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Keeping Track of Caches


Spectre

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I'm trying to be a little organized and after a few caches I'm wondering how others keep track of what caches they've done. I know the website keeps track but I'm talking about on your GPSr. Do you just delete a cache once found? Do you change the name?

 

Just curious.

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I change the icon from "Geocache" to "Geocache Found" (available on Garmin units) so that I can visualize where I've been and where I still need to go.

 

I clean out waypoints periodically when I move to a different caching area, and need to load new pocket query results. To do this:

 

1. I have one .loc file containing all my "permanent" waypoints like my house, office, friends' houses, my hidden caches, etc.

 

2. I delete all the waypoints on the GPS.

 

3. From EasyGPS, I re-load the permanent waypoint file (approx 100) from my PC to my GPS, leaving 350 waypoints available for new caches and 50 free for parking spots, trail intersections, and other things I might waypoint along the way.

 

4. I filter my pocket query results using ClayJar's "Watcher" program, so that I have a list of 350 or fewer caches along the route I'm traveling.

 

5. I save the filtered Watcher cache list as a separate GPX file, open it in EasyGPS and send the new waypoints to the GPS.

 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Next time, instead of getting married, I think I'll just find a woman I don't like and buy her a house.

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I actually do the reverse: I mark a new waypoint when I find a cache. On the GPS76S, the comments on the waypoint default to the date and time. That way I know how close my coordinates were when I found it, and what time I found it.

 

When I get home, I download the points (they are all 001, 002, 003, etc) and can quickly compare them in EasyGPS to the caches in my GPS.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

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When I find them I change the first letter of the wayoint name in my GPSr to F, so I know which ones I have found by doing a sort when I get home.

 

I also keep track of my found caches, long term, by adding them to a .loc file, so I can look them over in EasyGPS. I edit the comment field to show my find number and the date, so I can just sort by that field to see them in order.

 

Dave_W6DPS

 

Dave_W6DPS

 

My two cents worth, refunds available on request. (US funds only)

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I change the waypoint from geocache to found.

 

If you use pocket queries, it does this automatically if you use GPX format. I update my GPS every week and the updated icons are added for me.

 

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

I have never been lost. Been awful confused for a few days, but never lost!

N61.12.041 W149.43.734

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Well in my GPS is do the Geocache to Geocache Found Icon. I also take a picture of the cache container and my gps, then I take a picture of my log entry and the card I leave marking my find.

 

I use watcher to filter, Spinner to change things and Plucker to read the spun files on my Palm.

 

I was cleaning out my desk area and ended up piching out all my print outs from my first few months of caching. Rather intresting to read my old notes and scribbles.

 

-Robert

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I print out the cache page and a detailed map. When I find the cache I write in the log book and on the cache page at the same time (what I took, left and other pertinate info). When I get home I log them on the site and delete them from my gpsr and easy gps one at a time.

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On my Merigreen, I just change the icon from the closed treasure chest (hidden cache), to open treasure chest (found cache).

 

I have all caches within an 80 mile radius of home saved to three different files on my SD card. I add new caches as they pop up.

 

When I get home, I will download the cache waypoints (including hint waypoints found during multicaches), and the tracks of each cache hunt to a folder named Geocaches, in a subfolder named with the cache name.

 

Art

 

www.yankeetoys.org

www.BudBuilt.com

www.pirate4x4.com

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Cracker7M:

 

How did you get a open Treasure box on your Merigreen? Did you get a Firmware update, if so which one?

 

I know the Garmin updates thier icons from time to time, but I didn't know Magellean had geocache icons.

 

----

Chivalry:

A couple of medieval songwriters come up with the idea of chivalry one rainy day... and you embrace it as a lifestyle. You live and die by a code of honor that was trendy when you were a kid.

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I change them from Geocache to Geocache Found on my Vista, then either download them to my finds.mps file (MapSource), or just change the icons on the custom page created for the current hunt I'm going on. Then I cut/paste the icons to the found map file.

 

For logging, if I'm using PalmReader, I create a note page within the file and note the waypoint/time/info. For Plucker, I just create a note page with the same information.

 

Brian

Team A.I.

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quote:
Originally posted by adampierson:

Cracker7M:

 

How did you get a open Treasure box on your Merigreen? Did you get a Firmware update, if so which one?

 

I know the Garmin updates thier icons from time to time, but I didn't know Magellean had geocache icons.

 


No, Magellan has NOT changed, or added caching icons to their firmware yet.

 

There is a program available on the Yahoo Meridian group called Meridicon. It allows you to draw custom icons and rename them. It saves it somewhere in the personal.hex firmware file. You have to then reinstall your firmware with Magup.

 

Unfortunately, Mapsend does not see the new icons, or the new names...icon_frown.gif

Your GPS does, though... icon_smile.gif

 

I should probably see if I can poke around in the Mapsend files to see if that can be fixed....

 

Yahoo Meridian Group

 

Art

 

www.yankeetoys.org

www.BudBuilt.com

www.pirate4x4.com

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If you are using Pocket Queries, all caches that you logged as "found" on geocaching.com will be marked in the PQ. I just save PQ in GPX format in the same place, QuakeMap reads the file on start, and I see the caches on the map. With a couple of clicks all caches are loaded to GPS - including the new ones, and the "found" ones are marked with different icons.

 

http://www.quakemap.com - redefining Easy...

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The GPS I borrow (I can't afford my own yet) still has all the cords for the caches MIT the Nomad has found... I don't think he deletes them unless he needs to make room (which he doesn't need to yet, either).... I have noticed that he deletes mine from there (Including the cords to a new cache I was going to set up, grrr)

 

I just keep track on the webiste of what I've done and what I have left (the ones I need to do I keep in the watch list until I do them)

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On my Meridian Gold I have the waypoints stored by the GC name which is only 6 characters long.

 

When I find a cache, rather than delete the waypoint, I just edit the name by putting a couple of X's on the end. For the ones I can't find I put a couple of slashes // on the end.

 

Sometimes keeping the waypoints in the GPSr is helpful in finding your way back, so I don't like to delete them.

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