+aintnorock Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 In each one of the pages that lists a geocache, there is the text: In Pennsylvania, United States [view map] Hidden: 11/20/2003 Use waypoint: GCH8C6 (what's this?) What does Use Waypoint mean? I know what a waypoint is, but I'm uncertain as to whether or not there is any meaning to GCH8C6? Or is it just a random label of the actual coordinates shown above in the clue? Guess I've got a ways to go to understand this stuff. thanks, carl Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 GC is universal the rest is more or less random (it's a number and increases with each cache placed, so it's not quite random). That's how GC.com names their waypoints. Quote Link to comment
+welch Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Or is it just a random label of the actual coordinates shown above in the clue? no, the label is assigned in a specific order (dexsomethingsomething numbering). Also its not assigned to the coord, but to the cache as it's page is generated. Sometimes people us the waypoint number (GCXXXX) instead of the actual name (because names can be duplicates, and even edited, but the ID number can not). Quote Link to comment
+Miragee Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 You can Search for that specific cache on the Hide and Seek a Cache page using those letters. Also, if you use the "Express Logger," it uses those GC numbers to pull up the cache you want to log. Quote Link to comment
+reveritt Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 (edited) In each one of the pages that lists a geocache, there is the text: In Pennsylvania, United States [view map] Hidden: 11/20/2003 Use waypoint: GCH8C6 (what's this?) What does Use Waypoint mean? I know what a waypoint is, but I'm uncertain as to whether or not there is any meaning to GCH8C6? Or is it just a random label of the actual coordinates shown above in the clue? Guess I've got a ways to go to understand this stuff. thanks, carl It's a unique ID assigned to the location of the cache. If you do a pocket query to find all the caches in your vicinity, and then upload the resulting file to your GPSr, the waypoint will be identified by this code--not the name of the cache. Edited September 2, 2005 by reveritt Quote Link to comment
+aintnorock Posted September 2, 2005 Author Share Posted September 2, 2005 Thanks everyone for the informative responses. I'm a letterboxer who just bought a GPS. Now I'm addicted twice! Quote Link to comment
+Sputnik 57 Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Actually, it used to be hexadecimal until about April of 2003. Hex (0-9 plus A-F) only gives you about 65,000 unique numbers. When they got more than 65,000 caches they changed to alpha numeric (1-9 and A-Z) which would be base 36. But they omitted some letters that would be confusing, so it is really base 31 (I think). I think Fizzymagic has computed that we are good to go until mid 2007 or so with the new regime. Quote Link to comment
+Markwell Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 It is asked frequently... Quote Link to comment
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