StarPuller

Thanks. I'll add a log book.

Someone posted this in my new micro cache: "I can not say this is my favorite cache in the world but I can say that I found it. There was not a log book to prove I found it but I did. Needless to say it was an interesting cache. I searched until I was ready to DNF it and then found it. I would not rate it over a 3-3.5 for terrain and 2-2.5 for difficulty. Thanks for the cache." Do others who place microcaches put a log book in it? This is too small for a log book... barely enough room for the message in the bottle. Any advise. I want to play nice and have fun. Thought this comment was -- well off for the kind of cache it was. Prrof? We need proof we go to the cache? The fact that someone got the riddle solved at the cahe should be proof enough. This isn't a world competition anyway... if someone wants to cheat well - whatever. Anyway, I'd like some thoughts on this. I'm new.

Clarification. My family doesn't do caches to "get anything" at all. I like the TB those are cool. Just was commenting, if you were going to spend a buck... there are some really cool things you can get besides "junk." The coolest thing we got was a piece of plymouth rock. Seems for no money creative folks like us can come up with more interesting stuff to spread around. I've never been to plymouth rock. But becasue of geocaching I have touched a piece of it. We went home and read about it and we had a great learning experience. I'll share the experience by placing that rock again. Thought about even making a travel bug out it. So, for example if you live on the coast and you are visiting the midwest perhaps a sea shell (cost = 0) or if you live near the grand canyon, perhaps a piece of turquois from there. I have a piece of iron ore the size of a half dollar from lake Superior (cost = 0) and I have a large piece of the Berlin Wall (cost 0) i'm going to break into smaller peices and put in a plastic bag with a little typed history of the wall. I just think with a minimal amount of money (or no money at all in many cases) and some forethought cachers can offer some really interesting stuff. Anyone doing geocaching is above average intelligence, above average spirit and has a true sense of adventure and curiosity. I just think, in addition to the junk, we can offer some really cool stuff. I just finished a reading a map reading book I bought for 50 cents on the clearance rack at half price books. It's in my cache bag. I bought my wife a new compass, her old on is in the cache bag. And yes I bought 100 of those key chains with the knife. But that was my gig. I have a picture of the late Jaques Cousteau when he was filming on Lake Superior. Going to make 10 copies and drop one at several caches -- cost: 20 cents each. I also have a pciture of the Edmund Fistgerald. Cost 20 cents. I think we can do better is all than JUST the plastic junk. Anyway... My thoughts. Loved the plymouth rock though whoever got that going. You'll see some cool stuff we'll be placing. Not valuable stuff, just cool stuff. Items for thr brain... and a few keychain kinives too. Hope this gets you thinking is all. My family loves to learn and there are free and minimal cost projects and items we can leave behind for our fellow adventurers in addition to the MacDonald's toys for the kids. p.s. My wife left a SpongeBob toy at one cache. Ha Ha Ha He's Ready! I'm sure someone grabbed him already.

Here's what I ordered and drop off in caches. They cost me about $1.06 each, which is about the price of most of the MacDonalds toys and other stuff I have seen. It's a keychain with a knife and a pair of scissors and it's engraved: Compliments of STARPULLER www.geocaching.com As a matter of fact I left my first of these puppies at The Hunt Lodge cache on Ft. Leavenworth last night. Check it out. If you want to up the ante on trading items you have to start. I haven't left any junk at a cache yet (I'm new - so time will tell) but I plan to use my trinkets wisely and leave some nice things when i do. I won't for example leave garbage in the cache like I have seen in some: by garbage I mean a battery, stick of gum, golf ball (highly worn), broken watch, broken knife, cracked flashlight... you get the picture. On the other hand one cache had a genuine piece of Plymouth Rock in it. How cool was that. I have several pieces of the Berlin Wall. I was going to break up and make 3 - 4 pieces and share some of it. There are many ways to offer interesting things of value. Cachers should be creative and leave for a cache with some forethought... and not scrounge around the floor of their car for something to leave. Anyway, that's what I think and I'm leaving something really cool. What's a buck? Plus I'm advertising the site, the sport and that I leave cool trding items. All win! Good luck. These and other really cool items are available for a reasonable cost at: National Pens

Lowrance i-Finder H2O (W/map software $200.00) Garmin MapGPS 60Cx (w/automapping software - purchased two weeks later - $400.00) Garmin MapGPS 60Cx (2nd purchase one month later for envious spouse - $400.00) Various accoutrments (Mapsource, Topo and Navigator V.7, 2 suction mounts, 2 cases, 2 cigarette lighter power cords - Hmmm... that's about $314.00) Looks to me like it's hard to tell. We're alrwady looking at the big car units so we can get traffic and weather updates (via subscription). So many toys -- so little time. p.s. I'm sure it goes without saying (NOW) but I never leave my GPS in the car. EVER. For any reason. I have a garmon case, I clip it on my belt or stick it in my pocket. It's just too much of a temptation for a thief. Too bad you had to find out the hard way... But all that said, I highly recoomend the 60Cx. What a great all around GPS for car, automapping, commuting, traveling and geocaching. It even has games on it and the best part is it has a slot for memory cards. I have 1GB of space on mine and two additional transflash cards with various topo maps.

W7WT WOW!!!! Dick! I just wanted to say. You go man. If you start a cache club i'm in. I'll follow you anywahere. You should have your own forum page!

Keep in mind the cache coordinates are only as accurate as the reading TAKEN. If the cache was hastily placed that is likely the problem. I never go out without a compass and a map and sometimes we shut the GPS off and use a map. The sport is hide and seek. SO if you can do it without a GPS - hey, your leaps and bounds ahead of using a GPS. Try them both. It's the adventure not the GPS. It's the find... no matter how you come by it.

Dear Testing, It's me again.

I think I'm done.

Again with the testing...

Help!

I see dumb people.

another test.

test.

Spelling "Newbie" ~ "Noobie" = Newbie

I spent a good six months researching this. There's vasically a handful of things I would recommend and two basic routes to follow. It all depends on your budget. If you can about $400.00 then look at option one. If you are on a budget look at Option 2. But believe me if you can swing the $400.00 take option one. I can gurantee you in a year you'll be at option one anyway. First of all the GPS is the coolest thing in the world. If you camp and hike and travel (and bow geocaching) well you're going to love this device. These are the requirements for general use (in my opinion): Note: Handheld. Hands down -- get a handheld. 1. Must be water proof - Most newer Garmin® GPS units are waterproof in accordance with IEC 60529 IPX7. IEC 60529. This is a European system of test specification standards for classifying the degrees of protection provided by the enclosures of electrical equipment. An IPX7 designation means the GPS case can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. An IPX8 designation is for continuous underwater use. (p.s. I took my 60Cx in the shower. No problems at all! 2. Good Case Design. Sturdy and have a locking/waterproof battery compartment - If water gets inside the case your GPS is toast. Keep an old shoe box in the closet of "toasted" GPS's if you skimp in this area. Garmin has the best cases. I have dropped my Garmin three times and it didn't even scratch the case. 3. Autorouting - My first GPS didn't have this and I didn't think it mattered. Believe me if you have auto routing -- you'll never go anywhere without it. Autorouting is a feature that will calculate a route from your destination to where you want to go and then give you street by street direction how to get there, while showing you on the map screen. Way cool!! If you're on a budget this is the item to dlete but believe me it is worth every penny. 4. Basemap - You should not buy any GPS without this option. Most GPS's today have a base map. 5. Multiple Channels - Channels. Use a receiver with 12 parallel channels. This should include most manufactured after 1997. Older, single-channel receivers are much slower and may not be as accurate. 6. External antenna jack - This allows the equipment to be mounted inside a vehicle if reception is poor. Althoug both of the GPS's I will reccomend for you I have used inside my vehicle and I have never needed an antenna. I get excellent reception. 7. Expandable Memory - This was my big thing. The $100.00 - $180.00 units typically come with 64 MB or less internal storage. This will handicap you for any cross country camping trips. There are two real good units out (very new) that have this feature. I own both. I will detail thiese two units in my option one and option two GPS recommendations at the end of this review. Get expandable memory or you will be limited in the coverage area you have. Of course you will always have BASEMAP, but why settle. 8. Interface - If using the receiver with a computer, be sure that it includes both data in/out ports, and make sure it's NMEA compatible. 9. Get a cigarette Lighter Power source - Use a cigarette lighter power cable whenever possible. If you're only using batteries, make sure to carry spares. The units have 24 - 30 hours of battery life but not if you want backlighting. 10. I highly recommend color. But the monochrome ones are OK if you're on a budget. O.K. OPTION ONE: The Garmin MapGPS 60Cx is the cream of the crop in my opinion. It has everything I listed as a must have and at a MSRP of $482.00 - it's the best deal there is in my opinion. You can buy this unit at The Twister Group for $369.00. You won't find it anywhere any cheaper. I bought two from them. Garmin is the best GPS's there are. SPend the money now or later -- but eventually you'll own one. Here's garmin's site if you want to read more Garmin Website and here is the Twister Group The Twister Group. OPTION TWO: The Lowrance i-finder. You can get this unit for under $200.00. It has all the above features except autorouting. I am not impressed with the quality of the case and I would not feel brave enough to step into the shower with it. But the monochrome monitor is available at only $132.00 and this is a very acuurate GPS. Believe me, for all around camping, travel, geocaching, commuting, travel in strange cities, sight-seeing etc. Get the Garmin GPS 60Cx and the following assecories: GARMIN GPS 60Cx ($369.00 The Twister Group) Cigarette Lighter Adapter (23.00 Garmin or Cabela's) Suction Mount Kit ($32.00 Garmin or Cabel's) Mapsource - City Navigator V.7 ($107.00 Twister Group or Garmin) 512 MB TrabsFlash Card ($52.00 Best Buy) Total: $583.00 Like I said -- spend it now or spend it later. I bougt the Lowrance and after a month bought all the Garmin stuff and even bought a second for the wife. Good luck.

Man can I help you. I spent a good six months researching this. There's vasically a handful of things I would recommend and two basic routes to follow. It all depends on your budget. If you can about $400.00 then look at option one. If you are on a budget look at Option 2. But believe me if you can swing the $400.00 take option one. I can gurantee you in a year you'll be at option one anyway. First of all the GPS is the coolest thing in the world. If you camp and hike and travel (and bow geocaching) well you're going to love this device. These are the requirements for general use (in my opinion): Note: Handheld. Hands down -- get a handheld. 1. Must be water proof - Most newer Garmin® GPS units are waterproof in accordance with IEC 60529 IPX7. IEC 60529. This is a European system of test specification standards for classifying the degrees of protection provided by the enclosures of electrical equipment. An IPX7 designation means the GPS case can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. An IPX8 designation is for continuous underwater use. (p.s. I took my 60Cx in the shower. No problems at all! 2. Good Case Design. Sturdy and have a locking/waterproof battery compartment - If water gets inside the case your GPS is toast. Keep an old shoe box in the closet of "toasted" GPS's if you skimp in this area. Garmin has the best cases. I have dropped my Garmin three times and it didn't even scratch the case. 3. Autorouting - My first GPS didn't have this and I didn't think it mattered. Believe me if you have auto routing -- you'll never go anywhere without it. Autorouting is a feature that will calculate a route from your destination to where you want to go and then give you street by street direction how to get there, while showing you on the map screen. Way cool!! If you're on a budget this is the item to dlete but believe me it is worth every penny. 4. Basemap - You should not buy any GPS without this option. Most GPS's today have a base map. 5. Multiple Channels - Channels. Use a receiver with 12 parallel channels. This should include most manufactured after 1997. Older, single-channel receivers are much slower and may not be as accurate. 6. External antenna jack - This allows the equipment to be mounted inside a vehicle if reception is poor. Althoug both of the GPS's I will reccomend for you I have used inside my vehicle and I have never needed an antenna. I get excellent reception. 7. Expandable Memory - This was my big thing. The $100.00 - $180.00 units typically come with 64 MB or less internal storage. This will handicap you for any cross country camping trips. There are two real good units out (very new) that have this feature. I own both. I will detail thiese two units in my option one and option two GPS recommendations at the end of this review. Get expandable memory or you will be limited in the coverage area you have. Of course you will always have BASEMAP, but why settle. 8. Interface - If using the receiver with a computer, be sure that it includes both data in/out ports, and make sure it's NMEA compatible. 9. Get a cigarette Lighter Power source - Use a cigarette lighter power cable whenever possible. If you're only using batteries, make sure to carry spares. The units have 24 - 30 hours of battery life but not if you want backlighting. 10. I highly recommend color. But the monochrome ones are OK if you're on a budget. O.K. OPTION ONE: The Garmin MapGPS 60Cx is the cream of the crop in my opinion. It has everything I listed as a must have and at a MSRP of $482.00 - it's the best deal there is in my opinion. You can buy this unit at The Twister Group for $369.00. You won't find it anywhere any cheaper. I bought two from them. Garmin is the best GPS's there are. SPend the money now or later -- but eventually you'll own one. Here's garmin's site if you want to read more Garmin Website and here is the Twister Group The Twister Group. OPTION TWO: The Lowrance i-finder. You can get this unit for under $200.00. It has all the above features except autorouting. I am not impressed with the quality of the case and I would not feel brave enough to step into the shower with it. But the monochrome monitor is available at only $132.00 and this is a very acuurate GPS. Believe me, for all around camping, travel, geocaching, commuting, travel in strange cities, sight-seeing etc. Get the Garmin GPS 60Cx and the following assecories: GARMIN GPS 60Cx ($369.00 The Twister Group) Cigarette Lighter Adapter (23.00 Garmin or Cabela's) Suction Mount Kit ($32.00 Garmin or Cabel's) Mapsource - City Navigator V.7 ($107.00 Twister Group or Garmin) 512 MB TrabsFlash Card ($52.00 Best Buy) Total: $583.00 Like I said -- spend it now or spend it later. I bougt the Lowrance and after a month bought all the Garmin stuff and even bought a second for the wife. Good luck.

Additional Link on the Garmin MapGPS 60Cx: Garmin - GPS 60Cx

I am hoping to get some advice and feedback from any geocachers out there that have started or are part of an organized club. I'd like to start one in my area/county and get some organzied caches and community activites going. Any advice or thougts on getting this set up; activites you might engage in; are you a 503C organization etc. would be appreciated. Also, if there is anyone in the Leavenworth/Wyandotte/Jounson/Atchison county areas that would be interested in a local Cache Club... drop me a note. starpuller@jarotek.com

Kudos man... Nothing better than trying to help others. It was a geocaher's personal post that helped me get into the GPS in the first place. Good job. Keep it updated.

Agree with Briansnat. If you want a top notch unit for about $100.00 get the Lowrance i-Finder. Do not buy any GPS without the fifth digit. If you are on a bidget see the Lowrance H2O. I found my very first cache with one in 10 minutes. An additional 6 in the same day - Each search I was getting withing 10 feet of the target - an excellent GPS for the money. I loved it! I loved it so much in a week I upgraded to a Garmin! Money was no object. I was hooked on geocaching. If you want the best all around GPS though, and you don't want to buy ione and then another and then another... spend the money now. Consider the Garmin GPS 60Cx. Available for $369.00 at The TWister Group. Everywhere else it sells for $449.00 and Garmin's MSRP is $482.00. The featrues are awesome. Note: I am not affiliated with The Twister Group. The information provided on this company was done to assit the forum poster in finding a qulity GPS and based upon hours and hours of internet searching for the best price on this Garmin unit, this compnay currently has the best deal. I purchased my Garmin and one for my wife at this website. The Twister Group Website

I'm no expert, but if I understand your question correctly, you are asking how ground zero is determined. The way I understand it the exact location is determined by the cache placer and they are supposed to take several readings at different times to pinpiint the axact location. I do not believe geacaching.com can verify and coordiante each and every cache. They rely on the placer.

What a cool idea... Won't you be bumbed if you see the log posting and the winner cashs in on $100,000.00 though? Great idea. I like seeing that people are wanting to put something more interesting than Mac Donald's toys. I know we all have vudgets and its the sport not the prize here, but I have tried very hard to leave really cool and interesting things.

I would love to run across something like that. Most of the caches I have visited are a bunch of junk. It looks like people picked it up off the floor of their car before they set off. I have left some pretty cool stuff at caches. Coins, compass, ink pens, CD and many others. On one cache I went to someone had left a piece of Plymouth Rock! How cool! I took that puppy. I feel it's kind of like the TV. If you don't like the Nazi Coin, select some different trading item. If you're worried about someone taking offense and throwing it away, put it in a coin holder or platsic bag with a print out on it's history and that it is not Nazi propaganda but left as a true historical treasure. I mean come on in the first century the Roman coins were looked on in the same manner. I wish I had one today! Go for it.