team.moo

I think the real difference is that geocaching relies on people. It's immaterial whether they're volunteers. PG relies on automation. No...you are wrong. Many of the points on PG was relies on volunteers in a different game, Ingress. Ingress is the base game that PG started from. I had send in some church locations info and Ingress ok it and its still up and running. In my area, there are many park benches that got names on them and many of them are portals in the game of Ingress and all of those was started by people... Not automation at all. I am not sure how many of those portals are use in PG but my friend that play that game said there are a few of them in the game of PG. From the very get go of this thread... PG is Ingress but just a different ways of playing it. Yes you are right, I was aware of that but the difference is (as I understand it) once an Ingress player uploaded a location, that location stays there ready for everyone to find, that player no longer needed to have anything to do regarding that location. Unlike a cache where there is no guarantee it will still be there from one day to the next and its owner has to maintain it.

I see the two games as completely different. I play both with my nine year old. He loves geocaching scrapping around in woods and finding the containers, the problem is there are very few hidden within walking distance of our house, most involve a car journey which is fine for weekends but I refuse to drive in the evenings just to go for a walk! We have just started playing pokemon go, much easier to find, we can go for a half mile walk every evening and pick something up, this is not possible with geocaching. We geocache with a GPS and only use the phone for pokemon, walking along pavements the phone will not get dropped unlike the terrain for caches. Pokemon go is also a lot easier, our find rate for caches is not good which leads to disappointment, especially as you do not know whether to carry on looking as it is definitely there as it could have been stolen, no issues like this with pokemon. Personally we both prefer geocaching, it is more fun with finding the swag and the locations are certainly nicer/better thought out. Pokemon has its place as well, it allows us to go out every night for a short walk, we previously did this anyway but even I was getting bored just walking to the same places. Pokemon makes local walking more fun. I can't see why/how the two can't be enjoyed by the same people. Next time we look for a cache the plan is to find pokeman along the way as well. My suggestion for improving the game to make more like are pokemon are impossible to implement as unlike pokemon, geocaching relies on volunteers. - more local caches (I am already grateful for the people that have placed them around here, I don't expect them to do more so geocaching can't compete on this aspect) - caches definitely there to be found - again nothing cachers can do about this, its not their fault if the cache is stolen.

team diversion - that is really clever. Thanks all, yes it worked with my basic account. Just a waiting game now until someone else tries to find them (I now have two in my watch list we couldn't find) One I will go back to very soon, as think we might crack it now I have read the logs / hint / pictures again. What does everyone else use the watch list email function for?

We couldn't find a cache today. I would like to go back to it after I am sure it is there (ie someone else finds it). Is there a way I can get email alerts when the next people log visits against a cache?

if you have been using a smartphone think about if you need a GPS with touchscreen or if you would be happy to go back to buttons. A touch screen was one of my must haves and a good map. The touchscreen on mine is not as slick as a phone, but I didn't expect it to be. Have a think about the features you like on your phone and the ones you could live without look for that in a GPS. I am in the UK, I managed to get a second hand (but like new, not a scratch on it) oregon 450 for £100 with OS map. I got a good buy, GPS are more expensive here, I wish we could get them for the second hand $ prices I see on the forum. Here you can buy a new etrex 10 for £70 but i considered it better to spend a bit more and get a newer secondhand model. The only issue with second hand is you can't return it so you need to be sure of your choice, research, research and do some more research (i didn't do enough) search on here and look for the potential issues - there are problem with windows 10 and garmin communicator but this is not needed if you are a premium member. Loading the caches is no where near as easy as a smartphone, I struggled with it but once I go it working its fine, you will get used to it, ask on here if you need to, the experts here were really good and patient with me. Overall I am really pleased with my oregon. Can I ask what the 'r' means after GPS, I keep seeing GPS units referred to as GPSr.

I am in the same situation as you just about to start up again with a dedicated GPS rather than a phone. My issue with the phone was not the GPS signal, that worked well, it was the inability to download caches and battery life, could only find one cache before it died. I used an old phone I would never use my current one for fear of damage. I also owned a very old GPS that again only accepted manual cords I didn't like that much either as it didn't have maps. The models you are looking at are newer than mine (I purchased second hand). I would buy new if I could as you have the option to return it. After initial disappointment (see my thread) and the help of the very kind posters on here I am now really pleased with my decision to get a dedicated GPS, unlike a phone it will survive a 9 year old using with without me having to watch every second he doesn't drop/damage it. The one thing I would suggest is good maps, with the phone I had a very good map and would miss it so I made sure my GPS came with maps. I managed to find a seller with one that had 1.50K OS maps for the whole of my country (UK) at just a few quid extra than a standard version. Good luck

I am in the UK so pay in £'s, you have might have heard our £ is not performing too well. I'd better buy quick before an updated sterling price with a new exchange rate is applied One of the reasons for getting into this again is I go with my 9 year old. He loves it, it gets him off the computer and out walking. Once the expensive of the GPS is out of the way, it will save money in the long run as apart from the small yearly charge for the site, its free.

:D Finally getting somewhere I have updated the software via garmin express I persevered with IE (needs must) and downloaded garmin communicator. Now I can use the "Send To" feature which is GPX files. It is glitchly the first click on "send to" never works, after what seems like an age it comes up with "stop scrip" once I stop scrip (whatever that does ) click on "send to" again and it works great. I takes around 3 or 4 minutes to get one cache sent, I am fine with that, at least I have it working and its only until the end of the month until I can get premium. Thanks everyone for all your help. I would have given up hours ago if it wasn't for the support on here.

Are you using a Mac or Windows? Macs need the bin emptying with the unit still connected, to actualy delete things... Windows 10

every time I connect it, it has automatically created a new folder "current" which contains the file "current.gpx" could this be what is confusing it as it has both .gpx and .loc files. I cannot get rid of this "current" folder. I delete it and when I open the main folder again it has re-appeared. I have also tried to download garmin communicator in firefox, this will not work, it is no longer supported by firefox. Looks like it is IE or nothing.

It seems like the reset didn't quite take. http://www.gpsnation.com/support/gps-factory-reset/garmin-oregon-450-factory-reset.html Tried that method and the two files I put in earlier are still there

I still can't get it to work I performed a factory reset on the devise. I took everything out of the GPX folder (i was surprised there were still files in there as was expecting the factory reset to delete everything) I downloaded them again, keeping the names the same and copied in the GPX folder. I still can't see them under geocaches and there is no mark for them on the map where they should be.

Thank you everyone for your time. Pup Patrol - I will read the manual, thank you Cardinal Red - to answer some of your questions I have no issue with firefox (just loath IE), it was the Garmin site that directed me to IE as a browser to use, it did not mention that Firefox was compatible as well. No not familiar with mass storage mode or gamin spanner, I looked the latter up in the manual ans still none the wiser I put them in the GPS by opening the GPS via USB in my computer, finding the GPX folder and coping into that. I renamed them as they are all named the same ie geocaching(number).loc I did not change the .loc extension. I wanted to be able to reconise them by name.

Good point I will need to work out how to get the latest firmware onto it (i don't think it has been used in a while). Will I be able to do that via Chrome? Thats something to do another day. I downloaded a couple of caches close to my home and put them in the GPSr file but I can't see where they show up on the Garmin, they are not in waypoints or geocaches. I renamed them, could that be the issue? Also there were GPX files in there from the previous owner, I left them, do I need to take them out for it to recognise my LOC files? Thank you for all your help

thank you for the quick reply and reassurance all is not lost. I don't think it is a USB issue as I haven't had a problem with it before. It may be a laptop issue as I am unable to download garmin communicator, whether this is down to my laptop or the garmin site I don't know. Thanks for the information on "Send To" that is a shame as it was what I was hoping to use (quick and easy). It seems if this function is unreliable there is no point in struggling to get garmin communicator downloaded? I can download and transfer manually but which folder on the garmin do I need to copy the cache file to? EDIT: just seen you have answered the above - off to try that now Yes I am aware that I need to pay for premium for paperless, this is something I plan do after next payday. In the meantime I am eager to test out my new (to me) GPS by downloading one cache at a time.

I really wanted to start taking this hobby more seriously this year, so splashed out on a Garmin oregon 450, second hand but still a lot of money for me to find. I can't get any caches onto it, it doesn't work with chrome so I tried switching to IE (which is so slow on my laptop its worse than going back to dial up!). I added the site to trusted sites like it suggested but still no luck, I can't even download the required plug in to the device. IE is virtually un-usable for me, we have very slow internet in my area I am now left with a very expensive paperweight, well not quite that bad I assume I can manually enter coordinates, but my (very) old GPS that cost £10 I could do that. Plus it looks like I am back to printing out caches, I really wanted to go paperless. Moral to other newbies - DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE BUYING - I now see there are problems with garmin on windows 10. I can't return as it was second hand, no wonder they sold it. Sorry for the rant, I am feeling very despondent, I have wasted money I can't really afford. I was hoping just to plug in the device and download the files from the site. I fully expected for an expensive piece of kit, this would have been possible. Wish I had gone for Magellan but I (wrongly it seems) thought Garmin was a better make.

Me and my young son have found a few caches local to us where I know the area well. I now what to go out and find some further a field. My question is how do people know where to start looking for them? We are ok once we get in the general area using the gps but how do I know where to drive to that point? My GPS does not give driving directions and my sat nav will not reconise coordinates! I can see with two adults or an older child this would be easier as one person can look and decipher the GPS and navigate to the driver, but trying to read the GPS whilst driving in a strange location is not a good idea. Plenty of people cache on their own, how do you find the starting area via car? Thanks

My son and I are enjoying finding caches, we only go to find one at a time so manage with my phone. I would really like him to have something that he can use. Budget is very limited not least due to the fact it may get dropped/broken! Has anyone any suggestions of anything suitable it doesn't even need to be terribly accurate just something he hold and follow to get to the general area. Thanks

As a newbie, I wondered how long people look before they give up and report as a DNF? I realise everyone will be different as it depends on experience how quick you can find them but how long would you spend searching for a 1 star and a 5 star difficulty before giving up? Thanks

I am very new to this (I have only found one cache) but that one was in a supermarket car park! and I am very grateful to the person who thought to leave it there. The supermarket is one I go to every week and before this site I never even thought there would be such a thing there. Would I have traveled miles to find it no, but it was right on my doorstep in a area which meant I could go about my normal business and introduce my six year old to a bit of fun along with the boring shopping. We will be finding caches in more scenic areas but these will involve a car trip and more organisation. I might not have been so keen to start this if every cache I had to travel miles before I start searching. To have ones in urban areas for me it means it keeps us interested, as lots are within walking distance from our home. Ok we might not see anything spectacular but we will be getting out walking and enjoying the exercise (something it can be hard to encourage kids to do). Not everyone who does this intends to be a 'die hard' addict of it. I will be unable to find the more difficult ones on the longer routes as I have a young child to consider and these may be a bit much for him. I will be looking to find caches that are easily accessible to us where the terrain is child friendly and the urban ones are ideal for this. Where the history of the site is given in the information, I am very grateful to the owners for taking the time to research this as it means myself and my son will be learning about our local area as well. I thought that geocaching was supposed to be for everyone, not everyone is capable of walking around countryside, the urban caches mean everyone can enjoy this, the disabled, families with babies that need a pushchair etc.

Thanks all Before I message the owner I will go and have one more look. The clue relates to a type of tree, the GPS took me directly to a tree but there were also a lot of trees of the same type around the area. Should I just concentrate on the one the GPS took me too, or look at all of them? I did look at all of them but wonder if I was looking too far out or not far enough. I think I read I should look 6 meters from the GPS point is that about right?

Thanks everyone. Putting the info into google maps gives me the nearest postcode so I should be able to find from that.

I have just started this as an activity to do with my six year old. On our first outing we didn't find anything and he was really disappointed. When I got home I checked and it was my fault I had entered the coordinates wrong so we went back and found it Today I went out on my own to look, plan was to pre find it so as not to disappoint him again (I don't want him to get fed up before we have started). I couldn't find it, I searched for ages (I'd triple checked the coords before setting out). My question is, is it considered bad manners to post a note on the page to ask if anyone who has found it can message me to tell me where it is hidden? I don't want to log a didn't find as I am sure it is me not knowing what/where to look for. I am confident once I have found a few I will get better, unfortunately there aren't any beginner (highlighted green)ones near my home but I was only looking for a 2 star and still couldn't find it Thanks

Hello All I am new to this and want to start around my local area in the summer holidays. I will need to drive to the car parks but my satnav won't reconise waypoints and I can't use my phone as the car satnav. Is there anyway I can convert the given carpark waypoint to a postcode so I can easily find the starting point? Many Thanks