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I'm curious if there is somebody reading this thread who is able to evaluate how much money GS is "making" with the PMs. Just to be clear: This post is NOT to blame anybody, it's just to get an idea about what we really talk about. Let's try to get facts and figures instead of "thoughts" and "emotions". As an assumption I think it's not exagerated to estimate that about 33% of the cachers are PMs. Taking 25$ as a virtual amount every PM pays it should be possible to calculate the money GS earns (of course the calculation can also be done with 30$ if you want but 4x25=100 and that's easier to "compute"). Is there somebody, who's familiar with rented server farms and costs for traffic, who can evaluate what might be needed to cover a site hosting more than 2 millions (cache listing) entries? With this it should be possible to calculate the money to be payed for such a "ressource" on the market - assuming they are not hosting the servers themselves. The difference between the virtually calculated earned money and the virtually calculated payed money should give us an idea about the win situation based on PMs fees. I know that this can only be a virtual calculation as nobody knows the exact figures of members, the number of PMs and the money earned and payed by GS. But I'm wondering if we can get an "idea" of what we all talk about. Might it be 10.000$/a or 100.000$/a or 1.000.000$/a? By the way: Is the VAT, which is collected by a company in the US, payed to the related (EU-)countries where the money comes from? Or who does get the VAT which is mentioned here all the time? Isn't it, that you can get back the VAT payed in a foreign country when going back to your country? And a last question: Has anybody got an invoice from GS? Normally the different parts of the total amount should be listed in details on such an invoice, isn't it? At least it's this way in Germany if we pay in Euro. I've never seen an invoice in foreign currency to have an amount for the VAT on it. But I've not seen so many invoices of this type so far. And just to repeat it: This post is NOT to blame anybody, it's just to get an idea about what we really talk about. Let's try to get facts and figures instead of "thoughts" and "emotions".

The one that always springs to mind when I think of the most challenging caches I've done is Broken Silence (GC6MT5R). Getting to the vicinity of GZ is tough enough, with a hike of some 3km along an undulating ridge followed by a daunting descent to a lower ledge and from there along a few hundred more metres to where the point ended in a narrow neck with vertical sides dropping some 50 metres to the valley below and, at the end of the neck and separated by a small gap, a column of rock upon which sat the cache. My sense of balance is impaired by an inner ear condition, meaning I tend to fall over a lot, so I'm not good with heights if there's nothing to hold onto. After overcoming my terror, I crawled out along the neck, pausing half way along to settle my nerves and convince myself that it was going to be easier to keep going than turn around, finally finding a blessed foot-hold at the end which made crossing the leap of faith onto the column a little less frightening. Talk about pushing myself out of my comfort zone! That photo probably doesn't do it justice, so here's one looking back along the neck from GZ.

I am trying to Bluetooth Caches from Huawei to Garmin oregon 750 via share in Geooh GO. I get a meesage saying 'Bluetooth share: Sent files 0 successful, 1 failed'. Accoring to Garmin I should be able to send Geocaches from my phone to the 750, but I can't find a how to do it. Garmin talk of:- From the app drawer, select Share Wirelessly. Select an option: Select Send, and select a type of data. Select Receive to receive data from another device. The other compatible device must be attempting to send data. Follow the on-screen instructions. However I don't appear to have a 'Share Wirelessly' anywhere on the 750. I don't appear to have anything called 'app drawer' either. I am getting messages (emails), from my phone onto the 750 so the connection is OK. Any help would gbe greatly appreciated.

Most of the events I've attended have been short 30-60 minute "meet and greet" gatherings. Geocachers get together and hang out for a while, talking about geocaching, other hobbies, or whatever they want to talk about. The large multi-hour events are the exception. Large multi-day events, even more so.

All this talk about a lack of connectivity seems off the point to me. If you aren't connected at all, you aren't going to log the cache to begin with, so there's no reason for the CO to be waiting for you to provide the confirming information. And, on the other hand, if you do log, and then are disconnected for a week while you travel home, surely you're not going to be too upset about a CO being a little quick to delete your log, are you? Given he was concerned and raised some questions, it's not really his fault he didn't know you were traveling since the evidence -- your log -- supports the mistaken idea that you are available. I'd just shrug, send the requested information, and expect permission to relog. Why the angst?

Events are "a great way to" - not a requirement. I know plenty of well-intentioned events that do none of the above other than exist as a social "hello" or souvenir-grabber, etc. So, if you argue that 'vacation events' are effectively pulling the hobby down, then all those events are. It's making a mountain out of a molehill. The event was social. Geocachers can attend and be social, and talk about geocaching. That's all there is to it. Even if the CO only wants to do it to get another icon in another country. Everything is a slippery slope these days; all you have to do is present another example going in the wrong direction. Everything about geocaching can be argued as a slippery slope. Well that's really why we have guidelines - to encourage people to climb the hill, not toss things down it - even though there will always be rocks and pebbles tumbling down, gaining speed, and sometimes whacking people in the forehead. That in and of itself is not a bad thing. But how people act and interact while doing that could be. As long as those people's actions don't affect me (or the immediate community, ie log history) then if it's following the rules, I say it's okay. Is it positive and improving the state of the game? Likely not. But is it worth my time getting worked up about it being a 'bare minimum'? Not really. Especially if me getting worked up gets other people worked up. If the LB didn't have a stamp (which it's required to have), I'd probably NM it, or at worst report it. I wouldn't complain that it's bare minimum if it only had a tiny stamp (I've found plenty of micro LBs with a mini-stamp and nano log - is that wrong?). And we're not in the business of rating 'quality' on the scale of what is allowed. Rather, more effective would be to place a new Letterbox that really encourages or demonstrates what a LB cache can be. If an event was published by a vacationer, excellent! Now if the host didn't show up (especially if others did), then I would absolutely take issue. There are far too many unknown factors to claim the slippery slope "vacation events lead to ruining geocaching". "When the primary intent is for numbers-style play, it can have a negative effect on the pastime overall." Yep, any habit in this hobby taken to the extreme can 'ruin geocaching'.

I think you'll find this forum extremely quiet too, sadly FaceBook is where all the action is these days, particularly for the social side. Alternatively go to, or organise your own, event in your area and talk to some people face to face.

Definitely, it can change this date. It might be that at the site you collect data and at home you evaluate them and draw conclusions and the lesson draws on the results. Learning is not more than reading a text or listing to a talk. dprovan: "When was that lecture on metamorphic rock?" cezanne: "It was today, April 21st, since that's when I finally figured out what he was saying. But the talk was last week." Ridiculous. That's exactly the question: Which lesson is one reporting on? You're writing a find log on an EarthCache. What possible question can there be about which lesson you're reporting on? That's your choice. Well, of course it's my choice. I suppose that's what I'm completely missing: I would say it's the day I visited the cache, not the day I visited that location before there was a cache. I think dating challenge caches on the day the log was signed is probably the right answer, but I can't bring myself to go that far. Fortunately, I think there's only one challenge cache that I found before I qualified, so the number of discrepancies in my record is small. I can't imagine anyone claiming all the learning happens at the EarthCache GZ. (I'd be a little more uneasy about saying the learning isn't supposed to happen at the site, since it kinda defeats the idea of an EarthCache for the learning to happen elsewhere, but let's leave that aside.) My entire point is that the date the learning happened makes no sense to me in dating the found log. I'm not making a fuss, I'm just discussing what makes sense and why. It makes no difference to me how people actually date their logs.

I'm always on the lookout for interested parties to partner for an ISS waymark. I thought a mention in the NW states forum might help spread the word to anyone in this area who might be interested. It's easy! In a nutshell, partners must be minimum flight time of 1 minute away (approximately 300 miles), both be able to watch the same pass at a minimum altitude of 45°. You can see the ISS with the naked eye. It makes one pass around the earth approximately every 90 minutes. I am in Oklahoma, and I have a pass that is also seen from the Seattle area, July 18, 3:30 a.m., and again on July 19, 2:30 a.m. I don't know specifics of altitude until I know my partner's location. Creating the waymark can appear daunting, but it's easy and help is available. After this week, it may be a couple of months till another opportunity arises for a partnership between Oklahoma and the NW. Right now, Lynwood, WA looks very good, but I'm happy to check other locations. If you know of anyone interested, I'd love to talk to them.

I have one out at the base of my driveway. It got a few finds within the first couple of weeks. I recognized some of the names from logs on caches I had found in this area--you know, it's a big community where we all recognize each other's names even if we never meet! Well, I started working for a murder mystery theater company about six months after I placed my cache. I met an actor who mentioned that he liked to geocache. Yay, someone to talk to about it! We both are in the St. Louis area right now, but he was recently from Vegas, while I used to live in southern Utah and would to go Vegas frequently to visit a boyfriend there (and still go out to visit, including a few months prior). I thought it was cool that he was from Vegas, and asked what his user name was. It sounded really familiar to me. I realized that I had seen it on one of the caches that I had found in Vegas that year. But then it hit me--he was one of the first to log the cache in my yard! I told him about it, he remembered the cache, and we talked about how my son and his friend gave him hints to find it, and he told me the swag he had taken from it! It was so cool finding a fellow cacher who I essentially know from three different circumstances--Seeing his user name in Vegas, having had him find the cache in my yard in Illinois, and working in the theater with him!

Why are you asking us? Talk to them.

Well, you asked... Guess (if true) multiple sigs and taking up the whole strip might be leading to destroying or damaging, though I feel "vandalizing" is reaching... Are they "taking the whole strip page" on both sides ? Sounds (to me) someone took a request of writing in the log sequentially as a bit much. IIRC, you're also the person who said in a thread that you'd delete logs if folks logged found after you disabled a cache. We have seen similar behavior when people get a little too anal about a hobby, and maybe the locals are attempting to show how silly that is. Sure, they may be a jerk. Consider the source, talk about 'em here, and then forgetaboutit. Have you had caches taken/stolen yet ? If this bugs the heck outta you, this might be a good time to have a sponsor.

+1. I don't need "direction to a cache" occupying a data field, but if I did, I'd select "Bearing". That's the direction from North where the cache is, and is displayed as a line in Map and a pointer in Compass. To Course could be a problem, because it directs you where the course is (for example, that line I mentioned), which is not necessarily the cache. The OP doesn't seem to be so much about the "compass pointing North", more about navigation tool selections. I'm guessing the compass is right, and the other settings are showing various things on individual devices. Still, the compass and GPS tools are subject to a lot of real-world effects. They won't be perfect at all times. If you're using "the Geocaching Dashboard" on any GPS, watch out. You may be directed to "the nearest cache" even if you select a waypoint unrelated to a cache, which would be confusing if comparing GPS pointers. AND since each device may be loaded with different sets of caches, the nearest one can be different on each GPS. In any case, be sure all devices you compare are calibrated and have found their current GPS location, and all are actively "navigating" to the same point. Otherwise, you may be seeing an effect of the Geocaching Dashboard. I'm not trying to talk you out of The Geocaching Dashboard, because it's cool and all. I used it on the main screen on my Oregon 650. But I don't want it when doing the actual Geocaching. It's confusing enough already.

We have a challenge in Ontario for finding 10 Earthcaches requiring the boat attribute. Maybe you should go find them all That question was answered (can't remember if an FAQ or the Geocache Talk episode with Bryan Roth) that all clues would be in the same listings for everyone. Bookmark the homepage for the promotion. The promotion does not require you to be using the latest version of the dashboard. (that we know of thus far)

Hi, and welcome to geocaching! I hope you and your daughter enjoy it! If you are using only the geocaching app on your phone, your experience as a basic member will be limited to traditional caches rated 2 or lower for difficulty and terrain - a good place to start, but you might not see many caches to find around you. The website will show you all the caches except for those that owners have marked as Premium only, and you can manually enter those coordinates, and still log those finds on the website. The website has some starter videos and a LOT of information on how to do various tasks. Spend some time there! Take one/leave one refers to SWAG left by geocachers - the general rule is to trade even or up, but don't be surprised to find, literally, junk, in a lot of caches. We try to clean out the garbage and leave trinkets and signature stuff. I leave wine corks, kids leave bouncy balls, little charms, etc. NO food, gum, toothpaste (yes, I did find a tube of toothpaste in a cache!), perishable items. Take one/leave one doesn't apply to trackables (a whole 'nuther side game that can be a lot of fun, and you don't have to be a premium member to do that either) Premium allows you to see ALL caches available, and for the app that means many more icons on the map for you to choose from! I waited a few months after joining to upgrade to premium; my husband had a premium membership and I just cached with him and logged caches via other methods if we found any that were premium. Find a local group (look for events to attend) and ask questions - most are happy to share tips and insights, and someone local can guide you and show you local customs and what types of cache hides are more common in your neck of the woods. Events are just gatherings of geocachers, usually at a restaurant or park, to talk and share experiences. It's a great way to meet other geocachers learn from more experienced folks!!

The "commercial business" guideline is a sticking point. But another of the problems of a “business” is that they change owners, and the new owner doesn't know what “Geocaching” is, or at least they know it's weird. And the new owner certainly doesn't want families to be drawn there from all over. This is a convenience store! A bunch of local cool old grandfathered caches have gone away when a new owner bought the property. Unless it's a mom & pop store from way back, you may not even find an “owner” to talk about it.

I know of two indoor caches, one in the visitors center of a National Park. You need to talk to the ranger to obtain the cache. The other (GC4RHPA) is in a convenience store (not in the office as stated earlier,) , kept beneath the counter, also need to see the worker to obtain it. Maybe the second one is not allowed.

First time posting, so I am not sure if I am in the right place. I would like to create a "bird box" style puzzle cache. It will be placed on my property on a part that is publicly accessible, so no issues there. However, the theme is where I have questions on. I want to theme the cache after the Civil Air Patrol and their contributions to the local community. Not as a recruiting tool, no information on the current squadron will be included. Cachers will have to solve three puzzles themed after the three missions of the Civil Air Patrol. Who do I talk to for approval? Thanks.

Agree with the three headed dog on this one. Also would add to avoid a call to action. OK to talk factually about CAP; not OK to ask finders to do anything other than find a cache, such as "Take a moment to think about..." If your reviewer has issues, they will let you know. Please give them the benefit of a doubt if they ask you to scale back your description, reviewers are responsible for implementing the guidelines, which prohibit any agenda. I like CAP - I was at Maxwell AFB for three years and am familiar with their mission - but we stay away from agendas here.

The events themselves didn't directly encourage people to place cache listings for the event. They were themed events that were to encourage creation of better geocaches and ideas. People can still host events just like that today if they wish - they just can't directly promote creating geocache listings (publish one cache to gain entry, eg). Those event caches were indeed judged to a degree by a reviewer and hq to become an 'approved' event for the promo period. (not that there were any strict requirements other than the event date - plenty were just "come have a coffee and talk about geocaches" flash mobs) In a sense the promo did encourage the 'hosting of lame events' just for a souvenir; but lame events aren't like 'lame geocaches' anyway. Don't attend them, they go away The key distinction is between how to make better caches vs encouragement to create geocache listings. The former is acceptable, the latter isn't.

Ah, appeal to authority! In theory, the clue types themselves could be connected to a cache property; maybe even the jewels (by colour?). Who know. Bryan Roth was on Geocache Talk on Sunday discussing the promo. I don't recall any clarification to the clue placement algorithm though. (I was partly distracted by paddling in a kayak at the time, heh)

Since you mention freezing, IF you have a tick that has latched on, I always put it in a baggie and freeze it. If you have any signs of anything of disease, the tick can be tested. At least, that is what I heard. I did this religiously when I found one latched onto my kids when they were little. I overheard one of their friends ask my son what that was (when they were snooping in the fridge/freezer). My son said, "Oh, that's our tick.". ha ha. Gotta give the neighbors something to talk about, I guess.

Because jellis is using a small stamp, and he (the CO) hasn't said anything about size being the problem, I think his reasoning against the use of stamps is that people are using the 'divide-and-conquer' group caching style of play in his area. It's done to get more smiley points. A stamp with the groups name is made and each member carries a group stamp. The group's ethos is that at least one person did get to ground zero and found the cache (or in some cases depending on the ethos of the group, at least one person got to ground zero and left a throwdown with the group's name). Sometimes this behavior is assumed by the CO when the group find a huge number of caches in a day and all log generic logs not mentioning a visit to each of the caches. Sometimes the CO hears about the groups practices through the grapevine from other sites like Facebook, or perhaps talk that goes around at events. The CO cannot do anything about this practice. They must allow it. They can not insist that finders write their individual trailnames as more concrete proof that they actually visited the cache.

I have an idea for an earthcache based on one I found in another state, but which can easily be replicated in my home state. I have a location and some general information, but I'd like to discuss my topic with someone who is knowledgeable about earthcaches before I go through the process of writing it up and submitting it, in the hopes that I can do it right the first time. Are there any earthcache 'mentors' out there who are willing to talk about submission guidelines and offer pointers on what makes a good earthcache? I know that there are websites and some FAQ pages available, but I work better with discussion and feedback.

That's true. I can't promote directly. But if all fails just let me know and I will talk with Groundspeak to get the new officer promoted.