weswada

my experience includes the following: - etrex yellow, - etrex legend, - magellan map 330, - navman palm v gps, using mapopolis software i recently used a cobra gps500 for a week and my mini review is in a post reply: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...=0entry725532 yo!

I saw a sale on the Cobra GPS500 at Circuit City couple of weeks ago so i decided to give this multi-channel advertised quick acquisition puppy a try. At $169, it was not much of a 'sale' but hey, they do say they have a liberal return policy at 'the city...' After a week of using it, i returned it. Need you know more? Then read below. I have used a yellow etrex, a legend, and currently have a palm v navman with mapopolis software for driving directions (very good) and currenty use a Magellan Map 330 for most of my caching (getting used to its complexity). so with that, i compare and contrast the cobra 500. keep in mind, i live in the 50th state, so YMMV. Firstly, i noticed that the interface and menus are pretty much like a Garmin etrex, so much so, i wonder if they needed permission from them... Secondly, i found that there are no street level mapping included, although the comparison chart on the back of the retail box compares the 3 cobra gps units so you can choose the features you need, and it said that the 500 has a built in basemap, compared to their $99 GPS100 unit. So i went with the more expensive GPS500 for the basemap. The basemap in the Map 330 is crappy, and even Magellan admits to it, as they say that they now license map data from another provider that is more accurate, but the Cobra GPS500 uses Rand McNally, which, for us 50th state folks, is useless. So far, i found that every Rand map product i have purchased, PC CD-ROMs, Palm software, and GPS' do not include the 50th state in their product, so its bogus and wasted for us here to buy. Maybe that's why the Rand McNally store closed, in the largest shopping mall in our state, a few years ago... Sure enough, this GPS500, with licensed Rand basemap, has no useful info, except to draw a boundary edge around our entire state in realtion to any tracks or waypoints you may have. wow. big deal. so it costs more than the yellow etrex, but gives the same mapping functionality, imho. Anyways, to get to the meat of the details, i found that getting a fix on first power on, could range from 2 seconds to 2 minutes. so much for rapid acquisition. and the worst part, is, something i have never seen in a GPSr before- it would constantly lose connection to the sats throughout its power on. Every minute or so, its satellite dish icon would appear in the middle of the display, meaning it is seeking sats, as it doesnt have enough sat signals to fix your coords. yikes! and then, to make things worse, even when it was reading, i found i could drive for blocks, and the coords would not change. Imagine recording a waypoint based on your location miles ago! double yikes! so i was ready to return it, but decided to make absolutely sure it was working as designed. so i went ahead and chose the option to reset it to default factory settings, and that helped! it now was updating the coords every second or so, so as i drove, i saw the coords change, good. sadly, most of the other complaints i have, did not improve. I emailed tech support and they pretty much confirmed what i suspected. decided to contact cobra via email, and confirm there's nothing else i can do to make it better, and they essentially told me that what i wanted was indeed limitations of the device. they essentially told me to return it to the store if i wasnt satisfied. I have used cobra products in the past, ranging from CB radios, FRS/GMRS radios, radar detectors, and cordless phones, with good satisfaction, but i was sorely disappointed with their first foray into GPS technology. Of course, my eval is not statistically significant, as n=1, but barring that i got some kind of defective unit, with i thought at first, but after resetting to factory defaults, which helped, but not enough, i think this product has a ways to go, to develop and improve... Especially since i got my Map 330 for $99, including data cable, Mapsource CD, vehicle mount, and manual. etrex and cobra cannot compare to that huh? Hope this helps you in your decision making! Aloha!

hey, i got a magellan map330. any way to get this sucker in there? thanks.

dudes, the most obvious, to me, that is, in a ways like caching, is wardriving.com... http://www.techtv.com/news/computing/story/0,24195,3396517,00.html thats what i've been transitioning to, more and more...with my palmtop, and my rooftop antenna... http://www.pasadena.net/vacation/

wow. i thought my losing my motorola frs/gmrs radio last weekend was bad... jus kidding. i feel your pain. just a week ago, i did it. felt pretty stoopid. and although it was only like a $25 loss, i wanted to know where and how. so i went the next day and got a metal detector at radio shack and went back to look for it. tried using the 'call' button on my radio to see if i could hear it, hoping that the fully charged battery was still going, almost 24 hours later. but the wind was so strong on the top of the hill, so i had to keep waiting for the wind to die down, which wasnt too often. then tried kneeling down and looking thru the 6" tall brush. tough. finally tried the metal detector, but kept getting jammed in the brush, and its very specific to centering around the ring, and needing to be inches above the item, and with the brush being 6" tall, was pretty much a waste of effort. still wondering if a cacher will ever find it... Tragedy Cache! i justify it in my mind as the motorola having a pretty ****ty clip. my cheapo bellsouth radios have a way better clip and i never lost them, even on rougher trails...time to see if my amex protection will 'cover' this purchase loss... Anybody got any bright'er ideas than my metal detector one for finding a lost radio or gpsr? plastic detector, x-ray glasses, weed wacker (jus kidding, sort of)...

I checked the FAQ and did a Find in the discussion topics but seems i wont be a dumbass for asking something that has been asked. When a cache page says 5 people watching this cache, how do you determine who those five cachers are? Thanks!

What was the most unbelievable and cool cache trail you have been on? Why? What made it so unreal? Please point us to a URL with photos and info so we can get perspective and live vicariously. My submission is the Haiku Stairs. See slideshow link in the 2nd to the last post of this thread: Slideshow

quote:Baloo posted: ...I voted no because no other option was left, however both caches should be disallowed at this point even after the trail opens officialy. In reality, your upset because the second cache found a better way around the rules then you did. Maybe i was a bit harsh in my post to interpret what you said as to be 'dishonest'. sorry. but it sounds like you say that the '2nd cache found a better way...' so that's where i got that interpretation. dont get me wrong. i totally agree with you. thats why i'm bothering...i would like to see both of the caches on the same level, both inactive, or both archived, not one of each, as it now stands... We're getting a lot of opinions that are similar. So let me clarify. Firstly, none of us foresaw this conclusion of this cache approval. We were so giddy about geocaching being so 'unknown' that we'd be the first cache on this 'famous' trail. The No Trespassing signs have been there 'forever' and so most hikers were blind to them, and actually used them as 'where to park' landmarks when giving friends directions. Then we read in the newspaper how the state was getting ready to open the trail publicly. Thus we did not place the cache hoping it would become open, we KNEW it would become open, and in short order. Placing it in a no trespassing area was an oversight. but there are many, many trails here that have such signs, so if we are to truly follow that, which i am willing, then, there are about another 10 caches currently active, that i am aware of, that would need to be archived as well. In addition, since everyone keeps saying 'just move your cache' which i'm willing to do, i think its good for us to get some perspective of just how difficult it may be to find a place to safely 'move the cache' on this particular trail, do to its 'verticalness' and limited trail route. Please view and reassess. click the 'start slideshow' button on the top right: Haiku Stairs slideshow The thread marches on!

Snat-man, I did notify TPTB about the illegality of the trail, and the cache. That is why it is now inactive, instead of active. But what i didn't get, is why it became 'inactive' instead of 'archived', like mine was. That's when i felt an injustice to this once simple mess... Shoe-man, Yes, i have emailed the cache owner via the geocaching site, and never got a response whatsoever, so either he's dead, moved, lost his internet access/email address, computer died, is currently serving in iraq, or got fed up with geocaching policy inconsistencies... Baloo, Like how you managed to slip in that the way to get things done, is to cheat and steal, to get the 'job done.' Thanks. I'll keep that dishonesty in mind the next time i submit a cache... I agree with you that both should be disallowed (as i mentioned in a previous post) but the reason i posted this, is exactly that. that one is currently 'inactive' while the other is 'archived.'

Sax man, Its all relative dude. If you live on a island barely 100 sq. miles. as you state, there's no reason to read multiple pages of caches when you know what trail you're going to and only need to see 1-2 pages of it. Some people look for new caches to find, others, choose a trail, and then determine if a cache exists, to seek, or to hide one if non exists. I am the latter about 90% of the time. Does that clarify? I still dont see your point, as even if i found it right away, i bet you i would be in the same situation i am in now...why would it b any different? it got active, while mine never did... Frolick, dont b confused, one man's garbage... Looks like this thread is cooked and ready to be served. we're about the only 3 left still posting to it and the poll ratio is pretty much static... Aloha!

rapper, not whining, just trying to air discussion, as i said, i'll accept whatever happens... frolick, nope, AFAIK, the cache is still there, waiting for someone to 'first find' it...unless the rain and winds have blown it off the mountain, along with my friend's TB... Sax man, it was a few months, i figure, b4 i heard about it. no reason for me to suspect any other activity to be successful when mine wasn't...

squirt! squirt! spongie, guess the poll ends when jeremy or TPTB say so, if u're asking me... hey sax man, thanks 4 educating me. my cache id=49678 and their id=54977. d&j, the caches r under the min. 0.1 mile (528ft.) restriction imposed by Groundspeak. something i did not know existed until this happened. and whats the odds we would both hide our caches so close together?! thats how tight it is up there! yo!

Hi, Its me, 'lookin' for justice dude.' Thanks for all your posts. verrry interesting, to say the least. I was hesitating, but i'm glad i did the post after all, as it helps us to understand and clarify issues such as these. and to hear the experience of others who were in conflicting situations. Let me backup a bit and explain, as i think this will help to clarify many of the comments and suggestions. This is one of the most well known, if not the MOST well know trail on the island for a number of reasons, its name, its difficulty, and the height and view at the top. there's a organization that is caretaking the trail and pushed for its status as a state trail. and there are a handful of websites about it! thus the cachet of having a cache there! Of course the controversy of it being closed a few years ago, then renovated, and then now pending reopening by the state, is another thing that is causing pent up demand. You can read my original message, if you like, totally optional (as its a long read - see letter below), that i originally sent, so you can understand my feelings, as this will answer much of your inquires: -----BEGIN----- 5/1/03 hello jeremy, have a bit of a situation and would like to appeal to your sense of fairness and justice. have enjoyed geocaching and would like all to participate and have fun. but we all do want to follow the guidelines to keep it safe and fun. i placed a cache in january and was told that since the trail was not yet officially open by the county, with No Trespassing signs posted, i should wait for the official opening when the signs are removed and the public is free to enter. i realized my mistake in placing a cache in a no trespassing area and left the cache archived until the trail is reopened this year. then i found out from others cachers that someone else, a month after my hide, had put up a cache, omitting the fact that the cache was 'illegal' and not adhering to the guidelines of geocaching.com. i now find that i am unable to have my cache unarchived as it says that my cache is too close to an existing cache, the one in dispute! i surely dont want any 'bad blood' amongst us cachers, so i thought long and hard about just letting my cache site go, but everyone has been telling me that i should appeal to you for the sake of justice and that even your guidelines state that older caches have presidence, which i was not aware of. so, now feeling more rightful, i decided to write. after all, i did place the cache first and had the idea to put it where i did and mentioned honestly and accurately that the trek was in a officially still closed but newly renovated trail. meanwhile, the opposing cache failed to mention that the cache was in a closed trail and was able to get the cache posted by being misleading. we dont want to reward people who dont follow the guidelines and penalize honest cachers do we? What would be fair is to put my cache in disable status in preparation, prior to the trail being opened to the public, and to archive the other person's cache as well and inform the cache owner to relocate the cache beyond 528ft. and submit to unarchive. But please dont upset the conflicting cache owner, after all, that wont do any of us any good, and he may just pillage my cache! so if you do decide in my favor, just let him know that due to a oversight, his cache is too close to an existing cache, and if he can relocate it to another spot at least 528ft. apart, and then submit new coords and request activation when the trail is opened. Let me know. Aloha! -----END----- Keep posting and voting and lets see how it turns out. I'm fine no matter what happens. Aloha! here are my responses to the posts so far: - i like how in most forums, the 'first post' is the silliest, and most useless... :/ - the trail is 'closed' in terms of 'no trespassing' signs, but not 'physically' closed. word got around that the trail was completed after the military and state repaired all the stairs and railings and so folks were 'unofficially' hiking it everyday, prior to it being 'officially' opened by the state. - the trail is currently guarded by a uniformed police officer during daylight hours, until the state has completed their 'warning' signs and officially opens the trail to the public. so no way to go back up and move, change, or do anything. - what frustrates me, is that, while we wait for the trail to be opened, mine is 'archived,' so no one can see or read it, and the later cache, is 'inactive' so you could read it, get the coords, and still find it and log it 'after the fact,' if you know what i mean... :s - there is only 1 way up, no other routes to the summit, so no, there is no alternate 'legal' way up the trail. - just go move your cache? well yes, i can, thats why you should vote #2. but this is one fairly strenous trail (3+ hours straight up, round trip 5+ hours) and so, i'm not inclined to just go up there and move stuff around until i get a clear ok, either way. - y didnt i notice the opposing cache sooner? you misunderstand, i have been patiently waiting for the official trail opening, and then a cacher friend of mine told me that there was another one already up there in use, as he wanted me to go retrieve his 'wasted' travel bug... - moving the cache .1 mile away may be possible, but its quite iffy, keep in mind this is the peak of a mountain range and so there isnt much room up there, and i NEVER want to place a cache where it can endanger folks who seek it. And for the same reason, i have refrained from putting it along the trail up, as that is quite risky as if you let go of the vertical stairs railing, it may be your downfall...literally! Plus the hike is quite vertical, so i wonder if i would be able to extend out of the .1 mile requirement even along the trail stairs! - you have a point there about 'approving an illegal cache.' thats why, in my letter to them (below), i stated as much, instead of just 1 archived and the other 'inactive' which is screwy as it stands now. Dont kid yourself, i find that many cache descriptions are already 'embellished' or 'omitting' information to ensure that they get approved. but how would we prevent this? probably can't. i personally, take it upon myself, to just want to be honest and be true to my own play rules, as well as Groundspeak's. after all, how can i be a good ambassador or geocaching if i'm doing all kinds of stoopid stuff?! - license? what license? where do i get my geocache license? - i was not aware of the rules and so when i submitted my 'no trespassing' description of the cache (see letter above), and it came back as a no no, then i realized, 'oh yeah', that wouldnt be good. and so i thought, 'no problem', i'll just resubmit when the trail is opened...and then someone circumvented me, and the system! - Jeremy! thanks for contributing. ask permission? from Groundspeak? from the state? i'm not sure i understand? please clarify, or point me to your rules/terms/instructions so we can better understand... - i like the idea of having both archived. i think thats fair. as it stands, i'm upset cuz mine is archived, and the other inactive. if we both had equal treatment, this poll would not be here... - lower GC#? i dont see any #'s. only waypoint! where? what? help! - yes, this is NOT the end of the world. its only a game. thats why i let it go awhile after hearing about the unscrupulous way a cache got up there when mine didnt. but when my friend told me he wanted his travel bug to 'live' and that i should try as i'm in the right. and we had all these questions about how far apart do the caches need to be, whats the diff between inactive and archived, and such, we thought it a good exercise in better understanding geocaching and Groundspeak. i'm fine no matter how it turns out, but of course good feelings about the sport that i evangelize and how its run...is a nice plus, and would keep me interested in the sport. Keep caching!

Howdy, Hope you can 'spare a click' and vote on this one so i can get it resolved by the Groundspeak folks. I hid a cache in a nice spot on a nice trail in January 2003. It was a temporarily closed trail, so i mentioned that there were 'no trespassing' signs. So my cache was archived instead of approved until the county reopens the trail to the public. This meets the terms of geocaching.com guidelines. So i wait patiently until it becomes open to the public, so i can notify geocaching.com to activate my cache. Then i find out months later, that there is a cache next to mine and that someone else hid it a month after myself, and didnt mention the closed trail or the 'no trespassing' signs. So their cache was approved and active. I thought of it first and was honest about the condition and safety of the trail. and now i'm penalized, it seems. i wrote to the staff and they havent come to any decision. The terms of agreement on geocaching.com says that if i get a majority vote, then the outcome can be used to make them 'adjust' the situation. Can you help me by voting below? Thanks! [This message was edited by weswada on July 28, 2003 at 01:20 PM.]