures of the result. Adapter: This adapter was made from Lego Technics pieces, although there are plenty of ways this could be done. Contacts are a brass nail and brass brads (paper fastners in "English"). I had a spare battery door for my Earthmate, but you could probably figure out a way of using a single door for both types of batteries. Adapter in place: Of course, if you were willing to solder to the battery contacts you would only need a two-pin plug and socket arrangement instead. End result: The Kodak pouch came free with a disposable APS camera... but obviously other pouches could be used. Just as long as they are a snug fit so that the battery makes continuous contact. WARNINGS: The Polaroid cartridges contain very sharp metal edges... so be very careful if you decide to use these batteries. The cartridges are marked with all sorts of warnings about not cutting open the battery... but it is fairly obvious what is cardboard carrier and what is battery and should not be cut. If you have any doubts... don't try this in your home*. Wear eye protection. (* Try it in someone else's home) [This message was edited by sc on July 25, 2002 at 07:57 PM.]

This is probably of interest to a VERY limited audience (with too much time on their hands)... but here goes. Although my Earthmate runs from external power when used with a laptop, it eats AAA batteries rather quickly when I'm using it with my Palm IIIc. I have been saving "Polarpulse" batteries from used Polaroid film cartridges thinking they would be of use if I could just find an application. here are the pictures of the result. Adapter: This adapter was made from Lego Technics pieces, although there are plenty of ways this could be done. Contacts are a brass nail and brass brads (paper fastners in "English"). I had a spare battery door for my Earthmate, but you could probably figure out a way of using a single door for both types of batteries. Adapter in place: Of course, if you were willing to solder to the battery contacts you would only need a two-pin plug and socket arrangement instead. End result: The Kodak pouch came free with a disposable APS camera... but obviously other pouches could be used. Just as long as they are a snug fit so that the battery makes continuous contact. WARNINGS: The Polaroid cartridges contain very sharp metal edges... so be very careful if you decide to use these batteries. The cartridges are marked with all sorts of warnings about not cutting open the battery... but it is fairly obvious what is cardboard carrier and what is battery and should not be cut. If you have any doubts... don't try this in your home*. Wear eye protection. (* Try it in someone else's home) [This message was edited by sc on July 25, 2002 at 07:57 PM.]

I suppose a jogger-stroller and a bike are about the same... but people with very small kids might like to know if it is a back-pack or stroller terain.

Don't lead "civilains" to the cache

I indicate in my caches whether strollers or bikes will work for the trails concerned... but I had not thought of dogs (not having one). It's a good idea, but I don't think it will catch on as widely with custom-made logos as it would if it was a "standard" part of cache entry. Possibilities that come to mind: Bikes OK Strollers OK Horses OK Dogs OK Now that I come to think of it... that is quite a lot of little logos when you include "prohibited" (Not OK) logos (with slashes through them).

I'm no GPS expert, but from what I have read the source of the inaccuracy is not just the non-atomic clock in the GPSr. When the GPSr calculates its distance from multiple satellites using its "inaccurate" clock the spheres where the GPSr must be situated do not overlap properly. The GPSr can then add or subtract a "fiddle factor" to its notion of time until the spheres overlap at a single point. This should be a relatively simple process of "successive approximation". However... I'm not sure where the inaccuracy DOES come from. One thing is for sure... it is a VERY small error given the complexity of the system and the fact that radio propogation is involved (reflections off objects etc.).

I'm no GPS expert, but from what I have read the source of the inaccuracy is not just the non-atomic clock in the GPSr. When the GPSr calculates its distance from multiple satellites using its "inaccurate" clock the spheres where the GPSr must be situated do not overlap properly. The GPSr can then add or subtract a "fiddle factor" to its notion of time until the spheres overlap at a single point. This should be a relatively simple process of "successive approximation". However... I'm not sure where the inaccuracy DOES come from. One thing is for sure... it is a VERY small error given the complexity of the system and the fact that radio propogation is involved (reflections off objects etc.).

The Palm IIIc color display display is not *great* outdoors, but it is usable. If money was no object I guess a nice color all-in-one unit would be nice... but the Earthmate/Palm IIIc/Solus/Topo 3 combination does give me topographical maps while I'm caching.

The Palm IIIc color display display is not *great* outdoors, but it is usable. If money was no object I guess a nice color all-in-one unit would be nice... but the Earthmate/Palm IIIc/Solus/Topo 3 combination does give me topographical maps while I'm caching.

Cetus does not support Earthmate, but GPS Pilot Tracker does.

Cetus does not support Earthmate, but GPS Pilot Tracker does.

Good point... the Earthmate doesn't do NMEA. For PC-based software there is a work-around which may be applicable in some cases: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~tooraj/eartha2nmea.htm Something that does the same for Palm would be nice...

Good point... the Earthmate doesn't do NMEA. For PC-based software there is a work-around which may be applicable in some cases: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~tooraj/eartha2nmea.htm Something that does the same for Palm would be nice...

quote:Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy: I had that problem too, though I use a different program for my GPS needs... Hmmm... I'd be interested in checking out alternatives to Solus. What is it? Thanks for the link to the calculator/memopad. I'll check them out.

quote:Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy: I had that problem too, though I use a different program for my GPS needs... Hmmm... I'd be interested in checking out alternatives to Solus. What is it? Thanks for the link to the calculator/memopad. I'll check them out.

My Earthmate's primary function was with a laptoop in the car too. For Geocaching I use the earthmate with a Palm IIIc running Delorme's Solus 2.0 software (Topo 3.0 data). The Earthmate-Palm cable came with the Earthmate & software as a package deal. I believe you can get the cable direct from Delorme, but it is expensive for what it is. May also be available from a third party manufacturer. The set-up works well, but it is a bit cumbersome and I do worry about dropping the Palm. However, it is nice having the color topo map of where I am. Overkill for Geocaching, though. The set-up became more practical when I figured out that I could put the earthmate on my shoulder (using a pouch/shoulder strap that came free with a disposable APS camera). Difficult to be inconspicuous like this, though :-) By the way: Although I can theoretically use the calculator or carry cache descriptions etc. in the Palm it isn't very practical to exit from Solus to do so. I am considering buying a basic Etrex for geocaching eventually. They are only $80 when on sale. Although I like the funtionality of the set-up I'm using... I don't know that it is what I would *recommend* to someone. I chose this route because was planning on using the Earthmate with a laptop and the PDA as... well... as a PDA.

My Earthmate's primary function was with a laptoop in the car too. For Geocaching I use the earthmate with a Palm IIIc running Delorme's Solus 2.0 software (Topo 3.0 data). The Earthmate-Palm cable came with the Earthmate & software as a package deal. I believe you can get the cable direct from Delorme, but it is expensive for what it is. May also be available from a third party manufacturer. The set-up works well, but it is a bit cumbersome and I do worry about dropping the Palm. However, it is nice having the color topo map of where I am. Overkill for Geocaching, though. The set-up became more practical when I figured out that I could put the earthmate on my shoulder (using a pouch/shoulder strap that came free with a disposable APS camera). Difficult to be inconspicuous like this, though :-) By the way: Although I can theoretically use the calculator or carry cache descriptions etc. in the Palm it isn't very practical to exit from Solus to do so. I am considering buying a basic Etrex for geocaching eventually. They are only $80 when on sale. Although I like the funtionality of the set-up I'm using... I don't know that it is what I would *recommend* to someone. I chose this route because was planning on using the Earthmate with a laptop and the PDA as... well... as a PDA.

I see no harm in creating caches with a particular theme like this. I'd be careful about food items in the cache though. Seems like someone faced with local caches that are not dog friendly, bike friendly, whining child friendly, stroller friendly, wheelchair friendly, or whatever would want to do something like this to raise awareness.

If an LCD display is allowed to heat up enough (e.g. leaving it on a dashboard of a parked car) then it will go black when the liquid crystal material reaches a certain temperature. *Usually* the process is reversible and the display returns to normal when the temperature comes down. I don't think that the sort of exposure to sunlight involved in normal use will be a problem, though.

If an LCD display is allowed to heat up enough (e.g. leaving it on a dashboard of a parked car) then it will go black when the liquid crystal material reaches a certain temperature. *Usually* the process is reversible and the display returns to normal when the temperature comes down. I don't think that the sort of exposure to sunlight involved in normal use will be a problem, though.

I know what to fill my suitcase with next time I come to the UK...

I know what to fill my suitcase with next time I come to the UK...

In the absence of some kind of official mechanism for doing this... I know that if someone e-mailed me and said "I'm coming to your area on vacation, are there any particular caches that you'd recommend..." I would be glad to reply. In any particular area you can see who the active cache placers are from the cache listings. You *might* run into the occasional grouch who considered you e-mail an intrusion... but by and large I think you would find that most people would happily oblige.

Seems to me that everybody has different tastes... and many people like a couple of the "types" of caches and not others. The best way to accommodate everyone would be to keep them in one site. The ability to chose to filter out particular types would be nice, but is not essential in my opinion.

It depends on the design... but the least waterproof part is usually the battery compartment. Each time you change the batteries you have the potential for making the unit less waterproof. IF YOU GET IT WET INSIDE remove the batteries immediately and put it in a warm (not hot) oven for 24-48 hours. In the electronics industry, circuit boards are routinely washed with water and then dried (but not with the power applied). Providing you remove power immediately it gets wet there is a chance the unit can be recovered. However, it can take a long time to get the moisture out of a "waterproof" enclosure... for the same reason that it takes a while for the water to get in