SpongeRob

WPWU826

March 5, 2003

Ok,I just gotta ask this. If vibration is the issue, how could a software upgrade in the firmware fix it?

bTurnOffWhenVibrated=False

???

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

March 3, 2003

Thanks, those are great ideas. If you don't mind I'll act upon those.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 28, 2003

It's not a matter of comparason. It's a matter of expectations not being met. You expect to buy a car with 4 wheels. When you find out they don't hold air past 500 miles you tend to be a tad dissapointed.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 28, 2003

I have no problem with my Etrex. In fact, the software on my etrex seems to be more advanced than the mapsource product. On the etrex you can search by Waypoint type (i.e. returant) you can't do that with the mapsource product. That's a feature I emailed garmin about but they really fail to give you the feeling your words are really considered.

It's too bad though, with some user input they could have some smoking software.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 28, 2003

Perhaps I'm one of those people that expect a little more from software than "general use".

Here's my thought on accuracy:

I buy an updated copy of a printed map at wal-mart for $5. Has great coverage and it's updated every year. Includes many POI information and in many cases coupons or other things that intrest me.

Now, I pay $100 for an electronic version. There's no updates to speak of (other than minimal software engine updates) and as the years go on it becomes increasingly inaccurate.

If a paper map costs $5, where is it I'm getting an additional $95 in value?

Compare this to a typewriter and Microsoft Word. For my money I get considerably more features.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 28, 2003

I've recently been battling it out with the Garmin Cartography crew. I purchased Mapsource Metroguide for my legend and well.. It sucks. It has to be one of the poorest designed products I've ever seen.

Now, having that off my chest I want to know what others think that have used it and how they feel about it. Here's my basic complaints.

1. Map Regions. You can only load "Regions" not a definable area. This stinks IMHO because if you take a trip somewhere it makes sense that the product would load map data "Around" your route. Would be fantastic when you need something more than a Gas Station that's loaded into the basemap.

2. Accuracy. I've noticed HUGE erorrs. Things being over 1/2 mile off. Other things not existing anymore. I can understand some things out of date, but I was surprised how much was.

3. Searching. You can only search by the name of what you want IF you know what it is. For example looking for "Wing Park" I can find because I know the name. Put just "Park" in there and only things it will find are items like "Park Place". It won't find "Wing Park". I wanted to use this to "explore", how dissapointing.

4. import/export - EasyGPS smokes them. Period.

5. Saving/Loading to Device. I've worked aroudn this by having 2 mapsources open and cut and paste between the two. What's amazing is that I can put things ON the device and the device figures out what to overwrite and add new. The software just creates a "new" version. More incredible is that CUT & PASTE works great and asks you what you want to overwrite. You would think they could piece this together.

Those are my major gripes on this software. I figure the $100 must go entirely to the cartography portion of the software. The software IMHO is not worth the media it's on.

Others?

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 28, 2003

If you do find that to be the case an alternative might be to purchase the cigarette adapter and then wire the adapter to the ATV battery. It should be 12 volt.

You could do this anyhow as it would save battery life.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 27, 2003

In reality we could have had a LOT of fun by telling him he was right on. Would have been so far away on location it wouldn't have been funny.

Too bad us geocachers are such good natured...

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 27, 2003

Why the big push for ammo can's vs. Rubbermaid, etc.

From what I can see the trend is to have clear containers. I see the advantage to an ammo can, but I think the disadvantages (freaking non-cachers out) is doing more harm than good the the sport.

Just an opinion...

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 27, 2003

Placing the 0 in front of the number is reducing it by 10.

For example

.10 * 100 = 10

What you want to do is put the 0 at the end.

.580 is equal to .58

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 26, 2003

To say that using GPS techology to track people is bad is just plain wrong.

Technology is neither good nor bad. Technology is what it is. How it's used and the process of using it can be defined as good or bad but not the technology.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 25, 2003

Youre absolutely right! People are going to protest and not like it. There are people on the unemployment line every day because they didnt like what their employer was doing. That's your choice and I would never stop you from having that choice, just the same as it is the employers option to say "tough cookies". Protest all you want, but until the laws change your SOL.

I support democracy and the law. Until the law changes (if it ever does) the facts remain the same. Employers, Parents have the right - Right or Wrong.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 25, 2003

I don't believe they differ at all. I trust my children but then again I was a teenager myself. I know that I said one thing and did another. I would call anyone a liar that said they never did something behind their parents back.

Same goes with company equipment. They wouldnt have hired you if they thought you were untrustworthy.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 25, 2003

quote:
I think you are misunderstanding the tech we are speaking of. This is not being used to track John Q. Public. It's being installed in vehicles by companies to keep track of their equipment and manpower.

Agreed. Most companies are "At-Will". Which means you can work for them or not and they can fire you for just about any reason. This is THEIR property they are tracking. Don't like it, quit.

Try this perspective. Why does somone Lojack their car? Theft? Well, if you could Lojack your car and have it track where your KIDS went, would that be so bad? Would you want to know where your kids are after curfew? Would you want to know that your kids are at a party when they said they would be at the movies? How about drunk driving?

I know I would want to know this information. Why? Because as a homeowner my kids could wrek the car and my home is at risk. What if I knew about it and could prevent it?

Ok, companies work the same way here. You go out and get drunk at a bar on the job for lunch, wreck the car. Who's liable? You? - Probably not, they go after the company.

Look at sexual harassment suits, they company is sued. Granted you get fired however the company is what stands to get sued.

I find it amazing how many people feel that when they walk into a company and work for an employer they feel that all their private and personal rights apply when they use company property.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 24, 2003

I try not to use the GPS as the end all in navigation. Using your head works as well. Think of this. You walk the last 100 feet generally in a straight line. The GPS knows that your walking right towards the target. In fact, it's got the last 100 feet to keep a lock on you and your destination.

When I walk the last 100-200 feet to the cache I pay close attention to where I'm headed to (looking ahead instead of at the GPS countdown). Many times this can lead me right to the location without having to walk in circles. Your GPS is going to be much more innacurate once you stop and start (walking in circle effect). I find that just walking 50 or 60 feet can get you back on a steady lock.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 24, 2003

I personally can't stand when people complain that their company is recording their actvities. (not saying that author of thread is said complainer)

Companies invest in vehicles, insurance, labor, etc. If people misuse that, the company should be able to track that misuse. Sure, there will be a few false alarms now and then but that's part of doing business.

Something else to think about.. Most technology like this comes all from the same thing. Misuse. If people did their jobs, didnt use the company vehicle on weekends and did what they were paid to do technology would not be needed to track these things.

One person ruined it for the rest of us. For those of us that do our jobs and do them well I say "track me any way you like". I've got nothing to hide. Do you?

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 24, 2003

Agreed. I visit my caches at least every 2 weeks. It's only proper to check up on them. I will (if and when the time comes) remove items that have little or no use to anyone. (Spanish Carseat Video) for example.

Personally, I like the hunt and I like to see what's in there. Many times I use the opportunity to place travel bugs or to add to caches. I only take if there's something realistic that I'm going to use. Otherwise it's take some stuff and redeposit it somewhere else.

It's a game folks, let us not take this too seriously.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 23, 2003

All members of the Cache'n Retrievers want to thank everyone that made this a success. Those burgers were great and we were able to meet many other cachers.

A great time for all! Kudos to all. For without them it would just be another day in the woods. Now I can say it's another day in the wood with FRIENDS.

Thanks All!

- SpongeRob & Family!

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 23, 2003

Hear. Hear.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 22, 2003

I'm not sure that humorous parodys "directly compete" with Brand gear.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 22, 2003

The few discernable dark pixels that may be up for debate have been removed. I don't want to infringe on anyone's artwork.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

http://www.keenpeople.com/geocaching/shirts.shtml

February 21, 2003

On the reccommendation of another member I am posting this here as it's already been posted in the garage sale area.

Inspired by geocaching and having a really strange sense of humor... I decided to go out on a limb and create some Geocaching T-Shirts, mousepads, etc... Some with some really bad play on words (those with a warped sense of humor may enjoy them).

For those of you that might be interested in having a shirt that's a bit off the beaten trail for your next geocaching event you can check out my geocaching page on my personal website. I'm adding new ones all the time as I come up with something wacky.

These are all my personal work, and it's on my personal home page. I thought I would share some humor with my fellow cachers.

Rob

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 21, 2003

It all depends on what youre looking for. Considering I'm not an artist by trade I certainly can't expect outrageous fees.

Most of my photo work I usually say "Make Offer" and go from there.

Drop me a line offline and we can talk. (This goes for anyone else as well)

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SpongeRob

WPWU826

February 21, 2003

Thank you so much for your vote of confidence. I'm working on quite a few ideas so there should be more on the way. I'm also putting some non-humorous ones up as well as I have quite a bit of photos and such that should make some great T-Shirts.

I would have never thought that Geocaching has given me an outlet for some of my photography and creative work.

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SpongeRob

WPWU826