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Have I Been Scammed?


BattlewoodSkye

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I'm not from Colorado, nor do I download waypoints (I'm a simplistic kinda gal), so I don't quite know how to answer this question. But to help others figure out which caches Skye tried, I plugged them into Google Earth to match them up to cache pages.

 

"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."

 

This one is here

 

"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"

 

This one is here

 

"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."

 

And this one is here.

 

Looks like a wide range of difficulties, from a 1/1 to a 4/3.

 

Sorry I didn't use the "real" quote thingy, but I think you can tell which are things Skye said and which are things I've said.

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If you are hitting up a 4/3 to start with no wonder your beating yourself over the head with your GPS. To point out something that was said earlier, the best way to really get some good hands on help is try to find an event near by and attend. I know all this can be really confusing, but once things start flowing I promise everything will get better, just gotta get over the rocky parts in the beginning. You are not alone, so do not feel bad

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From the coordinates you gave in your post it looks like you looked for down by the creek. That is a small cache with a bit higher difficulty that others have not found before, but the logs indicate is there. The hint says something about a tree.

 

Then you looked for Vista Cache. The logs make it look like it should have been easy to find. Perhaps it has now gone missing, or you just missed it.

 

Then there was Colorado-1 This is a complicated and high difficulty multi-cache that requires reading and using the cache page as you solve it. Looks to me like it could take some time to complete.

 

Now, my question is: Looking at the maps on the pages were you in the areas where the caches were supposed to be? Click the mapquest link and zoom all the way in and see. If so, you got them in the GPS right. If not, then you might have something set wrong in the GPS. Your GPS is fine and can handle this. It is just the learning curve of how to use it. If you look at the map and see that you were in the wrong place then post what you put in the GPS and how you did it. Then people can help you figure out the problem.

 

If you were in the right areas, then 2 of the caches you chose to seek can be harder to find. In fact that multi-cache looks really hard. The other, who knows? If you were in the right areas, then I say look for some caches that are rated 1/1 or 1.5/1.5 difficulty on the site. Also look for logs that say "quick find" etc. Starting with easy caches is often best. If posible, try for an easy rated one that is also a normal or regular size container. Those are easier to find. Also, how did you use the GPS to seek the cache? Did you use the arrow screen when you were close to the cache? That is easiest.

 

Another thing to do is try contacting a local group and see if someone will go out caching with you and get you started. Here is the link for your area group. You could also post in the regional forum here asking if someone would meet up with you for caching. Often times figuring out problems is hard in writing, but easy in person. Usually there are local people happy to help!

 

Oh, and here is an upcoming event in your area where you could meet people and ask for help.

 

Best of luck to you! :rolleyes:

Edited by carleenp
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From the coordinates you gave in your post it looks like you looked for down by the creek. That is a small cache with a bit higher difficulty that others have not found before, but the logs indicate is there. The hint says something about a tree.

 

Then you looked for Vista Cache. The logs make it look like it should have been easy to find. Perhaps it has now gone missing, or you just missed it.

 

Then there was Colorado-1 This is a complicated and high difficulty multi-cache that requires reading and using the cache page as you solve it. Looks to me like it could take some time to complete.

 

Now, my question is: Looking at the maps on the pages were you in the areas where the caches were supposed to be? Click the mapquest link and zoom all the way in and see. If so, you got them in the GPS right. If not, then you might have something set wrong in the GPS. Your GPS is fine and can handle this. It is just the learning curve of how to use it. If you look at the map and see that you were in the wrong place then post what you put in the GPS and how you did it. Then people can help you figure out the problem.

 

If you were in the right areas, then 2 of the caches you chose to seek can be harder to find. In fact that multi-cache looks really hard. The other, who knows? If you were in the right areas, then I say look for some caches that are rated 1/1 or 1.5/1.5 difficulty on the site. Also look for logs that say "quick find" etc. Starting with easy caches is often best. If posible, try for an easy rated one that is also a normal or regular size container. Those are easier to find. Also, how did you use the GPS to seek the cache? Did you use the arrow screen when you were close to the cache? That is easiest.

 

Another thing to do is try contacting a local group and see if someone will go out caching with you and get you started. Here is the link for your area group. You could also post in the regional forum here asking if someone would meet up with you for caching. Often times figuring out problems is hard in writing, but easy in person. Usually there are local people happy to help!

 

Oh, and here is an upcoming event in your area where you could meet people and ask for help.

 

Best of luck to you! :huh:

 

In other words....what she just said :rolleyes:

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O.K. I am going to pipe in here for a second. I have read all the posts and it seems that the original poster (sorry don't remember the name) might think that the GC number given to a cache should automatically tell the GPS what the coords are and that having to input the coords in himself or d/l them isn't needed. That's what I am getting from this. But I could be wrong.

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O.K. I am going to pipe in here for a second. I have read all the posts and it seems that the original poster (sorry don't remember the name) might think that the GC number given to a cache should automatically tell the GPS what the coords are and that having to input the coords in himself or d/l them isn't needed. That's what I am getting from this. But I could be wrong.

 

I think you're right...and believe it or not, that's a pretty common misunderstanding.

 

So common, in fact, that it's what I believed when I first started reading about geocaching. :rolleyes:

 

Bret

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I got the impression though that the OP did get coordinates in too but thought the GC number should add something?

 

Anyway, that goes to my question: What did you enter in the GPS, how did you do you so, and did you end up in the areas shown on the maps on the cache pages?

 

That info will help us figure things out more.

 

Edit: Bret: When I started, I wondered the same thing. Plus my old Magellin 315 had a cruddy manual. Took me hours to figure out exactly what I was supposed to do!

Edited by carleenp
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I think you can tell by now that everyone wants to help.

I agree that local help would be the way for you to go, try the event cache.

What you haven't been told is that most of us have had troube finding our first caches.

I did not find my first four, then still missed finding them frequently. Heck, I still miss the occassionaly 1 star cache, it happens. Don't give up. after you get your first couple of finds you will be hooked.

Good Luck.

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I'm new here but I think I can help.

 

If you know roughly where the cache is, you can feel free to skip the next 2 paragraphs.

 

I highly reccomend that you download the free version of Google Earth which can be found at http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html

 

Open Google Earth once you download it, then minimize it. Open your web browser (Internet Explorer for example) and go to the page for the cache you are seeking. Highlight the NW coordinates which would look something like this N 40° 02.941 W 105° 02.720 click the right mouse button and select copy. Click the tab at the bottom of your taskbar that says Google Earth, put your cursor in the search field near the upper left corner. Right click the mose and select paste, then hit the go button. This gives you a rough idea of where the cache is from the air. If you zoom in and know where that location is, drive there and park wherever would be appropriate.

 

Once you are near the cache go to a relatively open space with little or no tree cover, turn on your GPS and let it acclimate for a few minutes. It should tell you when it's ready to navigate. Look at the last 5 digits of the N coordinates (02.941 in the above example). If you are at say, 02.800 and you walk north, do the numbers start getting closer to the goal? If so, continue north. Same thing goes with the W coordinate.

 

Once you are within maybe .01 or .005 of the target, start looking for a place that one might hide something. The base of a large tree, under a prominent rock, or in a large hole might be good places to look. Look for things that look out of place as well. By this point you should be close enough that you do not need your GPS anymore, so just use your eyes.

 

Try clicking on hide/seek a cache in the geocaching.com menu on the left. In the waypoint field input GCN1Q9 this is a shortened nickname for what seems to be a fairly easy cache. It has a 1/1 difficulty terrain ratio, is medium sized, and has been found recently. Try that one. I think you'll have more success.

 

I hope I don't seem condescending, I have no idea what level of technical abilities you have. I still have much to learn as well.

 

Good luck!

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I think you said you had an Magellan explorist,if so turn it on and lets run a check to see if you have it set correctly.

hit the menu button scroll down to preferences click preferences,

scroll down to map units click on it

scroll down to cord system click on it

click on lat lon

click on DEG/MIN/mmm

then click on the escape button then again then look at your map datum it should read WGS84

 

you will now have your unit set properly, if you have let it acquire itself.If it hasn't acquired itself turn it on and take it outside and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes in an open area where it has a clear shot at the sky.

 

Try looking for some 1 terr. 1 diff. caches to start with. Your unit will not normally lead you right to the cache, usually anywhere from a few feet out to 30 or 40 feet sometimes further. micro caches are usually harder to find at first, try for regular sized caches at first and when you get close look for things that just aren't quite right,a pile of twigs, a pile of rocks, maybe a knothole in a tree.One other thing if you don't see it down low look high sometimes they will be suspended by fishing line or line. I hope this helps

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BattlewoodSkye - Welcome to geocaching, I admire your willingness to hang in there and try to get everything resolved. I hope you won't give up, and will get to use your new GPSr to play!!! Hang in there, things will get straightened out soon. This really is a fun way to get out and enjoy life outdoors.

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Welcome to geocaching! We are so glad that you decided to ask a few questions, instead of just giving up and walking away without having any fun.

 

First, your GPS is fine for what you want to do. It may need to be reset for the right datum. Once you have made sure that your GPS is set to the right datum why not try these caches, which are near where you were looking for other caches. (I don't live nearby, I just looked at the cache pages near the ones you listed to see what looked very findable).

 

First try this one: GCCB51, known as "Lest We Forget" put out by Geogred. It is located at N 40° 00.011 W 105° 00.689. Looks like it is on W 168th Avenue, just a little west of Sheridan Parkway.

 

This one is a virtual cache, which is perfect, because you don't have to find a cache, you just have to find the historical marker. This will let you make sure that you have gotten the coords into your GPS correctly and give you practice using it to get to the right spot. To claim the cache as a find, all you have to do is answer the questions in an email to the cache owner.

 

Next, I would try GCJB9V, known as "Aquarius" by dhgps and located at N 39° 58.459 W 105° 06.867

 

This one has a container that isn't too small and it's been found recently. There isn't much in the way of hints or information about the hide, but common sense says that a rubbermaid container will probably be hidden in some bushes, or a tree stump, or a hollow log, or somthing like that. Use the gps to get "pretty close" to the cache, and then start looking around for a place that could hide a rubbermaid container.

 

Those two caches will let you test your GPS settings and practice using it. After you find them, you can read some more cache pages to find other caches that you think you will enjoy finding.

 

As you start looking for other caches, remember that the small ones can be very very small, are usually camouflaged, and are sometimes magnetic, so they are stuck to something metal. Larger containers are usually camouflaged, and often are hidden inside some natural hollow space, like a log. Stay away from caches that have lots of logs where people say they "looked for hours" or "had to come back several times" until you have a little practice at finding caches.

 

After you find the first few, it gets much easier quickly. Let us know when you find your first cache.

Edited by Team Neos
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Hi, Battlewood:

 

Even though you have had trouble getting your First Find, I hope the quality and helpfulness of the replies in this thread have impressed you with the hobby!

 

To amplify the comments about the coordinates used on the site, let me point out that there are three ways to express Latitude and Longitude:

 

Degrees, Minutes, Seconds

Degrees, Minutes (with Minutes expressed as a decimal number)

Degrees, (with Degrees expressed as a decimal number)

 

Thus, a set of coordinates can be expressed three different ways, but it still is the same spot on the planet. Each of these methods has a purpose, which is beyond the scope of this thread. Just understand that you must set your GPS preferences for "location" to match the coordinates expressed on this website. As has been pointed out, this will be Degrees with Decimal Minutes. On your unit's list of preferences, this is expressed as:

 

DDMMM.MMM

 

If you want to practice with your GPS, you can click on "nearest benchmarks" and find one nearby with ADJUSTED coordinates. Benchmarks generally are visible when you are within ten feet, so they make a great target while getting a feel for how your GPS reacts to movement, tree cover, nearby buildings, etc.

 

By the way, you can log your benchmark finds, just as with caches. In fact, many caches are near benchmarks, and some folks enjoy picking up multiple "finds" at a single location.

 

Most importantly, HANG IN THERE! The database and your GPS will work in unison, as attested to by the hundreds of thousands of "finds" every year. You are very close to a "breakthrough", and it will put you on the path to hours of enjoyment and meeting some great people!

 

Best regards,

-Paul-

Edited by PFF
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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.

If your Magellan is like mine, then the name of the waypoint can only be eight characters or less. The "GC" designation is a unique name for a geocaching wapoint, which you may use, or not as you find convenient. Every waypoint you enter must have a name. If you don't enter a name, the GPS will choose one like WPT001, WPT002, etc. These automatic waypoint names are not very useful, so you will probably want to enter a waypoint name that you choose.

 

The waypoint name for a cache called "Pirates Cove" could be GCABCD, or it could be PIRTCOVE, or something else that you choose. Note: your Magellan also has a Message field for each waypoint. This field is optional, and can hold more characters--the entire cache name, if you wish.

 

Here's the thing: the waypoint name must be unique among the waypoints entered in your GPS receiver. The optional message field, which is just for convenience, can contain any text that fits. Depending on what model you have, your Magellan may not have ennough memory to enter a message for each waypoint. My Magellan will hold 500 wapoints, but only 200 of them can have messages attached.

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Maybe, you need a little "one on one" with somebody who understands geocaching ... You obviously have a bit of a problem with what everybody is trying to help you with... Try making contact with a "local geocacher" and see if a couple of hours of personal "tutoring" may ease your pain...

 

Here is a graphic taken off an active Virtual Cache, Hope you can see relationship with cache information and how data in entered into GPS unit...

 

geocache2ht.jpg

 

Here is graphic on how data would appear in EasyGPS before or after upload/download to/from GPS unit once data is taken form GEOCACHING.COM web site in a .gpx or .loc file.

 

easygeo1xy.jpg

 

You have to enter at least "waypoint" and "coordinates" into GPS unit to find location of a cache. Also be sure coordinate "type" (l&l) in GPSr is same as website is presenting to you.

 

Dale

Edited by Dale_Lynn
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BattlewoodSky

 

IF this is genuine there are plenty of people to help you. And if not it is still good reading.

 

Forget the GC number, it is not a secret code, it is not the cords of the cache, it is not even needed to find the cache. In fact , it is pretty dumb.

 

GC numbers could have just as eazy been gc1 to gc50000 or how ever many caches there are now.

 

So forget the gc number.. if it ends up in your gps receiver when you download.. great.. it not forget it.

 

Download those cords whichever way is best for you. (one at a time if you wish) I would forget you are a premium member, click on two or three caches close to you on the web site. download them with "easy gps" and go find them.

 

After you get the hang of it.. you will love the advantages of Premium membership. No you did not get ripped off. You just don't need it for a while.

 

wingryder

Edited by wingryder
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Hi there:

 

I am in Fort Collins CO. I know many people in the area that would be willing to take you on a geocaching trip to get you started. Among them are myself, Tahosa, GPSaxophone, and dr123d even lives in that area I believe. Regardless, one of us would be glad to show you around the area.

 

Z

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skye. check to see if you have a local group of geocachers. you can search on your computer. when i started i joined a group and met a couple who have been my mentors. it was a great experience. then someone can help you in person to walk you through. if you want to tell us your town we can look for you..

i have a magellan meridian gold..i love it. it just takes a while to learn all the details of using it. i think you will find the geocaching community friendly and helpful.

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It sounds to me like Battlewood Skye expects his/her GPS to know about geocaching.

 

Even if some models "sort of" do this (but not very much), none of them know how to hold cache info, none of them see the letters "GC" and go "ooh, ohh, a geocache", etc.

 

All you need to set out for a cache is to be able to put the coordinates in - that's in the GPSr's manual - and to make sure that the Datum (look it up in the manual index) is set to "WGS84".

 

As other have then pointed out: be prepared to hunt around a little when you get there. 20 feet is the *minimum* diameter of the area you should expect to search, and that's in the middle of a clear parking lot on top of a mountain.

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We're in Colorado Springs, and very new to geocaching. I think one of the most important steps might be in selecting a cache with a nice easy rating on it. Also I would avoid micro caches for the time being. My family has found all of the ones we've looked for so far, with one exception. That was a nice mile and a quarter walk, but the GPS was pointing between a couple different forks of the trail. We picked the wrong one the first time, and it was too late in the evening to keep looking for it. We're determined to get it next time (when the weather is a bit warmer and I have less studying to do!).

 

I think our hunts were successful because I have made sure to select only those caches with container sizes of "small" or larger, and difficulty ratings of no more than 2 for hide, and 3 for terrain. The tutorial that CYBret linked was very helpful I thought, and went through the process of selecting a cache and hand entering the coordinates.

 

People would love to help you, and I think this is a very fun activity. Don't be discouraged - if you were looking for something rated a 4 difficulty I'd expect it to be *really* hard to find. Go for a normal sized container with an easier rating and I think you'll do fine. Good luck!

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Why don't you come to the next C.A.C.H.E. Meeting in Denver next Saturday? C.A.C.H.E. is the local geocaching group. There will be loads of people that can make sure your GPS is setup properly, and quite a few that would be willing to go with you on a cache hunt. Just in case your GPS isn't setup properly already, the address to the event location is right there on the page.

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[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

 

I am wondering if the confusion is coming from the UTM: 13T E 496133 N 4433198 line.

 

That is yet another coordinate system and is fully equivalent to the N 40° 02.941 W 105° 02.720 which is what you want to put into your GPSr. The "UTM" means Universal Transverse Mercator and the large numbers are how many meters East and North of a particular location called 13T.

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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.

 

All waypoints get names. That's for ease of use and storage.

 

If you use your GPS to mark the position of your car before a hike you might call that waypoint "CAR" The waypoint you created will have coordinates associated with it. You could just have easily called it "9876" or "GCXXXX"

 

All the G numbers are, are waypoint names. They seldom if anything have anything whatsoever to do with the cache and the coordinates. If you get the coordinates into your GPS you should be able to find the cache (though that in and of itself isn't so easy sometimes, especially for a newbie)

 

The reason waypoint names are handy is that they are easier to memorize than coordinates. "What are the coordinates for the Car" is easy. Picking out a set of coordinates from a list and knowing that one coordinate is for your Car without the Car waypoint name would be difficult. Some people change the name of the waypoint to something that makes more sence for them. "GC1234 would get changed to "SD" for Sunday Cache or whatever else makes sence to them.

 

The G code is nothing more than a unique waypoint name for each cache. Each Cache also has a name but that name may not be unique. Try "Sunday Walk" or "Geocache" in a search by name for a cache.

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OK - things to check...

  • On your GPS, check that the datum is WGS-84
  • On your GPS, check that the format is set to DD MM.MMM (and not DD.DDDDD or DD MM SS.S)
  • Check the cache page: is this cache a micro, difficulty rating hard?
  • Has the cache been found recently, or are some of the logs reporting it as missing?

OK - things to know...

  • The GC**** name is nothing more than a unique identifier for THIS site. It doesn't tie to coordinates or anything else. If you are entering the coordinates by hand, forget this number.
  • The NAME of the cache has NOTHING to do with the location, other than sometimes providing some hint. You could call the cache "NXTFND" if you wanted, as long as the coordinates are correct. For the first year, the next cache I wanted to find was always named "001" in my GPS. I just changed the coordinates and clicked GOTO.
  • GPS units have a margin of error - somewhere around 30 feet. You could be standing at the point where your GPS says "0.00 feet to go" and the cache is 30 feet away.
  • That 30 feet of error could also be in play for the HIDER, so the cache could be 60 feet away.

My suggestion:

After checking your GPS's format and Datum, and after getting to know how to enter in a set of coordinates and hit "go to", choose an easy cache for your first.

 

Based on the one above, it looks like there's a regular-sized cache listed in easy terrain and difficulty only about 2 miles from that cache.

 

GCN1Q9 is the waypoint code, but again ignore that.

Glows in the Dark is the name, but you can call it GLW or 001 in your GPS.

Here's the webpage, and the coordinates are N 39° 47.434 W 105° 06.057

The cache has been around for just over a year.

Every log on the cache is a "found" or a note, no "did not find" logs.

Click Here to see a map of the area.

 

If your GPS is pointing you somewhere else other than north of that lake, you are still not quite figuring something out.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited by Markwell
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Here's something to think about:

 

Typing in www.geocaching.com is easier to remember than 66.150.167.148 or 66.150.167.149

 

GCX123 is easier to remember than the actual coords

 

Both are tools that help you get to somewhere quickly.

 

Or this

Think of GCXXXX as names in an address book. The coords are the street address.

 

You would look up a friend by using his name in this case the GCXXXX not by his street address (coords in this case)

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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. :P

 

Umm, what do you mean by 'G'. It might help us to understand what you are talking about when you say 'ripped off'.

 

You can go hide and find a cache for free. You 'choose' to be a premium member for other features. If you feel ripped off, you never read over the site.

 

maybe email Groundspeak and expain your mistake.

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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. :P

 

Umm, what do you mean by 'G'. It might help us to understand what you are talking about when you say 'ripped off'.

 

The "G" numbers are referring to the waypoint names. (GC****)

Edited by GeoLizz
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the OP has stopped posting?

 

Ditto for BlueDeuce's comment. I exchanged E-mail with OP, who is very encouraged and who appreciates all the great suggestions--without flames.

 

A Gold Star to everyone for patience and for willingness to help a "newbie". Great job, Folks!

 

-Paul-

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Ditto for BlueDeuce's comment. I exchanged E-mail with OP, who is very encouraged and who appreciates all the great suggestions--without flames.

 

 

cool...I was afraid she gave up

 

don't forget geocachingU http://www.geocacher-u.com/ a GREAT site with simple explainations using small words that I found most helpful when thinking of finding a new obsession....

 

M

Edited by frelancr
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edit because I am a dork and don't read all of the posts first

Try some of these tips on your first caches:

1. Use the compass screen versus the map screen. Tells you where to go and how far left to go.

2. Rather than trying to get to the 0 point on your GPSr (basically standing on top of the cache) stop about 50 feet from the expected location. Then stop looking at your GPS and start looking at your location. Look for the obvious clues to the cache location. Piles of sticks, rocks, dead hollow tree, or stump in plain view. Don't forget to look at the size of the cache you are looking for. Nothing like thinking you are hunting a regular sized cache, when it is actually a micro-cache.

3. Start out with the easiest dificulty caches (D/T). So go for the 1/1 to 2/2 caches first.

4. Have fun and enjoy the great Winter weather...

Edited by Jhwk
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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. B)

 

I'm not a preimum member as of yet but I can tell you if you read all the getting started info on the GC website including the glossary you will get you questions answered. Then review your receiver manual and you will be off and running. Believe me you have not been "scammed".

Have fun.

Oliver1869

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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).

Also, my GPS (eTrex Legend) seems to have a lag time. When it says 0 feet, I've usually walked 10-20 past the cache. Come at from several different directions.

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I'm impressed with all the great info given on helping him. Know one can say Geocachers don't reach out to newbies. Some one to show him how to enter a cache in person would probably work best for him. Then he would see it done and a picture is worth a thousand words in this case.

 

It can be frustrating if you have never seen a GPS before. I let a friend take one of mine and he went thru the same frsutration until I showed him yet he didn't want me to at first...How hard can it be your doing it was his first reply. A weekend wasted, a 30 pack to calm him down and he was as good as new. A 10 minute lesson to enter 2 caches and him the third and I had trouble getting it back.

 

As one fella said above, one step at a time......

 

SwampYankee

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I came into this conversation very late, and I'm nowhere near the OP, but I do see by looking at some of the caches that were linked above, that the OP found thier first cache! Congrats and welcome to the obses...erm hobby!

 

I started last month, and I'm hooked :mad:

 

Even bought a new gps to replace the one I bought last month, went out caching with a local to show me some of the ropes and the different types of caches, and ended up with gps envy :)

(I had an explorist 210, they had a garmin 60cs) I now have a garmin 60cs

 

My first cache hunt, I tried for a few that were hard, but I'm also hard headed, the first one I had to give up on, and now apparently is gone due to muggles, the 2nd, I bumped into some geocachers local to the area, they helped me with my first find, and I then walked about a mile to the next closest cache and found that one too all on my own.

:mad:

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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?

 

I would recommend that you goto your regional forums and post that you are a new cacher and would appreciate some help. I've found that the geocaching community has always been very willing to assist! It may take some time to get the hang of it all, but I assure you, your Magellan is just fine and you will find that your premium membership is worth it. See if you have an event cache coming up in your area soon. Good Luck!

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Just to clarify, the "premium" membership gives you access to member only caches, as well as allowing you to download a list of caches. It also helps pay for the site itself.

 

If you have the software and a cable for your GPS, you can take this list file and upload it to the GPS. Beats the heck out of entering the coordinates by hand. You may have to convert the file to the proper format for your GPS software, but there are all sorts of free tools available.

 

By the way, I have one of the cheapest GPS units on the market, and it works just fine for finding caches. I simply switch to the screen that shows the coordinates when I get close, and after I walk around a bit I can figure out where the cache should be within 5-10 feet. Finding it is a whole 'nuther story!

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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

 

Dick...81 with over 1000 finds? Keep on truckin'...I'm trying to catch up (in years and finds!).

 

Active duty Navy (27 years and counting) -- I'm boring 'em to death, as well.

 

73, Jeff

AI4IO

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