[PPRAANet] Field Day - family - group - or solo activity (also looking for more)

[Dan Scott]

*Field Day – Other Activities***

*This year we are trying to add activities at Field Day which the whole 
family or just individuals can enjoy. One activity we have is called 
Geocaching (GEO-Caching). If you have a GPS unit, bring it, if not we 
will see what we can do to get you “on track”. Also, I plan on setting 
up an intro to Compass course, so bring a compass too! If you can setup 
another activity which the whole family can enjoy, please contact 
kb0ppm at arrl.net.*

*What is Geocaching?*

Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for GPS users. 
Participating in a cache hunt is a good way you and your family can 
learn to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a 
GPS unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up 
caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the 
Internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the 
caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety 
of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they take something 
they should try to leave something for the cache.

The word Geocaching broken out is GEO for geography, and CACHING for the 
process of hiding a cache. A cache in computer terms is information 
usually stored in memory to make it faster to retrieve, but the term is 
also used in hiking/camping as a hiding place for concealing and 
preserving provisions.

The two categories of caches which all the other cache types fix into are:
- Traditional
- Virtual
Within each category of cache you will find a variety of sub-categories. 
A traditional cache ends with a physical container containing at minimum 
a log to sign. A virtual cache does not have a physical cache, and will 
normally direct you to some historical or other point of interest.

*What will the Field Day Cache be like?*

Being this will be an intro to Geocaching, we will focus on the 
traditional cache. We will have at least 2 traditional caches placed on 
site; one will be much more easily found then the other. Both these 
caches will be Ammo boxes. We might be placing a micro-cache which can 
be found by solving clues associated to the first two caches. A 
micro-cache is much harder to find, even if your hand happens to be on 
it /*grin*/

*Family or Solo activity?*

Family: When Geocaching, I’d estimate, most of the people you will run 
into Geocaching are families with grade school aged children and retired 
people. We will have the caches at Field Day stocked with trinkets/toys 
youngsters generally like. But one of the rules is that if you take 
something you place something. So, you might want to bring along a few 
trinkets items to join in the exchange fun! (Hint: happy meals toys are 
great for this.)

Solo: From time to time I travel as part of my job. Since I really 
dislike sitting in my hotel room watching TV, I take along my GPS and 
try to find a cache or two (or three, or…). This takes me to many 
interesting places, which are off the beaten trail for tourists. I like 
this when I on-the-road and doing a run, it’s nice to have a destination 
for my run and nicer to have break to sign the log!

*What are the rules in Geocaching?*

Geocaching is a relatively new phenomenon. Therefore, the rules are very 
simple:
1. Take something from the cache
2. Leave something in the cache
3. Write about it in the logbook

*Geocaching defined:
*Using billions of dollars of government personnel and high tech 
navigational equipment plus hundreds of dollars of personal navigation 
equipment to find useless junk hidden at seemingly random, remote 
locations around the world.

To find out more information about Geocaching check out their website 
www.geocaching.com <http://www.geocaching.com/>

*Join the fun!*

We’ll see you at Field Day.
If you think there is a chance you will be there for one or more meals 
please RSVP to Susan: sallison68 at adelphia.net 
<mailto:sallison68 at adelphia.net>
Please remember to donate helping us cover the costs of food, generator 
gas, and the portable toilets.

73,

Dan – kb0ppm
kb0ppm at arrl.net