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What You Wish You Knew About GPS and Geocaching


jtrevino

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Posted

This is the time of year that a lot of people are getting new units and or upgrading their existing GPSr.

 

Being in the category mentioned above, I keep getting this nagging feeling that I may be overlooking a bit information that would prove beneficial in my over all experience with my unit and with geocaching.

 

For the more experienced Cachers out there I pose this question:

 

Is there anything that you've discovered along the way that made you think, "Man, I wish I'd known that before!"?

 

The info that you post can be about, informational resources, features of your personal GPSr, your method of finding caches, or whatever!

 

Hopefully, some of us less experienced folk, will garner some insight from you yours!

 

Thanks!

Posted

Is there anything that you've discovered along the way that made you think, "Man, I wish I'd known that before!"?

- The "Caches along a route" pocket query. Quite useful to find a couple a caches when travelling by car.

- GSAK and the function to add the Hint (%hint) in the comment field of the waypoint

 

GermanSailor

Posted

1. That I could download cache locations directly to my GPSr. (When I first started, I'd write the coordinates in a notepad, go to the cache area, turn the GPSr on, and move the pointer to the cache location. What a noob!)

 

2. It's no fun looking for caches under wet leaves.

 

3. To avoid wearing spiderwebs, wave a long twig in front of you while you walk. (Lots of webbage here in the east.)

 

4. Don't give up the search. My favorite caches are the ones that were hardest to find.

 

5. Use a high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPSr. The added accuracy helps.

 

6. Don't be so focused on the cache that you fail to enjoy your environment.

Posted

You don't "have to" find any cache out there. If you aren't having fun - its ok to walk away.

 

Trust the GPS to get you to the right area. Trustyour geosenses to find the cache. Trust your GPS to get you back to the car (you did mark your car didn't you??)

Posted

I see the frustration occurring at this time of the year when people receive a brand new GPS receiver for Christmas & Geocaching is the main task for it, and they try to learn BOTH at the same time B)

 

GPSr's are complex sophisticated devices and you should devote serious time to learning IT the first thing you do. Don't be "running to the car sticking batteries into it for the first time" on your way to the nearest cache site, and then get frustrated at the seemingly "mountain high learning curve".

 

So,,#1 rule is, "Learn the GPS first!" read the book cover-to-cover. Then,,

 

#2 Remember, GPSr's aren't pinpoint accurate. If you're "lucky" it'll get you to within ~15 feet of the cache. This is NORMAL :)

 

#3 Be certain your coordinate format and map datum are set correctly!!

 

#4 ENJOY yourself! If you're getting frustrated then take a break & regroup your thoughs. Geocaching is FUN! (this is sometimes hard to believe :D )

Posted

On my 60CS and 60CSx I wish I had known to change the default speed and duration for turning off the compass automatically. It works much better when the compass turns off automatically at walking speeds.

 

I wish I had known that most cachers are lazy so the odds are that there IS a trail somewhere near the cache.

 

I wish I could learn to always carry a pen and to always waypoint the car.

 

I wish I had learned earlier that caching is much more fun when done as a social activity. I waited for nearly two years before attending an event and meeting other cachers. Heck, before then I used to pretend I wasn't caching when I would see other cachers on the trail for some reason.

 

I wish I had learned that "as the crow flies" is meaningless in terms of how far away a cache REALLY is.

 

I'm sure I could think of others, but that's all I can think of at the moment.

Posted

These are some great posts! You all have already helped me a good deal.

 

Thanks for 60CSx info, that's what I got for Christmas.

 

Please keep them coming!

 

JT

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