erobbins

It's simple - any cache can be a "bug hotel", but some cache locations may be very convenient for moving bugs from place to place. I visited geovamp's bug hotel by DFW today and picked up two bugs that I'll be able to help with. One wants to go to Egypt, so I'm going to drop it in New York City, where it stands a better chance of hitching a ride to Egypt than Dallas. The other just wants to rack up miles, so I'll be helping with that, as well. If there are bugs in a cache you are planning to visit, see if you can help their goal. If you can, pick them up. If you can't, leave them there. If a cache is in a convenient spot for moving bugs (the middle of the woods 25 miles from an airport is NOT as convenient as in a major airport itself), then the owner should feel free to advertise it as a "bug hotel", right? What's all the controversy about? This is supposed to be FUN, right? :-) EDR

I'm on the side of the fence that votes to keep the serial number embossed metal tags. Yes - there is a cost involved, and there is a wait time to get the tag, but there is the benefit of standardization. They all look alike for easy identification, and the numbers are all readable - these are two things that are likely to be a problem with "homemade" bugs. Furthermore, the metal travel bugs are impervious to adverse conditions. What's going to happen to the inkjet printed PDF thing that someone puts in a tattered Ziploc bag after travelling 1500 miles over a six month period when it gets wet sitting in a leaky Tupperware cache in the rain? My vote: keep the metal tags. EDR

I spent a full summer planning for and watching Iridium flares from my backyard with my brother-in-law. Even after seeing dozens of them, it is still exciting to see one appear before your eyes. On two occaisions, I have seen them without planning. The first was two summers ago, while sitting on my back patio chatting with my brother-in-law... I saw one and said to myself, "no way". We checked the website and sure enough, it was a flare. The second was just last month, while on the beach with my wife about 50 miles south of Cancun, Mexico. We were staring up at the stars, and right in front of us (elevation 40 degrees or so), was what I would estimate was a magnitude -8 or so Iridium flare. Way cool. EDR

I spent a full summer planning for and watching Iridium flares from my backyard with my brother-in-law. Even after seeing dozens of them, it is still exciting to see one appear before your eyes. On two occaisions, I have seen them without planning. The first was two summers ago, while sitting on my back patio chatting with my brother-in-law... I saw one and said to myself, "no way". We checked the website and sure enough, it was a flare. The second was just last month, while on the beach with my wife about 50 miles south of Cancun, Mexico. We were staring up at the stars, and right in front of us (elevation 40 degrees or so), was what I would estimate was a magnitude -8 or so Iridium flare. Way cool. EDR

quote:Originally posted by coyote72:looking to buy my first gps,i am looking at getting the garmin etrax venture. would like to know if this is a good one to start with. I chose a Magellan Meridian Platinum as my GPS. Fantastic unit if you pony up the extra cash for a big SD RAM card and Topo / Streets / POI maps to upload to it. EDR

quote:Originally posted by birditoychest:What is the best GPS unit outthere? Or what are these upgrades? Price is no problem.Any help would be great. It all depends on what you want to do with the device and what capabilities you want, etc., etc... I needed a unit for land (non-marine) use, but wanted it waterproof. I wanted something handheld, but not "unweildy". I wanted mapping capability, but not a focus on street maps and driving directions (my cars have factory nav systems in them for that). I wanted upgradeable memory compatible with other devices I have at home. I wanted a good compass capability so I can determine heading without having to walk a few paces to get it. What did I choose? Magellan Meridian Platinum. IMHO, this is a great value unit. Good construction, lightweight, fits in a pocket, uses SD RAM (as does my laptop, digital camera, etc.), has great software (Topo and streets/POI maps), etc., etc. The hard part was finding one. But, once I did, wouldn't you know that I started seeing them EVERYWHERE the next day or two. If you have questions about the unit, I'd be glad to answer them as best I can! EDR