FAQ

First, if we take the logo as a whole, the white cross in the center of the logo as well as the quarter circles located at the four corners of the logo indirectly represent the flag of the province of Quebec.

In addition, the stylized arrowheads superimposed on the central cross point to the main cardinal points (north, south, east, and west).

Also, a white band surrounds the logo as a whole. On this band, we find 8 cardinal points (north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest) as well as 8 blue fleurs-de-lys arranged at an equal distance from each other. This set represents a compass.

Then, the colors of the quarter circles located at the four corners of the logo (yellow, green, blue, and orange) represent the colors of www.geocaching.com.

Then, each of the drawings included in the quarter circles located at the four corners of the logo represents an aspect of the geocaching activity in the province of Quebec.

• In the yellow quarter circle, at the top left of the logo, the drawing geographically represents the province of Quebec.
  
  
• In the green quarter circle, at the top right of the logo, the drawing represents a satellite that transmits information useful for calculating geographical coordinates.
  
  
• In the blue quarter circle, at the bottom left of the logo, the drawing represents a geocacher on their way to a cache, holding a walking stick in one hand and a GPS receiver in the other.
  
  
• In the quarter circle, at the bottom right of the logo, the drawing represents a cache to be discovered.
  
  

Finally, in the center of the logo, we find the name of our community, "Géocaching Québec". At the very bottom of the logo, where applicable, we find the internet address of our website, "www.Geocaching-QC.com".

To start, you only need a GPS and internet access. You go to the Geocaching.com website, enter your postal code in the first field in the center of the page, you click "GO" and all the caches around your residence will be displayed. Enter the coordinates (N45 xx.xxx W073 xx.xxx) of the cache you want to do in your GPS, and let it guide you! This is how you will discover your first cache! Good Luck and Happy Geocaching! The Association

To activate the Geocaching Québec Association geocoins, you must go to the following sites, depending on the year of issue:

For a 2006 geocoin:
http://www.usageocoins.com/activate/activate.php

For several 2006 geocoins:
http://www.usageocoins.com/activate/activate-multiple.php

For geocoins issued in 2007 and 2008:
http://landsharkz.ca/coin-activation-codes.php

A geocoin is a special coin created by geocachers as a signature or calling card.  Like any trackable item, each geocoin is assigned a unique identifier that allows its progress to be tracked throughout its life.

Because each geocoin is assigned a unique tracking ID, its progress can be tracked on the Geocaching.com website through logs posted by those who discover these coins.  There are different types of logs that can be made on a Geocoin's page.  When you are logged into the Geocaching site, you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts on the geocoin's page and even upload associated photos.  Everything works in the same way as a cache.  In addition, when you report having taken a geocoin, it will appear in the inventory section of your profile.

Don't panic! You have already taken the first step by visiting this page.  Now see the "How to use a geocoin" section which will explain in more detail how to pick up and drop geocoins.  (coming soon)

Sometimes geocachers place unactivated geocoins in a cache for the next person to find.  In some cases, the activation code was not included.  If you need it to activate it, visit this web page on Geocaching.com to activate it.  During activation, you will have a link " Retrieve your activation code ".  Enter the code indicated on the coin and the code will be sent to you by email.

To help your coin achieve a goal, personalized information sheets can be printed and sent with the coin.  To print this, visit your coin's page and click on "Print Information Sheet".

Each geocoin has two codes.  To register a Geocoin on the website, you must know the identifier affixed to the coin itself and not the code displayed on the coin's page (starting with TB).   Some coins may not be trackable on the Geocaching.com site.  Those that are identifiable by the phrase "Trackable at Geocaching.com".

This is the most frequent question when finding a coin.  Keep it? Move it to another cache?  Take it on a trip?  The answer always depends on the owner's goal for their coin.  Usually, the best way to find the answer to this question is to visit the coin's web page and read the Goal section.  If there is a theme or special instructions from the owner, you should do your best to respect the geocoin's goal.  Or send an email to the owner for more details.

Selling a coin that does not belong to you is generally unethical, unless you have received express permission from its owner.

If you create your own series of geocoins and do not want people to sell them, it is recommended to activate all of your coins on Geocaching.com before they leave your possession.  This gives you a claim of ownership and, once reported, allows the coin to be deactivated at your request. If you have placed geocoins that have not been activated, this is considered a transfer of ownership and Geocaching.com (Groundspeak) will no longer be able to intervene.

At our shop, of course!!  You will find coins from the association, coins concerning various events and official coins from Geocaching.com.   If you wish, some companies can make coins for you to your taste, according to your sketches, drawings or photos.  See a list proposed by Geocaching.com here in the Geocoin Manufacturers & Resellers tab.

Activate each geocoin you own.  Visit the Trackables page to start activating your new geocoins.  Follow the step-by-step instructions for activating it.  Once activated, you can place them in caches or exchange them with friends.

Normally, the company that supplied you with the coins should include the activation code.  There may also be a system on their respective website to retrieve it.  If they come from The Association, consult the FAQ on our site or contact the shop administrator if this code has been forgotten.   Also, Geocaching.com now has a system to retrieve a forgotten activation code.    When you activate your coin, a link " Retrieve your activation code " allows you to receive the activation code by email.

Once you have published your new cache, go to it and create a "Note" type log.   Write a note and select the Geocoin you want to drop in your cache.  This principle also applies to any cache.  

The distance is calculated for each Geocoin in chronological order of the logs.  Sometimes geocachers enter an incorrect date in their log.  The order of the logs is then incorrect.  This is often what causes errors in the calculation of distances

To correct this, you will need to delete the logs that are incorrect and notify the geocacher concerned to recreate their log.  You will have to deal with these problems on a case-by-case basis.

Sometimes a geocoin is picked up.  But for some reason, the person who picked it up does not register their discovery.   If this happens, the next geocachers who visit the cache will probably let you know that the geocoin is no longer there.  As the owner of the coin, you have the option of moving your coins to an unknown location until it is found.  Visit your geocoin's page on Geocaching.com and choose the option to move your coin to an unknown destination.  This will not affect the overall journey and distance calculations.  Cache owners also have the option of moving a geocoin that has been incorrectly inventoried in their cache.

Visit the Trackable Adoption tool (on Geocaching.com) and enter your geocoin's ID. Then, enter the username of the person to whom you want to transfer the coin.  This is a very practical utility for sending and receiving adoption requests and a way to help make the transition smooth for the old and new owner.

You can start with the official Garmin site.  The site is in English, but provides French documentation. After choosing your model, make sure to choose " View publications in all languages ".

https://support.garmin.com/support/manuals/searchManuals.faces?refresh=true

If you can't find it, try this site: http://mesnotices.fr/reference-GARMIN/2

You will undoubtedly find what you are looking for.

To use custom icons, you need to synchronize the GPS receiver, Mapsource or GSAK with the same icons.

Just create bitmaps of the right size (16x16 or 24x24, 256 colors). The background color must be RGB (255, 0, 255), which will become transparent on the receiver. (Transparency works for POIs with the latest version of POILoader).

1. GPS Receiver

Use xImage to transfer the images to the receiver. In the case of the 60CSx, a maximum of 24 images can be transferred and supported. The others will be assigned the default icon (small blue flag).

They should be named as follows (if your interface is in French):

Waypoint Symbol 000.bmp

(...)
Waypoint Symbol 023.bmp

If your interface is in English:

Waypoint Symbol 000.bmp
(...)
Waypoint Symbol 023.bmp

Choose the option to send to the receiver and choose all the icons

Indicate the directory where the graphic files are located. The 24 new icons are now ready to be used. The icons will be displayed when waypoints are transferred from Mapsource (requires the latest firmware version).

2. Mapsource

Put the images in the "Documents and Settings\user\My Documents\My Garmin\Custom Waypoint Symbols\" directory, but by renaming them ("000.bmp", "001.bmp", etc.).

Rename the graphic files and copy them to the specific directory. All new icons will be available in Mapsource

3. GSAK

Modify (or create if it does not exist) the file "GSAK\GarminOther.txt" and name each icon to find your way around the menus:

Custom 0; Traditional
Custom 1; Multicache
Custom 2; Mystery
Custom 3; Virtual
Custom 4; Corrected
Custom 5; Unknown
Custom 6; Webcam
Custom 7; Hybrid
(...)

Then, associate the types/states with each icon and you're done!

Warning: you will have to export your files in .gdb format, and not in .mps since custom icons are not supported in the old .mps format.

With the advent of the new "x" series of receivers, which have a removable memory card, Garmin is paving the way for storing an unlimited number of points in the receiver. Unfortunately, this is not yet a reality, but there is a simple and quick way to get around this problem by using Points of Interest (POI).

Since this data does not take up much memory, it can be stored in the internal memory of the receiver or directly on the memory card. With the new firmware (3.20), we can now see the POIs at any scale (there is no longer a limit of 200 meters). You just have to configure them in the map menu ("Menu", "Map Setup", "Map Setup-General", "Detail" > "Most" AND "Menu", "Map Setup", "Map Setup-Points", "Map Points" > desired scale).

It should be noted that even if this data takes up less memory, it contains much more information than an ordinary point! And in addition, they can be classified into categories (multi, traditional, etc.).

Here are screenshots (GPSMap 60CSx) to give an idea:

Here is the method used:

• from GSAK (http://www.gsak.net, free software, but worth buying), use a macro to export the caches into categories to .gpx files (put "%code %name" in the "Waypoint name" and "%typ - %con - %Dif/%Ter - %hint" in "Cache description format"). I created a macro specifically for this task and you will find it here: http://gsak.net/board/MacroIndex.php and do a search for GarminPOI_GPX

• use POILoader from Garmin (http://www.garmin.com/products/poiloader/) to put everything in the receiver (you will find the list of compatible receivers on the Garmin page)

And you're done!

If you want to use custom icons for POIs, just put them in the same directory as the .gpx files (and name them exactly like each .gpx file). You can even put keywords in the name of the .gpx files to identify audible alerts that the GPS will use to signal us when we approach a cache! Wonderful!

Since POIs do not have the "geocache" icon, they are not compatible with the GPS geocache option (so no "Found" and "Note" button on the compass page). But it is possible to save the POI by transforming it into a waypoint; it will then be possible to use the "Found" and "Note" buttons of the geocaching mode.

Since firmware 3.20, you can see the full title of the POI on the map and it appears highlighted when you move the cursor over it. It is also possible to click on the POI to do a "Go To".

If you set your compass to display True North, it means that the compass will point to the north of the maps, in other words, where Santa's beautiful ball is, in the Arctic (axis of rotation of the Earth).

Magnetic North, for its part, is a little rascal that moves and does not stay under Santa's ball.  It is currently shifted by about 15° 6' to the west (for us anyway) and is still moving.

Grid north is a virtual North, which is found at the top of topographic maps, when you unfold the terrestrial globe to lay it flat!!!

The most frequent adjustments are "Magnetic" or "True".

You will find information on geomagnetism and Magnetic North here (Natural Resources Canada site).

I hope that orients your compass!!

Magnetic Declination Calculator

Also called simply a Trackable, or colloquially a TB (for Travel Bug), it is generally a tag attached to any object.   This tag contains a tracking code that allows the attached object to be followed on the Geocaching.com website.   The attached object becomes a "hitchhiker" that moves from cache to cache (or from person to person) in the real world and that you can follow online.

Although some have none, trackables often have a goal to achieve.  The owner of it is free to let their imagination run wild.  One of the pleasures is to invent new goals for your items.  The challenge can be to visit a country, to visit 10, to skydive, to have a photo of the object from the top of the Eiffel Tower.  Impossible to name them all!!

Each trackable item has two identification numbers.  The first is the tracking number.  It is written on the tag only.  This code serves as "proof of possession" for the person who finds the item.  This code should not be displayed in public, in your logs or in the images you might send.

Another code is assigned to trackables.  This is displayed on its web page and begins with TB (or GC for geocoins).  Use this if you want to let other geocachers discover the item.

Don't panic! You have already taken the first step by visiting this page.  Now see the section What to do with a Travel Bug (on geocaching.com)  which will explain in more detail how to pick up and drop off trackable items.

To help your item achieve a goal, personalized information sheets can be printed and sent with your object.  To print this, visit your item's page and click on "Print Information Sheet."

Probably not.  Some geocachers have created their own tracking system.  If there is no tracking code or if it is not identified with geocaching.com, you may have found an item from a parallel system or it is simply not a trackable item.

As a general rule, owners of items like to see them travel as far and to as many caches as possible.  So try not to keep them for very long.   If you plan to keep them for more than two weeks, it would be courteous to notify the owner via email.

Activate each tracking number you own. Visit the trackables page and start the activation.  Follow the step-by-step instructions for activating your items.  Once activated, attach them to your trackable items.  You can then place them in caches or exchange them with friends.

Your activation code usually comes with the set of tags you ordered.

When you start activating your item, there is a link " Retrieve your activation code " that allows you to receive an activation code by email.

There is an inscription "COPY" on one of these tags.  This allows you to keep the tracking code and thus manage your items.  This second tag also serves as a secondary copy if the original were to disappear into the wild.

Because trackable items are created to travel from cache to cache, the rules regarding cache contents also apply here.  Geocaching is a family activity and the content must be suitable for all ages.  Explosives, fireworks, ammunition, lighters, knives (including Swiss army knives), drugs, alcohol or other illegal items should never be placed in a cache.  Attached to a tag or not.   Food is always a bad idea.

Once you have published your new cache, go to it and create a "Note" type log.   Write a note and select the item you want to drop in your cache.  This principle also applies to any cache.  

The distance is calculated for each item in chronological order of the logs.  Sometimes geocachers enter an incorrect date in their log.  The order of the logs is then incorrect.  This is often what causes errors in the calculation of distances

To correct this, you will need to delete the logs that are incorrect and notify the geocacher concerned to recreate their log.  You will have to deal with these problems on a case-by-case basis.

Sometimes a trackable item is picked up, but for some reason the person who picked it up does not record their discovery.   If this happens, the next geocachers who visit the cache will often let you know that the item listed in the cache's inventory is no longer there.  As the owner of the item, you have the option of moving your items to an unknown location until it is found.  Visit your item's page on Geocaching.com and choose the option to move it to an unknown destination.  This will not affect the overall journey and distance calculations.  Cache owners also have the option of moving an item that has been incorrectly inventoried in their cache.