Place: Environmental Horticulture complex, University of
California,Davis, CA
Date: March 11 2006
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Actually: 3 events in one: a Brunch, a cache hunt, and an
educational event
Brunch: 10:30 to noon - This will be picnic-style, on the
lawn in the courtyard. In case of rain we have lots of eaves to
keep us dry. Bring lawn chairs.
Diabolical Cache event: ... some clever geocachers will
hide, everyone else may seek,... some frustration will be
involved...lots of fun (we hope)...
March 4 update: the Diabolical Cache Team got together today
to plan out just exactly how much frustration we are going to
impose on the unsuspecting attendees (that's you). As of today the
hides are "in place" and their location will be a carefully guarded
secret until the day of the event. The amount of evil concentrated
in this general area is somewhat frightening.
Here is how the game will work: participants will get a sheet
listing the coorindates as they arrive at the event. (No there will
not be gpx upload). Each person can head out at anytime, in groups
or by themselves. Each person can track their own "score". Note
that these finds will NOT be loggable at this website (but you can
expect to see some of these reincarnated as new official geocaches
in the coming weeks.
Educational event: in room 146. We will start the
educational session at 1:30 pm. This should give everyone
plenty of time to get the diabolical caches hunted (yes, you are
right, I am kidding). I propose the following rough
schedule/sequence of topics:
Review some beginning GSAK
material
(30 minutes): |
Use of GSAK as a means for dealing
with one PQ: Load one gpx file into GSAK, so some filtering, export
the same result into two GPSrs, one PDA and display same set
on-line and on maps to print out. Covered material: using the
"Userflag", setting up, saving and running a filter to get a
special subset of caches. |
Intermediate topics:
(1 hour) |
Assembly of multiple gpx files
(Pocket Query results and single cache-page downloads) into a
database
Management of the database over time, especially dealing with the
tricky issue of "archived" caches hanging around in your
database.
More on Filters
Caching along along a route through several metropolitan
areas. |
Advanced topics:
(30 minutes) |
Automating GSAK to do a number of
complicated steps for you automatically at the click of a button.
I'll show you how to create and run a few simple
macros. |
I will probably stay another 45 minutes for anyone that has
questions or wants to talk about other things.
Inclement weather notice: We will make a decision as to
cancellation by 8am; decision will be posted here. If the weather
is not agreeable, then we'll duck into the classroom, but some
other things may need to be changed,cancelled, etc. If no message
appears here, then we are "good-to-go". As of Mar 11 at 8 a.m.
the sky is clear over Davis, the sun is shining, no rain in sight,
but it is COLD - so "bundle up". We'll probably get rain later,
but who knows...
Note: the difficulty rating is for those who plan to find all
elements of the Diabolical Caching event.
Click here: to register a "Will Attend" log (please
include number of persons in your party and what you are planning
to bring for the pot luck; click here: to "Write a Note" if you are not coming.
Please note that you are automatically a
member of the RCGDS if you like to "geocache" or/and "dine". There
is no membership roster and everyone can be as incognito as they
like. This event is open to the public.
Reminder: Please bring lawn chairs if you have them.
Mar 9 note: Attendance count thouigh this eveing: 130. I think
we'll break an RCGDS attendance record if the weather is good. This
is going to be fun.