Premium members cache

[BevanAndStacey]

We were out looking for caches to find that the description and hints were for premium members only. We only downloaded caches without that little person icon (indicating members only) but they are obviously a cache that is MO. Are the members only caches a secret? Its really annoying to get out into the field and see that its a members only cache. Is there anyways to tell when you are downloading them to your GPS?

[+mwellman]

Welcome to Geocaching Bevan and Stacy!

 

We, too, started Geocaching in Grande Prairie almost three years ago and when I looked at the map view, I couldn't believe the number of caches there! WOW!

 

Could you tell us what GPS you are using?

 

We have a eTrex Venture Cx that we started with in GP and later we bought a eTrex Legend HCx so that we would each have one. We can download the geocaches coordinates into each but we don't get the descriptions or hints. So I would either print the pages or write down a quick description and the hints so that we could check them if needed, especially if we were on a hike! Sometimes I would print a map view, number the caches and make notes on the side.

 

In an effort to go "paperless", we now own a third GPS - a car Nuvi 250 - not good in the woods but great for giving the cache descriptions and hints. An I-phone also has those features.

 

If you are a basic member, you may see the name of premium member cache but you cannot view the page, or download the coordinates. One of the benefits of premium membership is the ability to create a pocket query of 1,000 caches and download them all at once! You can also select if you only want earthcaches or child-friendly for example.

 

Hopefully this answers your questions.

 

Enjoy your geocaching adventures!

[+42at42]

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Edited May 31, 2010 by 42at42

[BevanAndStacey]

We go paperless. We have a Garmin Oregano 300, we can go to the google map and just click on a cache icon and click "Send to GPS". You can get all the hints, descriptions, read what people have said, right on the GPS while you are out in the field. All of them will download to the GPS but then we found that a couple which we could see online (description, hints, etc) werent avaliable to view on the GPS while out and about. I don't mind only doing the basic caches but it would be nice to know which are which. It says that the cashes with a little person icon by the cache means it is a MO cache but those werent indicated on the 2 that aren't working? We don't want to have to go through everyone on our GPS before we go out to see if we can view the description and delete it if we can't (or write down on paper all of the info).

 

We are thinking about getting a premium membership but we would like to do it a little bit more before making the decision.

[+mwellman]

Hello again,

 

If you go the right hand side of your profile page, you can see a section called Search Options, click on the first part - Search for nearest geocaches (from your home coordinates) or use the hide and seek a geocache button on your left side of the page, you will get a listing of all the geocaches for 100 miles. When I looked at the first 6 pages, I only found 4 or 5 premium member caches. So there are very few up in your neck of the woods.

 

The way to tell if it is a premium member is the little head icon. As a basic member, you can not see the cache page, the description, the hints or the coordinates. You would just see a blank page and a Error message. Some of the reasons for premium member caches is to protect them from geocache vandals or to keep the traffic down in a sensitive area. So those two that you had trouble with are basic member caches and not premium member caches.

 

I don't know very much about the Garmin Oregons. I am not sure why those caches loaded the coordinates but not the descriptions or hints. I am not as techno as my husband so I often read the descriptions or hints before I go in case I forget the piece of paper or didn't download the cache into my GPS. And been very glad that I did! Maybe someone else knows more about how the Garmin Oregon works could help you.

 

Premium membership is great and have many advantages to making your Geocaching experience better but you are right, it does make sense to wait to see if this hobby is for you first.

 

Grande Prairie does have an active Geocaching community and events are a great way to meet other geocachers, trade stories and get hints on those difficult caches.

 

Don't forget to look for the Saskatoon Mountain Cache (GC80A), one of the first in Alberta!

[BevanAndStacey]

Thanks for the info! I am going to have to look for that cache for sure!

 

Ya, the ones I am having trouble loading are the "Forbes Residence" (GC1KPF5) and "A tribute to Hansk" (GC12R70) but they don't show the head icon. So I am not really sure what is going on?

[+Westacular]

If I'm understanding this correctly: the member's only caches show up when you're looking at the online map, and the little caption box that comes up when you click the icon doesn't have any indication that it's members only, and your workflow is to click "send to gps" from there, which ... fails silently, or only downloads a stub description saying "premium members only"?

 

If you go the right hand side of your profile page, you can see a section called Search Options, click on the first part - Search for nearest geocaches (from your home coordinates) or use the hide and seek a geocache button on your left side of the page, you will get a listing of all the geocaches for 100 miles. When I looked at the first 6 pages, I only found 4 or 5 premium member caches. So there are very few up in your neck of the woods.

 

I just did a little test query; there's just seven in a 50 km radius of town:

 

GP History Cache by Lunchbox (GC1C9X3)

Ferris Buehler's Day Off by Tons_Of_Fun (GC1NCZF)

The Fastest Paperboy In Town by Tons_Of_Fun (GC1NDTG)

Five Mile As The Crow Flies by PatchyPooh (GC27AXP)

All Nestled In by PatchyPooh (GC27AYC)

šterkovne skrýš - GPA CAR III by Team Three Boys (GC1YAFR)

7077 by PatchyPooh (GC27DH7)

 

Premium Members Only caches used to be indicated with a differently-coloured icon for the cache type. It appears that when Groundspeak switched to using that little person icon, they neglected to alter the map view caption boxes to include such indicators there. If you search for caches via the table listing instead of the map, you'll see the indicator.

 

I'm surprised that it shows members only to non-premium members at all. I figured they'd just be filtered out entirely... I guess Groundspeak wants to show you what you're missing, in hopes that it's incentive to upgrade? (To me, all the additional website features are far more compelling reasons than gaining access to a tiny handful of additional caches.)

[BevanAndStacey]

Ya, when I look at the list, some come up Members only but ones that are NOT members only are coming up saying "get a premium membership to see description" on the GPS when we try to look at it while out in the field. For example

 

A Tribute To Hansk - GPACAR II by 4 Paws And Then Some (GC12R70)

 

is not a members only cache but we couldn't look at the description or hints on our GPS while out in the field (but can look online). I am just wondering why the GPS is thinking it is a members only cache when it's not?

[+Westacular]

Oh! That's weird. Those cache's definitely aren't members only; not sure what the problem was. I've got an Oregon as well, and just tested by using "send to gps" with them. The descriptions showed up fine.

 

Is this just happening for certain caches, or everything you've tried?

[BevanAndStacey]

All of them. Some people are saying firmware problem so we are trying to update that? It worked for the first 4 caches and then it doesnt show descriptions anymore or hints. It's pretty odd. It'll show coordinates and the cache name, who did it and whatever but where the description would be it says "upgrade to premium member to view entire description and see hints" (something like that...)

[BevanAndStacey]

We figured out that when you download paperless from geocaching.com they want you to buy premium but if you get the caches through garmin.com they will allow you to download 5 a day.