September 17, 2003
EGNOS/WAAS update
Garmin Geocachers in Northern Europe may be cursing the loss of WAAS accuracy recently ... here's why ...
The ESA have this schedule up on their site with info that the AOR-E satellite (PRN 120 or Garmin satellite id 33) will not be broadcasting ESTB between 8th and 24th September. The IOR satellite (PRN 131 or Garmin satellite id 44) will still be transmitting ESTB, but here in Denmark we don't get much of a lock on it. Your mileage may vary.
That's the bad news. The good news is that on 24th September, AOR-E comes back online with WAAS (actually, the real EGNOS SIS).
Here's some info on the WAAS/EGNOS satellites.
And what are RIMS? They're Ranging and Integrity Monitoring Stations, a crucial part of satellite based augmentation systems. Read all abaout them here (warning : 190Kb PDF) and here's a (partly incomplete?) description of the CPF or Central Processing Facility (warning : 470Kb PDF).
Posted by daen at 12:36 AM
April 21, 2003
Cache me if you can
A kind of geocaching clearing house, this site shows geocaches from the major geocaching sites (geocaching.com, navicache.com etc) on the map (above).
Posted by daen at 01:39 PM
Come together, right now ...
"The goal of the project is to visit each of the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections in the world, and to take pictures at each location. The pictures and stories will then be posted here." (from the Degree Confluence Project website)
If you like geocaching, you might like this too. They don't count the ones in the oceans or near the poles, but that still leaves 13,667 degree confluence sites to visit!
Here's a few country statistics about primary confluence points (ie not near the poles or in the ocean) to ponder over ...
| Australia | 212 visited out of 737 total |
| Denmark | 15 visited out of 15 total |
| Spain | 55 visited out of 89 total |
| UK | 27 visited out of 37 total |
| USA | 802 visited out of 1073 total |
Posted by daen at 11:54 AM
April 20, 2003
Our first cache
Cache: (GCFA6B) Sayalonga Road Cache by Daen and Johanne de Leon
This cache is hidden by a quiet road in the rolling hills of Andalucia with beautiful views across the orchards, vineyards and white villages to the Mediterranean. If you drive all the way, you will need a 4WD vehicle for the last few kilometres. However, hiking from one of the nearby towns is recommended. Bring water; there is little shade! The elevation is around 570m.
Posted by daen at 11:04 PM
March 03, 2003
EGNOS/WAAS for Garmin users on 1st April!
ESTB switching to SBAS Mode (DO 229C Format) on 1st April
A story of great interest to those of us Garmin GPS users who have, for example, eTrex boxes with WAAS capability but who can't use it (because ESTB is currently transmitting using message type 0 which Garmin, correctly, ignores), and of absolutely no interest to the rest of you (go to your homes : there's nothing to see here ...). At last - sub 3m accuracy! And it'll be on in time for our Spain trip! Hurrah!
Posted by daen at 10:25 PM
January 27, 2003
Geocache "CocoBox"
Cache: (GC549) CocoBox by Ralf Schultz
A walk in Tisvilde Hegn #2
Found on 25 Jan 2003 by Johanne & Daen
Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5
Location: Tisvilde Hegn, Denmark
This cache is well hidden under an old root, in a relative young area of trees, witch makes it fairly difficult to reach.
The cache is an old canister of hot chocolate, unfortunately the canister isn't large enough to contain a tin of kippers, at least not Gløngøre Pepper Kippers.
The cache contains:
A golf ball
2 small candles
A box of matches
4 Mb ram 30 Pin
The cannister has been switched to a larger tupperware-like box, but for historical reasons, the cannister is still at the cache.
Posted by daen at 12:01 AM
January 26, 2003
Geocache "View of the Kat"
Cache: (GC1D7D) View of The KAT by ParkRanger
A walk in Tisvilde Hegn #1
Found on 25 Jan 2003 by Johanne & Daen
Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1
This cache is in a small ravine, well hidden under an old root.
The cache is transparent plastic box contains 5 things starting with C!
Coins
Cake!
Cards
Cat
Certificat
The plastic box is in a small dark green plastic bag, wich makes it a bit difficult to see
Posted by daen at 11:59 PM
January 18, 2003
Geocaching
GEOCACHING.DK - Mødestedet for GPS-brugere
Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site
Geocaching is a recent sport, and one I've just started to follow courtesy of my Big Christmas Present ...
a Garmin eTrex Venture! The sport is surprisingly big in Denmark ...
Join Geocaching -
The sport where YOU are the search engine.
A GPS device and a hunger for adventure are all you need for high tech treasure hunting. Here you can find the latest caches in your area, how to hide your own cache, and information on how to get started in this fun and exciting sport.
Posted by daen at 09:45 PM
Geocache "Bottles"
Cache: (GCB99F) Bottles by Jens
This one, I'm still working on ... I found the first bottle today so I now have the co-ordinates for the next bottle ... but I ran out of time / light ...
Difficulty: 2.5 Terrain: 1.5
This harbor was a lively industrial area from the mid 19th century until the 1990s. It is now being transformed into an upmarket residential area. The harbor was once dominated by ferry traffic to Landskrona i Skåne (1953-1993). It is now being transformed into a pleasure boat harbor. The harbor has some little known World War II memorials.
This tour of contrasts has three stops:
Stop 1 is at the cache coordinates. Your target is a bottle. On the label on the neck of the bottle a year is mentioned. Call that four-digit number Y.
Stop 2 is a small glass jar, about 4 cm in size. The coordinates are N 55º 43.abc', E 12º 35.xyz'. To determine abc, subtract 1247 from Y. To determine xyz, subtract 1627 from Y. About 40 m south of stop 2 you can see two more bottles. Unfortunately they are not accessible to the public these days.
The glass jar at stop 2 contains the coordinates of stop 3, which is a 3 liter plastic box wrapped in a plastic bag.
Posted by daen at 09:27 PM
Geocache "Kongie #3#
Cache: (GC6A90) Kongie #3 by Kongie
... and this is my second!
Difficulty: 1 Terrain: 1
This time you have to put on a pair of good solid boots as you have to leave the pavement...
"Kongie #3" is a blue/red box placed in a transparant plasticbag. You have to be like a "Tarzan" to find it. BUT - it is not up in the trees. On the contrerary. In the cache I originally placed the following, when I placed it the 30. june 2002:
The traditional kippers which is a danish "must"
A fine pen
A miniaturehat
A measurementcup
Salted sticks
A müesli bar
Chewing gum
A miniature formula 1 car
Potash
Bakingpowder
Dill
plus a first finders certificate, the Geocache letter and a pen to use in the logbook.
Posted by daen at 09:11 PM
Geocache "PKN go west"
Cache: (GCB1E0) PKN go west by Supermulen
My first ever found geocache, on 30 Dec 2002 ...
Difficulty: 1 Terrain: 1
Cachen er placeret på Amager fællede.
En lille insider-cache med slet skjult budskab. ;-)
Alle er velkommen til af finde den.
(Og meget gerne før PK!)
Koordinaterne er revideret d. 10.12.2002 med lidt hjælp fra "Jens". ;-)
Posted by daen at 08:20 PM