Have I Been Scammed?

March 12, 2006

It is my understanding that the "G" numbers on this site are proprietary. I was not told that when I gave the money to the site for a Premier membership. I believe that I have been ripped off. I have a standard, $600 GPS, which is more than adequate for the game, and this really, really bothers me. :rolleyes:

2.6k · March 12, 2006

Okay! Good luck with that.

22k · March 12, 2006

Somebody help me out here. :rolleyes:

March 12, 2006

I assume that you mean that you have also been ripped off, and I can kiss the $$ good-bye. Shoulda figured :rolleyes:

2.6k · March 12, 2006

Well, no, speaking strictly for myself...it means I have no farging idea what you're talking about.

1.7k · March 12, 2006

Could you please be more specific. No one knows what you are talking about.

1.5k · March 12, 2006

It is my understanding that the "G" numbers on this site are proprietary. I was not told that when I gave the money to the site for a Premier membership. I believe that I have been ripped off. I have a standard, $600 GPS, which is more than adequate for the game, and this really, really bothers me.

Last time I checked all caches waypoints started with a G....

March 12, 2006

methinks he is confused about the coordinates given out, and he thinks that GC.com is giving him coords in a proprietary format....

....which they of course, are not....the files you can download here just may need to be 'massaged' a bit for your particular GPSr

do I have this right?

M

March 12, 2006

Well, there is another one.... farging - I have no idea what that means. I will check the Merriam-Webster site for that. On this site, I was talking about things like GCN2PX, GCQ7WB, GCP17W. My GPS takes N-W coords. It is does not understand GCN2PX, GCQ7WB, GCP17W, or anything of that realm. Is there a store here that will take more money for the trans?

March 12, 2006

i am fairly new at geocaching but i am not sure what you are questioning skye.the caches all have the g prefix which is used for tracking and the database gc.com maintains. this holds the coordinates, descriptions, logs, helps you track your finds, etc. what exactly is not working. the premium membership gives access to member only caches, making pocket queries and probably some things i don't know as yet.

March 12, 2006

Well, there is another one.... farging - I have no idea what that means. I will check the Merriam-Webster site for that. On this site, I was talking about things like GCN2PX, GCQ7WB, GCP17W. My GPS takes N-W coords. It is does not understand GCN2PX, GCQ7WB, GCP17W, or anything of that realm. Is there a store here that will take more money for the trans?

OHHHHHhhhhhh!

THOSE numbers

those numbers are simply database identifiers for waypoints....instead of calling a waypoint N12 12.345 W34 56.678 or "joe's stash" they give it that code....

check the glossary & the start here pages at GC.com

M

1.5k · March 12, 2006

you see those numbers on top of the cache page, those are your n/w numbers

March 12, 2006

Whoa, obviously I am not speaking in the correct language. Does anyone recognize 40 degrees 01.095N 104 degrees 59.914W? That is an NW coord.

March 12, 2006

Well, there is another one.... farging - I have no idea what that means. I will check the Merriam-Webster site for that. On this site, I was talking about things like GCN2PX, GCQ7WB, GCP17W. My GPS takes N-W coords. It is does not understand GCN2PX, GCQ7WB, GCP17W, or anything of that realm. Is there a store here that will take more money for the trans?

You need to adjust the input settings on your GPS it has nothing to do with the site...

Look in you manual about inputing coor. There are three different types yours seems to be set wrong

22k · March 12, 2006

The G is just the naming convention that gc.com uses.

You need to download caches either in the loc or gpx file format. (Pocket queries are best in the gpx format)

Do you have software to view caches and upload to your GPS? Like easygps or Gsak?

(If you married Navy you should know most F words :rolleyes: )

Edited March 12, 2006 by BlueDeuce

1.5k · March 12, 2006

Whoa, obviously I am not speaking in the correct language. Does anyone recognize 40 degrees 01.095N 104 degrees 59.914W? That is an NW coord.

N 40 01.095

W 104 59.914

Try that in your GPS

1.7k · March 12, 2006

If your talking about downloading coordinates to your GPS from the website your going to need something like easygps or some other shareware to convert the files you download from GC.com. Also you need to log in to the webiste to see the coordinates listed on the cache page.

March 12, 2006

Guess I shouldnt have bought the Magellan. It knows nothing about this methodology. I cruised the FAQ, and I don't see a possible solution to my problem. Sooo... what GPS device do you all use? We're having a garage sale, soon, guess the eXS will find a home. I would really like to participate in this site, but I do not seem to be equipped to do so. I would still like a refund ;-)

2.6k · March 12, 2006

Guess I shouldnt have bought the Magellan. It knows nothing about this methodology. I cruised the FAQ, and I don't see a possible solution to my problem. Sooo... what GPS device do you all use? We're having a garage sale, soon, guess the eXS will find a home. I would really like to participate in this site, but I do not seem to be equipped to do so. I would still like a refund ;-)

Your equipment is fine. Do you have a cable to connect to your computer? One can either download waypoints (via a cable) or input them by hand. There are many people here willing to help you, but we have to take it in little steps and work out what you have and what you need.

March 12, 2006

I understand that. I bought the premium membership. I do log in, and I am logged in even as I type. Is there something else that I need to do? Secret handshake, maybe????? :rolleyes:

March 12, 2006

I think i get it...

When you open a cache page...say L'Enfer de Dante #1

-L'Enfer de Dante #1 is the name i gave to my cache.

-GCRT19 is a code given to the cache by geocaching.com because some GPS units cant memorize more than 6 characters to identify a waypoint.

-N 46° 48.703 W 071° 19.213 is the coordinates to my cache in a certain format...

I hope this helps

Evil Homer

22k · March 12, 2006

I think you're doing just fine too, we just have to take this at a step at a time. When and where is that garage sale for your GPS? :rolleyes:

March 12, 2006

I think i get it...

When you open a cache page...say L'Enfer de Dante #1

-L'Enfer de Dante #1 is the name i gave to my cache.

-GCRT19 is a code given to the cache by geocaching.com because some GPS units cant memorize more than 6 characters to identify a waypoint.

-N 46° 48.703 W 071° 19.213 is the coordinates to my cache in a certain format...

I hope this helps

Evil Homer

Exactally. The coordinates (N 46° 48.703 W 071° 19.213) lead you to the cache, while the waypoint (GCRT19) simply is a way to identify the cache (L'Enfer de Dante #1).

1.7k · March 12, 2006

i am fairly new at geocaching but i am not sure what you are questioning skye.the caches all have the g prefix which is used for tracking and the database gc.com maintains. this holds the coordinates, descriptions, logs, helps you track your finds, etc. what exactly is not working. the premium membership gives access to member only caches, making pocket queries and probably some things i don't know as yet.

OK, I will soon be 81 and have over 1000 finds. Always glad to help you younger cachers out. When you look at the cache page of a cache you want to find The name of the cache is at the Top. Right now I am looking at one called "The Zone" about 5 lines below that is what your GPS is looking for: it looks like the N 47°31.147

W 122° 37.988

That is what you should be putting in your GPS. On this particular page about 8 lines below that is the Waypoint name that is issued by Geocaching.com GCTQ7E. That is a identifier

for this particular cache. The letters or numbers together mean nothing. In fact on this particular cache if you click on the (what's this?] following the GCTQ7E it will explain it to you.

No you are not being ripped off. Now read your manual, load some caches in your GPS and get out there and have some fun. BTW, I am a WWII Navy Vet. Never killed anyone but bored a lot of people to death. Dick, W7WT

March 12, 2006

Yes, I can download. That is not a problem. The problem is the "G" 6-digit code. That seems to be something above and beyond the N-W coord's, a benefit, if you will. BTW - this was our first day of trying the sport. We are 0 for 3, even though our device said we were on top of every target. Therefore, we are guessing that the G numbers are needed, and we simply do not know what "add-on" is needed to utilize them.

March 12, 2006

I download to a GPS315 and a Meridian Platinum, both made by Magellan. First I send the cache information to EasyGPS, then to the GPS units.

P.S. I'm not a premium member.

March 12, 2006

I understand that. I bought the premium membership. I do log in, and I am logged in even as I type. Is there something else that I need to do? Secret handshake, maybe?????

Two words.

Tinfoil hat.

2.6k · March 12, 2006

Yes, I can download. That is not a problem. The problem is the "G" 6-digit code. That seems to be something above and beyond the N-W coord's, a benefit, if you will. BTW - this was our first day of trying the sport. We are 0 for 3, even though our device said we were on top of every target. Therefore, we are guessing that the G numbers are needed, and we simply do not know what "add-on" is needed to utilize them.

The "GC" thing is just a "nickname" geocaching gives to a set of coordinates associated with a cache.

If you got as far as gettiing coords into your Magellan and being right on top of caches and still couldn't find them, you have a different set of problems. It might help if you gave us the name (or GC thingie) of one you looked for.

Baby steps. We'll get there.

1.5k · March 12, 2006

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh we are NOT getting into the secret society debate again...please...the llama sleeps tonight

March 12, 2006

Yes, I can download. That is not a problem. The problem is the "G" 6-digit code. That seems to be something above and beyond the N-W coord's, a benefit, if you will. BTW - this was our first day of trying the sport. We are 0 for 3, even though our device said we were on top of every target. Therefore, we are guessing that the G numbers are needed, and we simply do not know what "add-on" is needed to utilize them.

The waypoint ("G" 6-digit code) is just an identifier to you/your GPS of the cache so you don't have to use the full name. It's not necessary to finding the cache, but it can make things easier on you to help figure out which cache you're hunting.

March 12, 2006

Yes, I can download. That is not a problem. The problem is the "G" 6-digit code. That seems to be something above and beyond the N-W coord's, a benefit, if you will. BTW - this was our first day of trying the sport. We are 0 for 3, even though our device said we were on top of every target. Therefore, we are guessing that the G numbers are needed, and we simply do not know what "add-on" is needed to utilize them

It's just a different name for the cache...it doesn't interfere with the coordinates or anything else except for the cache name. Now for GPS accuracy...say i hide a cache, and my GPS accuracy is 6 meters,well that means that you have to search in a 6 meter radius of your ground zero on your GPS. Remember if your GPS accuracy is 6 meters also when you get to the location the area you must cover is greater. A lot of things affect GPS accuracy. And when you get close to a cache...say 5 to 10 meters, drop the GPS and use your eyes instead. With time you'll be able to spot the cache's location (or probable locations).

March 12, 2006

Don't worry about not finding all of them...some take more than one try.

22k · March 12, 2006

Yes, I can download. That is not a problem. The problem is the "G" 6-digit code. That seems to be something above and beyond the N-W coord's, a benefit, if you will. BTW - this was our first day of trying the sport. We are 0 for 3, even though our device said we were on top of every target. Therefore, we are guessing that the G numbers are needed, and we simply do not know what "add-on" is needed to utilize them.

Keep in mind that your GPS will not take you to the exact spot, there is still some level of accuracy to deal with. You could be off by twenty feet or more.

One way to test this is to make your own waypoint (by 'marking' it) walking away and having your gps Go To it. You'll find it doesn't hit ground zero, but will actually bounce around a bit.

Start with some easy caches that have been found recently and you'll start to see how your gps works.

March 12, 2006

Sorry to be so slow. I tried to do this, several times. My GPS doesn't have a large enough entry field to accomodate " L'Enfer de Dante #1". I'm starting to try some variations on abbreviating it, to see if it will take. If I get one to work, I will add the NW in a moment.

March 12, 2006

Use the G***** code... :rolleyes:

Instead of an abbreviation.

You can the go directly to the cache page using the search engine on geocaching.com's main page by typing it.

Edited March 12, 2006 by Evil Homer

March 12, 2006

Right :rolleyes: All the "G" numbers are are "abbreviations" for the caches. That's it. If it's confusing, you can just ignore them.

Edited March 12, 2006 by GeoLizz

2.6k · March 12, 2006

Sorry to be so slow. I tried to do this, several times. My GPS doesn't have a large enough entry field to accomodate " L'Enfer de Dante #1". I'm starting to try some variations on abbreviating it, to see if it will take. If I get one to work, I will add the NW in a moment.

Your GPS doesn't care what you call a location. You can call it "003" or "GC6ONY" or "Hello, Sailor." That isn't important data to your receiver. All it cares about is the lat and long. So don't get carried away with waypoint names.

So you got lat and long into the unit, right? How, by downloading, or by punching the numbers in by hand?

March 12, 2006

I give. :rolleyes: The first one to 1204 County Road 7 gets it. The tears are real.

March 12, 2006

My Garmin can't handle the long names, but can handle the GCxxxx codes. Hence all the geocaching waypoints are all listed with the GCxxxx as names as well as their real names.

I usually print out the sheets from this website that show the GCxxxx names as well as the real names and the Long/Lat. That way I can check some of the clues or even some of the recent posts too so as to have the maximum number of clues as well as having both the GCxxxx name and the real name.

Hence the GCxxxx is just a short code name for the waypoint that most GPS units can handle.

Hope this helps.

One last note is that I purchased a software to handle the waypoints more efficiently. I can download several 20 waypoints into a file, then copy several of the files into one by wiping, copy, and then pasting into the new file. Really helps.

If you have trouble with our explanations, keep asking questions. I do believe both your Megeallan and your premium membership should work, though I have a Garmin.

Good luck and keep asking.

Edited March 12, 2006 by Dakota Jim

2.6k · March 12, 2006

I give. The first one to 1204 County Road 7 gets it. The tears are real.

Give us the GCXXXX of a cache you looked for, we'll look at it and try to work out what went wrong. Tears optional.

March 12, 2006

Wait - you're giving away your GPS because of the waypoint names? Would you like us to try to explain it a little better? I'm sure there's nothing wrong with the GPS :rolleyes:

3.5k · March 12, 2006

I'm not sure if you'll find this helpful or not, but I've tried to cover all the bases with this article:

Your First Geocache Hunt.

Please let me know if there's anything I need to get more specific with in the article to help you out.

Bret

1.7k · March 12, 2006

Think of the GC ID code like the airport codes you see on your luggage tags. Instead of the tag saying "O'Hare International Airport," it will say ORD. People still call it "O'Hare," but for navigation, data, and other purposes it is ORD. Likewise, people will call a cache by its name, but for database purposes each cache has a GC ID code. This is necessary to make sure each cache can be identified in a unique way. We have to differentiate between the cache "A Walk in the Park" in one town and "A Walk in the Park" in another.

22k · March 12, 2006

I'm not sure if you'll find this helpful or not, but I've tried to cover all the bases with this article:

Your First Geocache Hunt.

Please let me know if there's anything I need to get more specific with in the article to help you out.

Bret

How could you not want to work with a guy that looked like that? hey? hey?

:rolleyes:

March 12, 2006

[N 40° 02.941 W 105° 02.720

UTM: 13T E 496133 N 4433198

W 1mi from your home coordinates.

or convert to NAD27 at Jeeep.com

45 minutes at that one.

N 40° 01.034 W 105° 02.456

UTM: 13T E 496506 N 4429670

S 2.5mi from your home coordinates.

or convert to NAD27 at Jeeep.com

30 minutes at that one

N 40° 00.546 W 105° 16.405

UTM: 13T E 476664 N 4428803

W 13.3mi from your home coordinates.

or convert to NAD27 at Jeeep.com

Literally hours on this one.

March 12, 2006

Traditional Cache

GCN2PX

Navigation

log your visit

watch listing

ignore listing

bookmark listing

2 user(s) watching this cache.

This is a Micro cache.

Attributes

bikes allowed picnic tables available takes less than 1 hour available in winter parking available available 24-7 dogs allowed

Inventory

There are no Travel Bugs in this cache.

See the history

What is a Travel Bug?

Traditional Cache Near the old Oak

by RockyCodeHead [profile]

N 39° 48.906 W 105° 06.888

UTM: 13S E 490174 N 4407241

WW 1024.4mi from your home coordinates.

or convert to NAD27 at Jeeep.com

Click icon to download:

Read about waypoint downloads

In Colorado, United States [view map]

Hidden: 3/12/2005

Use waypoint: GCN2PX (what's this?)

Make this page print-friendly (no logs)

Print PDF: No Logs 5 Logs 10 Logs

Please note: To use the services of geocaching.com, you must agree to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

(ratings out of 5 stars. 1 is easiest, 5 is hardest)

Difficulty: 2 out of 5 Terrain: 2.5 out of 5

Cache is located near __Oak__ park along Ralston creek. Nice trail, park and ball field nearby.

Cache is a small green container longer than a film canister but narrower. Contains a log and two stubby pencils. Enjoy the cache!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M

-------------------------

N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below,

and vice versa)

Jura gur obj oernxf gur trbpnpur jvyy snyy. Jngpu bhg sbe gur fyvccrel tenff jura jrg naq qba'g trg pbashfrq nobhg juvpu fvqr bs gur srapr gb fvg ba. (Decrypted Hints)

Find...

Hello everyone,

This gentlemen needs some help. Here is one of the gc#s that he listed earlier. It seems to be in the Denver Colorado area. So if there is someone close at hand give him a personal e-mail with contact info. Maybe you can get together and help this person get started with this terrific game of Geocaching.

For the OP don't get frustrated, contact one of the local cachers that hides caches in your area. Maybe they can help you out. Good luck with your new adventure.

Kayak-Cowboy

Pekin, IN.

March 12, 2006

You need to lower the expectations of the first hunt. Some of us, obviously, are lower than amoeba

March 12, 2006

My advice

Look up geo caching events in your area, there cache page usually also tells you it is the local park /Denny's or pizza joint. Then drive with your gps and meet some real lovely people who would be more tha happy to show you first hand. If that is not possible a local Cabelas or some parks are now offering GPS instructional courses. For me that was the only way I figured things out by being shown.

1.5k · March 12, 2006

I'm not sure if you'll find this helpful or not, but I've tried to cover all the bases with this article:

Your First Geocache Hunt.

Please let me know if there's anything I need to get more specific with in the article to help you out.

Bret

Um.... does that school discuss the format.... GSF84 or whatever it's supposed to be... and the DD°MM.MMM stuff? I think that's very confusing to a new cacher.... and to me too. Perhaps after I get more experience... :rolleyes:

3.5k · March 12, 2006

I'm coming into this discussion a little late, but I'm wondering if you've got the coordinate format changed from the default.

Your coordinates on the GPS should follow the same format as on the geocache pages.

On your GPS, go to the "Menu" page, click on "Preferences" and then "Coord System."

Your coords should be set for "Lat/Lon" and the format should be set for "DEG/MIN.MMM"

I'm not sure if this is part of your problem, but I wanted to make sure you hadn't accidentally changed the format.

Bret

Have I Been Scammed?

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