hunky Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I'm new so bear with me, and this might sound stupid but so far when locating caches I just jot down the coordinates and use the gps function that shows the coordinates as to where I am and adjust my postion until I get to the cache, but looking more at this web site it seems that one should download the coordinates into the gps and then use the goto function and get to the cache using the arrow function. Does it matter how one gets to the cache? My gps is a garmin and the terms to define what I am doing may not be clear to all, hell they might not be clear to anyone, in anyevent please advise. Thanks Quote Link to comment
+chillas Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Whatever works for you is cool. Some people don't even use a GPSr! ----- Memory is a prism through which yesterday's light is passed. Quote Link to comment
+Jamie Z Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Hunky... The method you use is oft-described in these forums from newbies, or veterans recalling their first geocaching trips. I think, however, that if you take the few minutes to learn to use the GOTO function, you'll be amazed. The GPS will not only point you to the cache, but it will tell you how far it is, too. You can even look on a screen and see where you are in relation to it. I strongly urge you to experiment to figure out the simply GOTO function. It's much, much simpler. Jamie Quote Link to comment
IGPoobah Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I don't download anything either, I manually enter the coords into my GPS, and then use the GOTO function. It is very cool to watch the bearing pointer go right to it. Quote Link to comment
+gsdvr Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by hunky: Does it matter how one gets to the cache? My gps is a garmin and the terms to define what I am doing may not be clear to all, hell they might not be clear to anyone, in anyevent please advise. Thanks I use the goto function to get me in the area. But if what you are doing works for you, then by all means use it..... Mike Gsdvr Huntsville Quote Link to comment
Tahosa and Sons Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 If you lock onto the arrow and ignore the terrain features you could get you self into trouble. It helps to get a map of the cache area, especially if its in the boonies. Look where your quest is get as close as possible using a map, then if you can't find it turn on the wonder bug. Tahosa - Dweller of the Mountain Tops. Quote Link to comment
HackAttack Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by hunky:I'm new so bear with me, and this might sound stupid but so far when locating caches I just jot down the coordinates and use the gps function that shows the coordinates as to where I am and adjust my postion until I get to the cache Ma Bell and I found our first 80 or so using the method you speak of. Merely walking around until the coords matched up. Since we were using a Blazer 12 which only has two decimal places, we often spent a good 5-15 minutes finding a cache. Since then I have upgraded to a Vista. Found out about the arrow thingy at around 110 finds. Have come to the conclusion that it sort of takes the fun out of it. So in short if you're finding them and having fun, stick with it. But if you're in a hurry and running out of daylight. Turn that little arrow thingy ON. Also using the arrow thingy (goto feature) is probably a safer conclusion when driving to the area also. I can remember many times when Ma Bell would yell out as I was driving: "STOP the numbers are going the WRONG way" ==================================== "Boredom is the state of one's mind" ==================================== Quote Link to comment
+ErSamin Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Jamie Z said: I think, however, that if you take the few minutes to learn to use the GOTO function, you'll be amazed. The GPS will not only point you to the cache, but it will tell you how far it is, too. You can even look on a screen and see where you are in relation to it. Yes, GOTO will tell you how far it to a cache. But if your GPSr doesn't have all the latest bells and whistles, newbies need to especially remember that distance is as the crow flies and doesn't take into account elevation gains, etc. One of my early searches showed I was .09 miles from the cache. After about 45 minutes of walking on the trail, I came to a break in the trees and could easily see my car on the next ridge... about .09 miles away! "Could be worse...could be raining" Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Hunky if you found your first geocache that way. dadgum. I'm impressed. You will make a good geocacher. As for how you find a cache. It doesnt' matter. I've tripped over them even though I couldn't see them. Works for me. Wherever you go there you are. Quote Link to comment
+Brown Dwarf Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Is great -- but only as a guide. We have lots of semi-wild parks around here, laced with unofficial networks of trails. We work our way along the trails towards the cache by using the arrow to tell us which fork in the path to take. When we are within 50-100 feet of the cache we start thinking about going off-trail. Crashing cross country for much more than that isn't fun, although I admit I've done it from time to time. Usually just long enough to remind me how cold a swamp can be in the winter. Quote Link to comment
+Centaur Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 No, it does not matter how you use your GPS. Or even if you use one at all. If you find the cache, you log it! Quote Link to comment
+Team StitchesOnQuilts Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Hunky, that's what we did for our first few caches, too. Hubby has a mapping program in his Pilot that shows latitude and longitude. We'd just keep moving until we were at the right coordinates, then look for the cache. If it works for you, great. It worked pretty well for us. We did ultimately get a GPS, and as others have mentioned, it is nice to have the GOTO to follow. Our SporTrak Pro came with nice maps, so we can look at street names, and make sure we are going the right way. That's pretty nice. It's certainly a real find. It takes a lot of skill to find caches by calculating the coordinates like that. Shannah Quote Link to comment
+Newenglandah Posted January 12, 2003 Share Posted January 12, 2003 I have that function on my gps and never have bothered with it...It sounds cool, but i like bush wacking, mud bogging swomps, and trying to cross that white water untill i line up the cords.... As you can tell, I try to turn 1/2 caches into 3/5 maybe when I'm older,I will learn to use the Goto See you in the woods! Natureboy1376 Quote Link to comment
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