San Diego Banter

December 2, 2005

Ain't that Gecko Dad somethin'?

He was even third-to-find at the Snail Rock Cache and he survived.

If I ever encounter hippo tracks , I hope I'll think twice before proceeding.

-GD

Edited December 2, 2005 by Team Gecko

December 2, 2005

Dang! We are just seconds from the TOP (Top Of Page) - anyone have a lesson ready?

Oops. I messed up. Sorry.

-GD

December 3, 2005

Dang! We are just seconds from the TOP (Top Of Page) - anyone have a lesson ready?

Oops. I messed up. Sorry.

-GD

OK, quick lesson - when combining images, unless you know how to change the lighting, pick photos where the source of light comes from the same direction!

2.2k · December 3, 2005

Help us, we're stuck on the MTA.

How do I help?

There's no turning back, the Guiness Record is ours.

Uh-oh, we're breaking up.

WOW>.......who would have believed?

Do you guys think you have reached your [Quota] yet?

December 3, 2005

YIPPEE I have my PDA loaded correctly ..........FINALLY......thanks for all your help.......now NEXT STUPID QUESTION.........My GPS is loaded with GC and the PDA is loaded by names. I know there is a way to get the names to the GPS....can someone help me out? THANKS.........I will soon be a professional at all this......but i am loading my Hawaii coordinates before it becomes a fog to me again.

14.3k · December 3, 2005

YIPPEE I have my PDA loaded correctly ..........FINALLY......thanks for all your help.......now NEXT STUPID QUESTION.........My GPS is loaded with GC and the PDA is loaded by names. I know there is a way to get the names to the GPS....can someone help me out? THANKS.........I will soon be a professional at all this......but i am loading my Hawaii coordinates before it becomes a fog to me again.

You can use GSAK to change to "smart" names and you can export those to Mapsource and then to your geepus.

Just enter the smart name code like below.

Note that smart names strip out all non essential words like "a" and "the." So if the cache is named "The...." your Palm and GPS won't match.

But Cachemate let's you show the GC#, which is easier to match. So I always load GC#s into my geepus.

But try it out your way and you'll see what I mean when you start using it..... :blink:

Edited December 3, 2005 by TrailGators

11.3k · December 3, 2005

In GSAK, you can use codes to get the "Smart Name" on your GPS.

I use this format in the blank where it says "You can build the waypoint name using tags" on the "Send Waypoints to GPSr" dialogue box:

%smart=7 %con1%typ1

That gives me the first seven letters of the cache name followed by the size of the container (Large, Regular, Small, Micro), followed by the Type (Regular, Traditional, Virtual).

14.3k · December 3, 2005

In GSAK, you can use codes to get the "Smart Name" on your GPS.

I use this format in the blank where it says "You can build the waypoint name using tags" on the "Send Waypoints to GPSr" dialogue box:

%smart=7 %con1%typ1

That gives me the first seven letters of the cache name followed by the size of the container (Large, Regular, Small, Micro), followed by the Type (Regular, Traditional, Virtual).

I do something very similar!

But I load %typ1%con1%drop2 %ter1a

This takes the GC#, i.e. GCabcd and strips off the GC and adds back two letters to show the type of container (Regular, Traditional, Virtual) and the size of the container (Large, Regular, Small, Micro).

So a Traditional Regular cache would be TRabcd.

But because I've only used 6 characters up, I then add in the terrain rating to the end so it becomes TRabcd 2. This is very handy! Because when I'm driving around and if I see a "TRefgh 4" and I don't feel like doing a long hike I can skip that cache!

Anyhow, there are many options, It's really a personal preference! :blink:

11.3k · December 3, 2005

I used to do it that way, but when I needed to search by name, I had to scroll through all those 'T' caches to find the one I am looking for. :blink:

I like adding the Terrain to the name. I might have to tweak my "smart name" to include that . . .

December 3, 2005

Anyhow, there are many options, It's really a personal preference!

And I use %drop2%bug=+-%typ1%con1%last4 (I can have 10 char names in the 60CS) - I put the hint in the description. Laguna Junction looks like: G42Q-TRFFF

That tells the me GC code (GCG42Q), that there's no TB's in it (-), it's a (T)raditional cache in a ®egular container and the last three logs were (F)inds. This makes caching almost possible with just the GPSr - but I passed on including the difficulty so I could include the finds. :lol:

I have similar waypoint names for Cachemate (and I usually view the listing by waypoint), so a cache is easily located in either by the GC code: %drop2-%typ1%con1%dif1%ter1-%shortname (no limit on names there). Laguna Junction looks like: G42Q-TR12-LagunaJ

The downside is that when you start talking about a cache by name, I have no clue what you're talking about. :blink:

But of course, if I have the cache loaded in the PDA, then I have everything I could ever want (ok, Google Earth would be nice :cry: ).

14.3k · December 3, 2005

Anyhow, there are many options, It's really a personal preference!

And I use %drop2%bug=+-%typ1%con1%last4 (I can have 10 char names in the 60CS) - I put the hint in the description. Laguna Junction looks like: G42Q-TRFFF

That tells the me GC code (GCG42Q), that there's no TB's in it (-), it's a (T)raditional cache in a ®egular container and the last three logs were (F)inds. This makes caching almost possible with just the GPSr - but I passed on including the difficulty so I could include the finds.

I have similar waypoint names for Cachemate (and I usually view the listing by waypoint), so a cache is easily located in either by the GC code: %drop2-%typ1%con1%dif1%ter1-%shortname (no limit on names there). Laguna Junction looks like: G42Q-TR12-LagunaJ

The downside is that when you start talking about a cache by name, I have no clue what you're talking about.

But of course, if I have the cache loaded in the PDA, then I have everything I could ever want (ok, Google Earth would be nice ).

I wish there was a way to have the PQs ignore caches that have 2 consecutive DNFs on the last two logs. Those are almost always a waste of time! I like your idea on the finds! The TB -+ makes a nice free separator too.

But I have to have the terrain rating! I could go with 2 Fs and keep 1 digit for terrain (1=1,A=1.5,2=2,B=2,5,3=3,etc....)

I've also thought about not putting in the container because I'm not going to skip a cache because of the container plus it is easy to check with my Palm if I can't find it.

Anyhow, the Express Logger can now handle the code I use so if I change what I use I have to mess with the first 2 characters or the last 4.

Edited December 3, 2005 by TrailGators

11.3k · December 3, 2005

Anyhow, there are many options, It's really a personal preference!

. . . The downside is that when you start talking about a cache by name, I have no clue what you're talking about. . . .

And I have the opposite problem. Waypoint number? :lol: What's that? :cry: I don't have a clue what the GC waypoint is for any cache . . . :cry:

11.3k · December 3, 2005

I wish there was a way to have the PQs ignore caches that have 2 consecutive DNFs on the last two logs. Those are almost always a waste of time! I like your idea on the finds! . . .

I use the built-in filter in GSAK to filter those out.

If P.T. and I happen to be the last two DNFs, depending on which cache it is and if I have a hint for a return visit, I'll filter those out from my filter so I'll have those waypoints in my GPSr when I load them.

December 3, 2005

Well then here is the 20 million dollar question........how do you get the PDA to read the GC #'s I have 2 options on the bottom sort by name or waypoint but they both just have the names.......no GC numbers pop up on my PDA. unless of course i go into the file

14.3k · December 3, 2005

Anyhow, there are many options, It's really a personal preference!

. . . The downside is that when you start talking about a cache by name, I have no clue what you're talking about. . . .

And I have the opposite problem. Waypoint number? What's that? I don't have a clue what the GC waypoint is for any cache . . .

Not sure what you mean but can you imagine having to type in the entire cache name into GC to search for a cache? Plus when you query the whole country so many caches have the same names!

BTW the GC# is viewable in Cachemate!

December 3, 2005

And I have the opposite problem. Waypoint number? What's that? I don't have a clue what the GC waypoint is for any cache . . .

Well, one thing GC codes have going for them is that they can uniquely identify a cache in 4 digits or less - and you can look up a cache on the GC site using them.

14.3k · December 3, 2005

I wish there was a way to have the PQs ignore caches that have 2 consecutive DNFs on the last two logs. Those are almost always a waste of time! I like your idea on the finds! . . .

I use the built-in filter in GSAK to filter those out.

If P.T. and I happen to be the last two DNFs, depending on which cache it is and if I have a hint for a return visit, I'll filter those out from my filter so I'll have those waypoints in my GPSr when I load them.

How do you do that? :blink:

11.3k · December 3, 2005

Well then here is the 20 million dollar question........how do you get the PDA to read the GC #'s I have 2 options on the bottom sort by name or waypoint but they both just have the names.......no GC numbers pop up on my PDA. unless of course i go into the file

If you want the GC name for the waypoint name in Cachemate, you can change the criteria for that Export to .pdb.

That is the way P.T. does it because she uses the Express Logger and needs the GC name on her Palm. However, she uses a similar 'smart name' code to the one I use on her GPSr.

December 3, 2005

Well then here is the 20 million dollar question........how do you get the PDA to read the GC #'s I have 2 options on the bottom sort by name or waypoint but they both just have the names.......no GC numbers pop up on my PDA. unless of course i go into the file

As far as I know, the "wpt" sort shows whatever you stick in the waypoint name field in GSAK's cachemate export (as I described above). The "Name" sort will always show the entire cache name.

14.3k · December 3, 2005

Well then here is the 20 million dollar question........how do you get the PDA to read the GC #'s I have 2 options on the bottom sort by name or waypoint but they both just have the names.......no GC numbers pop up on my PDA. unless of course i go into the file

So I get 20 million if I answer that..... :blink:

December 3, 2005

The TB -+ makes a nice free separator too.

I probably need to rethink the value of the TB indicator - I put that in there when we went on a long drive up to Oregon and back. We wanted to grab TB's to move along. Not really as important now... :blink: Probably be worth replacing that and one of the last finds with difficulty.

14.3k · December 3, 2005

Well then here is the 20 million dollar question........how do you get the PDA to read the GC #'s I have 2 options on the bottom sort by name or waypoint but they both just have the names.......no GC numbers pop up on my PDA. unless of course i go into the file

If you want the GC name for the waypoint name in Cachemate, you can change the criteria for that Export to .pdb.

That is the way P.T. does it because she uses the Express Logger and needs the GC name on her Palm. However, she uses a similar 'smart name' code to the one I use on her GPSr.

Since Express Logger did that mod, I can use the same smartcode for my Palm and my GPS!!!

11.3k · December 3, 2005

I wish there was a way to have the PQs ignore caches that have 2 consecutive DNFs on the last two logs. Those are almost always a waste of time! I like your idea on the finds! . . .

I use the built-in filter in GSAK to filter those out.

If P.T. and I happen to be the last two DNFs, depending on which cache it is and if I have a hint for a return visit, I'll filter those out from my filter so I'll have those waypoints in my GPSr when I load them.

How do you do that?

If it is a cache I think we can find, I'll set a User Flag for it.

Then I filter for the caches without the User Flag in the "Last 2 DNF" subset. Then I delete all the waypoints in that filter within the filter of the "Last 2 DNFs."

Does that make sense . . . ? :blink:

The reason I never use the waypoint name is because I use GSAK to open the web page to log my finds. I just double-click the name of the cache in GSAK. I hardly ever do a Search from GC.com if the cache is in my GSAK databases.

December 3, 2005

Well then here is the 20 million dollar question........how do you get the PDA to read the GC #'s I have 2 options on the bottom sort by name or waypoint but they both just have the names.......no GC numbers pop up on my PDA. unless of course i go into the file

So I get 20 million if I answer that.....

AS much of a struggle as this has been yep.......20 million is up for grabs!!!!! I WISH.........OK I put all those %drop2 etc etc etc........in the spot mentioned and when I hit sort by WPT it still gives me names not GC# where did I go wrong/????HA.........IF i live through this it will be a miracle......much worse than Snail Rock

14.3k · December 3, 2005

I wish there was a way to have the PQs ignore caches that have 2 consecutive DNFs on the last two logs. Those are almost always a waste of time! I like your idea on the finds! . . .

I use the built-in filter in GSAK to filter those out.

If P.T. and I happen to be the last two DNFs, depending on which cache it is and if I have a hint for a return visit, I'll filter those out from my filter so I'll have those waypoints in my GPSr when I load them.

How do you do that?

If it is a cache I think we can find, I'll set a User Flag for it.

Then I filter for the caches without the User Flag in the "Last 2 DNF" subset. Then I delete all the waypoints in that filter within the filter of the "Last 2 DNFs."

Does that make sense . . . ?

The reason I never use the waypoint name is because I use GSAK to open the web page to log my finds. I just double-click the name of the cache in GSAK. I hardly ever do a Search from GC.com if the cache is in my GSAK databases.

I'm sure Ahimsa could wrtie a macro that could upload the 60CS found caches into GSAK and set a flag so you'd get the whole list without having to search for names in GSAK!

One nice thing about the Express Logger is that it records the time so I know the order in which I found the caches. I'm probably the only one I know that logs them in LIFO order so they show up in the proper sequence on the webpage.....

The time stamp also allow me to remember which photos go with which caches. Sounds silly but if you take a ton of photos and and find a ton of caches it can be hard to remember!

December 3, 2005

AS much of a struggle as this has been yep.......20 million is up for grabs!!!!! I WISH.........OK I put all those %drop2 etc etc etc........in the spot mentioned and when I hit sort by WPT it still gives me names not GC# where did I go wrong/????HA.........IF i live through this it will be a miracle......much worse than Snail Rock

What do you have in the Waypoint Name field in the Cachemate export screen? Is that where you've put the %dropdeadatsnailrock, etc.?

11.3k · December 3, 2005

Well then here is the 20 million dollar question........how do you get the PDA to read the GC #'s I have 2 options on the bottom sort by name or waypoint but they both just have the names.......no GC numbers pop up on my PDA. unless of course i go into the file

So I get 20 million if I answer that.....

AS much of a struggle as this has been yep.......20 million is up for grabs!!!!! I WISH.........OK I put all those %drop2 etc etc etc........in the spot mentioned and when I hit sort by WPT it still gives me names not GC# where did I go wrong/????HA.........IF i live through this it will be a miracle......much worse than Snail Rock

When you Export to Cachemate, instead of using a code like this:

%smart=6 %con1%typ1

in that blank, just use:

%code

That will give you the GC code for the waypoint in Cachemate on your Palm.

Edit to add appropriate quote . . . :blink:

Edited December 3, 2005 by Miragee

December 3, 2005

I'm sure Ahimsa could wrtie a macro that could upload the 60CS found caches into GSAK and set a flag so you'd get the whole list without having to search for names in GSAK!

I'm afraid you are all miles ahead of me on the logging part - I just use the calendar in my 60CS, which shows the caches I've found by my GPSr waypoint name (which in my case starts with the GC code). When you log a find at the GC.com web site, there's a field at the bottom where you can enter the GC code for the next cache you want to log.

14.3k · December 3, 2005

Well then here is the 20 million dollar question........how do you get the PDA to read the GC #'s I have 2 options on the bottom sort by name or waypoint but they both just have the names.......no GC numbers pop up on my PDA. unless of course i go into the file

So I get 20 million if I answer that.....

AS much of a struggle as this has been yep.......20 million is up for grabs!!!!! I WISH.........OK I put all those %drop2 etc etc etc........in the spot mentioned and when I hit sort by WPT it still gives me names not GC# where did I go wrong/????HA.........IF i live through this it will be a miracle......much worse than Snail Rock

When you Export to Cachemate, instead of using a code like this:

%smart=6 %con1%typ1

in that blank, just use:

%code

That will give you the GC code for the waypoint in Cachemate on your Palm.

Edit to add appropriate quote . . .

That has to be what SL is doing! :lol:

December 3, 2005

Well, based on all the discussion here, I'm going to try this for my waypoint names tomorrow:

%drop2%typ1%con1%dif1%ter1%last4

So Laguna Junction looks like this: G42QTR12FF

That tells me enough to decide to go for it or not. Then in the description field, I have this:

%bug=+-%hint: %shortname

Which, for Laguna Junction, looks like this:

-On the way to Snail Rock y'all are gonna die.: LagunaJu

The hint has been disguised to protect those who don't want one!

Now to see how it works out in the field! :blink:

2.2k · December 3, 2005

I wish there was a way to have the PQs ignore caches that have 2 consecutive DNFs on the last two logs. Those are almost always a waste of time! I like your idea on the finds!

This GSAK filter setting comes pretty close to what you want Pat:

11.3k · December 3, 2005

I'm sure Ahimsa could wrtie a macro that could upload the 60CS found caches into GSAK and set a flag so you'd get the whole list without having to search for names in GSAK! . . .

I don't really search for the names in GSAK . . . at least not usually more than one or two.

In the "Name Search" blank, I'll put in a few letters of the name of one of the caches found during a day until I see it in the view. Then I make that cache the 'Centre Point.'

Then I check as 'Found' all the caches I found that are located near that cache.

Then I filter for the 'Found' caches for that day.

Then I reconcile that list with those in the 'Found' folder in Cachemate.

Then I just double-click each cache in GSAK and it opens up a new page in the Opera browser. From there I log each of the caches.

Sometimes I'll download the waypoints and tracks from my GPSr to Mapsource first, so if I want to log the caches in the order we traveled, I have the map to guide me . . .

You know, I think there are as many different ways of using all this software as there are Geocachers . . . :blink:

December 3, 2005

I'm sure Ahimsa could wrtie a macro that could upload the 60CS found caches into GSAK and set a flag so you'd get the whole list without having to search for names in GSAK! . . .

I don't really search for the names in GSAK . . . at least not usually more than one or two.

In the "Name Search" blank, I'll put in a few letters of the name of one of the caches found during a day until I see it in the view. Then I make that cache the 'Centre Point.'

Then I check as 'Found' all the caches I found that are located near that cache.

Then I filter for the 'Found' caches for that day.

Then I reconcile that list with those in the 'Found' folder in Cachemate.

Then I just double-click each cache in GSAK and it opens up a new page in the Opera browser. From there I log each of the caches.

Sometimes I'll download the waypoints and tracks from my GPSr to Mapsource first, so if I want to log the caches in the order we traveled, I have the map to guide me . . .

You know, I think there are as many different ways of using all this software as there are Geocachers . . .

Well right now I at least have the caches on my palm. my gps reads the gC and the palm reads the name and when I hit sort by wpt it just messes up the alphabet so I am going to work tomorrow as I am.......then bring a long long long phone cord and you all can help me........HA. I will play with this another day as it is slowly sinking in.........and i do mean slowly.

Thanks for all your help!!!! it is just grand..... now to prepare so I know what the GC # on my gps mean.........for tomorrow.

14.3k · December 3, 2005

Then I reconcile that list with those in the 'Found' folder in Cachemate.

Not to belabor the idea but....

If GSAK could import the found list from Cachemate you wouldn't have to do all that stuff! You'd sync your Palm and hit one button in GSAK and voila! :blink:

I like the idea of double clicking on the caches in GSAK! That's basically how the Express logger works except you get the text that you entered in Cachemate.

Edited December 3, 2005 by TrailGators

December 3, 2005

Soooooo, we bought our Christmas tree at the Home Depot on Carmel Mountain Rd this morning. We're driving home on Ted Williams, going kinda slow, and a car passes and honks and gives us the thumbs up. Just 'cause we have a TREE?? Or mayyyyyyybe it's the Geocaching window cling! I didn't get a good look at them, but it could have been John & Jess. Was it? Or was it YOU?

December 4, 2005

Soooooo, we bought our Christmas tree at the Home Depot on Carmel Mountain Rd this morning. We're driving home on Ted Williams, going kinda slow, and a car passes and honks and gives us the thumbs up. Just 'cause we have a TREE?? Or mayyyyyyybe it's the Geocaching window cling! I didn't get a good look at them, but it could have been John & Jess. Was it? Or was it YOU?

Nope, not us! But Beep Beep anyway

December 4, 2005

Can anyone do photoshop magic with this really dark picture??

and then after that honk if you know where or what that is!

14.3k · December 4, 2005

If you sent me the original version it would come out better but how's this?

Those things look like a bunch of little airplanes that have all nose-dived into the ground...

Edited December 4, 2005 by TrailGators

December 5, 2005

If you sent me the original version it would come out better but how's this?
Those things look like a bunch of little airplanes that have all nose-dived into the ground...

Thanks for the photo edit :lol: ! You're right, it's a model airplane graveyard or memorial we came across up in Orange County.

December 5, 2005

Thanks for the photo edit ! You're right, it's a model airplane graveyard or memorial we came across up in Orange County.

Another closeup:

5.5k · December 5, 2005

Nice job on the image recovery you guys. Did some online searching for the site but so far no hits.

Ain't Photoshop somethin'? Next round let's try to recover a shot that still had the lens cover on the camera.

Edited December 5, 2005 by SD Rowdies

December 5, 2005

Nice job on the image recovery you guys. Did some online searching for the site but so far no hits.

Hit

December 5, 2005

Good job ahimsa! So, did J&J place a cache there? The closest one is Christian's Birthday Party by crzycrzy (GCHNA5) Looks like a good area to do some caching.

December 5, 2005

Good job ahimsa! So, did J&J place a cache there? The closest one is Christian's Birthday Party by crzycrzy (GCHNA5) Looks like a good area to do some caching.

Google Maps version for the Google Earth-impaired (the waypoint is for that cache, but you can see the airfield)

On edit - funny, I don't see a J&J log for that cache!

Edited December 5, 2005 by ahimsa

December 6, 2005

Good job ahimsa! So, did J&J place a cache there? The closest one is Christian's Birthday Party by crzycrzy (GCHNA5) Looks like a good area to do some caching.

Google Maps version for the Google Earth-impaired (the waypoint is for that cache, but you can see the airfield)

On edit - funny, I don't see a J&J log for that cache!

Wow!! Excellent work tracking the mystery location down! :mad:

We spent pretty much all afternoon seeking Lost Blunderbuss, so we missed all the caches nearby... :cry:

We highly recommend the area by the way, Trabuco Canyon is very beautiful!!

J&J

December 6, 2005

From the Thread:

11.3k · December 6, 2005

Very good . . . My portion of that image is very crude however. :blink:

I'll see if I can fix it up after I get back from my caching adventure today.

5.5k · December 6, 2005

Very good . . . My portion of that image is very crude however.

I'll see if I can fix it up after I get back from my caching adventure today.

O, so after all this time you finally reveal yourself as an image editor. Inquiring minds now want some details if you please.

December 7, 2005

5.5k · December 7, 2005

Too cool for words but I still get the shivers from that movie.

The hills between Bakersfield and Tehachapi are just like that in the spring.

Edited December 7, 2005 by SD Rowdies

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