What came first, the cache or the GPSr?

[+creagerstonefamily]

What came first, the cache or the GPSr?

 

To answer the actual subject, the geocache came first. It wasn't until these forums existed that I'd ever heard of that timewaster "r" slapped onto the end of "GPS".

[+Totem Clan]

What came first, the cache or the GPSr?

 

To answer the actual subject, the geocache came first. It wasn't until these forums existed that I'd ever heard of that timewaster "r" slapped onto the end of "GPS".

 

Wrong

 

The first GPSR I ever used was a manpack unit that weighed 25lbs. It would give you a location fix with an accuracy of +/- 50m. If you stay on one place for 30 minutes first. It was called a Global Positioning System Receiver. GPSR

 

GPS was the name for the satellites, and the receiver used in union to determine your location on the surface of the globe.

 

Edit to say: Yes it was a military system.

Edited May 29, 2007 by Totem Clan

[+creagerstonefamily]

Well, I did say "I'd ever heard".

 

I'm fully aware of what it means, but if you say "I checked my Gee Pee Ess Arr..." when you're referring to a handheld unit to virtually anyone who hasn't seen it in these forums, they'll look at you like you have, well, it's a family forum, so I'll just say a "something" growing out of the side of your head.

 

I do have a stack of OEM GPS receiver boards in the garage for which I've made a custom interface/power PCB, but those are actually barebones receivers that take power & antenna in and output NEMA sentences. For those, it's an accurate description and worthwhile for the "nit picking", but for the vast majority of people, I don't see the point.

[4wheelin_fool]

I received a yellow eTrex as a gift in 2000 from my girlfriend. She bought it so we could use it while hiking in the Smokey Mountains. I returned it a few weeks later because it seemed like it did not get any reception. I specifically remember driving up RT 441 in the jeep with the top off and not seeing any satellites show up and thinking that it was useless. A year later, I heard about geocaching and bought an eMap and thought that I would try it again. I didn't open an GC account until about six months later, after I had found about a dozen caches and thought that I would make it official.

[outta here]

I stumbled across this site the same week Fry's was clearing out the MeriGreen for $99.

 

It was fate.

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I had mine for a couple years in my heavy pack (for camping hkes), but sadly never even changed the old batteries it had in it when it was given to me. Discovered caching after someone asked Fox if we were the MountainBoys or something like that. We didn't have a clue at first, but then Fox remembered I mentioned bookmarking a site online about a year before. Sure enough, went back and looked and voila! Been hooked ever since

[+teald024]

.... Just curious here, but did you have a GPSr before you heard of caching, or did you buy it because of caching?

 

The GPSr came first for me. I was doing some research to find the right GPSr for use with my ATV. I wanted to mark out some local trails and use when in unknown territory. While searching the web, I came across the geocaching page on the Garmin website. I bought an eTrex and found my first cache within a week. I no longer have the ATV, but still cache regularly.

[+MaliBooBoo]

GPSr. A GPS76 in 00 or 01. Supplied by my work (forestry). When I realized that there was units with colour maps I knew I had to have one and couldn't initially convince my work of the benefits so I bought my own 60CS. Started caching in Feb 06. And upgraded to the x version.

[+rdaines]

My first electronic navigation device was a LORAN C which worked great on the boat I was using it on. But being a ground-based system it had limitation. When consumer GPS receivers became available I grabbed one and have bought many over the years for other boats, cars, and now hiking. Geocaching is just an additional activity to get me outdoors and see new places. So "no" I did not buy a GPSr just for geocaching.