Newbie with two questions

[Clarinetcat]

Hello all!

 

New to Geocaching, already have a GPSr on order and currently in the planning stages to tackle a few local traditional caches beginning next week! Very excited to start this new hobby with my son, I just have a couple basic questions I have not been able to find answers to on the forum.

 

1) There are well over 600 traditional "green" map icons in our area. Once a cache is logged as "found" under my account, will the icon change color or give some sort of visual indication on my map that it has been located? If so, will that new icon/info also be uploaded and seen on my GPSr (Garmin 650)?

 

2) According to the forum rules, geocaching.com accounts should be registered to individuals 13+ (with parent permission). Is there any sort of workaround for this, so that my son can receive credit for "finds" and keep his own records of his adventures until he is 13? (As in, should I register another account and monitor it for him?)

 

 

Thanks in advance for info or old threads you can link me to about these topics.

[+Panther&Pine]

Hello all!

 

New to Geocaching, already have a GPSr on order and currently in the planning stages to tackle a few local traditional caches beginning next week! Very excited to start this new hobby with my son, I just have a couple basic questions I have not been able to find answers to on the forum.

 

1) There are well over 600 traditional "green" map icons in our area. Once a cache is logged as "found" under my account, will the icon change color or give some sort of visual indication on my map that it has been located? If so, will that new icon/info also be uploaded and seen on my GPSr (Garmin 650)?

 

2) According to the forum rules, geocaching.com accounts should be registered to individuals 13+ (with parent permission). Is there any sort of workaround for this, so that my son can receive credit for "finds" and keep his own records of his adventures until he is 13? (As in, should I register another account and monitor it for him?)

 

 

Thanks in advance for info or old threads you can link me to about these topics.

1) The icon on the website will change color if you log your find online. It will either change or disappear on your Garmin screen- depending on how (or if) you write your PQ's will dictate if it continues to show up on your Garmin.

 

2. You can monitor an account for your child, or use a Trackable that you visit to every cache he goes to with you and then later when he has his own account he can log them.

[+cerberus1]

On the online map, found caches show as a smiley face , just like the smiley "found it" when logged.

On a GPSr, only caches you haven't found will show on the map if entering indivually, as those are the only ones loaded.

PQs I believe offer an option to include 'em or not.

 

I know of folks with infants that have accounts, it's just that they hold the account and log for them, until they're of legal age (13 is a COPPA requirement).

Make a separate account for him, but understand you're the one accountable until then.

 

Have fun and cache safe.

[Pup Patrol]

Hello all!

 

New to Geocaching, already have a GPSr on order and currently in the planning stages to tackle a few local traditional caches beginning next week! Very excited to start this new hobby with my son, I just have a couple basic questions I have not been able to find answers to on the forum.

 

1) There are well over 600 traditional "green" map icons in our area. Once a cache is logged as "found" under my account, will the icon change color or give some sort of visual indication on my map that it has been located?

 

Caches logged as "found it" will appear as smiles/smilies on the map.

 

If so, will that new icon/info also be uploaded and seen on my GPSr (Garmin 650)?

 

I don't know about the 650, as I don't have one. Hopefully folks with that gps will chime in.

 

On my 60csx, unfound caches have a treasure box icon. Logging it as found on the gps will change that icon to an open box.

 

2) According to the forum rules, geocaching.com accounts should be registered to individuals 13+ (with parent permission). Is there any sort of workaround for this, so that my son can receive credit for "finds" and keep his own records of his adventures until he is 13? (As in, should I register another account and monitor it for him?)

 

Don't worry about it. Lots and lots of kids have their own accounts. I know folks who created accounts for their kids when they were born. (And obviously log the finds for them, as well as for themselves.)

 

A "Basic Account" requires an email address. You will need to set up an account for your son with an email address different from yours.

 

Help Center - My Account

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=1

 

B.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Taking it a step further, some dogs have accounts, also.

[Pup Patrol]

Taking it a step further, some dogs have accounts, also.

 

You're right. I forgot.

 

And the dogs probably have validated email addresses.

 

 

B.

[+cerberus1]

Hey...

[Clarinetcat]

Thanks for all the replies folks, the info is much appreciated!!!

 

 

Taking it a step further, some dogs have accounts, also.

 

LOL! That does take it one step further, doesn't it?

[+dprovan]

2) According to the forum rules, geocaching.com accounts should be registered to individuals 13+ (with parent permission). Is there any sort of workaround for this, so that my son can receive credit for "finds" and keep his own records of his adventures until he is 13? (As in, should I register another account and monitor it for him?)

Just to offer another perspective: don't overlook the alternative of you and your son to operate as a team, then when he starts to cache on his own, he creates his own new account with a fresh, distinct history, particularly if you're not sure he's interested in writing up his logs independently. "Credit" is overrated, so I wouldn't create a separate account just so you can count his finds.

[Clarinetcat]

Just to offer another perspective: don't overlook the alternative of you and your son to operate as a team, then when he starts to cache on his own, he creates his own new account with a fresh, distinct history, particularly if you're not sure he's interested in writing up his logs independently. "Credit" is overrated, so I wouldn't create a separate account just so you can count his finds.

 

Also something to consider, thanks kindly for your input.

[+Walts Hunting]

The icon on your gps will change to found until you overwrite or delete the file which is usually done. Most people don't want the found ones clogging up the screen.

 

If you decide to use one account and he later wants his own there is a nice macro in GSAK that will take all of them and log them to the new account for you so you don't have to decide now.

[+Walts Hunting]

Thanks for all the replies folks, the info is much appreciated!!!

 

 

Taking it a step further, some dogs have accounts, also.

 

LOL! That does take it one step further, doesn't it?

 

Since dog ages are generally multiplied by 7 it would seem that a two year old dog would meet the conditions as long as monitored. You never know that they might put in logs if unsupervised.

 

Secondly since at least one moderator/reviewer refers to employees of GS as dogs there might be a special dispensation for them.

[+The A-Team]

Taking it a step further, some dogs have accounts, also.

Yep, Tieka is famous around here. Not only is she one of the most even-tempered dogs you'll ever meet, but she even hosted an event! She also created a complex puzzle cache, but her owners listed it under their account.

[+JohnCNA]

....

Once a cache is logged as "found" under my account, will the icon change color or give some sort of visual indication on my map that it has been located? If so, will that new icon/info also be uploaded and seen on my GPSr (Garmin 650)?

 

Newer Garmins have a filter display setting by default to only show unfound caches. Once you mark it on the GPS as Found, it will disappear from the map and geocache listing page. You can change this filter setting to Show All instead. If you change that, your Found geocaches will show up on the Garmin screen and geocache list with an open treasure chest icon instead of the green cache box (unfound) icon.

Edited June 19, 2015 by JohnCNA

[Clarinetcat]

Newer Garmins have a filter display setting by default to only show unfound caches. Once you mark it on the GPS as Found, it will disappear from the map and geocache listing page. You can change this filter setting to Show All instead. If you change that, your Found geocaches will show up on the Garmin screen and geocache list with an open treasure chest icon instead of the green cache box (unfound) icon.

 

Good to know, thank you!

 

My GPSr just came into today, letting my screen shield dry overnight, I'll start messin' with it tomorrow!

[+FourFunKiwis]

I mulled over the account and children thing for ages.

In the end, I decided to make it easy for myself - just one set of logs, and no constant logging of tb's.

As for dog accounts....I had a bit of a 'you serious?' moment, before remembering my dog is a walking woofing travel bug....

[+wmpastor]

2) According to the forum rules, geocaching.com accounts should be registered to individuals 13+ (with parent permission). Is there any sort of workaround for this, so that my son can receive credit for "finds" and keep his own records of his adventures until he is 13? (As in, should I register another account and monitor it for him?)

Just to offer another perspective: don't overlook the alternative of you and your son to operate as a team, then when he starts to cache on his own, he creates his own new account with a fresh, distinct history,particularly if you're not sure he's interested in writing up his logs independently. "Credit" is overrated, so I wouldn't create a separate account just so you can count his finds.

 

Yes, but with the team account Junior starts with zero finds at age 13. If he's into numbers like so many are, he may resent having been taken to all those finds and having nothing to show for it except the memories of family activities!

[+K13]

Just like Junior will have to drive back to all those family road trips after he gets his drivers license. He wasn't allowed to drive when be was a youngster.....pesky age limits and all.

Edited July 7, 2015 by K13

[+dprovan]

Yes, but with the team account Junior starts with zero finds at age 13. If he's into numbers like so many are, he may resent having been taken to all those finds and having nothing to show for it except the memories of family activities!

Exactly. The only reason to have a second account is for the numbers.

[kwiel]

I have a question. Should one add the coordinates of the cache when logging it?

There is a special box for it, but it seems strange to me..

Now it shows in my reaction and the next person doesnt have to do the puzzle anymore?

Thanks! I am enjoying my first week of geocaching .

[+colleda]

I have a question. Should one add the coordinates of the cache when logging it?

There is a special box for it, but it seems strange to me..

Now it shows in my reaction and the next person doesnt have to do the puzzle anymore?

Thanks! I am enjoying my first week of geocaching .

 

The box is for adding a coordinate if you find that the listed GZ coordinates are seriously inaccurate. We mostly search up to about 10 metres from GZ as indicated by our GPSr. If we find the cache further away than about 7 metres I'll sometimes take an averaged waypoint, particularly if the hide is not obvious. For example, if the cache was a magnetic under a park bench and there's nothing else anywhere near it that could be a hide, then I wouldn't bother. If there's a multitude of hiding places then adding coords would give a heads up the CO that it may need checkin/fixing and it would assist other seekers. It is also a way of calling out COs would deliberately use "soft" coordinates to make their cacher harder to find for no reason.

[+Walts Hunting]

I have a question. Should one add the coordinates of the cache when logging it?

There is a special box for it, but it seems strange to me..

Now it shows in my reaction and the next person doesnt have to do the puzzle anymore?

Thanks! I am enjoying my first week of geocaching .

Just to clarify a point that I think callea missed. You do put in your logs coordinates for inaccurate locations. YOU DO NOT put in coordinates there for puzzles. There is a place on the webpage that you can put speed cache coordinates in and only you see that

[+CV Kurt]

(deleted)

Edited August 5, 2015 by CV Kurt

[+colleda]

I have a question. Should one add the coordinates of the cache when logging it?

There is a special box for it, but it seems strange to me..

Now it shows in my reaction and the next person doesnt have to do the puzzle anymore?

Thanks! I am enjoying my first week of geocaching .

Just to clarify a point that I think callea missed. You do put in your logs coordinates for inaccurate locations. YOU DO NOT put in coordinates there for puzzles. There is a place on the webpage that you can put speed cache coordinates in and only you see that

 

Mia culpa. Totally missed that point.