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i can't find anything!


ill bucks

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Awwww...don't do that! Maybe a little more information would help clarify your situation.

 

"Put in the numbers"...you entered the coordinates for a cache into your GPSr?

 

Did you have any trouble following the directions to the area?

How long did you search?

What type of caches were you looking for? Micros...regular?

What was the terrain like? Urban...forest?

How far around did you extend your search? About 30 feet in all directions?

Did you look UP, DOWN, IN, UNDER?

Did you ask yourself "Where would I hide a cache here?"...and then go look?

 

Don't give up yet. You will find your caches. <_<

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im ready to give up.. i put in the numbers and theres nothing there.......can my gps be off that much??

3 today and nothing!

its a 60c and im ready to pitch it in the lake............. <_<

 

Take these steps:

 

1. Look for one traditional, regular cache in your area that is rated 2/2 or lower. A regular cache is ammo can-sized and much easier to find than a micro.

 

2. Read the description thoroughly.

 

3. Read the hint and all of the past logs.

 

4. Download the .loc file and transfer the waypoint to your GPSr.

 

5. Go to the waypoint, then put your GPSr away.

 

6. Look for things out of the ordinary, such as piles of sticks or rocks. Don't forget to look up.

 

7. Find the cache and sign the log.

 

8. Congratulate yourself on a job well done.

 

9. Log your find on geocaching.com

 

If this doesn't work, send your 60C to me rather than pitching it into a lake. :unsure:

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Simple things to check for.

 

1) Do the easy caches that are REgular sized containers.

2) Make sure your GPS is set to use DD MM.MMM. If it's set for something else your will be entering coordinates in a way that's going to have you be off.

3) Make sure your GPS is set for hte WGS84 datum. It should have come from the factory that way but if it's been chagned and yout put in a coordinate from this website you an be about 300' off give or take.

 

Looking for micro caches as a beginning is a lot like slamming your head on a wall. It takes practice to enjoy it.

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I've barely been able to get out caching for the past 6 weeks or so. Between hubby's work schedule and kids sports schedules there is always something more pressing going on. The couple of times we have tried to sneak in a quick hunt it's been everything from the tide coming in to me entering the waypoint incorrectly. But....I refuse to give up. Started working on a multi 5* yesterday. No luck yet at the first waypoint, but I will get there and oh how sweet success will be. I always like finding trails that have a few along them. That way I get a nice walk in and we can usually find at least one of them so they day isn't totally lost. Are you going on your own? Drag a friend or family member along, it's always good to have someone to bounce your thoughts off of. Good luck and hang in there! Jolanda

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Be sure you are using the right datum. It could put you way out of whack. I was having problems finding micros which tend to be close to the road and then discovered my 60csx was set to navigate on the road which meant my compass wasn't pointing at the cache but the closest point on the road to the cache. Now I am doing ok.

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Also - keep in mind that our little consumer grade GPSrs have a general accuracy around 10 to 30 feet. Add that to the hider that had a 10 - 30 foot error and you may have to search within 60 feet or so of where your unit says it should be. Most of the time you will find it within 10 to 15 feet or less but it is sometimes further away. Don't give up!!! Many fine suggestions above.

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ill bucks

Hey try this. Download Google Earth and copy past the coords to Google map. Now look and see where it tells you you should be looking. Make sure your pretty familiar with the area. Ok this may not find the cache but it will tell ya if your in the right county.LOL At least you should be within 100 yards. Now see if your gps puts you in the same area. That will tell ya if the gps is at least close and or you did put in the coord right. Oh don't bother looking at the coord in Google maps. When I try that they are off but the point on the map is right.

Try it and let us know how you make out. Its probably something simple. The trick is to find it.

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I must say that theses are all good tips. I think that doing your homework is probably most important. Look at the clues and spoilers. Print it out. You may need to check the coords or clues and it'll help answer a lot of questions the cops may have and avoid sounding like a kook. Read the previous posts for clues. Know when the it was last found. Did the finder back in September talk about it being way up high or under something?

 

As far as the GPS having a problem, that is certainly a possibility but there may another one. I've caught some grief over the coords I publish for my caches. On any given cache, they would be dead on or 20 feet off. I was told the there are two formulas that the GPS manufacturers use to read the sats. I thought I was pulling one over by going to a cache site before my buddy had a chance. DNF!!! We showed up together, he went straight to it. My arrow was pointing 20 feet to the east where I'd been looking earlier.

 

Also, most cachers are pretty good about helping each other out. Especially helping the newbies. Try emailing someone who found it recently who had something to say.

 

Good luck and have fun.

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Yeah if your in the ball park it's just a matter of getting used to what your lookin for. Some of these guys are tough. Some hiders are on a mission. I have found them in a pipe underwater, in a stump that had the center pulled out and the cache glued to the bottom of the part pulled out and then replaced. Heck with these things there is a certain amount of luck. Also some of them take time. Ya just gotta slow down and take your time. I agree with readin the past logs and hints if ya run into problems. Also again repeating what was said start with large caches like ammo cans. Get some confidence before tryin the nanos. Sometimes ya just gotta leave and go back another time.

Again gps's are not spot on. The cachers gps and yours probably are off a bit. Like they say 20, 30, 40 feet maybe. Most of the time they are under 20. Pretty darn good if ya ask me.

 

Have fun with it. It's a game. LOL

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To the above suggestions, I would add: look for a cache that has been found recently. I looked for a cache several times, then sent a "needs maintenance" note with a question whether it still existed. Turns out it had been taken away, muggled, or simply evaporated. The owner replaced it, and I found it after only three more tries!

 

Read all the hints, and all the logs. Look at the pictures in the gallery. sometimes an impossible find will become easier when you know what to look for.

 

Another recent cache had me totally stumped. I finally quit watching the little needle, and just started looking for out-of-place things that matched the clue. When I saw it, you would not believe how obvious it was. Anyone could see it, right out in plain view.

 

My GPS is a Garmin GPSMAP 76CS, which has the same software as your 60C. When my distance hits zero, some caches are right there, others are a good 20 feet off.

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When we first went on caching, we went with an experienced cacher. Just email someone who recently found the cache, tell them you're new, and ask them if they would be willing to meet you at the location and give you some guidance/pointers. Geocachers are a friendly bunch.

 

Geocaching is always a learning experience. I learn something new all the time. Don't give up!

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im ready to give up.. i put in the numbers and theres nothing there.......can my gps be off that much??

3 today and nothing!

its a 60c and im ready to pitch it in the lake............. :unsure:

 

I would add another comment about Google maps. You can view caches in Google maps (you can download what you need in the "Your Account" area) and see if you were looking in the right area. Zoom into the area where the cache is to make sure you're in the right area generally. Then use all the great advice listed above.

 

Good luck!! Don't give up yet - finding them is SO much fun!! :blink:

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When we first started, we did not find a lot of caches on the first try. The ones we did find were all tupperware containers hiding in a bush, so we thought every cache was like that! We had no idea that they could be camoflauged, or in magnetic containers, etc. We kept at it though, and as we gained experience we started finding more on the first try. I still get stumped many times on the really clever hides.

 

So, don't give up! There are a lot of good suggestions here. And sometimes it just comes down to patience and determination!

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Something I've learned: Consider the GPSr only to get you in the general vicinity. After that, it's a treasure hunt and all up to you to search. Reading the full cache description (and usually the name) helps a bunch. If you get stuck, use the clue. It definitely gets easier as you find more, but the biggest thing for me was the realization that the GPSr is just to get me in the neighborhood, the rest is up to me!

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Simple things to check for.

 

1) Do the easy caches that are REgular sized containers.

2) Make sure your GPS is set to use DD MM.MMM. If it's set for something else your will be entering coordinates in a way that's going to have you be off.

3) Make sure your GPS is set for hte WGS84 datum. It should have come from the factory that way but if it's been chagned and yout put in a coordinate from this website you an be about 300' off give or take.

 

Looking for micro caches as a beginning is a lot like slamming your head on a wall. It takes practice to enjoy it.

 

Is there a lot of difference from this format to DD DD.DDD ? This is what I have my Garmin Legend set to, and on some caches I get a point in the middle of the road.

 

Thanks

John

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Simple things to check for.

 

1) Do the easy caches that are REgular sized containers.

2) Make sure your GPS is set to use DD MM.MMM. If it's set for something else your will be entering coordinates in a way that's going to have you be off.

3) Make sure your GPS is set for hte WGS84 datum. It should have come from the factory that way but if it's been chagned and yout put in a coordinate from this website you an be about 300' off give or take.

 

Looking for micro caches as a beginning is a lot like slamming your head on a wall. It takes practice to enjoy it.

 

Is there a lot of difference from this format to DD DD.DDD ? This is what I have my Garmin Legend set to, and on some caches I get a point in the middle of the road.

 

Thanks

John

 

Yes. DDD.DDDDD is decimal degrees.

 

If you put the numbers that you see in the form of DDD MM.MMM (Decimal minutes) straight into the Decimal Degree format you will be off.

 

You would have to translate the different numbering methods so they are the same.

 

for example. To keep using DDD.DDDDD You would have to do this math.

 

DDD + MM.MMM/60 that answer is your Decimal Degree equivilent.

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Hi Ill Bucks and Everyone else out there

 

I understand just how you feel. I bought my daughter a Garmin etrex for her birthday so that we could try geo caching. We've tried 4 so far and found nothing - walked absolutely miles, getting despondent! If there is anyone out there in the Bedford area (UK) who feels like helping out a damsel in distress I would be very grateful. My email is lindylloyd@btinternet.com

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ok after reading all that has been said, i guess i am way off on how all this worked.

i bought my gps for hunting, me and a friend hunt , we can give each other the coordinantes and i have always been able to walk to the same tree that he has had a tree stand in, same for him. And this is in the dark!

we have the same kind ( 60c gps) so maybe thats the reason.

 

i never dreamed that it could be off even 20 feet let alone 60!

so this is more of a treasure hunt after you get to the sight.

 

i will try again and have a more open mind this time!

thanks for the help.

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Yeah you could say that. See when you lookin for your tree stand or friend in the woods your gps gets you within sight of the thing. You put the gps away and walk to the stand. Now your tryin to find film cans or micro's in the same area. It takes a bit of lookin and tryin to figure where someone would put these things. I hunt also and kinda think of it as hunting. Ya gota get to the area where the action is and then look for sign as to there the game have been or the places they are using. Lookin for anything out of the ordenary. You know like bark not quite like it should be. Rocks that don't look quite right. And stuff in a stump you wouldn't really expect to find there. Being a hunter your senses are already sharpened to this kinda stuff. I'll bet you see groundhogs, squirrel, deer and other critters before other people you hang with that don't hunt. Heck your 3/4ers there.

It's kinda fun to get into the woods and hunt with a gps and stick. LOL

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i never dreamed that it could be off even 20 feet let alone 60!

so this is more of a treasure hunt after you get to the sight.

 

i will try again and have a more open mind this time!

thanks for the help.

 

Yeah, now you've got it!

 

Also realize that some caches are easy finds out in the open, while others are DIABOLICAL!

 

Just page through this link to see what I mean!

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=62421

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I completely understand your frustration!!! What I found that works is the length of time you spend at that cache. I have gone there, not been able to find it and left. WRONG ANSWER. Went back and spent some time and VWALA sp???? FOUND.... Your best bet is A: understand your GPS CAN and WILL be wrong. Get a compass and learn how to use it. B: start looking in places you KNOW it is NOT in and your stats are sure to climb!!!!!! Good luck and happy caching!!!!!

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:D I am also new to Geocaching. What's worked for me a couple of times is walking 100 Mtrs away from the site and then walking back and having another try. It's amazing how often this has worked when it seems all is lost.

I'm hooked on Geocaching. We have visited some amazing places in the Australin bush we didn't know existed; places we have been driving past for years.

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Make sure you have the latest firmware updates loaded onto your GPS. If it is an older unit and has not been updated I'll bet there are updates out there that will effect how it acts. I have a 60C and have found well over 700 caches with it. I also started out with a local cacher showing me the ropes. This can make all the difference in the world.

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Great suggestions. I will add my $0.02. Start with the closest to your home that isn't a micro or a multi, something in an area you are very familiar with. Look at the coordinates in google maps and zoom down to street level. Once you are sure you know where it is go and get it! Once you get one under your belt you'll be hooked

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ok after reading all that has been said, i guess i am way off on how all this worked.

i bought my gps for hunting, me and a friend hunt , we can give each other the coordinantes and i have always been able to walk to the same tree that he has had a tree stand in, same for him. And this is in the dark!

we have the same kind ( 60c gps) so maybe thats the reason.

 

i never dreamed that it could be off even 20 feet let alone 60!

so this is more of a treasure hunt after you get to the sight.

 

i will try again and have a more open mind this time!

thanks for the help.

 

let us know how it turns out...

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