/ Eric Schudiske /

GPS and Geocaching Begins an Eight Billion Dollar Upgrade

You won't be lost in the woods anymore (we hope). New GPS satellites are expected to increase accuracy.

The U.S. is upgrading its constellation of GPS satellites.  They’ll be replaced in an effort to greatly improve accuracy.  Good news for geocachers. The replacement satellites are expected to sharpen the accuracy of your GPS device from about 20 feet to just an arm’s length. They’re also touted as being more reliable – meaning you won’t lose the signal as often.

Hopefully, this means fewer Did Not Finds (DNFs) on the horizon. But it’ll take a while to reach the horizon.  The first generation of satellites will reportedly be swapped out one for one over the next decade.

The launch of the first of the next generation of GPS satellites has been scrubbed three times due to weather or technical glitches. The fourth time proved to be a charm.  The rocket carrying the satellite lifted off Thursday, May 27th from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The satellites’ software will be upgradable while they are in space and also continue to broadcast an atomic clock, keeping time to a billionth of a second.

Besides guiding travelers to destinations, ambulance crews to emergencies and owners to lost dogs, how else do we use GPS each day?

/ Eric Schudiske /

Groundspeak Weekly Newsletter – 6/3/2010

One Geocaching Weekend, Infinite Geocaching Possibilities


Join thousands of your fellow geocachers for a once in a lifetime experience in Western Washington State, USA July 2-July 4. This weekend offers the unique opportunity to accomplish three geocaching goals at once: attending a Mega-Event, completing the “Triad” and earning two brand new special icons!
The Mega-Event is GeoWoodstock VIII. It will be held in Carnation, WA on July 3rd. The infamous “Triad” is one of the ultimate geocaching goals. It requires visiting and logging the first geocache location, the Project A.P.E. Cache Mission 9: Tunnel of Light and Groundspeak HQ. You’ll need to make your own way to Oregon for the original cache, but the other elements of the Triad will be easy enough. The Washington State Geocaching Association has organized a hike to the APE cache on July 2nd. You can log Groundspeak HQ at Groundspeak’s Lost & Found Celebration on July 4th before heading to watch the Seattle fireworks at Gas Works Park. It’s only a 15 minute walk from our event.
Attendees at the Lost & Found Celebration will be able to earn two special icons, which will be launching soon; one for the event and one for Headquarters.
Finally, watch the Lost & Found Celebration Cache Page. As we near the event, we will be adding the coordinates for Geoteaming’s 4th of July Geocaching Challenge Course to the page.
If you haven’t planned your trip yet, we suggest you do so now. Seattle is a very popular summertime destination!

Lost & Found Gives a Voice and Vision to Your Geocaching Stories
Groundspeak’s Lost & Found celebrates ten years of geocaching by featuring your favorite geocaching stories.  Check out the updated Lost & Found destination. Along with viewing new video stories about other amazing geocachers, you’re encouraged to submit your favorite geocaching stories. It’s easy. You’re able to either nominate existing geocache logs or add a story on the Tell Your Story page.

/ Eric Schudiske /

“Pirate Pete’s Plunder” GC172TB – GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK May 27th 2010

Pirate Pete’s Plunder GC172T8 was named Cache of the Month by the Wisconsin Geocaching Association. It’s our Geocache of the Week.  The puzzle cache captures the imagination of children and families with a compelling and fun story about tracking down pirate’s treasure.

This week’s geocache was chosen from entries submitted via Twitter.  Follow us on Twitter and submit your favorite cache for consideration as Geocache of the Week.

/ Eric Schudiske /

The Founders – Geocaching’s Lost & Found Video Premiere

Enjoy watching the first video in the Lost & Found series. We’re discovering the lost stories of geocaching. It’s our way to celebrate ten amazing years of family-friendly geocaching adventures.

“The Founders” video showcases the three innovators who launched Geocaching.com. Learn a little bit about Jeremy Irish, Bryan Roth and Elias Alvord.  Hear how the company started and where they hope the geocaching treasure hunt takes us all in the decades ahead.

Tell us what you think!

More Lost & Found videos will be released each week.  See a glimpse of what’s ahead in our Lost & Found Video Trailer.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocaching Caption Contest 3 – Win a Barely Coveted Prize

Winning Entry, “Fly me to the moon…..Let me cache among the stars! Let me have a FTF …..on Jupiter and Mars!” – jenbut

This is the third installment of our Geocaching Caption Contest. What foreign world does this cache exist?  “I never knew that this Utah cache was on the moon.”  You can do better.  The winner receives these barely coveted 10 Years! temporary tattoos.

You could win these barely coveted 10 Year! tattoos

Please include your geocaching username in all entries.  Winner will be chosen by an ad hoc committee of Lackeys.

13 Lackeys voted last week to crown the winner of the second Geocaching Caption Contest.

Take a look at the post to see who won.

Good luck this week!