MnGCA

EskoClimber · Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 2:03 pm Post subject:

Simple enough, I'm from Esko and I'm a rock and ice Cllimber.

two_dogs · Geocacher Joined: 16 Jan 2006 Posts: 1

Being a fowl hunter, I am a big fan of retrievers, and, IMHO, two dogs are better than one.

WE0H · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:12 pm Post subject:

I use my Amateur Radio callsign. Many know me by that and other hams recognize it right away.

Mike

KC0GRN · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 22 Feb 2004 Posts: 1424

WE0H · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:28 am Post subject:

Nah nothing special. I got my Extra in '87 I believe and was timing it for the 'W' calls as I didn't want a 'AZ0' something callsign. My old calls are KE0PC & KA0ZAQ.

I have been wondering if anyone would have an interest if I did some sort of electronic cache. Seriously thinking of doing some kind of AM broadcast band homing beacon type of cache where the Lat/Lon would get them in an area that they could use a battery AM receiver to find the cache. Shocked

I don't know if others could RDF such a thing. Sure would spin a new twist on finding a cache for sure Laughing

Anyhow, yes put a list together of the ham radio cachers. I am very heavy into home brew ham radio. Run a Part 5 Experimental Low Frequency station here 24/7 currently on 185.3026kc. Also our little family of three will be getting going on this Geo Caching big time. The XYL and our little guy have big plans for items to place and trade with other caches. We live out in the boonies so we have lots of places to hide caches. Plus there are quite a few of them already hiding around our area for the adventure of finding them Cool

Mike

KC0GRN · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 22 Feb 2004 Posts: 1424

Ahh okay, I wondered if callsigns changed with the different license classes.

Probably going too far off topic and will get this spun off to another thread. But I'd be interested in trying a RDF style cache (is it the same idea as a fox hunt? never tried one of those before, but I'm not super into radio myself, just got a simple ol tech license).

WE0H · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:11 pm Post subject:

Yep it would be a fox hunt for sure. Even easier with a hand held loop antenna so you could tell what direction the max signal is coming from. I'll run some tests to see if a regular AM radio will suffice.

Nothing wrong with a tech license. You took the time to take the tests and passed Cool

Keep on studying and go all the way to the top.

Mike

Lyverbird · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:22 pm Post subject:

Here's an idea for your radio beacon cache. Cag used to have a multi where you found the first, which contained the needed equipment to find the second stage. If a loop is not an expensive item, you make it a BYOB. (Bring your own batteries.) I don't have a ham liscense but used to work in a conected field. Have to ask if the names Crystal CB or Chicken Man mean anything to you guys?
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GeoPierce · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:13 pm Post subject:

First name Dan. Last name Pierce. GeoPierce. Very interesting. Smile

sir_zman · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:23 am Post subject:

Last name starts with Z and everyone always called me Z-Man, or dork... anyways, so since Z-Man isn't exactly a unique nick on the net, I went with Sir_ZMan.

5savages · Geocacher Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 204

There are 5 in our family
We live in Savage.

Oh, and often our three kids act like savages.

the_Crazy_Vacationer · Geocacher Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 9

I have been absent from the boards for quite a while - sorry. Once we get back into the school year, Cub Scouting requirs a bit of my extra time.

I think my name fits me well and comes from a couple of different places. The short version can be found in my sig, but here's the long version.

My wife has often told me that I vacation like a maniac. I’m always trying to do too many things and I don’t know how to relax. It doesn’t matter where I go, when I’m traveling, I try and cram too many things into my day.

Ever since I heard about Geo-caching, I’ve always wanted to try it. It just sounded like a fun activity to do, and I tend to like gizmos and gadgets. I had a $25 gift certificate to Cabelas and then received another $25 for my birthday. My wife and I were going on a one-night get away to a Bed and Breakfast in Red Wing, but we decided to go to Cabelas and the Medford Outlet Mall on the way. My parents picked up our boys early in the morning, so we had a nice long day ahead of us.

I was planning to purchase a nice military-style compass. When I was in the army, I liked using them and was comfortable with the design. I found them, and they were $79. While holding it in my hand, I decided to visit the GPS counter. The idea had come to me as I was looking for the compass, that maybe I could get a GPS instead. Well, they had the I-finder Go for $79. Boy – here was a dilemma. I had really wanted a nice compass, but I could get an inexpensive GPS for the same amount of money. Since I had seen the same design compass, though not to the same quality, at Walmart for $3, I decided to purchase the GPS. I had to get batteries immediately as well and find myself in the parking lot before we left.

The family was going on vacation to Thunder Bay, Ontario about two weeks later. Without telling the rest of the family, I visited the Geo-caching website and found the caches in the area. Since this would be my first try, I decoded the clues as well. On the drive up, I casually mentioned the GPS and that there were Geocaches in the area. Well, one day we were driving right near the one, so we stopped. Because I knew the clue, we found it pretty quickly. My sons thought this new game was great.

We had planned on taking the kids to a playground, and there was another cache located near there as well. So after letting the kids spend time on the playground, we went hunting again. I let my kids hold the GPS, lead us into the area, and look for it. Again they thought this was great fun. Even though they were having lots of fun, they all thought I was crazy, and lovingly bestowed on me the Crazy-Man award. I was also again informed that I vacation like a maniac. After we got home, I visited the Geo-caching website and had to create a user name, so I decided to call myself the_Crazy_Vacationer. Since it was on vacation where I started Geo-caching, and it was on that same vacation I got the “Crazy Man” award, I thought it fit. Plus, it’s unusual enough that no one else had it.

Since then, I went and purchased the cheap version of the compass, and purchased one for each of my boys as well. The whole family has had fun visiting some geocaches, and a couple of times it has just been dad and the boys. I love watching them get so excited about the hunt and find. Even though they have a compass, they still need to take turns holding the GPS. My 4 year old really understands the geocaching concept, even if he does hold his compass backward.
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My wife tells me I vacation like a maniac. When I started geocaching on vacation, my family lovingly gave me the "Crazy Man" award. Thus was born the Crazy Vacationer

Team i380 · Geocacher Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 9

We got ours from our namespace - www.i380.net. Pretty basic. If you go to the website all you'll see is an 'Under Construction' page - I haven't decided what to do with it yet. My wife and I try to do this together to get us out of the house and get some exercise so we are Team i380. Like I said, pretty basic.

onionpond · Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:43 am Post subject:

We live on Leek Lake
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Onions the real man's Vegetable

Gone Astray · Geocacher Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 17

astray adv., adj.
[ME<pp. of OFr estraier, STRAY]
1 off the right path or way; wandering
2 in error

In my own words, "Something I'd better get used to."

After my initial geocaching expedition with blu2 and the old jarhead (They did a good job of pulling me back on track), I figured astray would be apt. Wink