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31BMSG

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Everything posted by 31BMSG

  1. Since Chinese customs keeps refusing to let the shipper send my electronics to the US I've been experimenting with other things, the latch is one of them. I found a latch that I think will work for this application, it works on the same principle as a car door latch but is only 2.5 inches long. When the latch is released it pushes the door open nearly 20mm and until you use a lot of force, pulling the door doesn't seem to effect the tension required to release it. Right now I'm waiting on a 5v solenoid as well as a 5v servo to test this with, until then I still don't know if they have the power to pull the release. If interested this is an R4 micro concealed rotary latch manufactured by Southco, there are numerous configurations but the part number I received is R4-10-21-201-10. This is a US company but have distributors worldwide, the Australian service center's phone number is (61) 3 9330 5000. Shop around if you can, I found the same part number priced in the US from $9 to $27.
  2. Are these caches being disabled after a CHS hit or is it something in addition to CHS? Either way my thoughts are it's about time, there are lot of trash caches being propped up by throwdowns and "volunteer maintenance" that need to go away.
  3. GS already has a written guideline stating the container should be waterproof so I'm not sure an unwritten rule would make much difference. I think a bigger impact would be made if hiders would take the time to make a plan before placing a cache. Is it waterproof; will it be easily muggled; is it close enough I can easily do maintenance at least twice a year, if not is it constructed/protected for the long term with plenty of log space; is it something the hider would enjoy finding? I don't know if it's due to having to claim a spot before someone else does; quickly increasing their hide count; or simply not caring, coming across caches that seem to have been placed as an afterthought is becoming common. An unwashed sports drink bottle with a single sheet of notepad paper shoved inside is not a geocache in my opinion, it's trash.
  4. The coins I'm concerned about travel with me and will never be released, it was one of these that was discovered on facebook. I've written off the majority of coins I've released because they get picked up, carried in a pocket for six months, then shown off at an event only to disappear. I haven't looked back through logs to verify, but I don't recall ever having received a discovery on one of my trackables located in a cache, at least in a US cache. My trackables in Europe are still plugging along, logged correctly, moving from cache to cache, with most of the discoveries when they are in a cache. In an effort to keep these moving I changed the mission on a few and asked that they not be returned to the US.
  5. I find it rather nostalgic, reminds me of Netscape on my 9600 dial-up modem
  6. After my last post I thought I should look at my recreational permit since I'm going to be caching south of Benson in about 10 days, it expired two weeks ago. While renewing the permit I saw this land use map that I thought might be helpful in case you weren't already aware of it, http://gis.azland.gov/webapps/parcel/?loc=-112.0001,33.4071,10&layers=11,2,0
  7. Once it's locked no one can log it or change anything on the trackable page, including you. I've mentioned it several times to several people, GS needs to let the trackable owner have the option to decide if they want to allow their trackable to be discovered. There is already a checkbox for collectable/non-collectable why not discoverable/non-discoverable.
  8. I'll second the call out, he logged one of mine that's been in my possession for a few years now.
  9. So I can't visit N30 18.402 w104 01.154 to get a burrito because the coordinates are not published on Geocaching.com? Suppose I walked across the street and even though I didn't have a clue it was there, found a cache without a GPS or a phone? Could I sign the log even though I didn't see it on GC.com? How many times do you think a non-cacher has found a cache by accident, are they not allowed to sign it by your interpretation of the guidelines? Do what you want with the FTF, it's meaningless to anyone other than the person that claims it, there is no need in trying to justify your decision. You can be the 50th person to sign the log and claim a FTF, because no one besides yourself cares. In my opinion the only reason the FTF side game was created by cachers was to have bragging rights. Remember this? Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't see where it says you have to get the coordinates from GC.com or even be a member in order to sign the log. Congratulations! You’ve just found a geocache—intentionally or not. Geocaching is the anytime, anywhere adventure where players (called geocachers) use a Geocaching app or a GPS to find hidden containers around the world. What to do now: Sign and date the logbook Trade items (if you want to), just remember to leave something of equal or greater value If you find something with the words “Trackable at Geocaching.com” on it, it’s best to leave it in the geocache unless you know what to do with it Re-hide the container exactly where and how you found it so other geocachers can find it Log your find online at Geocaching.com or using the free Official Geocaching App If this container needs to be removed for any reason, please contact the geocache owner at the email address listed below. You can also visit geocaching.com/help and send a message with unique information about the geocache, such as the GC code, geocache name, or a nearby address (including the city and country).
  10. " Hello 31BMSG- Thank you for contacting Geocaching HQ. We were recently made aware of this Facebook page and are currently looking into it, as trackables "discovered" without the logger physically interacting with them is discouraged by Geocaching.com. In the meantime, trackable owners can always delete any logs believed to be bogus or inappropriate. You can also temporarily lock your trackable, essentially taking it out of the game. It can be unlocked later. To lock your Trackable, visit the Trackable page and select "Lock" under "Actions." Confirm on the next page that you want it locked. Thanks, "
  11. I hate my privacy is being invaded by someone posting serial numbers for items I've purchased.
  12. No I didn't not realize, my apologies. I just deleted two bogus discoveries for a trackable that's kept in my geocaching bag, the last stating they had discovered on that page.
  13. https://www.facebook.com/GeocacheTBSpoiler/?eid=ARARsHxqyxfLpIfDqoAHLwb4BVnS_QurfUXxC-9AFY1rO7atH1Xi3y6AqFwBojALv8_9_ieAhZIjIE35
  14. What if the CO let his kids sign prior to placing it? I'm not going to dash some kid's joy by playing this silly, meaningless side game When did it become all about the number of smilies, FTF, and trackables instead of the enjoyment of simply finding a cache?
  15. The locked gate makes it obvious you can't go after the cache but before you log a NA you might touch base with the CO, it's possible it was open when it was placed but now closed, either temporarily or permanently. Both BLM and AZ state trust land have been known to temporarily close areas. State trust land allows caches placed according to ASLD guidelines but to access them you need a recreational permit. Any cache on BLM land I've come across has been a free for all as long as the gate wasn't locked, but you should probably do some research on that.
  16. Are you sure it's not being used? Several species of birds and owls make their homes inside cactus.
  17. I appreciate the nudge in this direction! Having the current latch in hand was the only reason I was focusing on it, I can easily change directions and I think I just did. After your mousetrap example I did some internet research and I think a rotary latch will work perfectly for what I had in mind, one pulse and it remains unlocked. I do plan for the cacher to supply power for both the logic and the servo/solenoid/stepper as well as something mounted on the bottom of the ammo can lid to ensure the door is pushed into the locked position when the lid is closed. That is IF the cacher decides to actually to close and lock the lid. The way it's been going in this area I wouldn't be surprised if someone left the ammo can open to avoid locking the inner door.
  18. In theory a stepper motor with an arm would move the latch into the unlocked position, once the door is off it's stop a microswitch would indicate the door is open and the stepper would return the latch to it's locked position. Just as you can pull the door on your house closed with the keyset locked the finder would push the door against the stop until it latched. In the event the cacher failed to push the door into the locked position something (spring/foam) mounted on the inside of the ammo can lid would ensure the board is locked against it's stop. The stop can be adjusted so there is no friction on the latch but that doesn't account for the cacher pulling on the board while it's unlocking, it's also going to use power until it's returned to the lock position. I also considered something linear that would pull the latch into a detent unlocked position, much like automotive door locks, and then power down until it's commanded to lock, I found a 7v linear actuator but at $70 USD that's a bit out of budget. I just need to get some parts and start experimenting.
  19. The initial plan is that the door is horizontal resting on it's own weight against a stop, I had not considered someone pulling up on it before/as it unlocks. I'm going into this expecting several failures in design, I learn better that way. Until I actually get some parts I'm only brainstorming but I appreciate the input, these give me things to look for in testing.
  20. I ordered an Arduino starter kit yesterday so I'm a few weeks away from experimenting. I took an old house lockset apart and I think I'll try controlling that with a 5v stepper motor as a first step. Thanks for bringing up the force/friction situation, I'll make sure to check that aspect.
  21. I saw some of your caches while reading through the threads cerebus1 provided earlier. Do any of your multicaches require the movement of something from one of the stages, such as an RFID chip, to the final to open the container? This idea crossed my mind but I'm wondering what the probability would be of the chip being returned to its proper location.
  22. Thanks for the replies, comments about reliability and maintenance issue were what I was looking for. Water is scarce in this area but my initial plan is to house the components in a waterproof container inside an ammo can, I already have permission to place a cache in a spot that's semi-protected from the elements. Since all of my ammo can caches have always been closed correctly, I didn't consider someone leaving a can open, thanks. My initial plan is to have the electronics housed under a locked partition inside the ammo can but with a servo needing to be powered I'm thinking the cacher should bring their own power supply. The cacher would have to capture a randomly generated 5-6 digit number flashed for a split second and then enter that number on a keypad to unlock the hinged partition. First thought was to use a photocell to determine the ammo can being closed before re-locking the partition, but with the possibility of the can not closing correctly maybe a proximity sensor under the latch would be better. Hmm, I could also use the proximity sensor to upload the latch status to the cloud. I see endless possibilities to jump down the rabbit hole with this project.
  23. Right... the search function Thanks all, I'll browse around in the threads Cerebus provided. I've got a good idea of what I want to do but was interested in any pitfalls I might encounter.
  24. Has anyone used an Arduino board to create a puzzle cache? I've been studying the web site but would appreciate hearing the pros and cons of such a cache from someone that's actually built one.
  25. Thanks for the great idea! I keep one found database that gets refreshed every few weeks so I can look back at the cache's current state, never thought about keeping it "as found" or a D/T change. Apologies for the thread drift.
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