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Lost my GPSr who else?


DeskJocky

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I've read comments on here about the lanyards looking dorky..... call me a dork then, as my yellow etrex is always around my neck while caching. I can't keep track of anything not physically attached to my person.

This way, the only possibility of losing mine on the trail is if the GPS flies off as I tumble head-over-heels (and if that ever happens I'll probably just say *bleep* the GPS somebody help me!)

 

Now, losing the GPS in the car or in my house, THAT is a different scenario. It could happen at any time.

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I'm not sure if it was lost or stolen, but about a year ago I picked up a yellow etrex to keep as a spare and for when other people went caching with me. The last time I remember seeing it was in the front seat of my car...about a month after I bought it.

 

I turned the house upside down and the car inside out looking for that thing. It's not the etrex so much, but I had it in a GPS case that I had gotten for my birthday. I have yet to see another case like it again.

 

Bret

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again." Mt. 13:44

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We were caching out a good amount of trash this morning. My hands were full, and it was hot, hot, hot. I had the short lanyard of the GarminIII hooked on my little finger. We arrived back at the parking lot where I could dump the trash into a can. I did just that. We walked over to the vehicle and I realized no GPSr. Yep sure enough, it was dropped into the trash can, but unhurt.

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quote:
Originally posted by DeskJocky:

I lost my GPSr last night while doing "Search for the Ring" (GCG6KY). I have heard stories of others loosing their GPSrs. I was wondering how common it was. BTW, if someone finds my eTrex Summit, let me know, I'll make it worth your while to return it to me...


 

Pick up one of these and you won't lose your GPSr again.

 

GF

 

********************************************

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

 

logo_small.jpg

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quote:
Originally posted by GeoFool:
Originally posted by DeskJocky:

I lost my GPSr last night while doing "Search for the Ring" (GCG6KY). I have heard stories of others loosing their GPSrs. I was wondering how common it was.


 

Never lost my GPS, but I did lose my cellphone. Never found the cache either, but it was the last out of 5 and then I got home and realized that I had walked 4.5 miles to get to all the caches. So if you ever find a cell phone near Huntington Beach, CA. I lost it. (Gorak's Capsule) http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=d46ffc4d-fa44-46a4-b04c-2219bb2a9b02

 

HappyFrog

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Once while getting ready to go caching, I placed my Vista on top of my car to let it get a good signal, dinked around for a few minutes, hopped in the car and drove 17 miles on a highway (I don't drive slow)

 

My heart sank when I realized that I had done. I cringed my way out of the car and there it was still on the roof! Thank God for the luggage rack to keep it from sliding back.

 

I'm absent-minded enough to do it again, so now I only set it down where I can forget it and still not lose it. For example rather than laying it on a log, I'll drop it into the web pocket on my backpack. (I should look into getting a lanyard.)

 

I also upgraded to the newest software version and it does now have an owner information page that shows when booting up.

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I did the same thing as TeamX40, not with my GPSr but with a tape measure. I put it on the roof of my van while I was putting tools away then forgot it and drove to the other side of the city where I live.

 

When I got out of the van, there it was, exactly where I'd put it. And no luggage rack to hold it there either. I suppose that says something about the speed of city traffic!

 

Bill

 

-------------------------------

"Ah, take the Cache and let the Credit go..."

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, trans. Edward Fitzgerald

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quote:
Originally posted by cachew nut:

How the heck does one lose their GPSr?


 

I wasn't hard. Set it on the roof of your car late at night, and the leave in a hurry. Of course I don't drove slow. And of course it doesn't help to loose it where there are a lot of people around.

 

I'm now in the process of shopping around for a replacement. I think it is time to upgrade from my eTrex Summit that I loved...

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quote:
Originally posted by IV_Warrior:

Well, DJ if you hadn't been in such a rush to get away from the single men in the area, you may not have left it on your roof.....then again, it's just a GPS, be glad that's all you 'lost' at that rest area......

 

Nothing to see here, move along.


 

icon_biggrin.gif

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Lost mine while on a boat with 15 other geocachers. The boat started to sink and I had just taken the unit off my neck to put my shirt on. Before I could get get it sunk to the bottom of Lake Austin. Thanks to everyone there who pitched in to make the ordeal less expensive.

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I almost lost mine this weekend--I had found a hornet or yellowjacket nest instead of the cache, but after at least a dozen stings, I still had the presence of mind to make sure I still had all my stuff before I ran screaming out of the woods.

 

"Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other?"--George Eliot

 

MnGCA-Button.gif

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I lost an eTrex Venture earlier this year. I believe I left it on the roof of my team-mates truck and we drove away leaving it somewhere in Lahaska, PA. I probably didn't hear it on the roof because it was in a padded case.

 

It had my email address and phone number labled under the battery cover. Nobody ever tried to return it. (not like I would expect them too, but ya never know)

 

Kar

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I visited a cache up north that I had to skirt near the boundary of private property to get to, because I couldn't find the other road to get to the cache site. .23 miles later, I realized I left my PDA sitting at the cache site, and had to bushwack around some sticky bushes that just adhered to all things cloth on my body. My heart stopped for a few before realizing it wasn't in said sticky stuff. icon_smile.gif

 

Brian

Team A.I.

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I usually set my 76 down while signing the logbook of a found cache. Several times i have gotten up and taken a few paces before realizing that it was still laying on the ground. Figure one of these days that i'll get home and see that i left it at a cache site somewhere.

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quote:
Originally posted by cachew nut:

How the heck does one lose their GPSr?


Well I'll ya, cause I nearly did it on the last cache today. I had set the unit down while signing the log book, sealed up the container and went back to the vehicle. I reached to mount the GPSr backet and instantly realized exactly where I had left it. The cache was only about 200 feet away, so it wasn't a problem to get it back.

 

I knew I was gonna do this someday, but it wasn't a problem until now because I always use the trackback feature once I've found the cache. This time I didn't because it on the edge of a cemetary. Time to change my habit and religiously put it in the case while inspedting a cache.

 

That Quack Cacher:

Lone Duck

 

When you don't know where you're going, every road will take you there.

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I left a Vista in a taxi in Beijing / China. Stupid fool that I am icon_mad.gif.

 

If the driver ever figures out how to work this thing he'll be the one and only cab-driver who knows his way around town.

 

Take a cab in Beijing and you'll be lost for sure if you can't explain to the driver which way to go and where to turn icon_frown.gif

 

老盖

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I always worry I'm going to "Box it up" when I put the cache back! I also hate the cold chills I get when I can't find it, then I pat myself down and realize that instead of clipping it back on my belt, I have pocketed it. I pocket it out of habit now, because I keep breaking belt clips (anyone else?). Good thing Magellan keeps sending me more! 2 in the month since I got the case. I did find a generic cell phone clip that makes do in the time from when I break the Magellan Clip to the time they new one gets to me.

 

"I'm 35 Years old, I am divorced, and I live in van down by the river!" - Matt Foley

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A Dork I may be. I haven't lost my GPS yet. I keep my GPS around my neck on a lanyard while I am searching for caches. If I didn't you bet I would lose it. My cell phone is another story. I have lost my cell phone twice and both times I have been able to re-trace my steps and re-locate it. After the second time I decide it was time to place it in my cache bag where it now safely stays until it is needed.

Be Safe. Good Caching. Hope To meet You On The Trail Someday.

BassetSlave

 

BASSETSLAVE

-----------

If you have the nose of a basset there is no cache that you can not find and you are never lost.

anibasset1.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Grajek:

Lost mine while on a boat with 15 other geocachers. The boat started to sink and I had just taken the unit off my neck to put my shirt on. Before I could get get it sunk to the bottom of Lake Austin. Thanks to everyone there who pitched in to make the ordeal less expensive.


 

Mann, that musta sucked. I got off the boat as you were getting on and I didn't hear about your sinking until I read the event page. We sunk on the way over. I almost lost a $1500 camera that was on the seat behind me. I told bbelk to never sell that boat. That was FUNNNN. 9Key, his geodate, and I rode back in the SUV, so the party boat would be less overloaded on the last return trip.

 

Snicon_razz.gificon_razz.gifgans

texasgeocaching_sm.gif Sacred cows make the best hamburger....Mark Twain.

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wow. i thought my losing my motorola frs/gmrs radio last weekend was bad... icon_wink.gif jus kidding.

 

i feel your pain.

 

just a week ago, i did it. felt pretty stoopid. and although it was only like a $25 loss, i wanted to know where and how. so i went the next day and got a metal detector at radio shack and went back to look for it.

tried using the 'call' button on my radio to see if i could hear it, hoping that the fully charged battery was still going, almost 24 hours later. but the wind was so strong on the top of the hill, so i had to keep waiting for the wind to die down, which wasnt too often.

then tried kneeling down and looking thru the 6" tall brush. tough. finally tried the metal detector, but kept getting jammed in the brush, and its very specific to centering around the ring, and needing to be inches above the item, and with the brush being 6" tall, was pretty much a waste of effort.

still wondering if a cacher will ever find it...

Tragedy Cache!

 

i justify it in my mind as the motorola having a pretty ****ty clip. my cheapo bellsouth radios have a way better clip and i never lost them, even on rougher trails...time to see if my amex protection will 'cover' this purchase loss... icon_biggrin.gif

 

Anybody got any bright'er ideas than my metal detector one for finding a lost radio or gpsr? plastic detector, x-ray glasses, weed wacker (jus kidding, sort of)...

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Here a lost and found story.......

 

I just finished donating at the plasma (I do it twice a week, been off on for ofer 10 years in three diffent states). I took off my bike and headed down the road. about 30 mins later for some reason I got sick to the point of blacking out. I call my bother to pick me up at a outdoor table at a gas station, with my gpd in my hand. Things where a little fuzzy... I do know I had the gps at the table, half ways home I could not find it. We ran back to look for it but a last it was gone. Few days latter I went back to the plasma center and my gps was waiting for me. Someone just drop it off... all I can figure is I did had the plasma center mark as a waypoint. I am glad that someone was honest and knew the ways of a gps.

 

I wish could thank that someone....

 

V oryvir va lrfgreqnl

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I have a degree, so now they call me eccentric instead of just weird...

 

I just started caching, but here are some of the things I either use, or intend to use to help me keep track of my GPS:

 

1. I used a piece of brightly colored miniature climbing rope (about as thick as a shoelace) through the lanyard ring and put a small carabiner in the loop.

 

2. I only put my GPS on my windsield, sitting on the wiper to keep it from sliding down, with the lanyard clipped to the wiper or the antenna.

That way, I will see it, and if I don't see it for some strange reason, it will stay attached to the car.

 

3. I intend to sew velcro (hook) on top of my hat and glue velcro (loop, pile... the soft part) on the bottom of my GPSr. That way I can put it on my head, and it will continue to receive without me having to carry it. I don't like the idea of carrying it in a case, or on my belt because I want it to continue tracking.

 

4. I intend to put a lanyard loop on the TOP of my gps so that I can hang it in a tree and it will be oriented with the antenna up.

 

5. I intend to get strips of surveyor's ribbon in bright orange and in yellow, and tie them to the lanyard loop so if I do leave it in a tree, or drop it, it'll be easier to find. (It'll look festive too!)

 

6. I will get a telescoping pole (like a trekking pole, but longer) and put a spike on the bottom and an attachment point for my GPS atop the handle so I can stick it into the ground and have my GPS up off the ground so it can continue to receive sattelite transmission while I'm hunting the area of the cache, or tying my shoelace.

 

6b. I can then use the pole to hold the GPS up high and get better reception. I'll hold it up high for a while, then bring it down and read the data.

 

7. I'll probably buy a re-radiating antenna, and put it on a very long telescoping pole so I can get up higher (if you're on a forest service road, even 20 ft higher can give a large increase in the angular projection of the slice of sky you can "see" with the antenna)

 

8. My Magellan SporTrak Pro Floats! If it didn't, I'd get one of those soft key floats from a boating store (or Walmart) and attach it to the lanyard.

 

"I'm not Responsible... just ask my wife, She'll confirm it"

 

[This message was edited by Mark 42 on August 26, 2003 at 12:30 PM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by Mark 42:

I have a degree, so now they call me eccentric instead of just weird...

 

I just started caching, but here are some of the things I either use, or intend to use to help me keep track of my GPS:

 

1. I used a piece of brightly colored miniature climbing rope (about as thick as a shoelace) through the lanyard ring and put a small carabiner in the loop.

 

2. I only put my GPS on my windsield, sitting on the wiper to keep it from sliding down, with the lanyard clipped to the wiper or the antenna.

That way, I will see it, and if I don't see it for some strange reason, it will stay attached to the car.

 

3. I intend to sew velcro (hook) on top of my hat and glue velcro (loop, pile... the soft part) on the bottom of my GPSr. That way I can put it on my head, and it will continue to receive without me having to carry it. I don't like the idea of carrying it in a case, or on my belt because I want it to continue tracking.

 

4. I intend to put a lanyard loop on the TOP of my gps so that I can hang it in a tree and it will be oriented with the antenna up.

 

5. I intend to get strips of surveyor's ribbon in bright orange and in yellow, and tie them to the lanyard loop so if I do leave it in a tree, or drop it, it'll be easier to find. (It'll look festive too!)

 

6. I will get a telescoping pole (like a trekking pole, but longer) and put a spike on the bottom and an attachment point for my GPS atop the handle so I can stick it into the ground and have my GPS up off the ground so it can continue to receive sattelite transmission while I'm hunting the area of the cache, or tying my shoelace.

 

6b. I can then use the pole to hold the GPS up high and get better reception. I'll hold it up high for a while, then bring it down and read the data.

 

7. I'll probably buy a re-radiating antenna, and put it on a very long telescoping pole so I can get up higher (if you're on a forest service road, even 20 ft higher can give a large increase in the angular projection of the slice of sky you can "see" with the antenna)

 

8. My Magellan SporTrak Pro Floats! If it didn't, I'd get one of those soft http://www.magnummarine.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MB&Product_Code=KEYFLOAT&Category_Code=A1 from a boating store (or Walmart) and attach it to the lanyard.

 

_ "I'm not Responsible... just ask my wife, She'll confirm it" _

 

[This message was edited by Mark 42 on August 26, 2003 at 12:30 PM.]


 

Can you post a pic of that monstrosity? icon_wink.gif

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My Vista goes caching with me on a lanyard, my cell phone clips to my belt holder. However, I went caching in Cape Cod 2 weeks ago wearing beltless pants and lost my Canon digital camera thats usually stay clipped to my belt. (Anyone find it?).

 

It's a good thing I didn't lose my pants!

 

Alan

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I feel like an idiot also!On Aug 09,I just finished doing a 10 mile-2 cache trip on the AT which included an encounter between a timber rattler and my dog.When I reached my truck,I placed my unit and pack(to which my unit was clipped to)on the bed cover so I could get my keys.after opening the door I grabbed the pack and tossed it onto the pass. seat and proceeded to drive down the access road to the highway.This is the stupid part,upon returning home I placed the pack in its usual ready spot and logged the finds.Two weeks later,when I had time to cache again,I went for my e-trex and sure enough it was'nt clipped on the belt anymore.After tearing up the house and car,I returned to the area on the slim hope of finding it,no luck.I placed posts on the GC.com forums to no avail.I'm now in the market for another GPSr.LESSON LEARNED

Still offering a reward to anyone finding a yellow e-trex w/black case on the access road to the Port Clinton fire tower in PA.

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Ny wife, ting, and I were out night caching in northern Indiana one evening with some friends. After finding the cache, we were hiking back to the car. At the time, my wife was using a Magellan SportTrak Pro and had the unit around her neck. When we got near he car, I notice she only had HALF of her GPS; the only thing hanging on her neck was the battery compartment. The unit had become unscrewed and had fallen off SOMEWHERE within a half mile in the dark forest. She had not noticed since the heavy part is the battery pack. We back tracked about half way before we spotted it on the trail.

 

Now the lanyard is attached to the GPS body.

 

I thought I was a little off, then I looked at my GPS and discovered I accurate to 12 ft.

 

Geocachers don't NEED to ask for directions!

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took my gpsr down the subway trail at zion national park in southern utah. got my gpsr submerged in water and it stopped working. had to send it in for repair. gpsr units are NOT ipx7 spec waterproof, i don't care what they say. the units are not waterproof. ipx7 spec says under 1 meter of water for 30minutes, NOT!! i had it under 1 foot of water for 30 seconds and it blew the motherboard. it had to be replaced by magellan, although i didn't tell them what happened.

 

Creativity Within The Bounds Of Conformity

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Well of course you didn't tell them the truth. This is part of the reason that GPS reciever prices stay up there-Someone has to cover the cost of them fixing machines that just mysteriously "quit". People need to start taking responsibility for the actions.

 

Bender

 

Searching, for the lost Xanadu

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I've lost my cell phone about 3 times, but I always found it just when the sun was going down.

It didn't matter when I lost it, it wouldn't be found until almost dark.

 

Then I lost my GPS case with 4 spare rechargeables. But a cacher from St. Louis found it and mailed it to me.

 

I'm too paranoid to lose the GPS - I never put it down in the field. It is in my hand or in the case.

 

DustyJacket

Not all those that wander are lost. But in my case... icon_biggrin.gif

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In my few adventures I've put my magellan through the loops, I've slipped on a moss covered boulder and broke my fall with the hand holding the GPSr. Luckily it is a sturdy model and still works. I have left it on a rock while starting to walk away but remembered it at the last minute. I have dropped it in a deep puddle and had to dry it out. I have also left it on top of the car as we were driving out, and after about a mile I noticed that I did not have it with me, it was still on top of the car. I just recently bought a Neo Gear case from the gps store and it clips to my belt. I think this is the best investment I have made since buying the the GPS, since then I haven't had a problem.

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I have ALMOST lost my GPSr, buit I DID Lose a $500 digital camera on my FIRST cache hunt, a public park in Riverside, Ca,....

 

geocan.jpg

 

Trash-out, EVERYtime

 

~~

 

Geo-cach-er, n. generally a highy technically competent person with lots of free time. (see also- "Unemployed", Computer administrator, aircraft technician- defense worker- dot-com executive- systems administrator, et.al)

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I read this thread earlier and it was too depressing because I just lost my Garmin Legend yesterday when I left it sitting on my trunk at a trailhead. So, I went off to pout and start shopping for a new unit. icon_frown.gif

 

Then the phone rang. It was a guy wanting to know if I lost 'one of them GPS things.' icon_biggrin.gif

 

He thought he'd found a cell phone. When he got home he started pushing buttons. When it came on, there was my name and address. So, he gave me a call.

 

He lives less than 5 miles away. I just got home with my GPSr in good working order. I would have been home sooner but I tried to insist that he let me give him something for his good deed. But, as is the case with good people like him, the effort was futile.

 

He settled for a short course in geocaching. I took him and his son to a cache in a park less than a mile from their house that I had just done a couple weeks ago. They thought it was pretty cool. Sounds like another cacher or two are on their way... icon_smile.gif

 

~~~In my world, nothing ever goes wrong!~~~

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My plan is to use the double stick tape made for attaching auto trim, or epoxy (like JB Weld) to attach a ring for a lanyard at the top of my GPS so I can hang it in the upright position. Something like the one in this picture:

 

168518.325x309.jpeg

 

"I'm not Responsible... just ask my wife, She'll confirm it"

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I lost my first etrex over the winter doing a night-time land navigation course. Over night we got like 3 feet of snow. About a month later I got a phone call from the ranger in that area. He was plowing a side trail and saw it pop up over the plow. I picked it up, put in frex batteries, and it worked fine. After a few days the screen started doing funny things and then it stopped working all together. Now it sits at the bottom of the closet not working.

 

Paw%20Print.jpgvipersig.jpg

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Yikes can't imagine losing the GPS. I bought the belt pack for my Magellan and the minute we locate a cache, in it goes and zipped up...hmmm that didn't sound right LOL icon_razz.gif

 

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Cache me out dammit, I'm in a hurry!

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I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

-Thomas Jefferson

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