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How do I zero in on this one?


jfpinell

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If anyone goes the private message route, please report back (omitting any "off limits" content).

 

The last time the community invested this much energy in a single person's issues was 6 months ago when that cacher felt the entire local group was out to get her.

 

Remember that?! :rolleyes:

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I believe I know where much of the problem lies, but it's nothing appropriate to be discussed in open forum. message or I.M. or whatever the term here is, me and I'll fill in the strange pieces, if you will.

 

Nope. Not going to do it. I've spent too much time already trying to explain things. I'm done. There is absolutely no excuse that you can give me that would explain your not listening to others when when they give you helpful suggestions. There's a lot of reasons why things can be difficult for people, but I feel that not even trying is not an acceptable excuse.

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Nope. Not going to do it. I've spent too much time already trying to explain things. I'm done. There is absolutely no excuse that you can give me that would explain your not listening to others when when they give you helpful suggestions. There's a lot of reasons why things can be difficult for people, but I feel that not even trying is not an acceptable excuse.

 

OK, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong with this quote but it's not showing up like they usually do.

Not to sound the wrong way here, but you loss not mine. I'm trying to be nice and ease everyone's apparent issue with me that I'm unintentionally causing. (Someone thinks it's intentional, again sorry but their loss not mine.) Again, not to sound off key, but would you treat everyone who's different this way by saying things like that without personally knowing them?

Edited by jfpinell
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Not to sound the wrong way here, but you loss not mine. I'm trying to be nice and ease everyone's apparent issue with me that I'm unintentionally causing. (Someone thinks it's intentional, again sorry but their loss not mine.) Again, not to sound off key, but would you treat everyone who's different this way by saying things like that without personally knowing them?

 

Here's the deal. Your online behavior is unusual. People don't know what to conclude because we don't know you or your true intentions. We've seen wiseguys do similar things just to stir up controversy. Often they pretend to be someone else. And we've given you so much time and energy that people are getting tired.

 

Let's assume you're sincere and are having trouble with the game. No shame in that. I know some smart people who aren't good with gizmos and who would have real trouble learning to use a gpsr.

 

If you're sincere, you'll consider the wealth of tips presented and try them out. Slowly. Bit by bit. And soon you'll get proficient at the game and have fun.

 

And the best suggestion you got was to get someone to help you in person. So I assume you're at the local meeting today. Bring your toy gpsr, and look at it with another cacher. Maybe after the gathering, a few of you will hunt a cache or two together. That in-person learning is what will work best, I think.

Edited by wmpastor
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Not to sound the wrong way here, but you loss not mine. I'm trying to be nice and ease everyone's apparent issue with me that I'm unintentionally causing. (Someone thinks it's intentional, again sorry but their loss not mine.) Again, not to sound off key, but would you treat everyone who's different this way by saying things like that without personally knowing them?

 

Here's the deal. Your online behavior is unusual. People don't know what to conclude because we don't know you or your true intentions. We've seen wiseguys do similar things just to stir up controversy. Often they pretend to be someone else. And we've given you so much time and energy that people are getting tired.

 

Let's assume you're sincere and are having trouble with the game. No shame in that. I know some smart people who aren't good with gizmos and who would have real trouble learning to use a gpsr.

 

If you're sincere, you'll consider the wealth of tips presented and try them out. Slowly. Bit by bit. And soon you'll get proficient at the game and have fun.

 

And the best suggestion you got was to get someone to help you in person. So I assume you're at the local meeting today. Bring your toy gpsr, and look at it with another cacher. Maybe after the gathering, a few of you will hunt a cache or two together. That in-person learning is what will work best, I think.

I hesitate to say, but I have no control over the weather......I was intending to go, using up time by looking for my favorite geo. when, due to the weather that was starting at the time, and being a County Weather spotter, I was needed to be stationed where I could respond the fastest to where I might be needed. (The way it looks out there still we might still be needed.) I'll have to wait for the next planned thing. GRRRRR! :angry:

Enroute to what was supposed to be the ultimate picnic (or whatever technically) destination I tried (keyword) to find a few more but didn't see any. -Those ones along that trail someone mentioned....maybe I should ask how to make sure my toy isn't off. The coordinates given for parking in Brillion along that trail lead right into the middle of an alfalfa field! :/ (The W coordinate took me to the corner of the Brillion Town Hall, which seemed OK at first except that trail was no where around (within walking distance without going through yards again) but when I looked at the N one it would've landed me in that field! Given how much trouble I'm having, is my toy maybe off? (My favorite one seems perfect, so I don't know)

I think I seem "different" or "unusual" because of my lack of "normal" amount of socialization experience (again, nothing to go into detail about in public forum, but nothing intentional.)I throw a bit more of my (original) humor in than most do (call it pre-wiring) but the rest of it isn't intentional.

Edited by jfpinell
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...maybe I should ask how to make sure my toy isn't off. The coordinates given for parking in Brillion along that trail lead right into the middle of an alfalfa field! :/ (The W coordinate took me to the corner of the Brillion Town Hall, which seemed OK at first except that trail was no where around (within walking distance without going through yards again) but when I looked at the N one it would've landed me in that field! Given how much trouble I'm having, is my toy maybe off?

I don't understand why you continue to only think in squares. There is more to navigating than just north-south, and east-west. Program the cache coords into your GPS and try going diagonally to the cache. Or look at the map (and the world around you) and take a zig-zag course. You'll find it is much easier.

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I don't understand why you continue to only think in squares. There is more to navigating than just north-south, and east-west. Program the cache coords into your GPS and try going diagonally to the cache. Or look at the map (and the world around you) and take a zig-zag course. You'll find it is much easier.

Think in squares. Are you referring to concentrate on more than 1 thing at a time with my toy? It's the way I'm "wired". Some people can only manage to make sense piece by piece at a time. That's probably why I come across as asking too many questions out here. I kinda' see what you mean about the coordinates & diagonal thing but then (to me) it opens up the question of how do you follow something that way without walking through who knows what or where. (I guess what I mean is, roads and trails don't always go diagonally. If you cut across country off road and trails you're going to eventually walk into private backyards or a hundred other things.) Maybe I should ask how does one avoid that issue? There's supposed to be one of these down by High Cliff Golf Course in Sherwood [not too far from my favorite (nanoregular) that I have that exact problem with....no matter HOW I try to zero in, it looks like I'd have to cut across someone's yard -or at least walk along the edge of it almost close enough to see in all the windows of the Apt. complex next door. (No, no!) That's the main thing I'm stuck on in general.

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I kinda' see what you mean about the coordinates & diagonal thing but then (to me) it opens up the question of how do you follow something that way without walking through who knows what or where. (I guess what I mean is, roads and trails don't always go diagonally. If you cut across country off road and trails you're going to eventually walk into private backyards or a hundred other things.) Maybe I should ask how does one avoid that issue?
Actually, I think the problem is trying to navigate in straight lines. It doesn't matter much whether you're thinking in terms of squares (north-south and east-west lines) or you're thinking in terms of diagonals (straight as-the-crow-flies lines). Either way, you're still thinking in terms of straight lines.

 

Navigation isn't about straight lines. Navigation is about getting from point A to point B, avoiding the obstacles between and around the two points. If there's something in the way, then you have to go around it, and it doesn't really matter much whether the "something in the way" is a sheer cliff, or a limited-access freeway, or an impassible river, or private property, or off-trail terrain in a park that requires everyone to stay on the trail.

 

But this isn't a problem unique to you. It's almost a cliche in geocaching when people bushwack through off-trail terrain to the cache location, and then once they're there, they can see the nice easy trail they should have taken. At least the return trip is easier, following the trail instead of bushwacking.

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quote]Actually, I think the problem is trying to navigate in straight lines. It doesn't matter much whether you're thinking in terms of squares (north-south and east-west lines) or you're thinking in terms of diagonals (straight as-the-crow-flies lines). Either way, you're still thinking in terms of straight lines.

 

Navigation isn't about straight lines. Navigation is about getting from point A to point B, avoiding the obstacles between and around the two points. If there's something in the way, then you have to go around it, and it doesn't really matter much whether the "something in the way" is a sheer cliff, or a limited-access freeway, or an impassible river, or private property, or off-trail terrain in a park that requires everyone to stay on the trail.

 

But this isn't a problem unique to you. It's almost a cliche in geocaching when people bushwack through off-trail terrain to the cache location, and then once they're there, they can see the nice easy trail they should have taken. At least the return trip is easier, following the trail instead of bushwacking.

Exactly what I was trying to say all along (word issues people -another thing I won't get into publicly). The problem comes in when I try to figure a way around obstacles. I wind up saying; "Darn. there's no road now going the other point, I'll have to go back & see if I can circle around and come in from the other way and get closer with BOTH coordinates". Then I find myself WAAAAAAY far away from my first coordinate and no road or trail going towards the other one...making sense yet? Kinda' like going from Wis. to Texas without using the major interstates and just trying to find the right connecting back roads. (Exaggerating to put it in perspective.)

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If you would take the time to learn how to input the coordinates of a geocache into your GPSr that would be a great Step 1. Step 2 can be for you to learn how to set your GPSr to navigate to that geocache location. Step 3 will be for you to realize that if you are following the GPSr direction arrow, and it points for you to go 100 feet on the other side of a wall, just go to the end of the wall and take another look at your GPSr arrow. It will still point to the correct location so you can follow it.

 

Another possibility is for you to look at the MAP on the cache webpage to see how to get really close to a geocache, then you can use your method of GPSr use to locate GZ (that is the "Grab Zone" or "Ground Zero").

 

Have you found and logged any geocaches yet?

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Exactly what I was trying to say all along (word issues people -another thing I won't get into publicly). The problem comes in when I try to figure a way around obstacles. I wind up saying; "Darn. there's no road now going the other point, I'll have to go back & see if I can circle around and come in from the other way and get closer with BOTH coordinates". Then I find myself WAAAAAAY far away from my first coordinate and no road or trail going towards the other one...making sense yet? Kinda' like going from Wis. to Texas without using the major interstates and just trying to find the right connecting back roads. (Exaggerating to put it in perspective.)
I've met someone who had cognitive disabilities that affected their spatial reasoning. They would learn necessary routes based on a mental checklist of fixed landmarks. If one of those landmarks changed, then they were completely lost and unable to recover. Even crossing to the other side of the street to go around sidewalk construction was beyond them, not because the other side of the street was unfamiliar to them, but because the concept of getting to the end of the block by any other route made no sense to them.

 

I'm a good navigator, but I had no idea how to help them. Nothing I said made sense to them.

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I've met someone who had cognitive disabilities that affected their spatial reasoning. They would learn necessary routes based on a mental checklist of fixed landmarks. If one of those landmarks changed, then they were completely lost and unable to recover. Even crossing to the other side of the street to go around sidewalk construction was beyond them, not because the other side of the street was unfamiliar to them, but because the concept of getting to the end of the block by any other route made no sense to them.

I'm not that bad but I am a bit slower than most -something that many people have never been able to understand or have the patience to do so (no guys, I'm not referring to just here) :) and it's annoying to feel like you have to struggle with words and phrasing things constantly to be understood daily.

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I'm thinking he logged a DNF. Logged them, but didn't find them.

I know I did. They should be there. I hope I clicked on & put them in the right area. Don't you just go on "my profile", "recently viewed caches", and "log it"? That's what I've been doing.

You may have. I don't know how to search for another user's DNFs, and don't really feel like going through the work to figure it out. ;)

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I don't know how to search for another user's DNFs, and don't really feel like going through the work to figure it out. ;)

I don't think there is any way on the website to do so, but GSAK and this macro will do it. I would imagine Project-GC will too.

 

Here's the caches jfpinell logged a DNF on:

 

That's one big ____!!!!!

A Breath of Fresh Air - XVIII

Old Gnome's Hideout

Evil Stommel Rd. P & R

 

I note the first 3 have other DNFs besides jfpinell, so they may in fact be missing. The last one looks to be a challenging hide; not the best for a newbie to try.

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I'm thinking he logged a DNF. Logged them, but didn't find them.

I know I did. They should be there. I hope I clicked on & put them in the right area. Don't you just go on "my profile", "recently viewed caches", and "log it"? That's what I've been doing.

 

And all your DNF logs were well done. They describe where you were and what you observed at GZ (ground zero - the place the GPS thinks is the hiding spot.) Keep at it and you will find one soon; as with many things the first can be the hardest. After you have found some you will start to realize that there are some caches you can't find. Enjoy the hunt and you will always enjoy the game.

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jpinell,

 

Thanks for considering going to the geocaching event. It's unfortunate that something came up.

 

You mention that it is too hard to focus on 2 numbers (North and West coordinates) at the same time. The thing is, you don't need to. In fact, you don't even have to concentrate on numbers at all. All you have to do is follow the arrow on your GPSr compass screen once the cache coordinates have been entered into your GPSr and you tell it to navigate to the cache. (Remember those instructions I sent you? That's what those instructions are for. Please follow them, and it will make your geocaching SOOOO much easier.)

 

In the meantime, I have made a sketch trying to explain how you should be using your GPSr compared to how you're trying to use it. (This is the kind of information which would have been explained to you on a geocache hunt had you attended the event.) This is very hard to explain in words as all of us here have been trying to do. In lieu of being able to explain this in person with a one-on-one demonstration, I hope this crude sketch helps clarify things.

 

8e5d0420-2e26-49b4-bdfd-383cacbd212d.jpg

Edited by medoug
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On the sketch above, note the GPSr arrow (shown in grey) always points toward the cache regardless of where you are on the red route to the cache. Obviously, you can't always follow the GPSr arrow due to obstacles encountered along the way, but you do try to follow it as much as possible. When you encounter these obstacles, you deviate from the arrow as much as required to get around the obstacle and then resume following the arrow again as soon as you've navigated past each obstacle.

 

I believe the method you have been trying to do is one of the 2 white routes shown while watching both of the coordinates on your GPSr and trying to match it to those of the geocache. This is a extremely difficult way of trying to navigate to the cache. The way to get around this is to enter the geocache coordinates into your GPSr and tell it to "lead" you to the cache. Once again, this was included in the instructions I provided. If you do that, it's almost as easy as following an arrow (no numbers to follow or try to match).

Edited by medoug
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jfpinell,

 

So, you want to be successful geocaching? Here's what you need to do:

 

1. Start looking for a beginner geocache, not the high-difficulty nanos that you've been attempting. Those are for experienced cachers. (Someone already provided you with GC35GQD as a good one as your first try.)

2. Go to the geocache listing on your computer, print it out, and review the street map showing where the cache is located. (Use Google Maps, if necessary, to get driving directions.)

3. Drive to the closest parking spot to the cache using the directions or printed map. Note that you haven't even used your GPSr yet. (I believe using your GPSr to drive close to the cache will only confuse you more at this time.)

4. Now, get out of your car and follow the instructions that I provided you in my earlier post (particularly instruction steps #2 and #4). This will set up your GPSr unit so it shows an arrow on it's screen. All you have to do is follow the arrow as much as you can (while avoiding obstacles as explained in my above post and sketch). Your GPSr will do all the hard work of trying to match your location coordinates to those of the geocache for you.

5. Congratulations! You've just found your first geocache.

 

For once, please follow the above directions. Until you do, you will continue to struggle with geocaching. No jokes, no cute talk, no witty replies... just do it!

Edited by medoug
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I think I'm F-I-N-A-L-L-Y getting this due to that map! GRRRR! I guess the best way I can put this is I feel like a house built in the 1930's trying to figure out how to make a central air unit fit my electrical wiring & work right. All it takes is the right (major) surgery before the switch works right. :rolleyes:

That's KINDA' what I was formulating in my mind it's just that when I start seeing my coordinates go down I figure "Yeah, that's normal not walking straight as an arrow. But when & how do I get it back?" Follow?

So you're saying figure out how to use that compass thing in that toy and rely on IT instead of so much on the satellite thing?

Edited by jfpinell
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I would just add to medoug's great explanation and illustration, that it would be a good idea to create a Waypoint with your GPS when you park your car. This will allow you to "follow the arrow" back to your car, after finding the cache.

 

Probably not a big deal in an urban area, where you probably won't be walking very far from your car, but when you get to some of the larger open spaces or parks in your area, and some of the searching might involve some off trail routing, you can easily get turned around and end up not being able to figure out how to return to your car.

 

Each GPS is a bit different on creating Waypoints manually, so you'll have to refer to your User Manual to see how it's done, or find someone with a similar GPS that can show you.

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I would just add to medoug's great explanation and illustration, that it would be a good idea to create a Waypoint with your GPS when you park your car. This will allow you to "follow the arrow" back to your car, after finding the cache.

 

Probably not a big deal in an urban area, where you probably won't be walking very far from your car, but when you get to some of the larger open spaces or parks in your area, and some of the searching might involve some off trail routing, you can easily get turned around and end up not being able to figure out how to return to your car.

 

Each GPS is a bit different on creating Waypoints manually, so you'll have to refer to your User Manual to see how it's done, or find someone with a similar GPS that can show you.

That I'm not too worried about.....the ones I've been looking for, well, I know the whole Township like the back of my hand. (City kids are probably unfamiliar with Township Vs. Town) :) The few in other neighboring areas have so far been located right off major hi-ways. There IS 1 in my area that's apparently WAY off a trail back in thick wooded area surrounded by houses so I know I'd come out SOMEWHERE :) but I'll still save that one for someone else to go with.

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That I'm not too worried about.....the ones I've been looking for, well, I know the whole Township like the back of my hand. (City kids are probably unfamiliar with Township Vs. Town) :)

 

There you go again, putting down "city kids" while you ask us to be tolerant of your unstated "condition." Hey I know what a township in South Africa is, do you? How about a parish? Definitions vary from state to state. It's more helpful to explain what you mean rather than to chide some because the probably don't know what it means.

 

Now quit coming up with excuses, mostly imagined, and go look for Bride's Trail (GC35GDQ) as previously suggested.

 

If you don't go look for the easy cache (Bride's Trail) we will know you really are a troll.

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You mean the "GCM5XE"?

N 44° 09.825 W 088° 04.492......those are the #'s taken from it.

 

Google Maps is your friend here. If you click "View Larger Map" on the cache page and then click Satellite you can zoom in and get map detail of the area.

This one shows parking and roads right to the cache location.

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