[EnergySaver]

Let me think about this cache … and PM both of you.
I remember it pretty well and remember that both stage 1 and stage 2 were on the top of my list for hardest caches to find.
The final is worth the effort.

[EnergySaver]

You didn’t mention a need for towing capacity, so maybe that’s not an issue. But if it is, make sure check out the capacity … I was surprised at how “wimpy” some 4×4’s are rated in that area.

In my case I wanted 4×4 for the same reason (we’re on a snowy dead-end to lake Michigan) … but I also need to be able to pull a heavy trailer … so I went with a 99 Chevy Blazer. I like the vehicle, except for the driver’s side window does not go down about 10% of time.

[EnergySaver]

And then you got Ixonia, WI …

The towns people could not agree on what to name the place … so they threw a bunch of letters in a hat and agreed to pull out 6 letters and make a name from those 6 letters. Strange but true!

[EnergySaver]

Be careful about running your batteries all the way down to the point of it not working … I suggest you read this article that I wrote about PDA batteries in the past:

http://wi-geocaching.com/modules.php?name=News2&sid=47&_tab=archive

[EnergySaver]

@Jeremy wrote:

Not sure Ken. Maybe they are allowed on the horse trails?

I don’t think Ken will have a problem with his recent face-lift …

[EnergySaver]

how’s the quality of the game? … are the cards as good as regular playing cards, or are the more like something cut out of the back of a donut box?

[EnergySaver]

shouldn’t be that tough to find a manikin in a blue vest … I’d keep the rating down on that hide.

[EnergySaver]

Actually … with regard to CacheMate … you don’t even technically need to open the Palm Sync Manager …

1. You open the GPX file using CacheMate’s “converter” software on your desktop or laptop computer … Select All Records … under File you use Export to a Palm file (or something like that, as I don’t have the software with me right now).

2. This creates a file to upload to your Palm … but you don’t even really care where the file is stored on your computer or what it’s called.

3. Plug in your Palm, click the Sync button ON the Palm (no need to open anything on your desktop/laptop) … it will then Sync up your Palm, including the file your created in step 1 (it just knows it needs Syncing, you don’t even need to select the file any where).

4. Then open CacheMate on your Palm and allow it to merge in the Synced CacheMate database.

Note: Not everyone does things the same way, but I delete the prior file out of my CacheMate just before doing the above steps, so that I’m always starting with a clean/fresh database. I know you don’t have to do it that way, but I do.

[EnergySaver]

Glad it works!

I might be excessive (actually, I am) … but I always do Two resets … one before syncing and one after syncing … I consider syncing a “major strain” on a Palm, so I also think it’s good to give it the helping hand.

This is my complete procedure:

– Reset
– Sync
– Let the synced caches into CacheMate
– Reset
– Copy CacheMate and data to my Palm’s memory card
– Beam CacheMate data to my daughter’s Palm (only when we go on major outings far from home, as a backup to my backup)

My theory … at an moment my Palm could “lock up” and loose all the CacheMate files … it has only happened once (luckily I was at home) … so I insurance myself by Resetting twice, backing up to the memory card and in some cases beaming to the 2nd Palm. In my case this might be more of an issue for me that for some other users, as I load some pretty heavy duty bible software on my Palm (“QuickVerse” with 4 text versions tying up 12mb of my 16mb), so I suspect having the memory so full is part of my issue.

[EnergySaver]

I could have the kids whip up some of these for you …

[EnergySaver]

I would suggest providing TWO versions of documents … one without much text “hinting” for those without GPSrs and another with just Coordinates and normal geo-hints for those with … assuming the potential exists for some people to have GPSrs.

Regarding the example … I ended up at the neighborhood car wash! … if only I had brought the car along.

[EnergySaver]

I’ve been using CacheMate with BOTH a E2 and a Zire 31 for about 2 years now … NEVER had the problems you pointed out. I typically download to my CacheMate 2 to 4 times a month, so I would think I would have had these problems by now.

Lack of communications between your Palm and Desktop Computer, would seem to be more of a hardware problem or a non-CacheMate problem. As I doubt that the copy of CacheMate on your Palm could some how cause I a sync to not work.

Now, on the other hand once the sync is done … that’s different … I have occassionally had lockups when I then open CacheMate to let the synced cache file open up in CacheMate. The biggest thing I do to avoid this is, EVERY TIME BEFORE I start the Sync process, I first hit the reset button on the back of my Palms … then I sync knowing my Palms have a fresh start on life. MOST of the time this keeps things running smoothly, by maybe one or twice a year something still goes wrong.

[EnergySaver]

Not to add to the rules, but I think to clarify SOME of the goal of them (just SOME I said) … I don’t think they want a fee to ever create a “profit situation” or a “fundraiser situation”.

From what I understand … if I had an event and charged $5 because my expenses were around $5 per person, that would TYPICALLY be fine. But I can’t charge $10 to cover $5 worth of expenses and profit $5 … EVEN if I planned on giving the $5 to a worthwhile organization (ie. Friends of blah blah park). But as I understand it, I could charge $5 to attend and have a donation basket benefiting the organization.

Another approach … scrap the whole idea of charging, but have a donation basket at the event with the idea that it should cover expenses with the excess benefiting the organization.

[EnergySaver]

Darn I see I’m wrong.
Maybe it’s a combined answer … maybe they’re for heart pills for bison!

[EnergySaver]

Here’s the low down from Vince C. on the event …

Hi Ron,

Thanks for your e-mail. The CacheFest we are holding with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center will NOT have trackable coins (there will be coins to be given out, but they are not official geocoins), and the caches will NOT be listed on geocaching.com. This is mainly an event just for fun and specifically designed for newbies and people who want to learn about geocaching. But obviously everybody is invited.

As I understand it from Jim Hyatt at the nature center, they will hide 30 caches throughout the center. Each cache container will hold a stamp. People participating in CacheFest will have a passport booklet with coords to each cache. Once they find one they can stamp their passport book. There will be prizes for those with the most stamps, etc.

… I was thinking about this, since the focus is newbies and want-to-bies … it’s likely good that they are NOT trackable coins, as I got to think a lot of them would never make it out into the geo-world any way.

[Author]

Posts