NorthWest Arkansas Cachers

Ok, Here's my rant for the day...
Tonight, I am really annoyed at newbie cachers who have only actually found 20 caches (maybe) and then start placing their own caches without really knowing what they are doing or double checking their coords. We waited until we had found more than a hundred caches or so ( can't remember the exact number), before we felt that we had enough FINDING experience to start placing our own and we take coordinate readings with at least 2 of the GPS's and the phone when we place caches just to be as sure as we can that we aren't making a mistake that would cause other cachers any problems.We have been to quite a few caches recently where the CO has just stopped in the middle of the road or parking area( it seems), taken a coordinate reading and posted it....and the terrain rating is often not correct either. I mean a terrain rating of 1 REALLY should be wheelchair accessable, right? I understand that the error could be on our side but our team has 4 handheld GPS's, the car GPS, and the iPhone program and when all FIVE portables are within a few feet of each other out in the middle of a road? I think OK, weather, trees, batteries etc...but cache after cache?....UGH! The weather is just too dang hot and the gas too dang much money to mess around and only end up with bug bites, sun burn or heat stroke....I think we're gonna start keeping track of who the CO is on the new posts and just take a pass until they have worked out the bugs...we don't want the FTFs enough to mess with all the agravation...lol..... And WHAT'S up with either pulling the log out or taking the whole container and driving off/ away to sign the log? We have encountered both of these situations in the past few months...I think it's unsportsman like behavior and totally unfair to the cachers walking around and around looking for a cache that's a mile down the road on someone's dash. Cachers shouldn't have to hide from muggles that badly to justify driving off with the cache.
....OK, that ends my rant for today......I feel a little better P

I am thinking I am glad I didn't go looking for a couple of new caches last night.

I think you're right......................................and I wish WE hadn't.

There is a booklet that comes with most gps units. It's called an insruction manual, most people do not have a clue what their gps'r can do.

The first cache set at Devils den state park had a bunch of DNF's, so Cardianl and I went to look for it. We met up with Batman from the park and told him we could not find the cache either.

Well it turns out his unit was set up for something other than wgs84 datum, which is GC uses, only off by about 3.5- 4.0 miles.

Batman thought it was funny! I replied "what if I had broken an ankle and reported my coords? The laughter soon subsided after he realized his SAR could have been 4.0 mile off

Read the book folks or ask a cacher with more time under thier belt to help you. DO NOT BE AFRAID to ask for help, I have to ask all the time, anyone and I mean anyone on the forums would gladly
give up their valuable time to help anyone reading this blog. I am mathmatically ( probably spelling to) challenged. You will be amazed at what you can be taught from fellow cachers. Just my two cents worth.

Ron aka red ink

Jffok wrote:I am thinking I am glad I didn't go looking for a couple of new caches last night.

My hubby just wouldn't let this one go so he was back out tonight and found the one from the other night, but low and behold the coordinates have been edited, same as on another recent cache...luckily for him we had to get something at WallyWorld for a 4-H class tomorrow or I wouldn't have wasted more gas on this one...lol.....

Not to open another can of worms but lots of new people are using I Phones to mark cords. Don't get me wrong, I have an I phone and love it but it is not near as accurate (in my opinion) as a gps. I use it for a phone and as far as caching just to view the information. I put the posted cords into my gps to do my hunt.

Jffok wrote:Not to open another can of worms but lots of new people are using I Phones to mark cords. Don't get me wrong, I have an I phone and love it but it is not near as accurate (in my opinion) as a gps. I use it for a phone and as far as caching just to view the information. I put the posted cords into my gps to do my hunt.

...yep, that's how we do it too ; we use the GPS's for marking , and consult the iPhone as a backup to the GPS,taking photos at caches or on trips ( mine takes great photos) and to keep up with the geocaching.com cache listings, but even so there are so many areas that my iPhone simply has no service that it can't be used reliably
( or solely) for either caching or talking... Marble City and Ten Killer areas are the worst for recption on mine.