DBleess
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Posts posted by DBleess
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Mine has gone AWOL again.
http://www.geocaching.com/track/track_detail.asp?ID=21851
Someone with good intentions trying to move it all the way to the destination in as few hops as possible. Exactly what I didn't want. I'd rather my bug spent more time in caches and moving between caches then sitting at the bottom of someone's gps accessory bag.
It can never make it to its destination for all I care as long as he keeps getting logs, keeps moving and stays in the system. As it stands his trip is boring and frustrating.
Let the bug loose and let it adventure, it isn't on a structured trip, it is supposed to be on a random chance journey. If you're not going there personally, don't delay it by trying to make special arrangements for it.
Otherwise, give the friend your GPSr and make him plant it and log it.
You might just get them hooked too.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
[This message was edited by DBleess on July 18, 2003 at 05:20 AM.]
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How to avoid having to put it on the roof:
Rechargable batteries and/or cig lighter adapter so you're less worried about leaving it on all the time and it has more time enroute to acquire.
External antenna w magnetic mount to roof or on dashboard so you can keep the GPS in your lap or on a dash mount.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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There's a readme.doc file included in the download.
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.htm
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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I know all about that. I've got an article in progress on it and more. I want the find logs that you can only get easily via a pocket query. As it stands now, I have to edit individual html pages by hand to get them. Not fun.
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.htm
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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A few possibilities.
If you have them, post the coordinates.
Also, re-read the benchmark front page:
http://www.geocaching.com/mark/
The sections on that page with these headings may apply:
--I found a benchmark, but it isn't in your database. Why?
--What are reference marks and azimuth marks for and how do I log them?
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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Two gripes:
No totals.
Looks pretty, but I was never too interested in the breakdown by type.
and
I'd like a link to all the finds on one page.
I was using my find page to generate my "find list" .loc file since it only called out find logs.
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I'd like more details on how you're "saving" the data file in the first place. When I click on "download waypoint file (*.loc) in Netscape, it actually loads easyGPS and loads the waypoint(s) into the program and I can see that I have received the data.
email me the file you're saving and I'll tell you what you're really downloading if it isn't a .loc
dbleess@neonramp.com
Send me step by step every keystroke and mouse click what you see and do.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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Anyone have an ETA on the possibility of BMPQ's? I see a lot of new site changes and updates. Does that suggest also the impending implementation of the item on this BM'ers wishlist of Pocket Queries for us?
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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Just like everything else, you're usually going to have a tradeoff. I use a Garmin 48 for my GPS.
It's my idea of the perfect GPS. I don't see the value of sinking that much money into a higer end portable GPS.
The 48 has this going for it:
*cheap -they were EBAY abundant at the time I first wanted a GPS for horsing around
*waterproof (marine GPS)
*simple
*compact
*interfaces to both an on-unit antenna or a remote antenna -#remote# to lay it on the dashboard, stick it to the roof, [magnetic], suction cup it to the back window of a Cessna 172
*EXCELLENT design locking bike mount for GPS48 (see below)
*capable of interface to a laptop pc
This last one is the most important if you want a lot of high-end features. Hooked to a laptop, (I use a cheap old NEC clunker) with DeLorme map software installed, any basic gps becomes simply the position receiver feeding to a system I consider an order of magnitude better than any color gps out there. I admit, it's more expensive when you add the cost of a laptop, but I don't just use the laptop for the GPS. I've also got a PC bought for that price. Try to get your GPS to do ANYTHING when you're not navigating with it. A PC is a multiple use item that you may even already have. Point is, the laptop screen and memory capacity is bigger, the software is MUCH more detailed and flexible, and it is generally CHEAPER to buy and update that software than proprietary GPS databases.
When I'm geocaching or benchmark hunting, I usually drive to a point as close a possible to my destination, with the GPS interfaced to the laptop for travel navigation. Once I'm there, or close, I go tromping off through the mud with just the GPS. I don't know how you all do this, but I don't normally need anything more than position data from my GPS once I get within a mile of my destinations. Any preplanning of an approach for walking or biking, I do sitting in my truck just before I open the door. Once I'm outside, I'm looking at the terrain and shouldn't need a map. I can leave the expensive and fragile part of my "super" GPS locked in the truck. The small, portable, light, portion is all I need in hand for the endgame. That modularity is handy.
As for mounting, the Garmin 48 and all the other units of the same case design have available from Garmin a very durable, stable, and SECURE mount bracket. Pull a small lock clip behind the unit with your little finger as you slide it right out. I even put another bike mount bracket onto a cell-phone bracket from bracketron (designed around existing trim screws -no holes, adhesives, or clamps) for my dash mount. The bike mount screw lines up right with an AMPS mount hole on the dash bracket. I haven't seen anything better yet. I'll miss this most if I have to change units down the road for compatibility.
There are a couple things I wouldn't mind having on my 48 that the laptop cannot provide. Waypoint names will likely soon go above the six-character standard currently used. My 48 won't be able to handle that. I'll have to do a workaround for this or buy a newer receiver. With the advent of WAAS, it would also be nice to increase precision. Many high end units don't even have WAAS yet and I'm not sure of its utility on the ground at slow speed. I rarely see epe more than 30 feet in cover and get 9-16 normally in the open. For now, those are the only two things that I am currently lacking. Not much in my opinion, and certainly not show-stoppers yet.
My recommendation? Get a cheap durable pc-interfacing GPS that does good navigation and meets your final-search needs (good secure mount for both a bike and car is really important) and that has 8-12 character waypoint names. Then get as good a laptop as you need (used can be cheap at first) that will run the software you want to use to navigate close to where you're going. With that, you'll probably be very happy and better equipped.
(A cache/mark process page I'm doing -a work in progress)
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.htm
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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Yes, check every three months at least, every month at best.
http://www.easygps.com/download.asp
You can tell by the date on the page or by the difference in version numbers listed on the page and in
HELP - ABOUT EASY GPS
in the program.
1.2.5 released May 12 2003
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.htm
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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Brainfart by Garmin?
-Unless they found a way to tell where YOU are when you aren't with your GPS so someone else can find you and give it back.
In that case, of course YOU will always see the same numbers since you have to be looking at the GPS to see them. Give it to someone else and see if they can tell where you are.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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The page is still a work in progress, but it has all my information on it:
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.htm
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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Ok, unless you mistyped something, that file is HUGE.
quote:
I have tried a 512MB picture and it does the same thing. I've e-mailed Groundspeak and they refered me to the FAQ's. Wow what a help....They assume you know something about digital imaging.
The file size limit is 100k
512mb is 512,000k
I'd guess you're working with a .bmp or .gif at the file size you're talking about. Load the picture into whatever you saved it from originally and maybe you can convert it to a .jpg format. A jpeg is a compressed image format. You're probably going to have to read documentation to learn how to use some of the software you hopefully already have to find out how to do this. Digital camera and better graphics manipulation software packages usually have a means to do this.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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If you can knock it down to a list of counties you will be concentrating in, some software I found and included links for in my process list would be useful.
There is some advance prep necessary, but not much more than with printing and dealing with a gazillion pages worth of datasheets. If you revisit places, much if it is one-time work and then just some maintenance of data.
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.txt
Most of what I was going to write here, I'm just going to incorporate into that document. I may end up having to convert the entire thing to html now to make it more presentable to the world at large. Initially these ware just my personal notes.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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I know the question gets asked from time to time about how people like to collect and use the data to find marks.
This is the text file of the notes I use for benchmark data collection and collation.
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.txt
I'm going to try to remember to update it once in a while.
If you reply here, cc: Email me with any questions or ideas for clarification, or improvements. Thanks.
My equipment list:
GPS48 (Marine waterproof) / Palm M130 (+aftermarket waterproof cover --no paper YIPPEE!) / Rags, Digital camera, and a screwdriver to poke holes through the grass without digging.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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When I started getting to the point that I wanted to seriously begin to hunt BM's and massively overcomplicate things
I decided to take some notes. What follows is a copy of the text file I kept that outlines the procedures I used for getting a LOT of good benchmark data that can be used in a variety of ways for tracking the little monsters down. Study all the links to software (95% of it is freeware) and decide what will help you.I'll post a more legible copy to my page, and I'll try to remember to update it once in a while.
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.txt
********************************************
06.08.03 DBLEESS www.geocaching.com
***At this point you should have: Nothing
Before using the first program, you need a .dat file. To get a .dat file, use your web browser to go to
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/datasheet.prl
click on the "ARCHIVED DATASHEETS" button, then click on the "YEARLY_ARCHIVES" button. Select your state and click "GET COUNTY ARCHIVES". Select the county you want and in what format you want to receive the data, then click the "Download File" button.
***At this point you should have: .dat - county files
BMGPX -follow instructions provided with program (http://parkrrrr.com/)
***At this point you should have: Have: .gpx - Pocket Query format without find
logs (This is the original Government not geocaching.com data)
You can > Feed to easyGPS http://www.easygps.com/ for data (There are some
discrepancies - GC 10 mile radius data is sometimes preferred)
http://www.geocaching.com/mark/
> Feed to gpx2html http://home.attbi.com/~fizzymagic/gpx2html.html
to convert for plucker (http://www.plkr.org/)
> Feed to watcher http://www.clayjar.com/ (in batches? doesn't seem
to work) to manage (enmasse)
I also transfer my data from GPS to Street Atlas 2003 for graphic display.
http://www.delorme.com/software.htm
The symbols I use in Street Atlas are:
Green star - good quality BM information - decent chance to find.
Yellow square - skulls (possibly destroyed) or frowns (no find reports)
Red x - Good documented finds made already by me or others
The state of Nebraska Dept of Roads also has .pdf county maps with some
benchmarks depicted. Your own state may do the same.
http://www.nebraskatransportation.org/maps/countymaps.htm
GC 10mi page data gpx precedence
Home 5/28/03
Blue Earth
Lanes
Waterloo
Hummel
Logan
Dunlap
Blair
WSarpy 5/21/03
*************.dat Counties to add
IA_Audubon (MJ0217) Memorial Building Audubon
(MJ0416) Airport
(MJ0417) Airport Need Coords
IA_Mills (MJ0879) Platte bridge (Missing)
(MJ0581) Logged
IA_Pocahontas (NL0211) Laurens Museum/Library (Found)
HTML Converted so far:
Washington
Douglas
Sarpy
Cass
Butler
Seward
Lancaster
Saunders
Dodge
Harrison
Pottawattomie
**********
Upon Find
**********
Process Pics
Log
Upload GC cropped pic
Update my site
Update gpxhtml HTML data
Update Map 10mi data
Update 10mi .gpx
Terraserver wide area aerial map links (manually adjust coordinates):
http://terraserver-usa.com/GetImageArea.ashx?t=1&s=11&lat=41.176670&lon=-95.997012&w=2000&h=2000
zoom
http://terraserver-usa.com/GetImageArea.ashx?t=1&s=10&lat=41.151040&lon=-95.969369&w=2000&h=2000
(If it gives a credentials error, just reload it a few times until it works
or try old Netscape 4.79)
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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There are four of these bugs. All of them are in Great Britain. Most of the responses and activity on this thread are from the US. Judging from the voting responses, it is only just on the borderline of humor and tastelessness for US audiences. I can't speak for the UK.
While it's definitely a step in the wrong direction as it expands the envelope of allowable crassnes, keep in mind that it could definitely be worse. If that concerns you, plan your cachehunting with that in mind. Eventually someone is going to do something "over the top" somewhere. If your concern is as a parent, get used to it. This is NOTHING compared to the other challenges that may be in store for you down the road.
Young children and old fogies are not the only two groups that cache hunt. The 13-30 crowd also hunts. This is far from a perfect and benign world. There is a fair percentage of this middle age group of people who find such things as this funny and don't often think about the perceptions of anyone other than themselves and their own age group.
If the potential for finding such things worries you that much, you should already be monitoring caches before letting kids dig in them -practical or not- teach them to mind you and let you check it for problems first. If you can't manage that and still don't like the odds, then do not take them hunting. The same young kids being introduced to this now, will, within 5-10 years will be entering into this problematic age group and in all likelyhood will be the ones being out unmonitored and planting this sort of stuff in caches.
If other more conservative people who find bugs like these are simply offended, they are certainly going to react as they see fit. Many good and bad ideas have been offered here. My personal preference and hope is that people will keep any bug alive but modified if you have such skills to more conservative tastes -either by being clothed or amputated and repaired. If it is a non-bug or non-tracked item, simply trash it. No one is going to likely know or care. Do NOT post anything about very offensive items that will get the placer any attention and that will encourage them to do it again.
If you modify a bug for the better and if you're proud of what you did, then note it on the log page. If you're not, then you shouldn't be doing it in the first place. The owner may actually appreciate that they almost lost a bug and think better of it next time (I doubt it, but who knows?). There are other imaginative and inventive things that can be done to stay on the theme other than destruction. Dark sunglasses, a lampshade, a tattoo, use your imagination.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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Check your file size. I think the standard 100k limit applies. I use software to resize my .jpg files down until I hit 97 to 98k in size. If you break the limit, all sorts of strange things happen including sometimes rejections of your file for no given reasons. (In some cases it warns you but not always.)
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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That's another reason to photograph them. I don't log a find until I can present photographic proof. That would have saved you a second trip back.
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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I don't completely and blindly trust the descriptions given as there have been reports of geocachers finding marks that crews listed as lost or missing.
After reading such stories, I always go looking for myself. You never know what you'll find.
I use the destroyed status only with great care and hesitation. Unless I have enough information and knowledge of the area to be absolutley certain I know a benchmark can't exist any longer (a middle school was built over the former location of one nearby) then I simply mark it not found in case someone with better instincts or a metal detector comes along and finds that which I couldn't.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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I'm no authority, but common sense says you did nothing wrong. You're not defacing anything, nor are you taking paint off of anything that needs the paint for protection. I'd say the municipality that painted it was more in the wrong than you were for not masking before painting over an important legal location marking device.
Removing just the paint on the marker doesn't significantly reduce the visibility or change the meaning of the rest of the paint on that curb.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
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There were a bunch that sat idle in the cold in Sioux Falls, SD for quite a while. They should start moving as the weather warms up and more cachehunters start prowling I-90 and north I-29 again.
SA / PP-ASEL-I
Map locations from LOC or GPX file?
in How do I...?
Posted
The state list on the gc front page, may also suit your needs.
http://www.geocaching.com/
If you get to the point you want to spend money, try the Delorme software, I upload from easygps into my gps and back down into SA2003.
http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.htm
SA / PP-ASEL-I