mypaperpast

but i'm also thinking if i decide to leave the box blank then the cacher would have to remember the numbers given for each rotary swith and count the clicks to find out what possition they are in....so lets say the numbers i give for switch A are 568902....possition 4 on the switch would equal the number 9

You lost me a bit with the area codes part, but it is early and I haven't had a coffee yet. To avoid complete confusion, I would label the switches with letters and give the missing coordinates letters. So you would give: N50 AB.C23 and then label the switches A, B & C then W004 CA.B45 That would still take a lot of working out - long enough to sit and have a sandwich - as there are lots of combinations! Does that make sense (apart from the N50 and W004 bit, which are the northings and westings where I live ) Like I said, it is early here! you've kind of got the concept...i'm only using area codes because it's 3 number combos that i could use for the hints...in my area we have three different area codes...that way there's not soooooo many number combo's to run through... switches would remain the A, B, C label and the six numbers would go around the switch...each number for each position...for example i would give N50 49.ABC W004 94.ABC lets say the missing numbers for N are 123....you would dial the three switches to represent 123...A = 1, B = 2, C = 3...press the red button on the left (the combo test indicator and the LED would light up...if the combo is incorrect nothing will light up) you would then toggle the toggle switch on the left to the down position and then solve for W the same way...

just finished installing the last two rotary switches...the combo's are not wired yet due the fact that i want to find a really interesting spot in town to place this cache....this might turn into a 5 stage multi in the deep deep woods of baytown, tx

yeah...i love a nice challenge...i just finished installing the other two rotary switches and knobs....so this is what i'm thinking.... you come up to the first cache and open the container...and you see something something that says 1 = (6 numbers ie: 275194) 2 = (6 numbers ie: 490851) 3 = (6 numbers ie: 693812) N coords W coords note: the 6 numbers is due to the fact that the only rotary switches i could find only have 6 positions...each number is relavent to a single position...ie: position one on the switch = the number 2, position two (one click clockwise) = 7...and so on... so with that said you have these strings of numbers written down or memorized..(haha)...and you go to the next set of given coordinates....this is when you come upon the little "blank" box (with a diagram labeling the battery test indicator, the combo test indicator, the toggle switch to switch between solving the N and W coords, and the rotary switches 1, 2, and 3 from left to right)...N and W coords will be missing three numbers...the others will be given... the hint on the cache page and possibily the title will be area codes (three numbers for three rotary switches)....lets say hint for N = houston, tx area code...well you have 713, 281, and 832...so you have three different combo possibilities for N...lets say 281 is the 3 missing numbers from the final N coords....you would simply dial the three switches to read 1st = 2 2nd = 8 3rd = 1 275194 490851 693812 and the same goes for finding the W coords...toggle the toggle switch down and then use the same string of numbers....lets say the three missing numbers for west are 713 275194 490851 693812 and there you go...you have now solved the puzzle and know the missing numbers of the final stage...these numbers i used are only examples and will not be used...i won't know the missing numbers until i find where i'm going to hide the final stage...

what about a separate instruction sheet with a visual layout and everything labeled...i kind of like the idea of someone comeing across a blank cache box...might add the the puzzle factor...good idea? bad idea?

haha...yes i have...and i have come to the conclusion that this container will be in another completely waterproof container and close to the house so i may provide maintenance if need be...however i am working on getting permission to place this on a building outside a masonic lodge nearby...we have another cache in town that's at another masonic lodge and the masons actually keep routine maintenance on it....quite nice of them if you ask me VERY COOL Had a read through this thread when it first popped up but didn't get involved because this kind of thing is way beyond my level of competence (most things are). Assumed it was one of those ideas that would never be put into practice (sorry I doubted you ). But suddenly the thread comes back up and look what you have made! In such a short time! How cool is that! You WERE serious! I would love to find that device to play with in a cache and it's great when someone puts real effort into creating something new and different basically for the entertainment of others. Can't help you with construction ideas but just wanted to add my words of encouragement and ask you keep us posted with pics as the project goes on, as I'll never be able to come and hunt for it in real life. Only one thought - to do it justice, could you find an engraver who could engrave the labels on for you with a white infill? Something like they do on those pet ID discs whch are usually engraved black on a brass disc. If you could find someone who could do the same but in white it would look really smart and wouldn't wear off. Just an idea. Good luck with the rest of the project - I'll be watching with interest. well thank you for your encouragment...and i will be posting pictures of the end result whenever i may be able to get it done....the engraving idea interests me...if i had the money to do something like that i would definatelly go that route...however i might be doing the decaling the capt. bob mentioned for starters and see how it lasts...you never know...i might be making more of these little boxes

haha...yes i have...and i have come to the conclusion that this container will be in another completely waterproof container and close to the house so i may provide maintenance if need be...however i am working on getting permission to place this on a building outside a masonic lodge nearby...we have another cache in town that's at another masonic lodge and the masons actually keep routine maintenance on it....quite nice of them if you ask me

i posted this in the forum were i began the original idea for this but thought it should go here as well...keep in mind it is still a work in progress...i will post completed results in a few days or after i find the right parts i need to finish the electronics...the second picture is the hard wired results of the battery indicator LED

ok...this is the latest and greatest of the project...i have only put in one rotary switch so far because after leaving the electronics store we realized that two of them were missing the nuts....in the second picture i show the battery test indicator due to the fact that i will not be able to wire the combo test indicator until i know where i'm going to place the cache and until i install the rest of the switches...next step is figuring out a good way to place the labels on the face of the container...

...When you know off the top of your head whether a particular thread has been discussed already ad infinitum and have readily available links to show how much of a forum hound you are!

when i dedicated an entire closet in my house to accomidate all the future geocache swag and containers i've been collecting since i started....just this year

well first off...i should have put more thought into this before i titled the topic because after much advice from very knowledgable people i have decided to use rotary switches instead of pots....and to answer your other question...i guess i will have to take my chances and make sure to note on the cache page and the container to reset all the switches to the off position before leaving...also i will be placing this cache very close to my house so i will be able to provide daily maintenance if need be...

yes i considered eliminating the toggle switch for that function exactly...both combos would have to be correct in order for the LED to light up...and like i said...i will have hints on the cache page as to what the combo's will be...example for N (Houston, Tx area code)...it could be either 281, 713, or 832....this way the cacher isn't sitting there for hours trying to get the correct combo and be tempted to "break" into the box...i do know however that the cachers in my area would do no such thing...i've met 90% of them and speak to them on frequent occations...i can't say for sure what any other cacher would do though..so epoxy would be a nice backup plan...

no i correct that...i will keep the toggle switch but will have to use 6 1p10t switches

and what is your recommendations on using make-before-break or break-before-make...i know the difference between the two but i'm thinking the shorting switch won't be too much of a problem...those seem to be the only ones i can find...

ok...just like i think it was capt. bob said on here...2p10t swiches are extremely hard to find...the only thing close i've found is a guy on ebay selling 3p12t switches...which will work...but now i've found some 1p10t switches...but would have to double up on and eliminate the toggle switch...

ok anyways...back to the subject at hand...waterproofing you ask...well i've decided to put the entire completed project in a waterproof lock and lock like container...it's the simplest solution i can think of at this time...but if anyone else has a better idea i'd love to hear it

i've even come up with a theme for this cache...the cache title will be "you have one phone call"....and an old corded phone will be attached to the side of the box and wired to act as a universal on/off switch (mainly for looks for the cache)...because the hints for the differnt combo's will be area codes from different city...example...hint for N coords will be "houston, tx area code".....this way the cacher isn't sitting there for hours going through all the possible combonations...and just so happens that the coords N 29° 45.281 W 094° 57.713...lands right outside the baytown, tx jail house...281 and 713 are both houston, tx area codes...how ironic

very nice...this is what i had in mind for a visual layout...

I'm sure the curcuit would NOT work both ways. LED1 is a Diode. Look it up. yes i know...light emiting diode.... Well, Emitting. But I'm still waiting to hear from Bob. Does he acknowledge there is a small issue with the schematic? And do you acknowledge you don't seem to know how a Diode works? i am achnowledging that i do know how a diode works...previously i was simply stating that whichever direction the + - were..you'd simply wire the diode accordingly

I'm sure the curcuit would NOT work both ways. LED1 is a Diode. Look it up. yes i know...light emiting diode....

Hey Bob Don't you have the Battery Terminal polarities reversed? The Battery is inserted backwards if those polarities are corrected, right? i'm sure the curcuit would work both ways...but it probably is a better idea to wire the LED and resistor in sequence with the hot leads instead of the negatives...but either way...the curcuit would be complete no matter which way you wire....is this correct...

haha..i feel like an idea...so my LED would be a 1.7v at 20milliamps? correct

oh and one more question about the r1 resistor...so the math works this way? say i use a 9v battery...the equation would look like this (9-1.7)/.02 and that would give me the resistor value of 365...and that would be in ohms...so with the 365 ohm resistance what value of led would i need...

your idea is also very great...but i believe i'm going to go with having the cacher use his/her own batteries...or i can wire a battery perminately like your schematic and also have a backup battery holder externally in case the batteries ever do run out....because as of right now...i do not cache with a gps and rarely have extra batteries on hand while i'm caching...and i know i'm not the only one...this will also all be pre noted on the cache page to bring extra batteries for backup just in case...thanks again for your guys' help...i'm going to start working on this in the upcoming week...i will post a link and pictures when it is complete....