+mdshamilton Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 Has anyone bought and read any of the 5 Geocaching books available from Amazon (listed below)? I've been geocaching on and off for the past 3 years...am I likely to learn anything new, be better at finding caches - or are they really aimed at "Dummies"? Does anyone have any views/experience? Geocaching for Dummies (For Dummies S.) ~Joel McNamara John Wiley & Sons Inc Paperback - September 20, 2004 The Geocaching Handbook ~Dave Ulmer (Foreword), Layne Cameron Globe Pequot Press Paperback - July 1, 2004 Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching (Complete Idiot's Guides (Lifestyle Paperback)) ~Jack W. Peters Alpha Books Paperback - June 1, 2004 The Essential Guide to Geocaching ~Mike Dyer Fulcrum Publishing Paperback - August 15, 2004 GeoCaching: Hike and Seek with Your GPS ~Erik Sherman APress,US Paperback - April 1, 2004 Quote Link to comment
+writer Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 I'm particularly fond of the last one. LOL Seriously, you might learn something, or you might not, from my book or any of the others. It really depends on what you already know and what you are interested in learning, though Today's Cacher and geocaching-u.com both seemed to like mine. But if you are an experienced hiker, know how to navigate even without a GPSr, and understand the technology (at least, understand as much as you'd want to), then my book probably wouldn't catch your attention. I haven't looked at all the others, but from the ones I've seen, each has a slightly different angle, so it will be a matter of personal taste. Quote Link to comment
+GeoBrowns Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 (edited) Your Geocaching Hide and Seek book are listed here at Fry's right now, $15 with a $15 rebate making it just the cost of local tax. Edited November 30, 2004 by geobrowns Quote Link to comment
+CYBret Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 I've read Erik's "GeoCaching: Hike and Seek with Your GPS" and really enjoyed it. I liked it a lot because it wasn't just about geocaching, but also about hiking and general outdoorsy stuff (is that a real word?) I've also read most of the Idiot's guide and parts of the Dummie's guide. Both of them are good and since they make heavy use of images from the website they're good for newbies (not just idiots and dummies). However, I spotted a couple inaccuracies in the Idiots guide that should have been caught. I wonder if anyone else has noticed them. Hmmmmmmm. No experience with the other books yet, though I'm hoping to add them to my library soon. Bret Quote Link to comment
+Markwell Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 However, I spotted a couple inaccuracies in the Idiots guide that should have been caught. I wonder if anyone else has noticed them. Too bad they didn't get a fabulous technical editor like Erik did. Quote Link to comment
+CYBret Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 Too bad they didn't get a fabulous technical editor like Erik did. Wellllll, true. I can't imagine the mistakes I spotted would have made it through if they had. For example, page 36: Triangulation works by a receiver downloading radio signals broadcast from each satellite it can lock on to. The satellites are in a stationary orbit, which allows the GPSr to calculate its location by determining the distance from each overhead satellite. Can you spot the inaccuracy? Bret Quote Link to comment
+welch Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 Triangulation works by a receiver downloading radio signals broadcast from each satellite it can lock on to. The satellites are in a stationary orbit, which allows the GPSr to calculate its location by determining the distance from each overhead satellite. Can you spot the inaccuracy? Bret The receiver uses trilateration (sp?), and more importanly the normal sats are not in stationary orbit. Those used for corrections like WAAS are, however. Quote Link to comment
+welch Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 Has anyone bought and read any of the 5 Geocaching books available from Amazon (listed below)? I've been geocaching on and off for the past 3 years...am I likely to learn anything new, be better at finding caches - or are they really aimed at "Dummies"? Does anyone have any views/experience? Bought? no, the last time I was at the library I ran a search on geocaching. And amazingly they had two books on geocaching, and a brand new book on gps. I guess filling out those little suggestion cards do work .Checked out all three. Reading The Geocaching Handbook right now. (the other one was writer's book , which I will get to next week probably). To me the 'handbook' is much pretty 'dummy' based. So far its had some Ulmer tales, a bit of hide your own cache tips, and what to look for a gps (which makes me think the guy probably uses a gpsIII mostly). The one mistake I saw was that the book (at least the way I read it) said a virtual is a cache with only a logbook ? Quote Link to comment
+Markwell Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 (edited) Triangulation works by a receiver downloading radio signals broadcast from each satellite it can lock on to. The satellites are in a stationary orbit, which allows the GPSr to calculate its location by determining the distance from each overhead satellite. They're not stationary. ooops - didn't read Welch's post entirely. Edited December 1, 2004 by Markwell Quote Link to comment
+carleenp Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 (edited) I have Erik Sherman's book and thought it was very well done. I keep meaning to buy a couple of the others, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Edited December 1, 2004 by carleenp Quote Link to comment
+VisionQuest220 Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 I'm particularly fond of the last one. LOL I've scanned through all of the aforementioned titles and I have to agree with "writer". And, speaking directly to "writer" himself, you wrote a wonderful book and I keep it in the most popular reading location in the house. If that's not a testimony to work well done then there just ain't no justice in the world. (The technical editing was aces too.) Quote Link to comment
+writer Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 And, speaking directly to "writer" himself, you wrote a wonderful book and I keep it in the most popular reading location in the house. If that's not a testimony to work well done then there just ain't no justice in the world. (The technical editing was aces too.) I'm finally getting back in (a very busy month of deadlines, deadlines, deadlines). Thanks for the kind words - and if your popular reading spot is the same as mine, you can wash off any smudges that might get on your hands from the printing. LOL Quote Link to comment
+nfa Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 I looked at a couple of them in a B&N, and ended up buying the "Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching", as I like the layout of the pages and the book for my intended recipients, both low-tech newbies. nfa-jamie Quote Link to comment
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