Dad and the Dynamic Duo

wiredcur and Nelly & Jay, Thanks for the post on the pin outs to the kdc list wiredcur. That gave me the courage to pull pin #7 on my cable (mine came with #7 but no #6 or #8). Nelly and Jay sent me their garmin.csm within moments of my request! Thanks. Interesting that it does not contain the watermark scripts like the GPSPhoto versions. I played with it a bit yesterday. The scripts (2 versions of the PhotoGPS and the Garmin script from Nelly and Jay) seemed to connect to the GPS - at least I did not get the GPS not connected error like I was getting with my prior tests using the USB cable. It also lets me know that it is acquiring the data from the GPS and even writes it to the LCD as well as the image. Problem is that I am getting random characters not resembing coordinates. My guess is that it has something to do with the GPS only because it is the same type of issue with all three scripts. The attempts were done with my yellow eTrex set to hdddd°mm.mmm'; WGS 84 for units. I tried both NMEA OUT and TEXT OUT at a 4800 baud rate. I think my next step is to try my Vista. George

We ordered 10 of the USAGeocoins when they first came out. At the Chicago picnic Saturday, we won a CAGeoCoin. Hope that helps, George

Here is a yahoo group for Kadak cameras with the Digita script. George

quote: actually, I found the scripts... I'll let you know what I find wiredcur, Glad to have someone else working on this! I seem to recall that both of our cameras use the same cable. If you come across a solution to the cable or get your camera to recognize your GPSr, I'd sure be happy to hear about it. Based on your profile, you have a much stronger background to figure out where to trouble shoot any issues. George

quote: Is there any web site that will allow me to type in latitude/longitude and "mark" multiple spots so I can see where they are in relation to one another? I really doubt it but thought I'd ask anyway. Dougmeister, Try Lost Outdoors. Pretty amazing what you find on the internet! George

quote: It's older now but Kodak made (makes?) a solution that works with a Garmin GPS and actually puts Lat/Long right on the image when you snap the picture. I purposely looked for a Kodak DC290 as my first digital camera (I do a lot of film scanning with my film cameras) because of the ability to connect to the GPS. The DC290 amongst several others have a scripting system called Digita built in. You can use and write scripts that are then written to the same card that the pictures are saved on. A "system" folder is set up on the card and then the script(s) are loaded from the camera's menu. I bought the camera on e-bay a couple of months ago and have been trying to get it connected to my GPS. Here's where I am at: 1)Found the digita script (actually 3 scripts that work together - one to create the background that the coordinates are written to on the picture, one to establish the location of the text, and one to communicate with the GPSr) I can access the scripts from the camera and run the first two. I am having a problem with it communicating with the GPS. It says it can not find it. 2)My camera came with a USB interface. A serial cable was available from Kodak but no longer. I purchased one that was supposed to work but one of the pins is wrong. I need to pursue this further. I have tried with no success to use a serial / usb converter. The two devices (camera and GPSr) are ultimately connected with a null modem which I have. The kit referenced above came with a null modem cable that was fitted for the camera as well as the Garmin connector. I would really like to get my hands on one of those to eliminate all the other cables I am dealing with. I have not spent a huge amount of time with this project but hope to try to source out another cable and play with it further. If anyone else has some insight, I'd sure welcome it! George

quote: does anyone know where you can get an ammo box big enough for caching kids? I'm sure my youngest and perhaps my oldest would fit in this one. Now the real question is what would be a fair trade: Took your first born Left my jobless teenager with a 'tude. George

Our cache Etch-A-Sketch® ala GPS was set up to be handicap friendly. George

quote: But I am concerned about wandering around the area alone with my gps and about picking a travel bug up so new into the game of geo-caching myself. What are people's thoughts? Hi Vicki, Welcome to Geocaching! Are you concerned about your safety at the cache location? I have not found this cache yet but have explored it for a time when I am not in a hurry to make a flight. Seems that this is in a very public area and I would suspect it is safe. If you haven't already, look at the Mapquest page for this cache at higher zoom levels and you will see what I mean. I have not personally met Old Ranger (the owner of the TB) but we have corresponded several times as we are from the same area. I'm taking a guess here but I suspect that Old Ranger and his grandaughter would be happy to have you move it closer to its first cheese factory. Drop them a note and let them know you intentions. Happy caching! George

quote:posted July 08, 2003 12:26 PM That sounds like a very interesting idea-except I have not myself seen many kids go to the forums,but I must point to myself for I am only twelve. (which is a kid)I also do go to the forums,and post often,but whether there is many kids like me who do it is a question that we can only guess. I'm not sure that I would have known that you were 12 unless you had mentioned it. quote:posted July 08, 2003 02:21 PM I'm mixed on this one. There is nothing stopping kids from participating now. Just nothing specific to kids. To be honest, I never entered the forums until I had been caching for a year. Don't know why except that the banter on other forums was more than I could take so didn't explore this one right away. Both my boys, 9 and 10 fully participate in the caching experience. They are involved in selecting caches to find, programming the GPSrs, hiding caches, etc. I think they would welcome a kid's section. It is too bad that there are a few bad apples out there that have preyed on children and created the need for the restrictions that Jeremy linked. The logistics seem to be a significant challenge. As an adult, the forums are a fun way to learn the personalities of the screen names (or atleast what each of us wants the World to learn!) in addition to learning from others. I think kids would feel the same. George

quote: I wonder if it would be possible to add a photo database to our User profiles that would allow us to display our current signature items? We have done that with HTML on our public profile. Unless there is a signature item in a cache, I almost never trade. I really enjoy other's sig items and keep them when I come across them. George

quote: 529 calories in 1/2 hour? Those Orienteers must sprint between points. They do...and with a smile. We saw it first hand at Snowgaine which was an orienteering event that cachers were invited to join. It was amazing to watch some of them only stopping to check their maps and compass. George

quote: I'd be VERY cautious going on the freeway with something that light. I get blown around by the wind coming off of trucks, SUVs and even cars that aren't very aerodynamic, and my bike's an 800cc V-twin that weighs almost 500lbs dry. BE CAREFUL and keep the rubber side down! I agree with Cruzin!. Its a bit unnerving at times, even on a heavier bike. But cost aside, (about $5500) the BMW C1 looks as though it would fit the bill. Wouldn't help you to be stealthy though! I'd like to try one but don't think I'd ever buy one myself. Same with the Segway. George

quote: Why not something like this cache that has been successfully running in the UK for over a year now? We've had Cachin' for Critters up for over a year. I think the reason why it was allowed is that I am making the contributions, rather than the finders. I should be about due for my next contribution which will bring the total to over $400 since May 2002. George

Here's a picture of a micro for our cache On the Right Side of the Tracks. It a Altoids Strips container with two very small rare earth magnets attached to hold the container in place. It has a log (Rite-in-the-Rain pages in a matchbook cover), pen (I cut off the business end of a ballpoint pen insert) and trading item (a quarter is too big but dimes and nickels fit). Measurements are approximately 1-1/4" x 1" x 1/4". Whole thing is painted black to match the underside of the restored caboose. George

quote: Guess you really wouldn't like this cache, huh? We loved it Markwell! We still talk about it. Congrats on 200, BTW. But I am a former engineering student who became an accountant. Just like there are different kinds of caches that each of us seem to prefer, for me our mood and my company will also determine what kind of cache we will hunt. If I'm caching with the boys, we won't do multis all day or if the boys invite friends out we will pick some easier ones so the friends can find them. I went through a stage where all I was picking was micros. Had a streak of multis. I think you should place the kind of cache that YOU would like to find. As you may have already discovered from your first hide, it is sometimes more fun to have people find your caches than it is to find caches themselves. George

Grandpa, Looks to me that you're doing just fine with your little yellow, based on your profile! You've picked some more challenging caches and got a first to find. I used our yellow eTrex exclusively for the first 2 years of caching. Got a Vista for the bells and whistles and because after 2 years I wanted my boys to be able to have their own usit (read as: so I could have one when we cache together) but it really performs no differently than the basic unit. Welcome to this great hobby. You can be my Grandpa anyday! George

quote: I will be at this resort in May. Any caches close by or ones I "must see"? I won't have too much time away from the conference, but want to hit at least one! This is closer to West Chicago (60185) than St. Charles if you are doing a search on the Geocaching site. There are many within a few miles though I don't know if you will have transportation. If you are interested, perhaps we can hook up for some caching. Just drop me an e-mail and let me know when you expect to have some time. Otherwise, as Stunod mentions, our local group has some suggestions. George

quote: I'm partial to FinePrint. I use it to easily print multiple pages per sheet. Its also great for removing that unwanted last page that has one useless line on it. And the booklet printing mode is really cool. I'll second that nomination. Additionally, you can add your mapquest, topos and other pages that you'll need to the print job. You can also delete individual pages like when the Mapquest logo and disclaimer is on a sheet of its own. Then you print the final assembly and off to the cache! George

Here's a couple of ours: We've also sent some to the Cache In Trash Out link on the main page. I wonder if there are still plans to do something with those. I'm guessing were not the only ones to post pictures. George

quote: Did anybody ever try to make a Night Cache? Something with a flashing LED that can only be viewed at night?Were you successful, what were the difficulties? ...and the next one is in the works. We set up A Shot in the Dark as our first night cache. It appears to have been well received as it is currently listed as a "Don't Miss This One" on the Chitown Cacher's website. Note that this is not very scientific as only 36 of us have voted...but apparently two cachers liked it! I have started gathering a list of night-friendly and night-only caches that will be formalized on our D³ USA Geocoin01 page. I need to get throught the next couple of weeks at work first. We purposely made our first night-cache simple. It is an experiment of sorts. The next one will be more challenging. The most difficult part is finding a good park or preserve that is also open outside of sunrise to sunset. George

Did you receive them already? I already placed the first one and within 6 hours it was picked up! They're quite nice and mine were #10012 through #10021 so we must have placed our order early compared to others. As soon as I can pull away from tax returns for a bit I want to place one in one of our caches that hasn't been fount in 2 months. George

Just dropped off D³ USA Geocoin01 in our night-only cache (actually night easier as Greenback did it during the day just to say he did - look out for the next one though!) I bought a plastic coin holder for a buck at a coin store to put it in. Before I put the coin in the holder, I wrote on the inside of the holder (reversed like a mirror image) "Tracked just like a travel bug." with a extra fine Sharpie®. I put 2 small drops of super glue on one half and snapped the two halves together. This way the coin is protected and I avoid a hole being drilled. No where near as descriptive as having a TB type sheet though. I wonder if there would be any value in having a seperate icon for the coins on the cache page that is similar to the TB icon but looks like a coin? Perhaps that could be carried through to the tracking page. Seems that with the coins all having related tracking numbers (1nnnn), the system could easily identify a USA Geocoin as different from a traditional bug. George

I don't have them handy but I ordered 10 and mine started with 10012, I think. Cool to have such low numbers. The boys were excited when I opened the package - I hadn't told them they were coming. In all honesty, I was not especially concerned about the price. This is really an economical hobby compared to some others. For the price of what some of my friends pay for a round of golf, I can hopefully make 10 cacher's day when they find them. Being early to the geocoins, folks will likely find mine as their first. I still remember how excited we were when we found our first TB. Unlike a round of golf, hopefully people will pass them along and allow others to find them again. Each time someone finds them, the cost per finder is reduced. If 10 folks find each one before they go missing, it's 50 cents each. I suppose that there is a good chance that by accident or on purpose they will fall out of circulation. I like the idea of putting them in coin holders and including a note about what they are. May help to preserve them for a while. Then again, if someone really likes it and keeps it, I guess that's okay too. Kinda like Iron Chef's spoon signature item I picked up in Pacific Grove this fall. I thought it unique and have kept it as a memory of my travels to California (though according to legend, we are all paying for these spoons! .) I think that when I get a chance, hopefully over the weekend, I will start a couple of them out by putting them in my caches. So come on out to the western 'burbs of Chicago and help me get these moving! George

quote: what do you sign? Your real name or your forum name? For regular caches or those with good sized log books, I sign our screen name just below the date of our find. After any meaningless prose I write I sign my first name and the first names of those in my party. I also do the same on-line. For micros or where the logbook is getting full, I will simply sign my screen name next to the date of the find. George