DonB

Yep, lets trade those nasty virtuals for a bison tube every tenth of a mile along a trail or a bison tube under a lamp post skirt. TPTB didn't make any money off the virtuals, but look at all of the bison tubes they've sold. When we travel I get every virtual I can find along our route, they have taken me to places that I would have never found otherwise. As far as I'm concerned it was a bunch of baloney for the reasons given to get rid of them. As far as I'm concerned geocaching has turned into nothing but a numbers game. Bottom line I'll the worst virtual over a bison tube in a bush.

My wife found some snack packs at our local dollar store that was a tuna salad and crackers that didn't have to be refrigerated. She picked up a couple of them just to try. I've had better but if you were hungry they would be O.K.

That's odd, I have a Street pilot 2610 that is less than 10 years old and Garmin changed their map format so maps aren't even available for it anymore. I also bought the original Street pilot III in 2001 and can't get maps for it anymore either.

The safest way to use real caches for the book would be to use virtual caches, that way there wouldn't be any danger of the cache being trashed.

Sounds like you are doing it the hard way. Install EasyGPS load the GPX file into it, do any deleting you want to do and send it to the GPS.

I use Mapsource to create my routes, save them, and load them to the GPS. One thing I have found recently and don't remember it happening before, after I uploaded it to the GPS and was traveling the route, the GPS changed the route on it's own. The route I created was to take me down a state highway for a few miles then route me onto another state highway. The GPS instead routed me on a county road between the two highways. After we got home I ran Mapsource and the route the GPS took me on was about a half mile shorter and a few minutes faster. But I have never had the route change after I saved it with Mapsource.

The easiest software to use for loading into the GPS without a complicated learning curve is EasyGPS. It's free and very easy to use.

In my opinion the 60CSx and the 76CSx were two of the better GPS receivers ever made. I'll keep my 76 until the day it dies.

I really don't think any of this limits what we can do with pocket queries very much. If DonB is generating a new pocket query based on a modified bookmark list, all that's "wasted" is one of the five pocket queries we can run every 24 hours. And there are always ways to get more cache data if you're willing to throw money at it. A second premium membership (which gives you five more pocket queries per day) and GSAK's Get Geocaches command and Get Caches on Route macro come to mind. And folks who use smart phone apps to geocache have additional, pretty much unlimited, ways to get cache information. Actually, I'm still hoping DonB has come up with a way to run the exact same pocket query more often than once a day. I just can't figure out a way to do it myself. --Larry I don't know what part of my explanation you guys don't understand. I get 5 PQs a day and have never used my quota that I can remember, so by rerunning a PQ I'm not exceeding my quota. If I'm wasting a PQ by doing that, so be it. As I said before, I'm happy.

How do you manage to run the same pocket query twice within minutes of each other? I've always had to wait 24 hours, and I thought everybody had to. If you're referring to cloning a pocket query, then running the clone, that's not the same thing as far as the system is concerned. --Larry I run 99% of my PQs from several bookmark lists I keep edited, and what I'm saying is I have ran a PQ from one of my bookmarks and then a few minutes later realized I forgot to add a couple of caches. I add the caches and run the PQ again. I don't know what your definition of cloning a PQ is so call it whatever you want, all I know is it works and I'm happy.

My experience would agree with you. However what I understand is that the order they are run is not random and depends on when they were intitially created i.e lower numbers run first. Also just from observation those that have not been run for a while might also get some priority. Hence I keep all my old queries and re-purpose them when I need to. It's in order of the last time it's run - hence why when you run a query for the first time you get it almost immediately (depending on time of day) I question that theory because I have ran the same PQ twice within minutes of one another because I forgot to enter some caches and I still got the second one within a minute or two.

Hide them under your socks in your dresser drawer.

If they only run PQs after midnight someone explain why I usually get mine within minutes no matter what time of the day I request them.

Download CacheMagnet, it's free, and load the GPX files from your PQs. Next best thing to paperless caching.

I talked to a couple of our local cops about that at the restaurant awhile back and was told if you call 911 with a cell phone they don't need GPS coordinates. They triangulate your location using the cell towers. From what I've heard listening to the scanner when they have a 911 hangup it's very accurate, I've heard them pinpoint the location to a driveway between two addresses. If I did have to furnish the coordinates I think I would favor the N42 21.292 format.

Agreed. Just two small reflectors glued behind a mask or similar and you're set - cheap. But it's not as nearly as nice or effective. Most people do not carry flashlights with them during the day either. Solar powered garden lights are sold at most box stores for under $5. Disassemble, modify, and pop in some decent batteries and youre set. if possible use a small ladder when hiding it so that its out of reach for most people and less likely to get vandalized. I'm never without a flashlight, I have found when looking for a bison tube in a tree or bush a good strong led light will make them pop out because of the difference in how they reflect light.

Are you using the electronic compass? As far as loading coordinates I use EasyGPS which is free and I also use bookmarks and PQs to get my list of caches to load on the GPS.

I don't stick my head in hollow trees or even my hands until I shine a light in there first. On more then one occasion we have found a hollow tree occupied by a raccoon or a squirrel, and hard telling what would have happened if I would have stuck my head or hand in there. I also wonder how long it would be before someone would steal the solar panel.

Sept., Oct, and Nov. are my favorite times of the year to cache.

Make use of bookmarks. I do a search for caches in a certain city or if going to travel I do caches along a route, then I browse through the results and put the ones I want to do in a bookmark. When I get what I want I use that bookmark to create a PQ, and when it's ready depending on how many caches are in it, it will be sent to you or if there is over so many caches you will get an email with a link to download it. From there I use EasyGPS to send the PQ to my GPS.

If they do a good job on the hide what's the difference how many caches they have found? If you're referring to their coordinates I've done caches put out by seasoned cachers that the coordinates were at least 40 feet off, one I remember was 90 feet off.

Go here: gpsfiledepot.com

Maybe it's not your GPS maybe the cache coordinates are off. Have you tried comparing your GPS to a friends?

If you are going to create routes before you start your trip using software use the link sussamb posted.Once traveling you can let the GPS route you by starting with "where to" then you can pick cities or POIs and the GPS will route you to the place. Also check out a website called poi-factory.com that people upload custom POI files to such as restaurants, gas stations, motel chains, etc.

Ignore, I messed up the reply