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Welcome to the forums, XSnoopy! There is an Xterra Xcursion on the 19th but unfortunately, I can't make it because of work obligations! (Can't wait to retire in 3-5 years!) I read about the details of your trip--that it includes some geocaching on the side. Wish I could come! Tsk tsk...Sigh...Oh well... Let's schedule a hide & seek get-together within San Diego or beyond...talk to you later.

I learned today that I'm addicted. I had only two classes--the last one gets out at 12:45, so I formulated a plan in my head while I was showering this morning that I would go geocaching after class. There are two new caches about an hour away that I've been meaning to find. I get out of the shower, and my phone rings. When I answer it, on the other end I hear a female "friend," (ahem) and she wants to know if I would like to "get together" this afternoon. My actual thought at that moment was that it would interfere with my geocaching trip. I even spent a few sentences trying to explain to her that I'd be out for much of the afternoon. Then this particular thread came into my mind and I realized what was happening to me. I really felt like I needed to talk about it. I was able to straighten out my priorities when I convinced myself that I can go search for the caches any time I want. ...but, (gasp) what if they're plundered? Jamie

Hi, My name is Jeff Tyler. I'm a reporter with a national public radio show called The Savvy Traveler. I'm working on a story about geo-caching. If you live in the Los Angeles area and would be willing to talk about your interest in this modern treasure hunt, please email me at jtpepe@aol.com. Or reply here. Thanks, JT

Oh my God, I thought some of the caches around me were bad. After seeing all the talk, I finally looked at 84660. Pitiful!! There has to be some standard for approving these caches. I'm glad to see Jeremy at the helm on this. rdw

We actually had some fun with this type of talk over on Geodashing. Bunkerdave posed the question "What was the closest random point to your home." To which I gave two sets of coordinates and a general bearing, with distances calculated to 0.01 miles. I indicated that given those two pieces of information, one could come pretty close to an approximation of my front door. The two radius would, however, intersect in two places - a third set of coordinates and distances would be helpful to narrow down the location. I gave it and also a fourth for redundancy (is any of this starting to sound familiar yet?) These guys had ariel shots of my home within a matter of hours. These guys are good... quote:posted in Geodashing by geogromitActually I only original two dashpoints that were closest to your house and I was able to triangulate 2 positions in your area. I did this by converting the coordinates of the dashpoints to UTM and the distances to meters. This made it fairly simple to calculate your position. The point that that I chose appeared to be in the middle of your street. The other appeared near a small lake. I guessed on the northside of your street. From the precision of your distances that you had given, I knew your house should have been within 50 feet of that point. Good work Daniel. BTW, the aerial photo is from mapblast. ------------------ Markwell My Geocache Page Non omnes vagi perditi sunt

I apologize for the long post. Here's what I have posted on a few of my caches and sent to the smelly shoe crew: I have been emailed by a fellow GeoCacher to ask my why I keep posting my three recent caches to the top of the list. I am doing this to help keep this sport going even through the thick of winter. When people post Garbage caches, like ?find my shoes?, or tell me the elevation of a mountain top (and none of the three answers listed as possible answers are correct according to two different nationally acclaimed mapping software packages) or tell me the height of a certain tree?ridiculous?.anyway, you get the picture, it diminishes our sport. It also pushes valid caches (not just mine) down the New Cache page. Let?s see what you think? Would a new GeoCacher like to go to a findable real cache that has some stuff in it and also presents an interest to their family if they?re along, or an old pair of shoes? I don?t mean to offend anyone, but these couple of GeoCachers have put out a HUGE number of what amounts to being Garbage Caches. Understand something else; I am also getting a large amount of email echoing my sentiments. Also, I am not talking about spending large dollar amounts to put out caches. I put out my last cache including the container for under $15. I doubt they can buy a pair of smelly shoes for that little money. Someone needs to figure out that it?s not the huge amount of garbage caches that you put out that make you a great GeoCacher, rather what you do to help develop and continue the sport. I am not even claiming to be a good GeoCacher; much less a great one, but I do put time, thought and effort into my caches. That?s what counts. Differing reasonable views are always welcome at rogerbee@earthlink.net, or you can call me and we can talk about in on the radio on Sunday afternoons from 2-4 pm on KALL 910 AM radio. What have you done to further the GeoCaching sport lately? RogerB Outdoor Utah Today KALL 910 quote:Originally posted by madphatboy2:In the thread that bunkerdave started, I was wondering if there is a tactful way of telling some people that they may be overdoing it on setting the caches. The number of caches they have set vs. the number of found are about even. Alot of them are not done very well at all. On one his mom suggested that he leave his shoes sitting somewhere out there. Alot of them are ridiculous like this. Some have a view when you get there, but that would be the exception to the caching rule in this case. I thought of posting on the cache page that maybe people aren't that interested in this many "lame" caches. Any ideas?

quote:Originally posted by madphatboy2:I was wondering if there is a tactful way of telling some people that they may be overdoing it on setting the caches...Any ideas? 1. It's probably not entirely fair to criticize a cache you haven't visited. Either visit the cache, or at least talk with someone who has. 2. Email the cache setter and express your concerns. Be polite and tactful, but honest. Make positive suggestions. 3. If this doesn't produce some positive results, post your concerns on the cache page. Be polite and tactful, but honest. 4. If people still want to hunt the cache after reading your post, that's their problem. 5. If the post is deleted by the cache owner, repost. 6. If the cache owner deletes the post again, contact Jeremy. My 2 cents (or in the case of tennis shoes, 2 scents) Web-ling

idden in the correct location. Strange...could someone have found part of the first cache all these months later? January 6th, we get the email address of the person that found the cache. We send them mail, explaining what it was, listing some of the contents it had when it went missing, and asking if we could meet to recover it. January 8th, we get a response. The person who found it, Crystal, would be happy to meet with us and turn over the cache contents. We talk and agree to meet in the evening. We spent about an hour talking with her and getting the story about how she found it. It was along the trail near the river, about 2 miles downstream from where we placed it. It was spread out over the ground near what looked like a homeless camp. One of Crystal's pet peeves is trash along the trails so when she saw this, she was a little pissed at all the trash. So she collected it all up, and realized that it wasn't all trash and stuck it in her garage. A week or so latter she searched the web for Geocaching and found the GeocachingWorldWide site. Thus, taking us back to the beginning of this story. Piecing it all together, we come up with this: Sometime between 9/20/01 and 9/29/01 a homeless person finds the cache and takes it. During the next couple of months they carry it around, adding other treasures to it. Just before Crystal found it, someone (0r thing) empties the container near the trail. Maybe it was laid out to dry, since everything was wet. What did we recover? The cache container, a large amount of the cache contents and some other assorted junk, and --- the cache logbook! What are we going to do? Some of the contents will be placed in the exiting Folsom Prison Breakout Blues cache. The other items will be placed in other caches in the area (maybe with a note attached pointing back to the archived cache). The logbook will be scanned and put on-line. One last note, the logbook had an entry made on November 18th, over a month and a half after it went missing, by someone who had accidentally found the cache! The caches mentioned in this story are: Folsom Prision Blues cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?id=5012 Folsom Prison Breakout Blues cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=9191 Bob & Genny

Reading about the soda can stove and how light and minimalist it is got me to thinking about the heaviest stove I've ever had the pleasure of seeing used. A friend and I were on a canoe trip and had a propane stove that we used. My friend decided on one particular night that he wanted to cook without using the stove. We were in the vicinity of a large number of rocks, so he goes searching and returns with a flat stone roughly two feet long, one foot wide, and about two inches thick. He planned to use it as a skillet. As he was going to cook *my* dinner as well as his own, I didn't want him messing around with some crazy untried technique. I wanted to eat. I tried to talk him out of his idea, but he insisted. First, we built a large fire, letting a generous gathering of embers pile up, then we moved all the large wood away from the fire (very exciting disassembling a burning fire) and set the rock down on the embers. I tried to tell him that the rock was too thick. The heat would not penetrate it. I was right. After ten minutes, we could still place our hands on the top of the rock. He had a better idea... support the rock on three sides, and build a fire under it. This way, fuel could be added at will. We did this. I gathered a small pile of medium sized wood, and he supported his rock about six inches about the ground, then we got a fire going underneath the thing. I was getting impatient watching this whole ordeal. I was about to break out the propane stove on my own and cook dinner. He poured a small amount of oil on the rock, and then took a slice of SPAM and slapped it on the grill. I rolled my eyes at the spectacle. Then, to my great surprise, it sizzled. We ate fried SPAM sandwiches that night. For an after-dinner snack, he whipped up some cornbread mix and made cornbread pancakes on the rock. The next day as we were packing up camp, he wanted to bring this 40 pound grill with us! I thought he was nuts. Fortunately, I was able to convince him not to stow this rock in our canoe, but I'll never forget the sight of him frying up our dinner on the rock. I have pictures to look at and laugh. On the other hand, I think we really overpacked for that particular trip. I like the idea of the soda can stove. Any way to transport that thing without damaging it? Jamie

Check this one out... http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=12627 Talk about let your fingers do the walking

Sheesh, talk about missing out on a thread. ObCatchUp: I too have a four year old I'd like to include at cache meets. Not all cell phones get coverage in all locations. I'm pro-mingle and think that anything competitive should enhance this aspect of the gathering. I'm still waiting for UTM roamer to be explained, don't *make* me break out google Those tolerant teenage girls should be compensated for their time (at least a few bucks per kid) I'm also wondering about just how close to parking these things all need to be. This might exclude the younger cachers, but since we can quite literally pick any spot on the planet, it might be amusing to have a mile or more hike to the cachemeet site.

DisQuoi, your coordinate goes about 50 miles south of me. Granted, Oklahoma's not a foreign country althought we talk awful funny. I need to go that direction in one week. If you don't get a better offer, I'll send you a photo. The coordinate is along Lake Lawtonka at N34.77864 W98.50360. -E ------------------ N35°32.981 W98°34.631

quote:Originally posted by Morseman: I think I am, therefore I am, I think. touche. I think that all these talk about a 'force' only shows how much we love Star Wars. I'm guilty as well! ....therfore I am.

Greetings: I totally agree with the forester, dont go in the woods without a map and compass and know how to use them. I spend the summer as a volunteer with the USFS in the mountains of CO and use both a map (pre-set with UTM GRID lines)a compass and 2 GPS's. We are concerned that in the coming summer we will probably be involved with a search and rescue for some Cacher that got lost. I have 2 caches planted up in the hills and from what I've seen the searchers just go after the numbers, never even bother to look at a map. The comments that come back are very revealing of where they have been, they all talk about how steep the trail is the unseen switbacks etc. When I mail them a copy of the map (after their quest) they are amazed to find a FS road that takes them right to the Cache. The other cache can only be solved if you use a map and compass and are able to figure out where you are. The attempts on this cache are rare, most go for the drive by and get out cache. A GPS when used with a map that has 500 meter UTM GRIDS is so helpful when you are in the boonies. Good hunting. ------------------ JoseCanUSea

That what I figured, that I would just not use the GMRS frequencies until I could get a license. I looked around at some GMRS web sites and it seems that the $75 license is for the entire family not per radio. If this is the case then it seems a bit more affordable. In any case the ability to transmite your position to the other radio will be really cool. Especially if you are traveling in multiple cars. Does anyone know if the radio is repeater ready. Some GMRS radio can talk to repeater towers to exstend the range even more, but is sound like your radio has to "know" how to do this. Later mcb

quote:Originally posted by SergZak: Well, seeing that the Platinum's only advantages over the Gold is the electronic compass and barometer, I think that arguing about the feel/durability/software/maps (and everything else under the sun besides those two differences) between two units is quite healthy. Both units have their advantages & disadvantages and there is absolutely no clear winner here. I just go by what I'm inclined to use most and my thoughts reflect that. Besides, what fun would this forum be if everyone agreed with each other??? And to make matters even worse, all this talk about meat has gone and made me hungry (again)... Except this thread is Vista vs. Platinum not Vista vs. Gold or Legend vs. Gold. My Vista's compass and altimeter work pretty good. Who can same the same about Platinum? How can you evaluate accuracy and reliability of compasses and altimeters between two competing products when you can only have one product. That's the point of my joke about the cheap cost of no meat! Now that you mention it, I'm hungry too. C'ya. Alan2

quote:Originally posted by SergZak: Well, seeing that the Platinum's only advantages over the Gold is the electronic compass and barometer, I think that arguing about the feel/durability/software/maps (and everything else under the sun besides those two differences) between two units is quite healthy. Both units have their advantages & disadvantages and there is absolutely no clear winner here. I just go by what I'm inclined to use most and my thoughts reflect that. Besides, what fun would this forum be if everyone agreed with each other??? And to make matters even worse, all this talk about meat has gone and made me hungry (again)... Except this thread is Vista vs. Platinum not Vista vs. Gold or Legend vs. Gold. My Vista's compass and altimeter work pretty good. Who can same the same about Platinum? How can you evaluate accuracy and reliability of compasses and altimeters between two competing products when you can only have one product. That's the point of my joke about the cheap cost of no meat! Now that you mention it, I'm hungry too. C'ya. Alan2

quote:Originally posted by Alan2:Arguing about the features and benefits between two competitor?s products when one hasn?t even been released reminds me about the old lady who went shopping for meat. Alan2 Well, seeing that the Platinum's only advantages over the Gold is the electronic compass and barometer, I think that arguing about the feel/durability/software/maps (and everything else under the sun besides those two differences) between two units is quite healthy. Both units have their advantages & disadvantages and there is absolutely no clear winner here. I just go by what I'm inclined to use most and my thoughts reflect that. Besides, what fun would this forum be if everyone agreed with each other??? And to make matters even worse, all this talk about meat has gone and made me hungry (again)...

quote:Originally posted by Alan2:Arguing about the features and benefits between two competitor?s products when one hasn?t even been released reminds me about the old lady who went shopping for meat. Alan2 Well, seeing that the Platinum's only advantages over the Gold is the electronic compass and barometer, I think that arguing about the feel/durability/software/maps (and everything else under the sun besides those two differences) between two units is quite healthy. Both units have their advantages & disadvantages and there is absolutely no clear winner here. I just go by what I'm inclined to use most and my thoughts reflect that. Besides, what fun would this forum be if everyone agreed with each other??? And to make matters even worse, all this talk about meat has gone and made me hungry (again)...

Hey all, I just started geocaching for the first time two weeks ago with my new Christmas toy, but have run into a problem downloading and uploading waypoints from my computer to my GPS unit (and vice versa). I don't know if anyone out there can help me with this (it is a fairly unique set up) but I'll give it a try. First, a list of my components: 1) Computer: Macintosh G4/512MB RAM/60GB Hard Drive (Note: Only USB available) 2) Operating Systems: OS 9.2/OS 10.1/Virtual PC 5.0 running Windows 98 3) GPS Unit: Garmin Venture with Serial Port cable 4) Connector: Keyspan Serial-to-USB converter cable 5) GPS Management Program: EasyGPS Now the problem. I've installed Virtual PC 5.0 running Windows 98 on my Mac and have successfully downloaded EasyGPS. At this point both products appear to be working well and as advertised. Next, I've locked in the Serial cable onto my Garmin and attached it to the Keyspan Serial-to-USB converter and plugged that into my computer. I've tried receiving waypoints from my Garmin using Easy GPS, but nothing is working. I'm not sure how to set up everything so that they talk to each other properly. The Keyspan is shown in Windows Device Manager to be on the COM3 port, but when I choose COM3 in EasyGPS's preferences I get a message that no connection can be found (and yes, the Garmin is on at the time). Virtual PC allows you to configure COM1 and COM2 ports, but I don't see a way to point either one to the Keyspan/Garmin (the only choice that shows up in the pull down menu is Internal Modem with a place to Check "Non-Modem Device"--I've tried this setting, but that hasn't worked either). Has anyone else out there run into this issue? Any suggestions on how to set everything correctly? I'm sure that I've seen references that this is all supposed to work, but I'm clueless at this point as to how. Thanks in advance for any help, darkbodhi

Hey all, I just started geocaching for the first time two weeks ago with my new Christmas toy, but have run into a problem downloading and uploading waypoints from my computer to my GPS unit (and vice versa). I don't know if anyone out there can help me with this (it is a fairly unique set up) but I'll give it a try. First, a list of my components: 1) Computer: Macintosh G4/512MB RAM/60GB Hard Drive (Note: Only USB available) 2) Operating Systems: OS 9.2/OS 10.1/Virtual PC 5.0 running Windows 98 3) GPS Unit: Garmin Venture with Serial Port cable 4) Connector: Keyspan Serial-to-USB converter cable 5) GPS Management Program: EasyGPS Now the problem. I've installed Virtual PC 5.0 running Windows 98 on my Mac and have successfully downloaded EasyGPS. At this point both products appear to be working well and as advertised. Next, I've locked in the Serial cable onto my Garmin and attached it to the Keyspan Serial-to-USB converter and plugged that into my computer. I've tried receiving waypoints from my Garmin using Easy GPS, but nothing is working. I'm not sure how to set up everything so that they talk to each other properly. The Keyspan is shown in Windows Device Manager to be on the COM3 port, but when I choose COM3 in EasyGPS's preferences I get a message that no connection can be found (and yes, the Garmin is on at the time). Virtual PC allows you to configure COM1 and COM2 ports, but I don't see a way to point either one to the Keyspan/Garmin (the only choice that shows up in the pull down menu is Internal Modem with a place to Check "Non-Modem Device"--I've tried this setting, but that hasn't worked either). Has anyone else out there run into this issue? Any suggestions on how to set everything correctly? I'm sure that I've seen references that this is all supposed to work, but I'm clueless at this point as to how. Thanks in advance for any help, darkbodhi

quote:Originally posted by HIltonfamily:So Mopar... If your biz is snow removal come and cache my way......And while you're here...... I wouldnt want to go NEAR your neck of the woods! I read in the paper here that there are complaints about price gouging up there after all the snow you had. The example they gave was someone charged a senior citizen 200 whole dollars to remove 7ft of snow from her driveway! Maybe rates are lower there because you get more of it, but if my own mother wanted 7ft out of her driveway here (30ft long) I wouldnt touch it for under $500! Anything over 9inches get billed at whatever the rate for 8inches was PLUS $125 per hour. You need a front end loader to move that kinda snow, not a plow. The driver alone gets $50-$75 per hr. Then often it has to be carted away cause theres no place to put it. That guy needs to get paid too. We wont even TALK about how expensive plowing insurance is. All that for $200? GEESH!

Hi Steak N Eggs..back when I as married, I always new where I was too, or it least if I didn't, my wife always told me where to go. Good to hear that you have her hooked too, but isn't there something in the law about possession being a large percentage of ownership? You have been using HER GPS for caching and using HER truck to get there, so doesn't that make it YOUR GPS and YOUR truck? Or is this why I'm not married anymore? Anyway, take care and talk to you later... ------------------ ------------------------- Huh, that?s funny, the sun is setting in the East tonight?.

Only half as many in 14 months. Kinda like my caching pace. I should reach 1000 posts sometime in 2003. Do you talk this much in RL too? [This message has been edited by makaio (edited 06 January 2002).]

Only half as many in 14 months. Kinda like my caching pace. I should reach 1000 posts sometime in 2003. Do you talk this much in RL too? [This message has been edited by makaio (edited 06 January 2002).]