Team Geotor

One time the officer was waiting for our team to come out of the woods. He had never heard of geocaching, but had already run the plates on the geo-truck. We explained what we were doing, he said it sounded like something he and his son could do. And, he asked if we would show him the cache, of course we did. Then he asked if there were any other caches nearby -- yes there was one. We took him to the general area and let him find it on his own. He signed the log with his badge number. Ran into him about a year later, he and his son are now geocachers. Our team policy -- never lie to police. Muggles -- well they might hear a lie or two.

Once upon a time I read an article about the geo-apps for the iPhone 4s, but since I did not have a iPhone at that time I failed to bookmark it. Does anyone know what apps are available and the pros/cons of each? Thanks

I'm on a G4 Mac, no intel chip. I use GPSBabel+ to load my Garmin. I use MacCMConvert to load the Palm. I know that other programs will work but these were the first I used and just never changed.

I'm using a Mac with 10.4.9. I've tried MacCaching and MacSimpleGPS not much luck with either. I use GPSBabel+1.3.3a to move info to the GPS from the mac. DL as a pocket query (premium membership required). I use the following settings --- Operating mode = waypoints. Input mode = use file > Type = GPX XML. Output options = use GPS, type garmin port USB. Filters = Generate smart shortnames. This set up sends to the GPS with no problems and gives me the option of GCXXXX as to file name OR the cache name. Hope this helps.... ?'s good luck

Someone on these boards once said something like... "Fear not strange noises in the dark, for the creatures that intend to hurt you will stalk you silently." Good words to keep in mind when you are in the woods, alone, and in the dark.

The Team calls ours "the machine." I don't usually name things, but I used to have a 21 year old Chevy truck (old but in great shape). It was stolen. When I told my friends about it they all said something like "Old blue was stolen." One of them had named my truck "old blue," and everyone knew the name except me... The nerve of some people, naming another person's things....

I am having a bit of trouble loading geocaches into my Garmin Legend CX. I am using the USB port on a Mac (running OS 10.4.4). Using GPSBabel+ 1.3.3.a. I tried 1.3.2 and MacSimpleGPS, but they would not use the USB port properly. I have the GPSBabel docs but they are PC baised. My problem is that 1.3.3a will load some caches, but it loads some 3 or 4 maybe 5 times. It will load GCxxx and GCxxx.1 and GCxxx.5, etc. Then it refuses to load additional sets of caches. I am trying to load 13 caches from one area and 35 from another. I can load one set but not the other. Why is it loading multi times for some caches, and how do I get it to load two sets? From the Quick GPSBabel page I have checked the following-- operating mode - waypoints input options - use file file type - GPX XML output options - use GPS receiver (garmin, USB port) Send GPS I read about using POI to load the SD card with a PC but not a Mac. Can it be done with a Mac? I tried outputing to a Garmin POI database file and dropping it to the SD card, but the GPS will not pull it up. Also, the PQ sent two files one called #######-wpts.gpx and the other #######.gpx Which file should I be using?

That's not the question I have. I was wondering where you can get preforms? I have not been able to find them in quantities of less than a railroad car load. Thanks

Thanks, I have now joined the group and am looking for the info... What do you use? I've reposted the ? taking the Mac reference out, maybe that will get a response. I've been on Macs since the Mac Plus in 1984 and I truly think that Illustrator or Photoshop is easier to learn than GPSBabel+... And as a Mac user I know nothing about command lines and that stuff...

Trying to figure out GPSBabel+ (1.3.2) For Pocket Queries- Which of the 88 options do you use for the input and output file types? Going to a Garmin Legend CX. Where are the Docs for this program? I saw a note that said if you didn't DL from their site many would not get the Docs, but I did and I didn't get the Docs. Is this program really so simple that everyone just kows how to use it? I'm missing something, and know nothing about command lines which seems a big part of this program. Thanks for any help...

I thought I would turn to the experts before I wasted more time... We have a Legend CX and a Mac (10.4.7) using MacGPSbabel. Trying to load 6 .LOC files into CX. After 45 minutes I aborted. I don't remember which I used. Can someone run down the settings, i.e. which button and which select on pull downs are working for you. Or is 45 minutes about right for 6 caches? How long should 6 take? How long would 200 take? Will the USB cable work or should I get an adaptor and plug the mircoSD into my card reader? Thanks

you can get it from costco.com for a 5% upcharge if you are not a member. They were including Mapsend Topo with the 500.

I'm lucky that it doesn't bother me... but my wife will always make a trip to the Doc after she breaks out. Seems like she breaks out after looking at a picture of PI. She has started washing with Dawn dishwashing soap whenever she thinks she has been close to PI. Since the ads say it breaks down grease and oil why not PI oil. So far, no break outs.

In my GPSr & camera I use Ray-o-Vac rechargeables. They recharge in 15 minutes in the car or the house. I can recharge faster than the machines can use them up. Wireless microphones eat batteries like nothing else I've seen. 2 hours useful life for a 9 volt. Can't use rechargeable, voltage too low (rechargeables have lower volts – 7.5 in the 9v size, 1.25 in AA). I only use Duracell or Procell (same as Duracell, without the fancy package) in wireless mics. Over the years I tried almost every brand, and keep coming back to Duracell. They work.

I understand TBs, but on to the other matter.... GeoCoins... What are the rules there? Take, take and move, etc. What about photos of coins? What about wooden nickels? Other sig items?

Cell phones and clipboards will make a person disappear. I recently figured out how to make a Ford F-250 Powerstroke Diesel invisible. One a recent cache I had a choice of parking directly under a NO PARKING sign (set in turn-around cut in median, placed by city) or parking on the street and blocking one lane of traffic (two lanes each way, but without the no parking sign). The choice was ticket and not block traffic or no ticket but block very light traffic. To make the truck disappear all you need are a couple of Orange Traffic Cones. Placed behind the truck and people see a work truck. Added bonus, if they see you near the truck they see just see some guy working for a living... No horns blowing, no second looks, people didn't even slow down. Might not work for every vehicle, but it works for my cache-up truck.

We are new to this, doing it about a month now... Yesterday we hit 9 of 9 in 1.5 hours without a GPSr or SAT photos. They were urban caches - we used the map from the cache's page, a little instinct, and a lot of luck. We skipped ones that we thought did not have enough info to find without a GSPr (like ones that had a placement in the middle of a field or somewhere down a long trail). This brings our total to 12, all without GPSr. Not big numbers, I know, but we are happy.

I'm now thinking maybe it was a flux in the time/space continuum either that or an ID 10 T error. Google and mapquest seem to be working fine now. I did find the google link on the pages, that works even better... Thanks But the maps on TerraServer are still old. Are there any better topo maps online? Where could I go to buy better maps? Thanks again...

Since I'm new to this I maybe doing something wrong... When I attempt to enter the coordinates into Google or Mapquest it resets to other coordinates sometimes as much as 25 miles from my target. Leaving me to scroll and guess my way to the target. The area is about 12 miles outside of downtown Houston. Seems like it should be more accurate. Is this the best I can hope for? I tried TerraServer but the maps are so old. The topo map for the area was at least 30 years out of date, the aerial was at least 12 years old. Buildings are shown that are now gone and roads exist that are not shown. Who might have better maps? Thanks for any help you might have...