Going back to paper

sikma · Post by **sikma** » 09 September 05 1:43 pm

Yesterday myself and Loonster had to do a run up to Melbourne Airport so we thought may as well make a day of it and do some caching. We chose the Williamstown area and while attempting our first cache for the day my PDA froze up. 

Waited a few mins then tried powering off, didnt work so I had to so a soft reset. When it fired back up I tried to open my custom made HTML files and map images however they were now corrupt. Only the files I had loaded that morning were affected, everything else on the SD card that was previously there was fine. 

The files had worked fine earlier in the morning so they were obviously affected by the freeze up or soft reset. As soon as I realised I wasn't getting my files back I contemplated taking out revenge on my PDA violently however managed to stay cool. We ended up heading back down to the peninsula doing Beach Cam and The rocks knowing the cam location and that The rocks was a traditional. 

Anyway we have decided to make a return to paper based caching. I would have hated to be out on a bush caching trip in that situation. Has anyone else had technology ruin a perfectly good caching day?

The Garner Family · Post by **The Garner Family** » 09 September 05 2:33 pm

I've certainly had PDA (my PDA is my GPS) issues that have prevented it from working until I get home, but I bought an Etrex just for this purpose. So that way if the primary GPS fails I've always got a backup.

Worst situation I had was up on top of Mt Cootha is Brisbane... we were walking straight through the bush heading 'as the crow flies' rather than by the path. At one point I dropped the bluetooth GPS module (which should have stayed in my pocket) and it stopped working. We didn't have the Etrex at that stage & now we were in the middle of the bush with only a compass to guide us out. - The GPS ended up starting working again anyway & we weren't anywhere very remote, but it did remind me that something like that could happen in a quite remote location & cause some difficulty to us - thats when we bought the backup GPS.

rhinogeo · Post by **rhinogeo** » 09 September 05 2:38 pm

sikma wrote: We chose the Williamstown area and while attempting our first cache for the day my PDA froze up. 
Anyway we have decided to make a return to paper based caching. I would have hated to be out on a bush caching trip in that situation. Has anyone else had technology ruin a perfectly good caching day?

What sort of PDA is it? HTML pages locking up sounds like a good reason to use Cachemate (if you have a PALM - if you don't, get one

)

sikma · Post by **sikma** » 09 September 05 2:59 pm

I have an ACER n30 and an eTrex Legend. All i use the PDA for is to store cache details (html) and maps (jpg from street-directory.com.au). While I was out in Williamstown I still had all the wayponits loaded into the eTrex, I just didnt know which were Tradional or Multi etc. As for getting a Palm i'll have to wait on that, I scored the ACER through work so beggers cant be choosers

Cached · Post by **Cached** » 09 September 05 3:16 pm

You can push the caches to the GPS using different icons for different types of caches.

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 09 September 05 4:13 pm

Meh. Batteries fail. GPSrs die. Paper gets wet and ink runs when you fall in the stream. Windows (all flavours) crashes. Even Palms occasionally lock up (though not often; twice in my 8 years of using them.)

One failure doesn't need to invalidate the whole concept of paperless caching, no matter how annoying it might be at the time.

Now, if it happens regularly...

sikma · Post by **sikma** » 09 September 05 4:37 pm

Yeah I should have a go at using different icons. Could have at least got the traditionals. Bear_Left good point. Im not a die hard tree hugger but the less we cut down the better

Geof · Post by **Geof** » 10 September 05 10:31 pm

I just didnt know which were Tradional or Multi etc

.

Try the roblisa.com thing

GC = trad

MC = Multi

etc etc

Works fine till you turn up to a multi listed as a traditional

xf king · Post by **xf king** » 11 September 05 8:56 pm

Yep, computers can be a annoyance. I once fell into a billabong while attempting a cache, thanks to a very bad board I tripped on. Yeah I know its funny now but not then. The GPS had a sinking and my mobile phone, well that was dead. Lucky I only had my old 3310 with me, so it was a cheap replacement, imagine bringing a Handheld computer, say good bye to $350 or more down the gurgelr. I had only borught with me cache paper, not my whole folder, but I would rather re print 20 pages than buy a new handheld computer.. Go the old fashioned way

.

The Garner Family · Post by **The Garner Family** » 11 September 05 10:49 pm

xf king wrote: imagine bringing a Handheld computer, say good bye to $350 or more down the gurgelr.

Theres a nice easy solution to that: insurance.

roostaman · Post by **roostaman** » 15 September 05 8:59 am

I have had 2 experiences recently. Still gettin the hang of paperless.
First time I had finished but GPXSonar could not open the gpx files.
I got back home & they would open, so don't know what happened.

2nd time, GPXSonar (not the user I think) deleted the logs, but as I was ready for trouble I had noted them on a notes list also just in case.

I am not giving up either & yes I hear that 1 certain cacher is doing a cachemate conv for pocket pc's, so can't wait.

Roosta

Hounddog · Post by **Hounddog** » 15 September 05 10:38 am

I think most of you guys have forgotten the "Challenge" concept of Geocaching which is what the sport is all about. Too much technology makes things too easy and therefore not as much fun.

Unless it's absolutely essential, I take nothing but a GPS programmed with the cache co-ords (and maybe a cache note folded up on a piece of paper in my back pocket) on the hunt It's always more challenging and enjoyable, and a whole lot more satisfying when you find the cache.

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 15 September 05 3:00 pm

So, Hounddog, I guess you won't be a customer for my new DOGS (Directional Olfactory Geocache Sniffer) device?

It picks up the outgassing of organic volatiles from PVC containers or camo-painted ammoboxes and leads you straight to the source.

Now that I've got it integrated into the navigation device that hooks into your car's power steering and the motor controls of the off-road Segway, all I need is a box-opening and log-signing robot arm and we can all stay home and read the forums while our cache-count goes through the roof.

(Maccamob should be finishing their extended trial soon and the 24-hour test run that Rabbito took it out on went very well, I thought.)

Sure, it takes away some of the challenge, but is that really the point of geocaching? Isn't it more about the numbers, after all?

Hounddog · Post by **Hounddog** » 15 September 05 4:11 pm

Bear_Left wrote:So, Hounddog, I guess you won't be a customer for my new DOGS (Directional Olfactory Geocache Sniffer) device?

It picks up the outgassing of organic volatiles from PVC containers or camo-painted ammoboxes and leads you straight to the source.

Now that I've got it integrated into the navigation device that hooks into your car's power steering and the motor controls of the off-road Segway, all I need is a box-opening and log-signing robot arm and we can all stay home and read the forums while our cache-count goes through the roof.

(Maccamob should be finishing their extended trial soon and the 24-hour test run that Rabbito took it out on went very well, I thought.)

Sure, it takes away some of the challenge, but is that really the point of geocaching? Isn't it more about the numbers, after all?

Geocaching Australia

Going back to paper

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