Goldenwattle
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Posts posted by Goldenwattle
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This is mine. It has a locked door. The wall clock on the right, works. It's in the ceiling of a little library.
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8 minutes ago, lee737 said:
You would think.... but I would put a guess out there that for the average trad, hints are read at a rate maybe 5-10x that of descriptions....
Agreed. One reason for this is that the hint is usually short and concise. The description also can have the history, geology, etc information and this has to be scrolled down to find any hints; slow (painful) on a small screen GPS.
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4 hours ago, barefootjeff said:
Yep, here on the coast winter is the best time of year for caching as the summers are often too hot and humid for much strenuous outdoor activity.
Yes, good point. Here it's winter in most (but not all) of Australia when it's best to cache. Summer can be too hot.
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7 hours ago, TeamRabbitRun said:
I personally wouldn't choose to do that. Hints are for hints, not for extra information you're trying to shoehorn into visibility on the app for people who don't want to open the description or don't even know that it's there.
My comment was for people who complain no one reads the description now. Personally, I would just put it in the description and leave it at that. People can read it, or not.
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9 hours ago, TeamRabbitRun said:
Aren't we always complaining about how nobody seems to read descriptions anymore?
Put it in the hint as well then.
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1 hour ago, JL_HSTRE said:
A long winter
Most parts of Australia don't get snowed in. We cache all year.
It certainly would be a challenge to find a cache not found for a year (hard enough not found for six months) in some places, such as some of Europe. I saw caches there found almost every day.
As they say horses for courses. Basically the CO chooses. Except I believe this challenge has been grandfathered. Is this correct.
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The lonely challenge caches I have found have been for caches not found for more than six months. I qualified for all those, but I still add any caches I log that haven't been found for more than six months in case I come upon a challenge caches with longer times than that. I could easily sort out the not found for a year or more from my list.
I am up to 64,426 days.
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1 hour ago, cerberus1 said:
We stopped dropping Trackables at events after finding weird things happen when a pile of Trackables are on a table together.
One event had a dozen trackables still sitting near the log when we left (I signed the log that day to notice).
Possible that someone's traveling and just haven't logged it yet, but we're seeing so many incorrect logs, who knows...
You probably realize that we're dealing with other humans. Things happen. Be patient and keep your fingers crossed.
I would not leave a trackable at a big event either. I do offer trackables at small events, but note who picks it up to put in the log, and if not picked up, take it with me. I don't leave it there.
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54 minutes ago, kunarion said:
Can't just dump them all into one cache.
Fortunately I have a trackable hotel and I could put 12 trackables in it. In fact, after a Mega nearby I did find all the left over trackables in it. They were picked up to come to my TB Hotel. They all eventually moved on. My TB Hotel is locked for safety.
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Hopefully someone has picked the trackables up. This happened recently to one of mine, which has been travelling in Europe for years. The event was archived and I wondered if this was it for my trackable, because for several days (maybe longer?) it was not logged. Fortunately it had been picked up and was finally logged. The person who picked it up was slow to log.
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11 minutes ago, colleda said:
I like the magnets from old computer hard drives. Very strong.
They are likely some of those I have trouble removing. Nothing like a very strong magnet in a mintie tin in a pipe, too narrow to get a hand past the tin. Ridiculously strong and the cache can't be lifted from the structure, so it needs to be slid out, which is also almost impossible, especially with only fingers tip (and that barely), as no room for the whole hand.
Magnets can be TOO strong!
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I can think of at least two mint tins which were a huge struggle to remove from their hides. And some others which also had too strong a magnet, but which I couldn't remove, and I had to make DNFs as I could not get the cache out to sign the log. A magnet can be too strong. Horrible caches in most situations, as they rust very quickly, and the log gets tatty very quickly too. (As barefootjeff wrote.)
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4 hours ago, CAVinoGal said:
I'd archive
😥😭...NO.
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My GPS is usually better than my phone, except in built up urban areas (tall buildings), where my phone is better. The GPS is also quicker to 'zoom' in on GZ. It's often found GZ, while the phone is still thinking about it. I have an android.
The GPS is also easier to hold, as it's smaller. Also doesn't keep turning off.
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2 hours ago, TeamRabbitRun said:
But no apology from gaijincory for the mistake and the ensuing difficulties?
That's rude.
An apology was received.
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On 1/3/2024 at 7:32 PM, terratin said:
Isle of Man
This is lovely to visit. I visited it last year. I found the local bus service was good to use to get around much of the island. There are also historic electric trams, a horse drawn tram and a steam train you can use.
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On 6/4/2023 at 6:58 AM, Firstname_Lastname said:
Who else misses the sound that the Geocaching app used to make when notifying you that you were getting close to the cache you were searching for? I wonder why they got rid of it. Any chance someone has a recording of this sound? I'm feeling nostalgic and want to remember what it sounded like.
I have never heard that on the app, but I mostly use a Garmin GPS, and that still beeps to let me know I am close.
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4 hours ago, explosion242 said:
Just for clarification, I also really only care about the fun. I see plenty of lamp post/magnet on a guard rail cache that is just boring.
My guard rail cache has 26 favourites (about one in three finders have given it a favourite). GC7AWYW. There you will find guarded treasure. The last maintenance check I did on it, Sep. 2023, it was in good condition. No finders since then. I reattached some of the guards. Bad caches can be down to the laziness and lack of imagination of the hider. Even a guard rail cache can be fun.
You need to go further a field to find small and larger cache. In fact I often just don't bother finding micro sized cache...unless there are no alternatives, or they belong to a subset of caches I find, such as the SideTracked series. Go bushwalking. Often the more remote caches are better examples of what caches should be.
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8 hours ago, explosion242 said:
Thanks but none of this really answers my question. I have recently found out that another geocacher and I that I go with have been a topic of discussion at the local meetups and we are not clear on why not signing the log and using the photo log is a source of discontent for some people that hide caches? I think that every argument for signing the log could be worked out in the app. Most logs are not in great shape, are super difficult to get in and out, you have to carry a pen and a replaceable log if needed and I think that really turns off people to geocache. Most of the guys that seem to be upset started back in the early 2000's before smartphones so I feel this is really them rejecting any new advances.
It seems that they are worried that you are not actually vising the geocache but that could be easily proved by doing something unique that the cache owner wants and send the pic only to the owner and not others. I imagine that geocache themselves are fully aware of this but I'm unclear on why they are not addressing the issue. Again, I'm an app developer and if I notice it, then a lot of people notice it. I'm assuming that they don't want to mess with the old guard who like it a specific way. I realize not everyone uses the app but like any good company they definitely know through metrics. Also premium members like myself do contribute with payments so I don't buy the not giving back argument.
Sorry if this seems argumentative and that was not my point but we have been getting a bit frustrated.
Thanks
Signing the log is proof of a visit. It's the basis of the game. And no app is a trustworthy as physical evidence. Most caches I visit are in okay enough condition to sign. I have over 14,000 finds, so seen a few
. I check logs on my caches to see it has been visited. If you haven't signed a log of mine, you will be getting a message to please explain, because I have no proof you found it. The game isn't visiting a spot and thinking that's enough. You have to find the cache and sign the log. Come on, how onerous is that,...really! LOL, needing to bring your own pen...how is that a burden. You should bring at least two, as ink can run out, and after an experience I had of both pens running out of ink in about a minute of each other, I now often bring three. You don't have to bring a replaceable log, and in most cases you shouldn't replace it without permission from the owner. NEVER replace a log, as the CO might want to check it. A responsible CO will want to do this. Sometimes people might add a log, but this isn't necessary, as the CO should be maintaining their own caches. Do a NM log. If the owner criticises you for this don't get upset. In my experience, most COs won't criticise you for this, but there is the odd nark (I use that in the Aust/NZ sense - an annoying person or thing). I would thank you for the NM and letting me know, as all COs should. Ignore the sad narks !
I think the problem in some people's minds these days is everything should be able to be signed on a touch screen with your thumb, and pens (who uses 'quills' these days) are archaic. Well news for you, pens are not archaic. I see you are American. Only recently I had to sign an official USA form, and your government doesn't think signing is archaic. In fact, the rules there were the most stringent (narkish
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APP...Some of us use GPSs, which can go where no app can go...
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I like to post images on caches if there is something interesting. I don't want my pictures to be only for the CO. Such as I posted recently on 'what's your favourite cache this year'
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5 hours ago, TheLimeCat said:
Amazing photos. That would've been a fav for me as well.
Cloud zones can be so pretty. Literally seeing a cloud ahead and driving into it.
As a teenager I lived in a cloud zone. Some clouds would touch the ground and 'crawl' across the landscape.
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9 hours ago, terratin said:
What new countries did you visit in 2023, and what are your travel plans for 2024?
Not my first visit to all these countries, but my first time as a Geocacher.
Italy, Greece, France, Vatican City, Germany; plus Bayern, Hessen, Nordrhein-Weatfalen, Hungary, Austria, Slovenska, Netherlands, Isle of Man, Irish ones: Dublin, Leinster, Munster, and on the way home a surprise one; Taiwan; forced there by a typhoon.
Still planning 2024.
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This was one of my favourites. GC372. It filled in a find for February 2001; plus the drive there was pretty.
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8 hours ago, MNTA said:
You need immediate verifiable proof of finding.
No, you don't need immediate verifiable proof of finding. You only need to check the log regularly, whether once every few months, or perhaps maybe every a couple of years. This depends on the number of loggers, where the cache is, and other factors. Compare the logs then and take a photograph of the log as a record. I add mine to the OM log. If I can't find a signature, I contact the person. If they can supply other proof of visit, such as a photograph, or a very good description of the log, cache and hide, I allow the log to stay. I do say they should sign the log. For very new beginners I have started being more lenient, saying I will accept the log this time, but please sign logs from now on. (If though I find they have again for a later find of one of my caches continued not to sign my logs I will likely delete both logs. That hasn't happened yet.)
I blame the lack of actual writing these days for more unsigned logs; with people (especially younger generations), hardly ever picking up a pen. 'Who' signs anything theses days🙄! Just wait to the day people just dictate their messages and never write. ALs are catering for this mindset too.
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Put it in the hint as well then.
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. I check logs on my caches to see it has been visited. If you haven't signed a log of mine, you will be getting a message to please explain, because I have no proof you found it. The game isn't visiting a spot and thinking that's enough. You have to find the cache and sign the log. Come on, how onerous is that,...really! LOL, needing to bring your own pen...how is that a burden. You should bring at least two, as ink can run out, and after an experience I had of both pens running out of ink in about a minute of each other, I now often bring three. You don't have to bring a replaceable log, and in most cases you shouldn't replace it without permission from the owner. NEVER replace a log, as the CO might want to check it. A responsible CO will want to do this. Sometimes people might add a log, but this isn't necessary, as the CO should be maintaining their own caches. Do a NM log. If the owner criticises you for this don't get upset. In my experience, most COs won't criticise you for this, but there is the odd nark (I use that in the Aust/NZ sense - .png)
Difficulty / Terrain rating changes - What would you do?
in General geocaching topics
Posted
I do for trickier caches, but the ordinary traditions, rarely. If they have some interesting reading, I will likely read that later as I log on a bigger screen.