Confused on waypoint alphanumerics on cache "details"

[Guest buckascott]

In the "details" section of individual caches, there is a line referring to a helpful waypoint to use, such as "Use Waypoint: GC59E." I've been using a GPS for a few years, and while I certainly know what a waypoint is, I'm totally confused about what the alphanumeric notation "GC59E" would be referring to in this case. Can anyone fill me in?

 

Scott

[Guest bob_renner]

Use Waypoint: GC59E (what's this?)

Click on (what's this?) and look for waypoint.

[Guest Markwell]

Ooooo - a chance to use one of the entries I suggested for new FAQ topics.

 

Take a gander here

[Guest White Rabbit]

I'm really new to this. I was very confused by those, but the way I understand them is just a way to classify them. Each Geocaching.com cache seems to have it's own GC---- number to it, just so you can find it easier on your GPS when looking at it or referring to a certain cache. So instead of saying, I found the "No Thanks, I'm Just Browsing" cache, you can say, "I found cache GCE44". That's just how I understood it though, I'm sure that I'm probably wrong.

[Guest Lou C]

quote:

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Originally posted by buckascott:

... I'm totally confused about what the alphanumeric notation "GC59E" would be referring to in this case. Can anyone fill me in?

---

 

Every geocache has a unique ID number. When you are viewing the cache page, notice in the address "ID=xxxx". The ID number of the cache you mention should be 1438. To save space and allow a 6-character name to be entered in a GPS receiver, the ID number is converted to a 4-character hexadecimal code. That 4-character code consists of numbers and letters and follows the "GC" in the name. In your case, 1438 decimal = 59E hex. So the cache you mention has the waypoint name "GC59E".

 

If you are a computer programmer at the bits and bytes level, you probably already know the encoding scheme. If you are not, the scheme is just a way of encoding up to 65536 cache IDs with 4 characters instead of 5.

 

 

[This message has been edited by Lou C (edited 01 August 2001).]

[Guest White Rabbit]

LOL, see, I was totally wrong

[Guest White Rabbit]

LOL, see, I was totally wrong

[Guest buckascott]

Perhaps someone needs to rewrite the FAQ. Here's the mental gymnastic I went thru before figuring out that "GC59E" is nothing more than an administrative tag for users of this Website (enter "GC59E" in the search form and you get the cache detail page) ... which has absolutely nothing to do with actual waypoints and longitude and latitude, really:

 

bob_renner suggested "look up waypoint." Which I did, days ago in the FAQ. This is where it got mucky. To wit:

 

>>Waypoints are named coordinates representing points on the surface of the Earth.<<

 

This I knew years ago. No problem there.

 

>>Geocaching uses a suggested waypoint for a cache, created automatically when a cache has been created. Because most GPS units have restricted names to 6 characters or less, we generate a waypoint name based on the ID of the cache. It is optional, but makes it easier to locate a cache on the geocaching web site. <<

 

This is what I don't understand. Specifically:

1) Who is the "we" in "we generate"?

2) And since waypoints are created based on longitudinal and latitudinal (L&L) positions, how does a "we"-generated (whoever "we" is) alphanumeric representing an L&L waypoint when ... ahem ... nobody other than the hider knows the L&L of what/where-ever waypoint GC59E is?

3) Moreover, it isn't as if I can pick up my Garmin 12, enter "GC59E" somewhere within the waypoint menu (unless, of course, the US government has uploaded "GC59E" into one of its GPS satellites ... grin), and have beamed down to me the L&L of wherever the waypoint represented by "GC59E" is.

 

See my problem?

 

Markwell said:

>>Ooooo - a chance to use one of the entries I suggested for new FAQ topics.<<

 

Read that one, too, and my brain basically ran into the same problems expressed above.

 

Scott

 

[This message has been edited by buckascott (edited 01 August 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by buckascott (edited 01 August 2001).]

[Guest Peter Scholtz]

quote:

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Originally posted by Lou C:

If you are a computer programmer at the bits and bytes level, you probably already know the encoding scheme. If you are not, the scheme is just a way of encoding up to 65536 cache IDs with 4 characters instead of 5.

---

 

Wasn't it Bill Gates that said nobody will ever need more than 640 KB?

 

------------------

Peter Scholtz

www.biometrics.co.za

[Guest BKDotCom]

Regarding this whole "waypoint"/ID system..

I still think it would be beneficial to be able to ID the cache when hiding it.

 

Right now caches are only identified as "this is a cache, visit www.geocaching.com&quote; As the sport grows and becomes more responsible, this just ain't gonna cut it.

 

IE, I'd like to beable to write "Waypoint GC59E" on the cache when hiding it. That way the cache is "uniquely tagged and identified". Anyone happening upon the cache can then easily come to the site and enter the waypoint/ID to contact the person that hid the cache or log a visit or whatever. Rather than doing a search by zipcode (which may not be known) or whatever.

 

The way it works now, "GC59E" isn't generated till I get back to my computer and submit the hidden cache.

 

[This message has been edited by BKDotCom (edited 02 August 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by BKDotCom (edited 02 August 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by BKDotCom (edited 02 August 2001).]

[Guest BKDotCom]

Maybe something like this:

each cacher gets a unique cacher-#..

if that cacher is hiding their 4th cache, they'd identifiy it as XXXX:4 or something like that...

[Guest wildman]

There is no need for the cache id when you hide the cache. Hunters are going to look on the website to find caches to go look for. They enter the L&L in the GPS, and use this id just to differentiate it from other waypoints. They know when they get there that they have found the right cache, unless there are several right on top of each other, and they already know the id when they go back to log the find. The GCXXX is just a unique id, doesn't need any significance.

[Guest BGSkierNC]

I can see the point that BKDotCom is trying to make. If that functionality does not become available, here's an alternative solution when hiding a cache:

Label the cache container with 2 bits of information:

1) some "Geocaching" designation (sticker, website URL, hand-written text) and

2) the actual coordinates that you will posting to the geocaching website.

 

Happy hunting!

BG

[Guest bob_renner]

If you know you're going to place a cache, you can enter a temporary cache page before actually placing the cache. Just put "Please hold until I update" in the description. You will get an ID number and waypoint number. Now go place your cache and put the waypoint number on it. Now you have the coordinates and you can update the cache page and send an e-mail that the cache page is ready to be approved and released.

 

Bob

[Guest Zephyrus]

quote:

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Originally posted by Peter Scholtz:

Wasn't it Bill Gates that said nobody will ever need more than 640 KB?

 

---

 

YEPPER... Vintage 1981... Remember reading about it..

[Guest dmdeitz]

Is there a way to download a group of geocache waypoints from the website? I know about easygps, but for each waypoint / cache, yo have to do a download. I'd love to be able to download all the points in, say ,. 50 miles of where you are / the zip code you enter?!?!?!?