Geocaching

Staybrite wrote:

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

I checked the zip code for my area (esp since we have the Joshua Tree National Park about 10 miles from us) and found tons of these hidden cache things.... but I don't have a GPS yet, so I guess maybe one of these days I can get into this thing and be cool like you guys.

Oh man don't do it...all geocashers are NERDS!!!!!!!!

I AM SO!!!!



G/F, do you have a smart phone? If so, you could get started by using the Geocaching App for that. You can find quite a few that way, but don't hide any geocaches. The coords with smart phones take forever to update and give a real location. Of the caches I have found by users who use smart phones, they were always 50-60 feet away.

You know you want to join our ranks… Resistance is futile…

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Resistance is futile…

We shall add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Prepare to be assimilated.

I'm s-s-s-scared

Yes I have an iPhone (1st gen) will upgrade to the 4th gen in March, but I have no idea how all this stuff works. I read a little on the Geo website and even watched their entertaining video.

Gonna hafta learn a little more before I give 'er a try.

We have found a multicache we have been searching for two times.
This time we found it.
Yippeee.

Chris, how many cahces you have found from the power trail yesterday?

G/F geocaches don't bite, so no need to be scared.

G/F: When you get your iPhone, get Geocaching Intro, and try with that. It should be easy to find with an iPhone, never mind what the Dickens brothers say!

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geocaches don't bite

No, but squirrels do.

Out with Dad today. I found four, he found two, total of six. (Hey, I can count! )

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Chris, how many cahces you have found from the power trail yesterday?

62 total.

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G/F: When you get your iPhone, get Geocaching Intro, and try with that.
It should be easy to find with an iPhone, never mind what the Dickens
brothers say!

It isn't just what we say. There are people I have listened to and learned from that know far more about the workings of both cell phones and GPS receivers thaat are fellow geocachers. Cell phones that have a GPS function (whether it be for street maps or geocaching) still use a system of triangulation from three cell towers. While that is a good system, it is very faulty. It's totally line of site. If you have weak cell coverage, then you have a weak GPS function. No service means your GPS on the phone is dead. You have to have 3 towers to triangulate from. If even one of the three is not pinging your phone correctly, then your coords are off. Hills, trees, large buildings, etc. can kill the accuracy of a phone based GPS--even on the precious iCrap....er....iPhone.

With a GPS, they are still line of site. The difference in is the location of the signal. Instead of being atop a tower, you have the signal in orbit. Those satellites give off a far stronger signal than cell towers. Therefore, tree cover and hills may affect you, but you should still have an accuracy even in dense coverage areas of 20 feet or less. You will not get that from any phone based app in heavy foliage, rain, and other conditions that can kill cellular service.

Hunting urban caches with a phone is okay. But, with hiding them, you are going to want more accuracy. The chip set in the phone is not made for that accuracy like a GPS unit is. Spend the money and get a decent handheld unit.

Sadly, dbf is like 12 years old and thinks he knows everything.

Become a geocacher, and be like..........ME




That'll get him converted

Alldat, I know you reply that very often. May I ask you if you've actually used an iPhone to go iCaching?

Oh, and this is worth a read too: http://www.macworld.com/article/159528/2011/04/how_iphone_location_works.html

When I'm out in the country, it often takes a minute or less for the iPhone to detect my location. It conducts me to the GZ, and then I use the hint.

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Alldat, I know you reply that very often. May I ask you if you've actually used an iPhone to go iCaching?

No, and I don't intend to have an iToy, either. However, I talk to a lot of other geocachers--many who DO have an iPhone or Droid. Guess what? I'll take their experience and knowledge (two that I know work in IT depts. for either computers or cell carriers) over a 14 year old with ONE article. Even that article you posted seems to suggest that without a wi-fi signal nearby that you are not likely to get an accurate reading.

I'd like to know if all of these people have American iPhones. Usually, the network sucks (AT&T); Rogers here works better from my experience.

My niece used her BlackBerry for geocaching, but bought a real gps.
The caches were not found as her BlackBerry showed her.

Guys, guys, guys.... please don't bicker... It's just a game.

A wise crack addict once asked "why can'ts we alls just gets along ?" - Heed his wisdom.

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I'd like to know if all of these people have American iPhones. Usually,
the network sucks (AT&T); Rogers here works better from my
experience.

iPhones are also available through Verizon in the USA. Droids are also available through Verizon and now even Straight Talk. But, they all basically use the same GPS functions. It has little to do with the carrier although AT&T does have some series lapses in coverage areas.

I now have my finds logged from the trip Saturday. I am at exactly 1350 finds. I need 150 more to hit my goal of 1500 by my 2 year caching anniversary.

I think you can adjust your goal to 1700 find for your 2 year geocaching anniversary.
I love doing power trails and series with lots of caches.

It's so cool to find 62 caches at one day, but what a pain to logg the all.
My goal for the end of 2011 will be 200 finds and an an active TB on the way.

My goal is 75, and to move a trackable.

I found 8 more caches yesterday (5 micros and 3 regulars) and dropped off a travel bug. I ended up with 3 DNFs as well.

We found two regulars and did one earthcache.
We had one DNF.

We went to Glasgow, KY and went shopping at a couple of Amish stores on the way. I loaded 8 caches to find along the drive, and we successfully found all 8!

In two weeks we try to find more.

I found about 5 with Dad. We ran into a fellow cacher/birdwatcher who was out looking for a rare bird, the Parasitic Jaeger. There was a cache nearby, so we went to get it. Pretty cool.

I found 5 more caches today. Most of them were micros. However, I did find one cool ammo box and got to drop off a travelbug and retrieve 2 to be moved.

The ammo box was hidden by someone who uses a smart phone to hide their caches with. While they've done decently on other hides, this time there is NO cellular reception out at this location at all. So, how do you think the coords read? The cache was about 60 feet from where it was supposed to be. That's way out of tolerance. A cache should be located no more than 18-20 feet from GZ (ground zero). Even with that distance, finding a cache in the woods can still be a chore.