hobo_hut Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 I dont have a GPS, and im nit sure if i will get one. I took an orienteering class in college and kinda think its more fun to use a good old map and compass. Does anyone else agree with me that the GPS is kinda cheating? I wanted to make a poll but it wouldnt let me. Quote
Tahosa and Sons Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Some can be found without a GPS, and yes the GPS does make it easier to get to the general location. And that is why on some of my caches there are some compass bearings or stuff like that to make it a little bit harder. Quote
+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Most on this site use a gps and I don't think it's cheating in the least. This isn't an exact science here. Get in a tree cover and you'll be lucky to have any readings. Quote
+utahrc Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 If I'm not mistaken, the sport became popular and recieved it's popular name "geocaching" following the increased accuracy of GPSr's when the US government allowed the public to receive more accurate GPS readings. Because of that, I consider the use of a GPS to be implied when discussing geocahing. If most of the folks playing the game use a GPS, then I don't think you can consider its use to be cheating. That's like saying the quarterback cheats when he throws a pass, because you think real QB's should run the ball. In the end it's a fun activity, not a competition, so if you are having fun you win! Quote
+Spoo Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 (edited) I am a former Helicopter Pilot. I found I loved navigation and then found orienteering as a natural carry-over. I have orienteered for years but when the GPS units came out, it was a toy to good to be true and overlooked. I guess it is all up to you. I do both, but I never go anywhere without my GPSr. "Anyone can fly an airplane, but it takes a real man to BEAT the air into submission." Edited February 20, 2004 by Spoo Quote
+gbod Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Geocaching implies that you do use GPS From the Geocaching.com home page: Join Geocaching - The sport where YOU are the search engineTM A GPS device and a hunger for adventure are all you need for high tech treasure hunting. Here you can find the latest caches in your area, how to hide your own cache, and information on how to get started in this fun and exciting sport. Quote
+PeachyPA Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 I found my first six caches without a GPS unit using the topo maps and having a knowledge of the areas and a good sense of direction. These were, on the whole, 1/1-1.5 caches, some of which my college student daughter had found before me. However, once I borrowed a unit, I saw how much easier it was to locate the general area of the caches. Once you are within ten feet or so, you have to use your brain to figure out the actual hiding places. They are not all on the ground. Quote
+The Cheeseheads Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 I wouldn't call it cheating. The idea of geocaching is that you do use a GPSr. That would be like saying using a compass for orienteering is cheating. Quote
+briansnat Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 (edited) I dont have a GPS, and im nit sure if i will get one. I took an orienteering class in college and kinda think its more fun to use a good old map and compass. Does anyone else agree with me that the GPS is kinda cheating? Since the point of the sport is to use a GPS to find the cache, then no. It's apparent from a statement like this that you've not been on many cache hunts. Edited February 20, 2004 by briansnat Quote
+Imajika Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 A GPS will NOT lead you straight to a cache. They will get you NEAR it but never lead you directly to it. You still need to walk to the cache and then do a good old fashioned hunt for it. I don't consider using a GPS to be cheating by any means. True, some people prefer to hunt caches without a GPS. A GPS is not required to find a cache but it sure does help and I would never consider using one to be cheating. Basically, do whatever is more fun for you. Try a few without a GPS, then perhaps borrow a friends GPS and give it a try. See which one you prefer and stick to it. Quote
nobby.nobbs Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 i think you're taking life just a little too seriously. it's a leisure activity that people do for enjoyment. you can use any aids you want or not whatever makes a good day out for you. i'm not being critical, i wish i could map read well enough to do without but i enjoy the hunt just as much. my daughter, only 5, can cope with gps ie follow the arrow! whatever gets you through the day. just kick back and relax and enjoy life. there's more than enough rules already! Quote
ashoofack Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Some counties have no reliable topos on general sale. Therefore, the only way to cache is with a GPS. How do I know? I live in Oman and we can't buy anything other than a 1:250 000 scale road map which is consistantly inconsistant. Now, if you could find the caches with just one of those I would be impressed Quote
+Team GPSaxophone Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 I dont have a GPS, and im nit sure if i will get one. I took an orienteering class in college and kinda think its more fun to use a good old map and compass. Does anyone else agree with me that the GPS is kinda cheating? I wanted to make a poll but it wouldnt let me. How can using a GPS be cheating? This game was designed around the technology. Quote
+RainbowCache Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 True, some people prefer to hunt caches without a GPS. A GPS is not required to find a cache but it sure does help and I would never consider using one to be cheating. Basically, do whatever is more fun for you. Try a few without a GPS, then perhaps borrow a friends GPS and give it a try. See which one you prefer and stick to it. Then trying HIDING a cache using map and compass - and posting it to GC.com... Finders will be adding "corrected" coordinates to their logs! I too started with paper and compass in finding my way around the outdoors and still use them. But a GPSr just adds to the fun and I do not move more than 500 feet from my doorstep without it!!! Quote
+LukeH Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Then trying HIDING a cache using map and compass - and posting it to GC.com... Hmm. That's exactly how I hid my first & only cache. However, given its location (hilltop), it's pretty obvious to figure out how to get up there without a GPS. When I hid it I carefully gridded its location on a map and got the UTM coordinates, then converted them to lat/long. When I came up there with my GPS a few days later, it put me 20 feet away. Not bad. If in general the GPS is good for +/- 10 meters, that's 1 digit of uncertainty, in a 4-digit ordinate on the UTM grid (8 digit complete coordinate). My UTM grid reader gives me 3 digits of precision on my 1:25k maps, the last digit (tens of meters) being estimated between hash marks every 20 meters. This last digit can thus be estimated to +/- 10 meters precision, giving roughly the same precision that GPS can give. If you can place yourself precisely on a (current) map of 1:25k or better, you can in my opinion get a coordinate as good as GPS would give you. The challenge, however, is figuring out where exactly you are on this map, and that can be really hard to do without survey grade equipment. My coordinates were probably as good as they are because it was an easy location to pinpoint on a map. Also, I think luck played a small part. Quote
+PILTY Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Who really gives a dadgum about how ya find em? The fun is in getting out there and DOING something. I can find co-ordinates on the ground by map and compass or GPS. The point is that I use a GPS so that I don't have to be bothered using a map and compass. Man that does laundry by hand = Jackass - Man that uses washing machine - smart - Man that gets wife to do laundry = smartest! Quote
uperdooper Posted February 21, 2004 Posted February 21, 2004 anyone who can figure out how to use a gpsr to find a cache is not cheating. some of the more expensive ones are a bear to learn to use. Quote
+Spoo Posted February 21, 2004 Posted February 21, 2004 But a GPSr just adds to the fun and I do not move more than 500 feet from my doorstep without it!!! Wow !!!! You go that far from home without a GPSr? You are brave !!!! Quote
+Melrose Plant Posted February 21, 2004 Posted February 21, 2004 I tried my first search before I got a GPS, but I didn't know quite a few things then, such as the difference between NAD27 and WGS84. Needless to say, I was unsuccessful. I might try this again someday, though. Quote
+crzycrzy Posted February 23, 2004 Posted February 23, 2004 Isn't geocaching without a GPS actually called letterboxing? Enquiring minds wanna know... Quote
phern47 Posted February 23, 2004 Posted February 23, 2004 I dont have a GPS, and im nit sure if i will get one. I took an orienteering class in college and kinda think its more fun to use a good old map and compass. Does anyone else agree with me that the GPS is kinda cheating? I wanted to make a poll but it wouldnt let me. yes .... GPS is kind of like cheating. About on par to using a telephone instead of passenger pigeon. Quote
+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite Posted February 23, 2004 Posted February 23, 2004 yes .... GPS is kind of like cheating. About on par to using a telephone instead of passenger pigeon. Actually a cell phone is a very valuable caching tool. A pigeon would take too long to get the necessary clues. Quote
PM_Thumper Posted February 26, 2004 Posted February 26, 2004 Honestly, I'm starting to think of geocaching precisely as an excuse to use my GPS. True, I've found several without it; I sort of keep a mental list of caches near places I go frequently, and I'll sometimes decide to go looking for one without the GPS. I guess I have to admit that it's just as much fun with or without the technology. And I found my very first one with a topo map and compass. When I go hiking or backpacking, I take the GPS along in case I get lost, but so far I've never needed it for that. If it weren't for caching, my GPS would be just an expensive pedometer; caching turns it into a very cool little toy. Quote
+Brian - Team A.I. Posted February 26, 2004 Posted February 26, 2004 I like (and depend on) using my GPS to find caches. However, my wife finds them just as well (if not faster than I) using a compass and her internal sense of direction and deduction. So while it's not "cheating" to use a GPS, nor "necessary" it is "technically" part of the game. Just my $.02. /me glares at the avatar thief. Quote
dneylon Posted February 27, 2004 Posted February 27, 2004 GPS cheating?? And here I was thinking of plugging my GPS into my laptop with Street Atlas. David N. Fishers, IN Quote
+SonicFox Posted February 29, 2004 Posted February 29, 2004 I don't feel that it is cheating, however this has sparked my interest in using the good ol' compass! I think that I will try a few with a compass, but have my GPS as a backup! So mission accomplished, you got someone else interested! I hope that I don't get totally lost...lol. Quote
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