tonyjago

It just throws the GPS off track. There is not augmentation data transmitted for Australia so WAAS does not help at all here unfortunatly. Tony

The main problem I find people have with travel bugs is they either miss the reference number or put the wrong reference number in when logging the bug. Eg. They put in TB123 instead of 123456 from the bug tag. If you do this, it jumps back to the input page without an error and people think they have done the right thing but really their input is ignored. I have contacted a few people about travel bug and generally they have a fiddle around and get it working in the end. I think is gc.com was changed a bit to be a bit more user friendly we would have less lost bugs.

Actually it does clobber all maps. There is a utility to re-install the base map and its fairly easy to re-install any extra maps you have. Read the garmin web page. It tells you all.

The web site details alot of changes including adding more waypoints (1000) and fixing some bugs. Note that it wipes everything from your GPS so make sure you take a copy to your computer first with a serial cable. I haven't upgraded myself yet. Waiting till it comes out of beta.

Should (micro) caches be hidden without permission in areas where security guards, police or the FBI are payed to patrol. Examples being - Hospitals, Private residences of Prime Ministers, or Presidents, Power Plants etc. Areas where there is 24 hours video surveilance of the asset. My personal opinion after attempting a micro cache today is that geocaching has no place in these areas. I throw it open to the geocaching community to decide.

Found your cache. Appears to have been blasted with a shotgun. Swapped some lead pellets for rifle bullet. Thanks for the hunt. I am sort of happy we don't have this problem in Australia. Although it still appears some people carry gun near our caches. This is a picture I took on the way to a cache. [This message was edited by Tony Jago on November 21, 2002 at 02:57 PM.]

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=43321

Heat does cause film to get strange color casts over time. These can often be corrected for in processing. I presume that a cache camera is going to be a disposable type, in this case your probably not really worried about getting professional quality images, any image will be fine. For the cold, film can be frozen to all it to keep longer but it also becomes more britel. Its possible that frozen film could be dammaged when the camera is wound on. Perhaps a note to tell users of the camera to be carefull when winding on the film or tell them to put the camera in their pocket for ten mins to warm it up before they use it. Then again... if you told them to do this I bet people would accidedntly walk off with it Tony

quote:Originally posted by olcoon & Tigger2:I bought a Garmin Map76s in March. Until this last weekend the best accuracy I could get was 12'. After last weekend I'm getting 7-8' routinely. Does anyone have an explaination? The longer you have the GPS switched on for, the more satellites it will know about and the better accuracy the location will be. I leave my GPS on in the car on the way to a cache so by the time I get there, all of the satellite orbits will have been updated in memory. This helps alot if the bush your traveing through has poor radio penetration. Also, try swithing WAAS on or off depending on where you are. In Australia, the WAAS function of the 76S blows the accuracy way out, much better to have it switched off here. In the US it would be probably better to have it switched on. The 76S can also average a waypoint when you record it. Hold down the "enter" key to mark a way point. When the waypoint information appears, press menu and select "Average Location". This should improve accuracy. BTW, 12' is a good accuracy figure anyway Tony

Thats north of Rockhampton. Number of geocachers in that area = 0. Hope someone will be able to tag the cache for you on a trip up north. Tony

This line is closer to Bundabery, Gin Gin, Monto, Tambo and Carnarvon (20 km) of all places. Someone coming south from alice spings would also pass through this line. I will probably head north some time this year and I will log this point if nobody has grabbed it before me. Tony

I am currently using the 76S. Although I haven't used any other GPS's I am impressed with this one. For a start, as a piece of electronic equipment it is designed so well. It's tough. Drops are no problem as it has rubber around the outside to absorb the blow. Its water proof and therefore dust proof and sweat proof. Mine seems to get reception neally anywhere. Alot of caches I read in the logs that people "lost reception due to heavy tree cover" or "lost reception due to tv transitors". I haven't had any problems with reception when outside. The sensors seem to work well. The barometer seems to be able to pick out height differences of about a meter when I have been playing with it. Basically, put the unit on the ground and pick it up. Cool. The compass is great also. Nice to have a compass that you can tell to point "true" north. The only slight thing I would change is that it needs some more processing power or a better graphics processor to render all the maps. Sometime if you have full detail switched on it can take maybe 10 seconds to redraw. Guess its not a big problem. Other thing is that this one can't do street navigation so you can't plot a course between 2 addresses and it will work out the shortest route. Not really a problem if your using it in the bush. It can load routes from a PC using the mapsource software and they follow then through the streets. All in all, I am happy with it. Only other choice I might have taken is the GPS V. Tony.

although some of you may not realise this, the world is bigger then the USA

I think some people have and will always have an attitude that "its not my fault". I know as a child I did. Alot of the cache logs read something like " I went to the right coordinates but couldn't find the cache, I guess its been stolen (not my fault)" Its a pitty because it really does help other caches to have it clearly indicated that the cache is hard to find or not available at all. Tony

I think some people have and will always have an attitude that "its not my fault". I know as a child I did. Alot of the cache logs read something like ":) I went to the right coordinates but couldn't find the cache, I guess its been stolen (not my fault)" Its a pitty because it really does help other caches to have it clearly indicated that the cache is hard to find or not available at all. Tony

quote:Originally posted by Acceptable Risk: Interesting... My first few finds I left a DVD and a nice ratcheting screwdriver from Home Depot. I was kinda ticked when the person behind me took both and left a buck... Keep in mind the person may be new to caching and they didn't really have all that much to trade or weren't expecting anything that good in the cache. When we first started we had nothing and had to run around the house to find a few nick-nacks so we would have something at least to leave. We had no idea of what would be in the cache so we didn't know the value of goodies to take. Having said that, we now have a box full of goodies that we have traded at caches and of stuff that we have brought for out new cache (coming soon). We often trade objects around between caches so I guess in the end we take very little ourselves. Topping up the neglected caches, take from the rich and give to the poor sort of thing. Of course, the other theory is the person was a bastard.

quote:Originally posted by Acceptable Risk: Interesting... My first few finds I left a DVD and a nice ratcheting screwdriver from Home Depot. I was kinda ticked when the person behind me took both and left a buck... Keep in mind the person may be new to caching and they didn't really have all that much to trade or weren't expecting anything that good in the cache. When we first started we had nothing and had to run around the house to find a few nick-nacks so we would have something at least to leave. We had no idea of what would be in the cache so we didn't know the value of goodies to take. Having said that, we now have a box full of goodies that we have traded at caches and of stuff that we have brought for out new cache (coming soon). We often trade objects around between caches so I guess in the end we take very little ourselves. Topping up the neglected caches, take from the rich and give to the poor sort of thing. Of course, the other theory is the person was a bastard.

I like to try and swap something each time I go to a new cache, even if I just end up rotating stuff between caches. I think it would be a thrill for someone to find one of their items in a cache they have never visited. Although I haven't placed a cache myself yet, I am in the process of getting one together to put out in the wild. The stuff I am putting in I feel I am giving away so I don't really expect alot in return so if people swap down it won't worry me. I will probably even keep the cache topped up with goodies so future visitors have a good time. When I visit a cache I have to admit I sometimes swapup and sometimes swap down. Or at least that how it feels. As has already been mentioned, one mans trash is another mans treasure so I think it all evens out in the end. How even, there are some caches around here where the contents literally are: half of an old vibrator, an empty packet of cigarettes, a tampon and a few other odds and ends. In this cache we left a few goodies and took nothing. For those that "took nothing, left nothing" at every cache, remember that the creators of the cache left that stuff there for you to take and it adds to their thrill to see you found something nice and decided to swap it. I think I would feel like someone rejected a present I gave them if they left my cache without taking anything. After all, it is part of the game. Just my 2 cents. Tony.

I think its fine. I use Mapsource to get an idea of where a cache is so I can drive to the general area without constantly refering to the GPS. Many people would use a map in the same way. Tony

Hi all, I just though I would let people know about yet another interesting use of their GPS receiver. Iridium Flares are caused by the sun reflecting off the Main Mission Antenna and falling on earth. To see one of these reflections it really is a case of being in the right place and at the right time. Here is where your GPS and the Heavens Above web site comes into play. Using your GPS grab your exact location and enter it into your personal configuration at the heavens above web site. From here, with a click of your mouse the web site can generate a list of flares visible from this location. Often the flare will be visible but your current location will not be optimal. The site will indicate where the best location is from where you are and you can use your GPS to navigate to this site. Finally, the exact time the flare appears is specified, another great use for your GPS to get a super accurate time reading. A little tip, the time specifed in the web site is the peek of the flare, you probably want to be watching from perhaps 20-30 seconds before the indicated time so that you can see the flare appear and fade as the satellite passes overhead. Happy satellite spotting Tony

Hi all, I just though I would let people know about yet another interesting use of their GPS receiver. Iridium Flares are caused by the sun reflecting off the Main Mission Antenna and falling on earth. To see one of these reflections it really is a case of being in the right place and at the right time. Here is where your GPS and the Heavens Above web site comes into play. Using your GPS grab your exact location and enter it into your personal configuration at the heavens above web site. From here, with a click of your mouse the web site can generate a list of flares visible from this location. Often the flare will be visible but your current location will not be optimal. The site will indicate where the best location is from where you are and you can use your GPS to navigate to this site. Finally, the exact time the flare appears is specified, another great use for your GPS to get a super accurate time reading. A little tip, the time specifed in the web site is the peek of the flare, you probably want to be watching from perhaps 20-30 seconds before the indicated time so that you can see the flare appear and fade as the satellite passes overhead. Happy satellite spotting Tony

Hi there, I am also just new into caching. Look forward to seeing you all out and about looking for caches or perhaps at a meeting/BBQ some time. Queenslands it would seem need to get out and plant some more caches to really get geocaching to take off here. Tony