jiminpotomac

I have become a bit of a flashoholic lately. I now own several Surefires and a few other assorted lights. The Minimag 3AAA LED is amazing. $20 at Home Depot for an LED light that will run on AAs for a couple of hours with great throw and spill. Highly, highly recommended- I wouldn't even think of the MagLEDs (2-3-4D) as they have issues with heat. I'd also try the LEDBeam (www.ledbeam.com) It is a 3C LED light that will run for many, many hours and puts out an amazingly useful beam, for aound $25 shipped. The best light I own for night caching is a custom Surefire I had built. Second best is my Surefire L5. I can run it on rechargeables or primary cells for around 2 hours of continuous use. It puts out a HUGE field of light that is perfect for identifying trails and "no see 'ums." One Surefire LED that I have will throw well over 150 yards... well beyond most of my incans. It also has a warmer hue so color rendition is great. LEDs have made great strides in the past few years while incans have essentially grown stale. Many LEDs now have regulation so the light I see when I first turn on a light is the same amount of light I see 1.5 hours later. I also have an HID flashlight that turns night into daytime. It can adjust from spotlight to floodlight too. It will run for around 2 hours on a charge (!) and is fully regulated too. A must have for night caching is a headlamp or a small flashlight that can clip to the brim of a cap.

Hey Cracker- I'm in Bratislava again next week--- can we hit a few night caches the following week on the usual night??? Night caching adds a new sense of mystery to the whole sport. Darkness, things that go "bump" in the woods, and solitude. I LOVE it!!!

Yep, not a bad product for the price. My issue is no heatsinking, so after a few minutes of light the thermal circuitry starts to dim the light due to heat. I'd also recommend the LEDBeam (www.ledbeam.com) which is a 3xD cell LUXIII light, around $24 including shipping. Though it is not thermally controlled by chip, the LED is installed deep in a large heatsink. I have one and love it. It is a great night caching light.

Pelican M-6

Agreed. Regarding the cost of primary 123s they are available from reputable retailers on the web (Amondotech, Battery Station) for around $1 apiece. Not a bad deal. I've always treated any battery powered tool with respect. I learned when I was a kid the danger of coupling new and old cells together in a high-powered flashlight. Amondotech sells matched cells in 2, 3, and 4x123 sticks (my preference). In high-output lights there are issues with matching low capacity rechargeable cells- too much draw. There is some question about a specific light that has had a few similar failures. Many are guessing the issue is too strong of a spring applying too much pressure to the cells causing failure. Conjecture, yes, but compelling.

Yep, I love it. The finds can be more challenging, though at times easier too (ever notice on CSI how they turn off the room lights and fire up their flashlights? Focuses attention to a specific spot). There are typically less muggles (really don't like that term...) but there can be more animal life out-and-about. Plus being a flashlight geek (Hell, I'm a technology-agnostic geek) I get to play with some pretty cool toys too. With my schedule it is about the only way I get to cache semi-regularly. I typically prefer caching in the woods vs. hit-and-run urban caches.

Price lowered to $50 plus shipping...

That is a great PDA. It was almost enough to bring me from the PocketPCs back to Palms. Good luck with the sale!

I have a like-new (mint condition) black xenoy Pelican M-11 Black Knight 8050 rechargeable light FS/FT. Includes light and two "smart" charging bases (one of the power bricks has a European plug- I'll supply a US adapter). 151 lumens, tight beam with a nice spill (stippled reflector). This light is comparable to a MagCharger. 1.5 hours runtime on a full charge. Lifetime guarantee from Pelican. 1 charge cycle on battery. This light has a tight beam with a nice sized corona. It is a light of choice for many firefighters, the military, and LEOs. Rugged, bright, rechargeable (think free lumens!). The polymer case is somewhat rubberized so it is non-slip. Its octagonal shape prevents rolling when lying down, and it is splashproof too. I'd keep it but I have a couple other incans and LEDs that I love and use more often. It is about the size of a 3C maglite, but with a smaller head. 4.8v/9.12 watts/2.1 amps 151 lumens The original box is missing. I've seen retail prices from $135 to 145! $65 + shipping to North America. Will consider trades. Thanks! http://www.pelican.com/lights_detail.php?recordID=8050 for details Fine Print: If you reside overseas please PM me. Paypal accepted. I have many references on CPF, Brighthand, and eBay. jiminpotomac AT gmail DOT com for any questions. First "I'll take it" wins!

Sold!

I've decided to sell my trusty HP iPAQ 1910. I bought this as a gift for my wife but she's a diehard Palm fan. This thing has hardly been used. Here's a review in case you aren't familiar with the unit: 1910 Review This is like-new. No scratches or dents. It has been stored in a drawer in an aluminum case for the past 2 years until I took it on a trip overseas with me last week. I know I paid about $300 for it new. It has but a few hours of use... The accessories: I'm including an aluminum Innopocket case (here's a review I wrote on the case: Innopockket Review ) I don't have the original stylus so I'm including a plastic iPAQ 3835 stylus (doens't fit in the stylus silo). The original stylus is available on eBay for around $5. I'm including the USB synch cable and power cable. I don't have the box or CDs. I'm including a second battery too (battery is hot-swapable) I'll also throw in a cognac-color leather case by handheldplanet.net It was originally designed for the MDA but the 1910 fits a bit loosely. Case snaps over the iPAQ and has credit card slots and 2 SD/MMC card slots. Has built-in Windows Media Player (plays videos, movies, and MP3s/WMAs); built in recorder; Pocket IE, MSWord, MSExcel. It also has one of the best color screens HP ever produced. I'll sell it for US$60 plus shipping (North America only). I accept Paypal. First "I'll take it" gets it. I have no use for this iPAQ as my iPAQ HX4700 is my daily driver and my wife is thrilled with her Palm. I hope it finds a good home. With its small size, incredible color screen, and good CPU this is a no-brainer for paperless caching. Listen to those MP3s as you open GPXSonar for that last hint... I have many references on CPF, Brighthand, eBay, etc. You can email me at jiminpotmac AT gmail DOT com Note-edited to fix hyperlinks

Cracker In The Hat, Sherman T. Potter and I go night caching frequently as this is we can typically get a night out together due to work schedules. Night caching ROCKS, plus it has opened me up to a new world of obsession: flashlights. I now have an incredibly powerful incan, a few great LEDs, and a wonderful Gladius on its way this week. Lots and lots of fun. As mentioned before the darkness adds a new twist on the game. Roots, mud, shadows, etc. all play a role.

LOL- That was a fun time Cracker! How about a couple of nights ago? Cracker and I are in a parking garage at night attempting to locate a micro cache. We've gone through all the levels and still can't find the bugger. We're on the top level trying to work through the clue and figure out what we're missing when we are approached by not one, not two, but at least three renta-cops! They were so cool, asking us what in the world we were doing. We explained that we were geocaching and were trying to solve a puzzle. They did their best to help us out with ideas, then wished us luck. LOL- I haven't had this many run-ins with the law since I was a teenager!

Cracker In The Hat and I both bought inexpensive Eddie Bauer aluminum trekking poles at Target last night for something line $12-15. Collapses, includes a wrist strap, snow/mud wicket, has a nice contoured and angled cork handle too.

Wow, this one will definitely open the "Palm Vs. PocketPC" flame-throwing side show! I am now using my trusty iPAQ hx4700. I purchased Back Country Navigator (I've posted on it before on these forums, can be found via search) and now I don't hike or cache without the iPAQ. With BCN I have hi-res topo maps and aerial photos, and I have a cord to connect to my Garmin 60csx whenever I wish. BCN also stores all of my .gpx files (use GSAK to keep them in order, export them into a single .gpx file) and shows all cache details, including hints, just like gpxsonar. The hx4700 has a wonderful hi-res full VGA screen, a fast CPU, and a lot or RAM. It also has dual memory slots (SD/MMC and CF) so memory expansion is about limitless. I understand HP has now discontinued the line, but they are still holding their prices used on eBay and other B/S/T forums. HP has also released the WM5.0 upgrade (or downgrade, depending upon your opinion) for the hx4700. With a magesium case, large VGA screen, fast CPU it cannot be beat. FWIS I also use this to watch movies on long flights, send/receive email, keep track of my appointments and contacts, play VGA games (in the airports), etc. I used to use bluetooth to connect to my cell phone for Internet access and I use the 802.11 all the time. You can pick up strong aluminim and magnesium external cases for $15-50. However, for basic paperless caching an inexpensive Handspring or Palm would be great.

Wow, I have an Epsom Green Range Rover. With Michelin off-road tires. And 18" Mondial wheels.Too bad the picture is of a lowly Toyota with non-descript tires!!! JUST KIDDING!!! Jeez, some people can be harsh! Great looking stickers and I applaud the effort you put behind this endeavor.

After a long and very lucrative career as a top-level distributor in "Alternative Medications" I settled down, got married to a wonderful woman, and went legit. I laugh when my friends ask how I afford my Porsche... If only they knew. I now work in the film industry. I started as a fluffer but have moved up to a few co-starring roles.

I've never heard of them before, and I've been working with PDAs for years and years. I've owned Rhinoskin (anyone remember the Ti (titanium) slider?) and Proporta and have always been pleased as their fit and finish are top-rate. No rough or sharp edges, strong hinges, and good shock resistance too. My current Rhinoskin aluminum case for my HX4700 is dented and scratched from numerous falls and my iPAQ is still going strong.

According to flashlightreviews.com, an original mini-mag AA flashlight loses 50% of it's brightness in the first 41 minutes of use. LED is definitely the way to go for long battery life. My Streamlight Jr. Luxeon also uses 2 AAs, and puts out 27 lumens of light. It does get dimmer as time goes on, but provides good, usable light for over 3 hours. (It gets down to 50% output after 3 hours and 15 minutes, and it drops off quickly after that.) Flashlightreviews.com is a great site for comparing lights -- check it out! Totally agreed. Get a regulated LED tactical flashlight, though the $ per hour on 123 cells can be a little expensive, though I'm now buying 123 cells at $1 apiece. Or go for a larger light such as the LEDbeam I've attested to above. Many, many hours to 50% due to the large capacity cells. Or mod a 3D mag to one of the readily available LED PR bulb replacements. LED drop-ins are also available for the AA mags. Sometime in the next 90 days or so Mag-lite is set to release their 3watt LED line too.

I also have an HX4700. Turning the radio on does severly impact overall battery life, though what I've seen is it is less than when the 802.11 radio is turned on. The HX4700 has amazing battery life, and I've owned MANY PDAs over the years. One might wish to check at Amazon and eBay for the extened-life battery too. Doubles the standard battery's life; downside is it protrudes from the back of the unit, making most cases unusable.

Also check out the Holux 236. Very highly rated and regarded, SiRF III, BT, and retails for around $100.

So far I'm thrilled with my 60csx. I've used it in heavy tree cover and had minimal "bounce." The screen redraws are FAST (zooming, going from page-to-page, etc). Accuracy is almost unnerving at times. I love being able to add additional screens too.

I had an old lensatic compass for years and years. Took it on climbs all over the Hawaiian Islands, the Applachians, Death Valley, etc. Of course it got lost in one of my moves. The only items that get stolen on moves are those with sentimental value... I was looking at eBay and found a few US military surplus lensatic compasses, so I'll probably pick one up in a week or so. I do carry a compass with me as a backup. I mainly do more remote caches (soon to get a bit more remote) so it is nice to know it is there just in case it is needed. When my kids get a bit older I'll teach them how to use it. Right now they are totally keyed on the cool electronic GPSr's

I owe you! Thanks!!! This works perfectly. I then export the waypoints as a .GPX file and import it into EasyGPS, then download it to my 60csx.

How do I get my Garmin 60csx to show geocache friendly names in the waypoint/geocache list rather than the 6-digit G***** waypoint ID? Is there a setting on the 60csx, or is there an action to perform in EasyGPS or GSAK? Many thanks! This one has me stumped.