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mikedx

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Posts posted by mikedx

  1. Things are looking up! Also check out the web link at the end.

     

    Retooling the Global Positioning System

    Scientific American (05/04) Vol. 290, No. 5, P. 90; Enge, Per

     

    As Global Positioning System (GPS) technology currently stands, civilian users can perform geolocation to within five to 10 meters, while military users who employ more expensive equipment can track their location to within five meters--or half a meter with differential GPS (D-GPS). Civilian users are mostly restricted to the L1 frequency band, as L2 satellite signals can be disrupted by lower satellite altitudes or even minor objects. Beginning next year, GPS satellites will start to broadcast new signals (two for the military and one for civilians) designed to make GPS services even more robust and eliminate errors caused by ionospheric particles to refine geopositioning accuracy. This will be followed about three years later by additional civilian signals in the L5 frequency band--with four times as much power as current signals--emitted by more sophisticated satellites. D-GPS users will also gain advantages with multiple frequencies, and sharpen the accuracy of geopositioning to a range of 30 to 50 centimeters. GPS integrity machines will ensure the reliability of the technology by supplying real-time, legitimate error bounds. GPS transmissions will be further inoculated against radio-frequency interference through implementations such as the FAA's wide-area augmentation system, while smart antennas that can selectively direct and receive broadcasts and integration with TV and mobile phone networks are also on the way. Advanced civilian services offered by these various upgrades should benefit the farming, mining, transportation, telecommunications, electric power, mapping, and construction industries, while military gains will include automatic landings of aircraft in zero-visibility conditions.

     

    http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa...4F483414B7F0000

     

    My apologies if this has already been covered.

    Will we need software updates to our GPS's?

     

    Mike

  2. Dan,

     

    Congrats on #200! Took me much longer. I see you had a fun trip in the eastern panhandle. I wish I posted this myself, but have been ill. I got some mail from you today, but haven't been home to open it.

     

    I don't think anyone can seriously say that they are going to get all the caches in WV with the way they pop up. Boom, there's one in Wheeling. Boom, Martinsburg. Boom, Beckley. An accomplishment for me would be to get all the ones that were active in WV when you started.

     

    Glad I could help on Find the 60.

     

    Congrats!

    Mike

  3. I just wanted to formally thank Jeremy.

     

    I have a hobby that even with high gas prices, is one of the cheapest out there. I thoroughly enjoy caching, and I plan vacations and weekends around hitting new areas with caches.

     

    I have visited over 100 state parks and WMA's that I would have never gone to without geocaching.

     

    I have seen more scenic views in the last 2 years than the last 31.

     

    I have now been to all 55 counties in WV.

     

    I've got out of the house and exercised more in the last 2 years than in the previous 10.

     

    I have a hobby that my children and I love, and I have more fun spending time with my family. When I asked my 9 year old daughter what she wanted to do on her birthday, she said caching.

     

    I go with my wife, my children, my mom, and even once with my grandmother. Four generations!

     

    I have met and made dozens of new friends through geocaching.

     

    I have a nice diversion when I go on long milage trips.

     

    Life is good.

     

    Thanks!

     

    Mike

  4. Please delete:

     

    It appears the locationless cache count has already been discussed...

     

    WVDan has alerted me to an issue.

     

    Was wondering how come now when you search by user name on the hide and seek a cache page:

     

    http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?ul=elijomikmini

     

    the numbers no longer match those by the user stats page

     

    http://www.geocaching.com/profile/Default....5f-b23090f8a0c4

     

    Does this have to do with the double post issue? Or does the hide & seek exclude a group?

     

    Thanks, and I apologize if this has already been discussed.

    Mike

  5. A news page would be interesting. For example if a geocacher is in the news, or gets married, has a baby, or even a memorial page for those who die or drown trying to cross the river.

     

    Did that, did that, not since geocaching started, almost did that. All I ask is that somebody put a cache where I fall.

     

    Team K-9, I agree that the northern panhandle is void. But we have 300 in WV now, proliferated in the rest of the state. If you want to come further south and hit a bunch, you can go and stay with us.

     

    David & Anna, if you have specific questions, shoot me an email. I can either answer them or put you in touch with those that can.

     

    Tony, the web page sounds like a wonderful idea. It should keep you too busy for the FTF's.

     

    If stats are available, fine. I would especially like to see a running tally of your and Eli's FTF's.

     

    I'd like to see a list of recommended caches (in various difficulty categories and by region) so that out of staters that come in have some good advice about where to go. I'd be happy to help with that.

     

    Maybe with that, a cache of the month with pictures, descriptions, etc.

     

    I'd like to see personal profiles with pictures of some of the more notorious WV cachers, along with stories of their more notable adventures & info. Like where the name EliJoMikMiNi came from. About One T & Biscuit moving to Wyoming. About which airline Ron works for. About what type professors instep_guy and KB8AOB were/are.

     

    Links to the WV State Parks page for permit applications, and maybe some guidelines about placing caches.

     

    A caching tip of the month (ex: Rechargable AA's ROCK)

     

    MDX

  6. 2b. You decide on either a Magellan or Garmin GPS. This also shapes you for the rest of your life.

     

    Or perhaps you spend $100 for a basic GPS, as it is all you really need for the hobby. Then you buy another with the cool mapping feature (so you won't get lost) for $150-$200. Then you...

     

    Also add: You buy your first ammo cans from cheaperthandirt.com. Thereafter you end up on the mailing list of every militant group known to man. The people at the post office are scared of you.

  7. EliJoMikMiNi recently hit the 400 mark. Pretty difficult, as there are only 300+ in the whole state. It seems that I keep typing these things for her and Tony again and again. She gets up at the crack of dawn to go out for the FTF. How many you have, Eli?

     

    Knowing I can't beat her or Tony to caches first, I wait and let them find it to make sure it's there, then come over to a particular region and do 2 or 10 at a time.

     

    Congrats!

  8. I have been caught a couple times. I explain to them the sport, and show them what's in the container. I explain the importance of the travel log. I figure they are going to be less likely to come back to pilfer if they see that there isn't anything really valuable in it, and hope to their conscience that at least they will leave the logbook. In all my cases at least, they think it is really cool that they were so near something hidden, as well as the sport. I always give them my cache sheet so they can look at it and learn more.

     

    There is one case where Mendy and I got caught getting the cache out of a tree in a park across the sidewalk of a grandmother's house. If there was ever a time I was wary about telling the truth, this was it. But I showed her what we had, and what we were doing. I gave her the cache sheet. She thought it was so cool that she was going to sit on her porch and "help" anybody else that came along looking for the cache.

     

    JMHO

  9. Hey guys, thanks for the kudo's!

     

    Eli, Dan and I are in pretty constant communication about where we stand. He hasn't given up, and I've vowed to take off a week of work if he ever gets within 10.

     

    Puter is the one to watch out for. He's come out of the gate with both barrels blazing and all that.

     

    Thanks again,

    Mike

  10. President Bush came down to Huntington for a campaign appearance in Huntington WV this past Friday. He spoke at Harris Riverfront Park (a small park), where I have a micro hidden.

     

    http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...ba-5ea26b70921b

     

    I checked today, and it's still there.

     

    My post is, can you imagine if I had an ammo box and the secret service discovered it? I'd be posting in a federal pen right about now. Thank god I only had a micro, and well hidden.

     

    What a relief!

    Mike

  11. There are a couple benchmarks that are "missing" near where I now live. The neighbors told me that when the municiples widened the ditches for rain drainage, that several were lost and destroyed. I've looked for them, but no luck.

     

    Anyway, that plus the fact that they may be there but overgrown with moss, leaves, etc., I am looking for a metal detector to check through the rocks at the bottom of the ditch or along the side of the road to locate loose or existing bench marks.

     

    The ONLY thing I would be using it for is to locate brass benchmarks.

     

    With that in mind, anyone recommend a good/cheap metal detector that can distinguish brass?

     

    Thanks in advance,

    Mike

  12. Dan,

     

    The plate is a neat feature that geocaching.com does for every state. Click on the different states to check it out.

     

    I will be quickly corrected, but I think they tried to get a vanity plate for VA and had to get 200 people signed up before they would make it.

     

    My guess is that WV would have the same type of policy, need enough people for the effort.

     

    I just got rid of my X MEN license vanity. It cost an extra $30/year. Didn't think it was worth the trouble.

     

    Thanks,

    Mike

  13. Eli,

     

    Good idea about a CITO for Sutton Lake shelter trade. It worked well last year at KSF. I wrote them a check to cover the shelter, and they tore it up after we did the clean up. We'll have to make that an annual event.

     

    By the way, I have a new micro out in Huntington. It should be approved any minute. I expect your name on top.

     

    No hints, and well hidden.

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