Team StitchesOnQuilts

Well, YukonJack, we have the SporTrak Pro, and we have been having really good luck with it. We have been able to load sufficient maps in it (we got the Topo maps, and they have been really helpful) plus a boatload of waypoints. I like the buttons and ease of use. My 7 year old son is able to use it to find a cache, and will actually *find* the cache with it. I also like the way they have it set up when you create your own waypoint. The edit screen makes logical sense to me: I was able to input and edit waypoints the very first day. We also got the 1800mA batteries and charger, and we get a lot of use out of one charge. Seems like it's about 12 hours (although we haven't measured it scientifically.) Shannah

I have the SporTrak Pro, which I think is similar to yours. What I find is that when I slow down or stop, the averaging will get a little out of whack, and sometimes show me quite a ways from where I really am. I then do the "Magellan Hula" to reset the averaging. It almost always will then show me just where I really am. I'd recommend doing a search on the Hula to find the original thread here in the forums: they explain it much better than I do. But the practical upshot is that you take the GPS in your hand, hold on firmly, and swing your hand, fast, in an arc around your body as far as it will go. Swing left, swing right, swing left, swing right. Then hold the unit still for a moment and let it get a bearing. Make sure to swing it vigorously. If you swing it slowly, it doesn't get enough speed to adequately reset the averaging. Whatever you do, don't let go mid swing. Shannah

I have the SporTrak Pro, which I think is similar to yours. What I find is that when I slow down or stop, the averaging will get a little out of whack, and sometimes show me quite a ways from where I really am. I then do the "Magellan Hula" to reset the averaging. It almost always will then show me just where I really am. I'd recommend doing a search on the Hula to find the original thread here in the forums: they explain it much better than I do. But the practical upshot is that you take the GPS in your hand, hold on firmly, and swing your hand, fast, in an arc around your body as far as it will go. Swing left, swing right, swing left, swing right. Then hold the unit still for a moment and let it get a bearing. Make sure to swing it vigorously. If you swing it slowly, it doesn't get enough speed to adequately reset the averaging. Whatever you do, don't let go mid swing. Shannah

Sure, it has to do with being a good host, but there are lots of "hazards" I would never think to mention. "Oh, and by the way, make sure to walk *around* the tree at N.... W....." If I searched a cache in a farmer's field, I would expect that there might be a well, or furrows, or irrigation pipe, or old farm equipment, or..... I tell my kids to "watch where you're walking". If a cacher isn't able to both scan the GPS and watch where they're walking, I suggest that they stop walking from time to time, and use that time to look at the GPS. If it means you have to do the Hula from time to time, isn't that better than having to be rescued from some hazard you blindly walked into? Personally, I would feel really stupid having to be rescued from some hole, culvert, or other hazard that I fell into. I can just hear the rescue workers now: "Whassa matter, lady, can't ya even see your own feet? bwa haa haa!" In terms of who is liable, I appreciate the post from the personal injury attorney. It's good to know that there are some frivolous lawsuits that don't get filed due to savvy attorneys. I'm not going to let it stop me from Geocaching. With everything that I could already get sued about, just living a normal life, Geocaching is just a drop in the bucket. If someone breaks their neck searching my cache, then I'll remove 'em. Shannah

Sure, it has to do with being a good host, but there are lots of "hazards" I would never think to mention. "Oh, and by the way, make sure to walk *around* the tree at N.... W....." If I searched a cache in a farmer's field, I would expect that there might be a well, or furrows, or irrigation pipe, or old farm equipment, or..... I tell my kids to "watch where you're walking". If a cacher isn't able to both scan the GPS and watch where they're walking, I suggest that they stop walking from time to time, and use that time to look at the GPS. If it means you have to do the Hula from time to time, isn't that better than having to be rescued from some hazard you blindly walked into? Personally, I would feel really stupid having to be rescued from some hole, culvert, or other hazard that I fell into. I can just hear the rescue workers now: "Whassa matter, lady, can't ya even see your own feet? bwa haa haa!" In terms of who is liable, I appreciate the post from the personal injury attorney. It's good to know that there are some frivolous lawsuits that don't get filed due to savvy attorneys. I'm not going to let it stop me from Geocaching. With everything that I could already get sued about, just living a normal life, Geocaching is just a drop in the bucket. If someone breaks their neck searching my cache, then I'll remove 'em. Shannah

I sent you email, but forgot to mention where we are: we are in San Jose, California. Shannah

The ratings sure make it easier when it comes to Pocket Queries. It would be really tough to code something like "If BassoonPilot says 'great' then download." It also is helpful to the terminally indecisive. After a whole day of herding a small child, my brain is sometimes so fried that I look at my list of unfound caches, and have trouble deciding which one to do. You're right that the logs do help, and I'm learning that there are several local cachers who do consistently great caches. But as a means to cut down a lot of data into a manageable pile of choices, ratings can really help. Shannah

The ratings sure make it easier when it comes to Pocket Queries. It would be really tough to code something like "If BassoonPilot says 'great' then download." It also is helpful to the terminally indecisive. After a whole day of herding a small child, my brain is sometimes so fried that I look at my list of unfound caches, and have trouble deciding which one to do. You're right that the logs do help, and I'm learning that there are several local cachers who do consistently great caches. But as a means to cut down a lot of data into a manageable pile of choices, ratings can really help. Shannah

I think that a warning would be suitable if you have a significant concern that x-rated activities are going to be going on. Sort of like poison oak: if you've seen it in the area, mention it. You don't have to mention exactly what happened in the cache page: kids sometimes read the cache pages, as well. If I read something like "BTW, this spot seems to be a bit of a lover's lane" I would definitely get the hint and take my kids elsewhere. Personally, I don't care if it's members of the same gender, or members of the opposite gender. I think it's inappropriate behavior in any case. Shannah

I think that a warning would be suitable if you have a significant concern that x-rated activities are going to be going on. Sort of like poison oak: if you've seen it in the area, mention it. You don't have to mention exactly what happened in the cache page: kids sometimes read the cache pages, as well. If I read something like "BTW, this spot seems to be a bit of a lover's lane" I would definitely get the hint and take my kids elsewhere. Personally, I don't care if it's members of the same gender, or members of the opposite gender. I think it's inappropriate behavior in any case. Shannah

When I emailed the reporter, I pointed out that her graphic made no mention of asking permission before placing caches, which was one of her complaints (that people don't ask permission.) I thought her entire article was based on really flimsy evidence, but the graphic really seemed to me to be in poor judgment. Also, upon reading the article, it seemed to me that one volunteer ranger panicked, and didn't take the time to check her facts before calling the media. Knee-jerk reactions will help nobody. Shannah

I don't know if this works with all GPSes, but we have had great luck with the "Magellan Hula". We cache with two little kids: we almost always wind up going "too slow" when we get near the cache. What we do, though, when we get within a couple of hundred feet, is do the Hula. To do the Hula, hold your GPS *very firmly* in one hand, then swing your arm as far left as it will go, then as far right as it will go. We repeat that about 3 times. Then hold the GPS still and let it settle. We've gotten remarkable accuracy with our SporTrak Pro using that method. I can't take credit for the Hula. I don't know who invented it, but Markwell and Pneumatic were the ones to clue me in about it. Shannah

I read something interesting yesterday (but can't seem to find the URL, darnit) about how California is using flocks of chickens as "West Nile Virus" detectors. There are over 200 flocks of the chickens, and they are tested daily. (Poor birds) So far, none has been detected here yet, so I think that the chances of being infected here are very low. Does anyone know if mosquito repellant really repels the mosquitos that spread the virus? We use Deep Woods Off and so far it's worked pretty well. Shannah

Registered for one day, eh? I'm guessing it's another troll. At the rate we're going, we're going to have to start building bridges just to house the darned creatures. Shannah

Will I win "The Most Obvious" award if I point out that I like to quilt? We also like to do woodworking, go camping, play bridge, and play board games in general. Oh, and the whole family loves to travel - sometimes we enjoy getting to the cache as much as hunting it. I do pretty much anything in the needlework area, like crochet, needlepoint, embroider, etc. Hubby is into FRP. He's with a group that has been together so long, they gave up doing pre-written games, like D&D, and now write their own. I'm not much of a gamer, but I find their games really interesting and creative. We were surprised and pleased to learn, this year, that our oldest son has a real talent for painting. He sure didn't get that from me: I'm probably the world's lousiest painter! He did an impressionistic painting of iris flowers that I'm going to have framed. Shannah

Will I win "The Most Obvious" award if I point out that I like to quilt? We also like to do woodworking, go camping, play bridge, and play board games in general. Oh, and the whole family loves to travel - sometimes we enjoy getting to the cache as much as hunting it. I do pretty much anything in the needlework area, like crochet, needlepoint, embroider, etc. Hubby is into FRP. He's with a group that has been together so long, they gave up doing pre-written games, like D&D, and now write their own. I'm not much of a gamer, but I find their games really interesting and creative. We were surprised and pleased to learn, this year, that our oldest son has a real talent for painting. He sure didn't get that from me: I'm probably the world's lousiest painter! He did an impressionistic painting of iris flowers that I'm going to have framed. Shannah

quote:Originally posted by MyBoys&Me: So how do you propose I get local folks to attend an educational event about geocaching if they're not allowed to come? MyBoys&Me I propose that you don't. I think, frankly, that the last thing that the Geocaching community needs is someone who apparently doesn't know much about it hosting an educational event about it. Especially someone who clearly is not willing to *listen* to what people who are much more experienced are saying. I've actually been in two particle accelerators: should I now go out and teach a class on how to build them? I echo the advice that has been given to you before. Find more caches. Learn more about the sport. Learn what you're doing before getting into a big argument over a particular cache, and especially before trying to teach others about it. Shannah

quote:Originally posted by MyBoys&Me: So how do you propose I get local folks to attend an educational event about geocaching if they're not allowed to come? MyBoys&Me I propose that you don't. I think, frankly, that the last thing that the Geocaching community needs is someone who apparently doesn't know much about it hosting an educational event about it. Especially someone who clearly is not willing to *listen* to what people who are much more experienced are saying. I've actually been in two particle accelerators: should I now go out and teach a class on how to build them? I echo the advice that has been given to you before. Find more caches. Learn more about the sport. Learn what you're doing before getting into a big argument over a particular cache, and especially before trying to teach others about it. Shannah

I try to look at who is going to come upon the cache after me, and what seems to have intrinsic value. I think that there are some Happy Meal toys that are just plain junk. We have, for example, a ton of those Bionicle cards, and I've been using them for bookmarks. On the other hand, I have been leaving the Lego Happy Meal toys in caches, because they are actual kits of actual Legos. The feedback I've gotten is that people like them, so in spite of them being Happy Meal toys, I use them for trade items. (Booty Nuggets?) If I am at a cache where I think the chances are good that a child will be there, I'll leave something like pretty fabric, bracelets, bottles of bubbles, and the above-mentioned Legos. If I think a dog is likely to be there, I leave a brand-new (no slobbery booty nuggets!) tennis ball that's sold especially for dogs. (The colors are really pretty - much nicer than regular tennis balls.) I also *try* to honor the theme of the cache. For one at a former food packing plant, I left a cute picture frame that had chili peppers on it. For the Barbie cache, I have some cool Barbie stickers. (I just have to get there, now!) I am now in the process of trying to find some cool Burl Ives item for the Burl Ives cache. If a cache is a little sparse, hubby and I will dig through the pack and try to find a few things to leave to "up the ante". When I got started, I emailed someone who seemed knowledgeable, and asked them what was good to put in caches. His response was that he felt that something that would be a good "stocking stuffer" type of thing would be good, and I've tried to keep that in mind when choosing my cache items. Shannah

I try to look at who is going to come upon the cache after me, and what seems to have intrinsic value. I think that there are some Happy Meal toys that are just plain junk. We have, for example, a ton of those Bionicle cards, and I've been using them for bookmarks. On the other hand, I have been leaving the Lego Happy Meal toys in caches, because they are actual kits of actual Legos. The feedback I've gotten is that people like them, so in spite of them being Happy Meal toys, I use them for trade items. (Booty Nuggets?) If I am at a cache where I think the chances are good that a child will be there, I'll leave something like pretty fabric, bracelets, bottles of bubbles, and the above-mentioned Legos. If I think a dog is likely to be there, I leave a brand-new (no slobbery booty nuggets!) tennis ball that's sold especially for dogs. (The colors are really pretty - much nicer than regular tennis balls.) I also *try* to honor the theme of the cache. For one at a former food packing plant, I left a cute picture frame that had chili peppers on it. For the Barbie cache, I have some cool Barbie stickers. (I just have to get there, now!) I am now in the process of trying to find some cool Burl Ives item for the Burl Ives cache. If a cache is a little sparse, hubby and I will dig through the pack and try to find a few things to leave to "up the ante". When I got started, I emailed someone who seemed knowledgeable, and asked them what was good to put in caches. His response was that he felt that something that would be a good "stocking stuffer" type of thing would be good, and I've tried to keep that in mind when choosing my cache items. Shannah

I don't know about "required"; who would check on that, anyway? Basically, what we do is to cache as a team (although my oldest son has his own account). We log our finds as a team. Since we are married, and live together, and cache together, it is most comfortable for us to log our finds this way. Our youngest son is also part of the "team". What we do with the older son is that if my husband or I find the cache, we silently signal the other person that it's found. If the older son finds it without any help from us, he gets to log the find. If he doesn't, he doesn't. I help him sign the logbooks, since he has a mild disability that makes it hard for him to sign for himself. Personally, I like the idea of families caching as a team, and I see no reason, really, to insist that one particular member of the family must be "captain" and must be present at all finds. This is supposed to be fun (a RASH?) and a way to get exercise and enjoy the local parks. I have no desire to put the whole family on hold just because the "captain" can't get away to cache right now. Shannah

I agree with Marty. Having a password would punish more honest people than dishonest people. I also think that since this is a game, or RASH, if you prefer, it's overkill to be putting layers on security on it. Trolls are a part of online life. They have existed since before 1988, when I first got onto the Internet. I think the best we can do is to just deal with them when they pop up. I'm not saying that I condone trolls, or like their behavior: I'm just saying that I'm not willing to put a bunch of honest cachers to extra work in order to avoid the trouble that a very few misguided individuals cause. Shannah

You might want to have a look at this website: Camoflage Miniature Painting. It shows how to paint a miniature in camoflage, which is a bit small for your purposes, but his techniques are really nice. In terms of what colors to use, I think that would depend on where you are going to hide it. I would look at the hiding location, and mimic the colors and patterns as best you can. I did check out the U.S. Military website, and their advice was to paint anything you wanted to camoflage in the desert a basic tan. I don't think that's good advice if you're going to be hiding your cache near a rock or bush where the color is more varied. Would you post a picture of it when it's done? I'd love to see how it turns out. Shannah

Caching with children, I find myself wishing many times that either my GPS or PDA had a yellow pages feature that would show me where the nearest restaurants, gas stations, and toy stores are. My husband has a feature on his PDA that shows a few restaurants, but they are not comprehensive, but simply a few chains who have, near as I can tell, paid to be put on the map. For example, in theory it has Starbuck's, and it does have a few, but it only shows about 1 in 5 actual locations. Do you know of any software we can buy that will show this sort of thing? It needs to be compatible with either a Magellan SporTrak Pro or a Palm V. Thanks, Shannah

Caching with children, I find myself wishing many times that either my GPS or PDA had a yellow pages feature that would show me where the nearest restaurants, gas stations, and toy stores are. My husband has a feature on his PDA that shows a few restaurants, but they are not comprehensive, but simply a few chains who have, near as I can tell, paid to be put on the map. For example, in theory it has Starbuck's, and it does have a few, but it only shows about 1 in 5 actual locations. Do you know of any software we can buy that will show this sort of thing? It needs to be compatible with either a Magellan SporTrak Pro or a Palm V. Thanks, Shannah