Blimon

How do you contact the person who placed the cache for a hint? Please help! We have had to log too many DNF lately. Thanks

Great answers. We are new to this. I think I logged the trackable wrong and will go fix it (hopefully) can you give us a rundown on the common abbreviations? Like FTF= first to find right? And how do we contact someone for a hint?? Thank you so much if you can help. [quote name=Eartha' timestamp='1256079676' p Post='4101514] 1. How to log a Trackable, can the info be placed in plain view? Information can be found here, and here, and here, and here. 2. Is it OK to start my Trackable in my own cache? Yes, any cache at all. 3. Is it OK to revisit a cache for a Trackable? Absolutely, as long as you can help it move, or towards its goal, go ahead, just post a note to the cache page and not another find. Check out this thread for more comments. 3. How does a vehicle TB work? Just like any other Trackable, but you only get discoveries, unless you're willing to hand over your car to be moved to another cacher. Don't be surprised if you don't get a lot of logs on it. 4. How long can I hold onto a TB? Two weeks is the suggested maximum, but not everyone can go out and play that often, so if you have it longer, it is common courtesy to email the owner and update them on the status. 5. How long should I wait before contacting someone holding my Trackable? If they've logged it, wait at least three weeks, and always be friendly. Nothing gets a trackable thrown out faster than a nasty email. If it wasn't logged, do some research on logs from the last time it was seen. 6. What do you do when someone steals your Trackable? Cry, stomp your feet, and THEN do some research by searching cache logs and make sure it is really stolen. Most often, it was merely taken by someone who didn't know how to log it (which is why this thread is here). There are thieves out there, and if your Trackable is truly gone, be it thief, muggled cache, fire, flood, death of a cacher, tornado, whatever, so if it's gone for good, you can send out the copy (in the case of a TB, it comes with two tags) or you can make a replica (in the case of a geocoin) but do not delete any previous logs, or you take credit away from anyone who helped move it along. This upsets people when their logs are deleted. 7. What's the oldest Trackable? Hard to say, some people had sent items out, requesting they be moved from cache to cache, long before there were tracking numbers. I don't have this answer, maybe Groundspeak does. 8. Do I have to trade when I take a Trackable? No, no, no, a thousand times no. Travel bugs and trackable geocoins, that have been set out to travel, are not trade items, you do not have to put something in the cache to take a Trackable item, and you should not take something from a cache in trade for a Trackable item. If you should take something from a cache, you should make a trade, and you can place/take the Trackable item. 9. Why isn't my Trackable mileage showing up? It's a glitch, you can wait and it will eventually, or you can go to your trackable page and in the top right corner, in the drop down menu choose "Recalculate mileage". Sometimes it takes a little while for the system to catch up with the TB. 10. I logged it wrong, can I fix it? Yes, you can. Blue Deuce's instructions on how to correct a TB history when mislogged: this is when the bug is sitting in a cache. 1. Retrieve the bug from the current cache. 2. On the orig/previous cache, log a note POST DATED and drop the bug. ( you can just say "logging bug") 3. Retrieve the bug from that cache POST DATED. 4. Post a note on the current cache and drop the bug. 5. On the current cache logs delete the note that says you dropped the bug 6. On the Bug Page, delete both the logs showing that you retrieved and dropped the bug in the current cache. This will leave it in the cache and show the last cacher was the one to drop it. (Or contact the current holder and ask them do a back drop.) 11. What do "grab", "retrieve", and "discover mean"? 1. Retrieve it from "Cache name" This is used to pull the TB from the cache you found it in. 2. Grab it from somewhere else This is used when you've found a TB in a cache but it's listed as being in another cache. Or when you take it from another cacher. 3. Write note This is used when you want to post a note to the TB page, but are not moving it. You do not need the tracking number to just post a note. 4. Discovered it This is used when you are logging, but not moving, a TB that you see at an event, or one that someone uses as a personal TB and is not passing it off to you. Also used for logging a TB that you find in a cache, but cannot take or help it on its way, and you wish to log it. This also helps the cache owner, TB owner, and future finders know the bug is alive and well and still in the cache. 12. Why does it say my tracking number doesn't match? You most likely typed in the number wrong. Check the number closely, don't mistake 1 for I, 0 for O, 5 for S, 8 for B, etc.... 13. How do I mark my Trackable missing? Log in, go to the trackable page, and in the drop down menu in the top right corner clcik on "Mark as Missing". Trackable owners can do this for their own items, and cache owners can do it if the item is missing from their cache, but shows as being there. Getting it back into circulation is just a matter of "Grabbing it" back. 14. What is dipping? And can I do it with someone else's Trackable? Dipping is logging a TB into several caches. Say you go caching all day long, you visit 3 micros, a virtual, and then finally an ammo can. You can log the Trackable through all those caches if you want to show where it's been. You need to drop and retrieve for each cache. Dipping is fine, no problem. Just don't dip forever, eventually you have to let the Trackable go, so someone else can have fun with it. 15. How long can I hold on to a Trackable? Oops, I already answered this one. 16. What kinds of caches can I log a Trackable through? Traditional (any size, just don't ever leave a Trackable in a cache if the lid won't close tight with it in there), Virtual, Multi, Letterbox Hyrbrid, Puzzle, Event, CITO, APE, and GPS Maze Exhibit. You can't log them through webcam caches, or Earthcaches. 17. I found an unactivated Trackable, now what? First make sure you haven't typed the # wrong. Then check the logs, see if someone mentioned leaving it. If something as attached to a TB tag, and it's not activated, the owner probably didn't know they were supposed to activate it. Try to find them. Post notes to the cache page and ask. If you never find the owner, you can ask Groundspeak for the activation code by sending an email to contact at geocaching dot com. 18. My Trackable met its goal, now what? You can give it a new goal, but do not delete any previous logs, see #6. 19. How does a personal Trackable work? Just like a non-personal one, only you keep it with you. You can let people discover it, and you can log it into every cache you visit with it, to keep track of your own miles. Only you can decide if you want the extra work it will take to keep up with it. 20. I need help with an activation code for my Trackable, where do I get it? contact at geocaching dot com. The activation code for Travel Bugs comes on the packaging, don't throw it out until you've activated it and know it's correct. Geocoins are different though. We have a thread called the Activation Code Clearing House You can search that thread, or ask in the forums, or write to the company/person you got the geocoin from. 21. What's virtual logging and why do I get a talking to whenever I post a picture of coins I find or include the tracking number in the logs or in the forums? (Thank you, Droo) If you log a bogus virtual log on a TB, or offer your own TB up for virtual logging you will risk having that TB page locked forever. This means, if you never saw a bug, but got the bug number and you log it, that bug is in risk of being taken out of the game. Don't do this to TB owners who inadvertently might post a photo, or someone else posts a photo, of their TB number. Don't log it virtually. It's considered abuse of the system. And it's not fair play. Thanks to Castle Mischief for the following questions: 22. Do I have to attach the "dog tag" to an item to make it a trackable? Can I engrave, write, or otherwise brand an object with the tracking code? No, you don't have to, but then you run the risk of people, especially newbies, not recognizing it as a Trackable item, and leaving it in the cache, or worse, keeping it as swag. Make sure it is easily identifiable as a travel item. 23. How may objects can I display the code on? Can I have a car TB and put one of the matching dog tags on another object? Just one. Otherwise, you've got abuse of the system and risk the trackable page getting locked. If you lose the sticker, you can release the tag, if you lose the tag, you can release the copy tag. 24. What should I do if I see a "collector" at an event? The coins/TBs are not his yet he brought a ton of them? Violence is never the answer. You should see if you can find someone who knows them well enough to explain how it works, or do so yourself in a very friendly manner. 25. What should I do if I see somebody passing around the tracking codes of coins/TBs? Please explain to them that this is virtual logging and those trackables will be at risk of being locked. They should especially not be doing this with other peoples tracking numbers. Also, say "No thank you, I do not virtual log, it's abuse of the geocaching.com system, and it's wrong! Wrong, I tell you! Wrong!" 26. Are USB thumb drives acceptable as a travel bug? Yes, but don't expect anyone to actually stick it in their own computer. 27. Are human remains (ashes/bones) acceptable as a travel bug? Here's a thread on the subject. Some people will be freaked out, others will show compassion for the dearly departed. 28. Can travel bug/coins have a social/political agenda on their listing page? Trackables are not regulated with a lot of rules and they do not go through a review process. While people do add them, not everyone is going to care about it the way you do. Don't be surprised if you get no help at all, not everyone will even read the whole page. All they want to know is the goal of the TB. Geocaching is meant to be fun, it's best to leave agendas at home when you go out to play. 29. Can a travel bug/coin be used as part of an advertising campaign? They have been, Jeep and Unite For Diabetes, and Garmin all had promotions through Travel Bugs. But if you want to do that with more than one trackable, you should go through proper channels. This website was not put in place for others to abuse. Read the Terms of Use, the guidelines, etc.... 30. Can I have have a TB tattoo with the tracking numbers? It's your skin. How committed are you? 31. Should coins/TBs be placed in remote or seldom visited caches? Any cache is a good cache for a TB as long as it fits, but are you helping the TB towards its goal? If it is in a race, NO, if it wants to visit remote locations, YES. Are you prepared to be asked to go back and get it, when it ends up stuck? 32. Does somebody at Groundspeak review the listings for coins/TBs? No. But if someone posts something nasty and against the Terms of Use, Groundspeak reviewers, Lackeys, and Eartha, the volunteer TB and geocoin forum moderator, can edit that out. And lastly, always teach your newbies well. If your going to show them the ropes, show them all the ropes.