sparklehorse
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Posts posted by sparklehorse
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Here's one in SW Washington:
There's more photos of that one in the gallery of this archived joedohn cache:
Here's a little gem on the Oregon Coast, the highest in the Coast Range I believe:
There's more photos of that one in the gallery of this archived cache:
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Hi folks,
I'm currently using a 60CSx and am quite happy with it, especially its performance under tree cover. I'm thinking of getting a Geko or an Edge for backpacking because they're considerably lighter but I also want to document my route and mileage accurately. The Edge has the SirfIII chip but since it's more of a cycling computer I'm not sure how well it works for things like hiking and geocaching. Seems like the ergonomics might be less than ideal and I'm not sure if you can download waypoints from a computer. The Geko seems like the better choice but how is it in tree cover? I had an Etrex Vista for a while that really sucked under tree cover so I have no interest in the Geko unless it's considerably better, let's say at least as good as a GPS V if not better. Ideas much appreciated.
Thanks,
sparklehorse
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Is anyone having any luck transfering waypoints from Google Earth to a Garmin GPS(60CSx)? I've been messing around with this all day with no joy. You'd think GSAK could do it but nada. I tried GPS Babel too and tried converting the .kml to .loc and .gpx and then bring 'em into GSAK but they error. I tried converting to various Mapsource fromats and tried bringing them into Mapsource but no luck. I'm using the latest versions of Mapsource and GSAK and Babel. ARRGgggHH! This should be easy!
sparklehorse
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wpwfs2003 wrote:
I usually use North up, but when I use track up I have to hold the unit flat (parallel to the ground) for the compass to work properly. If I tilt it up then the map goes crazy and is usually off quite a bit from what it should be. When I hold it flat again, it works fine.Vlad wrote:
turn off the electronic compass to see it it's causing the issue - you can do this by pressing and holding down the page button for a couple of seconds.WOW, it pays to ask. Turns out you're both correct. The 60CSx works almost normally in Track Up mode when held level. It's not perfect but it's acceptible. Turning the compass off works even better, plus I can hold the unit at a more natural angle for viewing. Plus not running the compass should (in theory) conserve battery power. Thanks guys!
So this was an odd one. I couldn't find any mention of this in the manual and it's not exactly an obvious solution (to me anyway). My GPS V worked fine at all angles in track up mode and it has no compass. I just assumed the 60CSx would work in a similar fashion. I still don't understand how the compass becomes a factor. Seems like the unit could only determine your forward direction of motion from GPS data, how does the compass even get involved in this?
Here's another question: Does the Vista have these same issues when using Track Up? I bought a new Vista a few weeks ago and one of the reasons I traded it in for the 60CSx was that it was also all wiggy in Track Up mode. I thought the unit was just bad because it also shut itself off for no apparent reason a few times which really cheesed me. Oh well, I like the 60CSx much better anyway.
sparklehorse
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Having trouble with "Track Up" option with new 60CSx. Works fairly normally when I'm walking south, but when going north it's all catty wompus, like it's out 180 degrees or something. Arrow pointer is pointing in the opposite direction from what I'm actually doing and the map isn't rotated to the correct orientation. The only thing I tried that helped was to calibrate the compass, something I hadn't yet done. It worked better after that, but the map still isn't orienting itself accurately, sometimes it's 90 degrees to what it should be. I'm walking at a normal pace, about 3mph, and I'm walking around my neighborhood, where all the streets run north-south, east-west, so I'm well oriented mentally to what direction I'm actually travelling at any given moment. I've used a GPS V in the Track Up mode for geocaching for the last four years, so I'm familiar with how it should work and in the GPS V it works very well. Track Up is the way I prefer to hunt caches, but the 60 CSx is really sucking at it so far. I tried searching this forum for info on this but didn't have much luck. Any ideas?
Thanks much,
sparklehorse
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The Lithiums are great for very cold weather, but other than that they are a waste of money and time, since you have to keep getting in line to buy more batteries . . .
True (sort of). I've actually found the lithiums last twice as long in my GPS V as 1900 nimh rechargeables or alkalines. Since the GPS V has a battery timer this is a statement I make with certainty. More importantly they weigh less than either of the other two choices. I'm planning on using the 60csx on a six day, 40-mile backpack trip. I'll have the unit turned on and in my backpack all day long while hiking, making a track of the hike for later download. I'd have to tote twice as many nimh for that trip as lithiums, plus they weigh more. Plus that whole losing the charge thing really annoys me. Always have to top those suckers off before going on a hike or a cache hunt. Lithiums last like ten years. Nimh dead in two months. I like nimh for some things. Works perfect in my bicycle headlamp I use for commuting each day. Just don't like 'em in the GPS for backpacking.
sparklehorse
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My new 60csx is on the way. Has the lithium issue been resolved by any of the firmware updates? I really like using the lighter lithiums, it's really gonna bum me out if I can't use 'em in the 60scx.
sparklehorse
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laurak of dasein wrote:
I'm especially wary (careful?) since falling off a trail switchback (while caching) breaking my left ankle on 8/13/05, but am slowly working my way back.Yikes, must be tough to get back out there on the trails after something like that, especially trails with switchbacks. Congrats for having the courage.
laurak of dasein wrote:
Wonder if the person who took the metal catwalk was one of those people who takes metal railings off bridges to support their meth habit. If they did, hopefully they had to carry it a very long way; I pray for them.The catwalk thingy is actually lying on the ground near the problem "mini-trestle". We thought it was just some random debris until we reached another mini-trestle down the pike that had its catwalk in place. This of
course inspired an "Aha!" moment. Since I didn't try to scope out a bushwhack path around the mini-trestle I can't guarantee there is one. The upshot is if you get there and get turned around because you aren't comfortable with any of your options you will have only hiked in about a mile and a half and had a very pleasant hike at that.
Glad you enjoyed Camp Krummholz. I love it over there. Gotta get over there this year and replace that leaky rubbermaid with an ammo can or something. Curious to see how close the big fires got to it a couple years ago.
sparklehorse
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dasein wrote:
Wow, thanks for pointing this out, Sparklehorse! We're afraid of heights and dropoffs though. You think we'd be ok? BTW, welcome back!Hi dasein, thanks. I was sick for a while, or well maybe I was well. Not sure. Anyway, heights, yes, quite a few of them sorry to say. All part of the adventure, but safe enough. There is just one truly dicey stretch where some moron has removed the metal catwalk. It's sort of a trestle I guess but it's very short and not too high off the ground. So the problem is you've got to just step on the ties, which have gaps of about a foot or so between them. It's not really that bad though. We managed to cross it without incident in the morning when the ties had that delightful combination of ice and water and creosote on them. Trekking poles were helpful, but it was risky I gotta say. It was much easier to cross on the way back when the ties were dry. In retrospect it might have been wiser to try to bushwhack around that puppy if possible, but we're not that smart. The real trestles, and there's a couple of good ones, have walkways so they're not really a problem. The tunnels are wide enough to be safe as well. That said it still would be pretty unnerving to encounter a train at those places. On the other hand the trains seem to move pretty slow and you can hear them from a good distance so you've got that fact working in your favor. Plus there's just a couple a day apparently. But this is all part of the adventure that makes this such a great cache. Hope that helps!
sparklehorse
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testing
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Curious George wrote:
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Mmmmm ice cream....as promissed I went by there today to check it out and get a waypoint. Here it is in UTM's:472731E 5362120N
Thanks for the ice cream waypoint. Being a yank the UTM thing is just an omen of many conversions to come. Sure wish my speedometer had kilometers on it though! Oh well, maybe speeding tickets are cheaper in BC.
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I'm not a geocacher but I play one on TV.
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OK, I'll bite. The cache page for "I am still Canadian" says:
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You'll even be close to inarguably Victoria's best ice cream!Since ice cream is my favorite food group I will of course have to find this place, cache or not. Can someone point me to this dreamy creamery? Can't be in the middle of Beacon Hill Park. Or can it?
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I'm not a geocacher but I play one on TV.
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Hi folks!
My wife and I are from Portland, Oregon and we're headed to Victoria, BC for the Memorial Day weekend (May 24-26). We're planning to snag a few caches while we're up there - any recommendations? We'd like to hit some interesting ones but won't have a lot of time for multi's, puzzles or long hikes.
Also, I was just perusing the Victoria cache map and was shocked to find nary a cache in Beacon Hill Park. What's up with that? Was there some trouble with the local Parks Department? Do tell. That's one of the prettiest city parks in North America, IMHO.
Thanks,
sparklehorse
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I'm not a geocacher but I play one on TV.
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Congrats on year one! I'll be headin' your way soon to snag some of those CO caches of yours.
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I'm not a geocacher but I play one on TV.
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If all you need is good food, sand and beer the little town of Oceanside is hard to beat. No myrtlwood, no taffy, no bumper cars - just miles of quiet beaches. The House on the Hill is a good place to stay and Roseanna's is a great place to eat. Across the street from Roseanna's is the Anchor Tavern, a great place to drink beer and tell lies. This part of the coast is off Hwy 101 and so is off the radar screen of most beach goers. There are several great caches in this general area, including the Bayocean cache oregone mentioned. You can find out more about Oceanside at this site.
Enjoy!
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I'm not a geocacher but I play one on TV.
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Car caches? Meeting someone for coffee? Letting someone through the front door?
Huh? Are you kidding?
I want the "Geocache Channel" on Web TV. Browse caches, log finds and post to the forums all from the incredible comfort of my sofa. Hey, if you can't find it with the remote why bother?
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Tungsten wrote:
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I think it's more like he first visited in 2001 and took the reporter to that cache cause he knew it was a good one. While there with the reporter he left a cd just so the reporter could see something traded.Yea, I figure it's something like that too; I'm just giving him a hard time. Hey, he got his picture in the paper AND brazenly consumed alcohol in front of a reporter. Ya can't let him off scott-free
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Something's mighty fishy here!
After reading the piece in the paper I looked up the now famous cache where Oregone's mug shot was taken, the "Clatskanie Fire Tower" cache. Guess what, there's no recent log of Oregone's there
! Why? Because he found that cache way back in August of 2 0 0 1! Yet according to the article he left a vintage 2002 PGE CD in the cache. What's up with that? Man if this means there's another cacher out there with a time machine I'm crying foul.Confused in PDX.
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GPS receiver: $150.00
FRS radio: $75.00
Gortex hiking boots: $120.00
Getting your sun-drenched picture in the paper with a fake tree stump: PRICELESS
[This message was edited by sparklehorse on February 26, 2003 at 10:15 AM.]
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Zzzoey wrote:
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So how does the climb rate in relation to the Hole of Inaccessibility?It's nothing like "The Deschutes River Canyon of Death" as a fellow cacher recently put it. This is a longish hike but it's pretty flat. Even easier if you use a bike to get to Jawbone Flats. And it's pure "wetside". If you hike this in the rain you're likely to come home with moss growing between your toes!
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Now back by popular demand even though the $1000 is no longer on the table, this one created quite a stir when archived recently:
OPERATION HIGH DESERT ADVENTURE
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dasein wrote:
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Is the hike to the Bonus cache really far from the 1st?The bonus cache is about a mile and a half beyond the first. Total hike from car to bonus cache is about five miles, with 400 feet elev. gain. There's old mines all over this area, but you'll only see a couple from the trail and one is easy to miss. Santiam #1 is supposedly about a half mile beyond the gate, just past Gold Creek, and on the north bank of the little Santiam river. From what I've read it sounds like one of the more interesting ones but I haven't taken the time to look for it yet. Supposed to be an old ore car there and some tracks among other things.
Byron & Anne wrote:
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And this one is just around the corner.Like the Santiam #1 mine, your 3 Pools cache is another spot down there I keep wanting to see. I've seen pictures and it looks very cool. It's on the list for a summer camping trip.
The Chief wrote:
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I smell a Santiam cache dash in my future.Three years ago that would have been about the weirdest sentence a person could possibly utter!
CFM wrote:
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There is also The Gold Creek Mine Cache, which was archived after my no-find.That looks like a very cool cache! I had no idea it existed. I'll bet it's still up there too, but perhaps washed downstream. The container kills me.
Mr. Snazz wrote:
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I can't wait til summer!Hey, two cache registers, no waiting
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Actually two: This One and its sister This Other One.
They're bursting with flavor and only three grams of fat!
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Anyone Using A Geko?
in GPS technology and devices
Posted
I'm sure some folks must be using Gekos. How do you like it? How's the sat reception under tree cover? Do you wish you'd bought something else? Will they run on lithium batteries or is that problematic like it is for the 60CSx? Comments appreciated!
sparklehorse