moozehead2020

Congrats Director!

Congrats on 400 (and beyond) EagleTrax! I'm still trying to make it to #200...

Is there an easier way to decode "unusual" ciphers in puzzle caches, let say difficulty 2/3? I have an engineering / programming background and I tend to over analyze things. Too much knowledge can be a bad thing. I usually need to take a step back and say "OK, how would a non technical person figure this out?" I read the logs and see how others figured it out, it seems like they google for something then adjust their settings somehow. I just not really sure what to google for in most cases. I guess there are special online decoding tools that people are using for these puzzles. I doubt that you need to be a rocket scientist to figure these out, it should be basic math / trig / geometry. Some examples: - a drawing with a set of semicircles and lines - a drawing with dots and lines, looking like constellations (but not quite) - ciphers with ASCII characters (letters, numbers and punctuation) - lengthy story with something hidden in the text itself

I had similar problems when printing cache pages in IE7. Some pages would not print the top section (with coords, difficulty, etc) above the description section, especially when dynamic sections are clicked to hide sections, hide images or to decrypt hints. Here's what I do to correctly print: 1) on the cache listing, click on the link to "Make this page print-friendly (no logs)" 2) on the printer friendly page, click on the decrypt link on the right side of the Additional Hints section. 3) Click on File -> Print Preview 4) I look at the preview screen to make sure that the top section is visible. If it is not, there is a dropdown to "Change Print size" which normally defaults to "Shrink to fit". I would then change it to 80%, 70% or as low as 60% until the top section shows up in the print preview. Once it is visible, click on the Print Document Icon on the top left to print the document as shown.

Ok, I looked at the listing, and the cache is active checkbox is / was checked and it is not disabled. It shows up on My Account Details under My caches waiting for review. There are no reviewer notes in the log at the bottom of the cache listing. It has been 6 days and I have not received any contact from the reviewer(s). It is a Traditional cache with straight coords, no puzzles involved. I'm pretty sure I followed the guidelines, its in a public park in a wooded area, definitely nowhere near private property. Its very disappointing, especially after visiting some recently published caches that were clearly on private property, most likely without the owners consent.

Is it unusual for a new cache hide to take over 6 days to review / publish? I entered the info on 8/15 and haven't heard anything from anyone since. There were system problems with the version upgrade at the time I was entering it, but it shows up ok in my account details screen as "waiting for review". I posted a reviewer note for it today, asking if there is a problem with it. I'm kind of upset since today I see new caches in my area being published after only 2 days. I don't want to be impatient since reviewers might have been on vacation or something, but it certainly looks like other caches entered days later than mine are being published before mine.

Try the Geocaching Glossary: http://www.geocaching.com/about/glossary.aspx

I like to look for the more interesting caches that have TBs and GCs. There are several in my area that are missing TBs/GCs, yet still show up in the inventory on the cache listings. What is the proper way of getting these removed so that the cache listings correctly show TB/GC inventory?

Thanks for the info! I would prefer to go to the local craft stores or CVS rather than ordering them on the internet. Craft stores always have those 40% off coupons!

Where can you get those really small ziploc plastic bags like the ones used in micro caches? I measured a few and their sizes are: 2" x 2.5", 3" x 3.5", 3" x 4.75". The small snack baggies that I have are a bit too wide for a hide a key without a lot of folding.

I currently have one with a checklist: TEAM DESERT EAGLE'S SUNSHINEGANG GEOCOIN IV http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.as...b6-ce903385a458 Its on an index card, but I doubt it was printed out by a laser printer, the borders are much too narrow. Check with the owner of the geocoin above to find out how or where he got it from.

Thanks for all the good advice, now I have a better understanding of what I should be doing. In general, are difficulty 1 or 2 caches well concealed, like in holes covered with leaves or deep inside/under fallen trees? Or is it more of a hide in plain sight if you are looking from the right direction? What I find amazing from reading the logs is that people can find caches at night with a penlight.

The biggest problem I have is when GZ has many pieces of rotting logs and covered with leaves. Then there is no obvious spot, it could be under any one of those rotting logs, so I go around and move them with my foot. Found termites and bees on one occasion. Today I had 2 DNFs, both locations had a large fallen tree with the ground covered with bark and ferns. Looked all around the trees in a 50' radius, looking for stumps, knotholes, anything hanging from the trees. At one of the locations, I saw a large fallen branch teetering off a small tree, but I could not find anything near it. Anything else would require crawling through the foliage and bug infested areas. If I were to hide a cache, I would place it far from the beaten path in a clearing, away from hazardous plants, bugs, garbage, etc.

I'm new to geocaching, and I've found about 9 local geocaches. I've found several different types of cache containers and hiding places, and most of them were fairly obvious. Most of the time it is an enjoyable experience, but sometimes frustrating when a geocache is hidden a bit too well or in a nasty location. I've seen caches that were behind a wall of thorns (briars?) or in a places that are littered with dead rotting trees, with lots of bugs. Not really the kind of places you want to take the kids. Many of these caches are listed as difficulty/terrain 1 or 2. After a DNF (Do Not Find), I read the logs where veteran geocachers mention that they used some basic geosense to find the cache quickly. I know enough to look for things that look out of place, like a pile of cut logs or rocks. I also look for tree stumps, raised roots, knotholes as hiding places. Also things are positioned away from the main trails. By moving around and looking at things from different angle, you may be able to spot things. But in an area covered with leaves, plants, dead wood, garbage, etc, it is very difficult to guess where and what you are looking for. I tend to mess up the area a bit by moving logs and rocks and leaves. I feel guilty when bushwhacking through an area of nice plants. Also it is not to wise to put your hands into holes and rotting trees since something is likely to be living in there. Is there any good FAQ on geosense and what exactly to look for?