introduction to geocaching
DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Geocaching. Images are either personal or taken from geocaching.com site unless otherwise noted…. Agenda. What is geocaching? How GPS works History of geocaching How to use geocaching.com Popularity ~ Options ~ Etiquette Educational Possibilities Interesting stories - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Geocaching
Images are either personal or taken from geocaching.com site unless otherwise noted…
Agenda
• What is geocaching?• How GPS works• History of geocaching• How to use geocaching.com • Popularity ~ Options ~ Etiquette• Educational Possibilities• Interesting stories• Questions• Hands-on search…
What is Geocaching?
• Treasure hunt • for kids…..• and adults
http://www.atlanticgeocaching.com/
News video clip from USA orhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flsZVs4l3gU
How does GPS work?
http://www.uwec.edu/jolhm/Past_Classes/1998/491Class/Nov2-3/geography_4912.htmhttp://img.geocaching.com/benchmark/lg/a5887ff5-37e8-44b4-bb7b-9fc9bc8acfd6.jpg
History of…• Oregon gps user• Container with gadgets & logbook• Online local challenge
• Sign the logbook and…• “Take some stuff, leave some stuff."
• Within three days two others had found the bucket and geocaching was born.
• As word spread, others followed suit….
“If you hide it, they will find it.”
• Over time, a website was created to help organize the new sport…
GEOCACHING.COM
History of…
• Geocaching.com serves as an online database where “hiders” can tell others where a cache has been hidden and “finders” can look for new challenges.
• A large amount of information describing cache locations, sizes, etc. is available by logging on to this website.
How does geocaching.com enable this?
Guess how many hidden in a 20 mile radius (32 KM) of
E3B 6J8(FHS Postal Code)
GUESS!!!!
1784!
Geocaching.com
How to use
Internet down or too slow??? Click here for backup slides….
When you return home, login to geocaching.com and record your find online.
Ex: “Found your cache early this afternoon without difficulty. Enjoyed the scenery but not the mosquitoes;-) Took the City of Moncton pin and left a Keychain. TFTF
(Thanks for the find) Other popular acronyms: FTF & TNLNSL
(First to Find) (Took nothing, left nothing, saw lots)
Geocaching.com keeps a record of your results….
L
I
N
K
Then it’s your turn to hide your own..
http://members.shaw.ca/fca/cn/cn05.jpg
Caching “etiquette”
Re-hide better
than you found it
Caching Responsibility• Caches should not contain hazardous material
(including food).
• Avoid environmentally sensitive areas(ex: within days noticeable trail)
• Private property ~ need permission!• Include “Stash note”• Cache maintenance….water, animals, etc…
• Caches must be placed in approved locations (ex: highway median/black box besides major bridge not good idea)
• Safe searching (include compass, spare batteries, survival gear,etc.)
http://walkergarbage.com/hazardous.html
How popular is it?• Guess how many caches in New Brunswick?
• 3115 (March, 2007)
• 9375 (April 2012)
• geocachers plan trips around ‘caching.
• “Geofanatics” try to find as many as they can, some even go to further lengths
New Brunswick…New Brunswick…
Maritimes
Options:
http://www.geocaching.com/images/track/travelbugs.jpg
Travelbugs
Multicache
Premium membership
Don’t forget to click on puck!
Even more options…
http://www.nightcaching.org/
Event Cache
Geocoin
Nightcache
GPS Designs on Google Earth
• Triangle
• Carm
• Stickman
Interesting stories….
Ultimate cache?
http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?guid=909c9502-796e-442f-aa8f-b71be68a772b
Turn GPS on by holding power button for a few seconds
Wait patiently…
• Give GPS time to acquire satellites
Change pages until you get to the Main menu page
“Main Menu” page
Use joystick to select FIND
Warning!Joystick is
difficult for first time users.
Waypoints
Nearest
HINT:If no luck
with “nearest”
try “By Name””
Select the cache number you’re looking for
Need to useJoystick to
move up and down
and selectwaypoint
Then “Goto”Again,
need to usejoystick to
movearound and
select.
Then follow arrow
Reminders:
• Move leaves, plants, etc.
• Look up and down; try moving around.
• Faster you move, better for GPS (don’t need to run)
• Heavy foilage/bridges/buildings=poor reception
• Always a chance the cache has been moved/removed.