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What Is So Good About Premium


metaliklabs

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Cache maps - being able to pan around, zoom in, and so on - very helpful in finding areas where you could do several caches, and when planning a trip to see what caches could be done on the way.

 

Hopefully I'll soon start to make use of the pocket queries.

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A premium membership at Geocaching.com costs $30 per year (or, if you don't want to spring for the whole year at once, try it out first for $3 per month). You can pay via PayPal or snail mail. Click on the Membership Page Link for more details.

 

As a premium member, you get the following benefits:

 

1. Pocket queries -- up to 5 files containing data for 500 caches each -- so you can have cache data available in bulk for use on your GPSr, handheld device and PC.

 

2. The Geocaching.com maps will show which caches on the map you're viewing have already been found by your account.

 

3. You can create and hunt for Member Only Caches (MOC's) whose coordinates and cache details are available only to premium members. There are very few MOC's -- just a percentage point or two of the total -- but sometimes these caches have special prizes or a particularly good puzzle or hunt.

 

4. You can change your title here in the Groundspeak forums to whatever you'd like.

 

5. Most importantly, you get the satisfaction of supporting Geocaching.com so that all these services can be provided. $30 a year for a great hobby like geocaching... compare that to a season pass at a ski resort or a golf club membership!

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the pocket queries are a big time saver. I con log into the PC and have all caches within 50 miles of home into my Geko within 5 minutes. Of course I'm looking forward to the day when 50 miles from home covers more than 500 caches... so any UK cachers reading this, head towards Manchester and start hiding em!

Edited by NattyBooshka
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I find the biggest reason I went premium was to support the site. The wealth of information you get from geocaching.com is insurmountable compared to the small $3 monthy, or the $2.50 per month for annual membership.

 

It's not the .COM era any more folks. If we don't support these guys, they'll stop making money, have no investors, and eventually go under like 90% of the .COM era sites did.

 

If you're an avid, or even moderately active cacher, and you don't have a premium membership, you should ask yourself why not. Some magazine subscriptions cost 2x, 3x, or even 4x what an annual membership runs here.

 

Thanks for reading.

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If you use them, the pocket queries are great. I don't anymore for a variety of non GC reasons. I get a lot out of member only caches. I also agree with previous posts that this site needs to stay in business. Compare it to open or navi and see what happens when part time means REALLY part time.

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Keystone Approver said:

2. The Geocaching.com maps will show which caches on the map you're viewing have already been found by your account.

 

I just became a premium member but I do not see that on my maps.

Do I need to turn something on?

 

K. A. also mentioned you can change your title.

How do I do that? I spent 30 min searching for the answers and found nothing.

Can you nice cachers help?

 

Thanks.

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Simply put, GPX files. The only way to get them is to use PQ which only available to premium members. Why are GPX files so cool? They contain all the information about the cache which can be used to load onto your own database either on your PC or your PDA. LOC files only have the actual waypoint and little else. You wont' get hints, descriptions or any of that.

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It's a value at twice the price ( I hope Jeremy doesn't read this.)

Above all else, you are supporting a sport/hobby/past time that gets your butt outside and into the fresh air. You probably have cable or satelite TV and you pay the monthly charges on those with little thought.

Now how much is it worth??

My membership comes due in April. Guess what? I am renewing.

Yes you can play this without paying one red cent. That's cool (Thanks Jeremy).

And nobody thinks the less of the people who do not have a membership. Where else does this happen? With membership you get a few extra "perks" and in my opinion, it is money well spent!

You make the choice! All the cachers still support you, member or not.

NOW THAT'S COOL!! :rolleyes:

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It's really more about giving back than what you get!It costs a bunch to run this site!

Definitely. And with as much enjoyment and decompressing I get from geocaching, $30 is nothing. I forgot COMPLETELY about work for at least 8 hours yesterday which is impossible when doing anything else, even sleeping! Besides, the pocket queries are priceless.

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on a day to day basis it comes down to:

 

1. if you're paperless, more data.

 

2. if you're not, really convenient map functions. center map on an area (like an open-space) that you're interested in and choose the identify function. you get a list of all caches in that area number-coded to locations on the map. That makes planning a caching trip to a park much easier for those of us who still use lists of coordinates scribbled on a legal pad. IMO the GC maps should be the default.

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The reason I joined is exactly what "quoddy" posted. I haven't even used any of the premium services, yet. Hmmm...in fact, I don't think I know how? :ph34r: Seriously, though....if it wasn't for this well run site...I would never have known how much fun this sport is and would have never had the reason or opportunity to see places, that I never knew existed...especially in my local area. Thanks to all that make this possible.

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And if unselecting the box on the map page for Finds/Owns will mean that they will not show on the map???

I hope you're not too disappointed by this.

 

Unchecking the "find" will remove the check mark, but the original cache icon will still be displayed. A lot of people have asked for what you expected to happen, but Jeremy has said it's hard/impossible.

 

(Maybe if he could put the geocaching map on the PQ inquiry, we would all be happy?)

 

Premium membership allows you to click on the map to reposition the center. Also, you can identify the 20 nearest caches to any point on the map. (I think these are both premium functions.)

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I'm looking forward to the day when 50 miles from home covers more than 500 caches... so any UK cachers reading this, head towards Manchester and start hiding em!

"Look after your car mister...... only £1 for the day ???" B)

 

I suppose it's the same down here..... Premium is 81.9p / litre ! :unsure: .... oh, sorry.... :)

 

Talking of cache density though, when we started not so long ago, we could have covered all the Wiltshire caches in about 3000% of the time it would have taken Seasider (even with his beer-breaks) and Mr. Womble became more active in the GAGB as the fuel-bill would have been huge otherwise. Now, the story is changing and it's nice to see.

 

A great activity down here in 6X-land ! B) How's the Boddingtons ??

 

Andy

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