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Homemade travel bugs

Geo-Joe-N-Josh

By Geo-Joe-N-Josh
in General geocaching topics

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nonaeroterraqueous

nonaeroterraqueous

Posted
Posted

If you want it to be trackable by GC.com, then the numbers need to come from a purchased travelbug dog tag. Not attaching the actual tag may mean that people won't recognize it as a trackable. You can also make a non-GC trackable by creating your own website for tracking, putting the web adress and tracking number on your trackable, and hope people actually log it.

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StarBrand

+StarBrand

Posted
Posted

Am I allowed to make my own travelbug? For example, If I have a really cool rock or carving with numbers carved into the side, can I activate it and send it out? What else would I have to do?

Sure - just purchase a Travel Bug tag and attach it to the object.

 

All Travel Bugs are just some "cool" something with a TB tag attached to it.

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cataclysmcow

+cataclysmcow

Posted
Posted (edited)

There's still the issue that Groundspeak has monopolized the issue of hitchhikers for profit. Travelbugs and coins must have a 'serial' that is supplied by them. People who make coins and tags pay this fee to Groundspeak for this 'service' and that cost gets passed down to us (and inflated). The fees, IMO, are excessive. Why can't the individual cacher register his home made hitchhiker to be registered on geocaching.com?

Edited by cataclysmcow
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sbell111

+sbell111

Posted
Posted

So why is it that 'hitchhikers' are monopolized by Groundspeak? Why do I have to go through another company that GS 'authorizes' to allocate batches of trackables?

 

Why can't I create my own trackable and have a code recognized by Groundspeak?

Because it's their website and that's one of the ways that they pay for it.

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cataclysmcow

+cataclysmcow

Posted
Posted (edited)

Because it's their website and that's one of the ways that they pay for it.

The don't seem to have a problem with revenue. Our subscriptions alone should manage upkeep. Even premium members have to deal with adspace on the website. Plenty of websites have made huge profits from just small subscription fees and adspace alone. And then top that off with their merchandising.

 

Hitchhikers are a core part of this sport. I don't think we should be charged for it. Or at least excessively as we are charged now.

Edited by cataclysmcow
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Arndtwe

+Arndtwe

Posted
Posted

Because it's their website and that's one of the ways that they pay for it.

The don't seem to have a problem with revenue. Our subscriptions alone should manage upkeep. Even premium members have to deal with adspace on the website. Plenty of websites have made huge profits from just small subscription fees and adspace alone. And then top that off with their merchandising.

 

Hitchhikers are a core part of this sport. I don't think we should be charged for it. Or at least excessively as we are charged now.

No need to have angst, he was only stating the facts, it doesn't mean he agrees with them...

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sbell111

+sbell111

Posted
Posted

Because it's their website and that's one of the ways that they pay for it.

The don't seem to have a problem with revenue. Our subscriptions alone should manage upkeep. Even premium members have to deal with adspace on the website. Plenty of websites have made huge profits from just small subscription fees and adspace alone. And then top that off with their merchandising.

 

Hitchhikers are a core part of this sport. I don't think we should be charged for it. Or at least excessively as we are charged now.

No need to have angst, he was only stating the facts, it doesn't mean he agrees with them...

even though I do.

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sbell111

+sbell111

Posted
Posted (edited)

This is the way I look at it:

 

TBs are not a core component of geocaching. Before they existed, geocaching was plenty of fun. They are just a fun add-on.

 

As such, why do I care if they charge a few bucks for TB tags? Good for them.

Edited by sbell111
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dew cache

+dew cache

Posted
Posted

It is really simple if you do not want to pay $3-5 for a dog tag don't you do not have to place TB to enjoy the sport. I decided not to put out coins becasue they were to expensive and the first one I put out was lost to a flood with 0 miles on it. I have only lost 2 of the 12 TB I put out. So I go out and buy 8 TB at a time for $35 including shipping they may last months or 1 week but that is my choice and for $4 that is not much to lose which will happen sooner or later. $4 is what 25 miles of gas to go caching? I guess it is all how you look at it.

 

As far as the ads go I don't even notice them they are just part of the back ground to me, unless I go looking for one and then I can never find the one I am looking for.

 

The other option is to start your own web page to log and place trackables and hope it catches on and can be a valid competition to Groundspeak. But what happens when the orginal poster wants to put his rock that has 12we34 on it but I have all ready put out my piece of wood with 12we34 on it?

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tozainamboku

+tozainamboku

Posted
Posted

This is the way I look at it:

 

TBs are not a core component of geocaching. Before they existed, geocaching was plenty of fun. They are just a fun add-on.

 

As such, why do I care if they charge a few bucks for TB tags? Good for them.

sbell111 is right and he's been around long enough to know. Hitchhikers started when some people would attach a note to a trade item asking people who traded for it to leave it in another cache. They either asked that people email them when they moved their hitchhiker or they set up their own website to track them. Groundspeak, who was looking for way to turn geocaching into a business, saw the popularity of hitchhikers and decided to sell travel bug tags that could be attached to items and be tracked on Geocaching.com. Later they added the ability to track coins. Never have they said you couldn't continue to have your own hitchhiker and track it on your own website. Of course, Groundspeak was able to integrate the tracking of their travel bugs with the online logging of geocaches so that makes them more likely to be tracked and thus more popular.

 

The idea that travel bug tracking should be free is one more example of people who confuse geocaching with the online services provided by Geocaching.com.

  1. ability to list caches - free (or $3 to list caches as premium members only)
  2. ability to log caches online - free
  3. ability to search online for caches - free
  4. ability to download coordinates of caches - free (or $3 to get coordinates for PMOC)
  5. ability to download additional cache information - $3/month
  6. ability to list a trackable item - varies around $4.25 per item
  7. ability to log a trackable item listed on Geocaching.com - free

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Geo-Joe-N-Josh

Geo-Joe-N-Josh

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Groundspeak, who was looking for way to turn geocaching into a business, saw the popularity of hitchhikers and decided to sell travel bug tags that could be attached to items and be tracked on Geocaching.com.

 

what turned Geocaching into a business?!? It's supposed to be a game!

Edited by Geo-Joe-N-Josh
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sbell111

+sbell111

Posted
Posted (edited)

sbell111 is right and he's been around long enough to know. Hitchhikers started when some people would attach a note to a trade item asking people who traded for it to leave it in another cache. They either asked that people email them when they moved their hitchhiker or they set up their own website to track them. Groundspeak, who was looking for way to turn geocaching into a business, saw the popularity of hitchhikers and decided to sell travel bug tags that could be attached to items and be tracked on Geocaching.com. Later they added the ability to track coins. Never have they said you couldn't continue to have your own hitchhiker and track it on your own website. Of course, Groundspeak was able to integrate the tracking of their travel bugs with the online logging of geocaches so that makes them more likely to be tracked and thus more popular.

 

The idea that travel bug tracking should be free is one more example of people who confuse geocaching with the online services provided by Geocaching.com.

  1. ability to list caches - free (or $3 to list caches as premium members only)
  2. ability to log caches online - free
  3. ability to search online for caches - free
  4. ability to download coordinates of caches - free (or $3 to get coordinates for PMOC)
  5. ability to download additional cache information - $3/month
  6. ability to list a trackable item - varies around $4.25 per item
  7. ability to log a trackable item listed on Geocaching.com - free

what turned Geocaching into a business?!?

Geocaching is not a business, it's a game. Geocaching.com, however, is a business. My best guess as to why it is a business would be Jeremy's desire to provide for his family. Edited by sbell111
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Geo-Joe-N-Josh

Geo-Joe-N-Josh

Posted
  • Author
Posted

This is the way I look at it:

 

TBs are not a core component of geocaching. Before they existed, geocaching was plenty of fun. They are just a fun add-on.

 

As such, why do I care if they charge a few bucks for TB tags? Good for them.

sbell111 is right and he's been around long enough to know. Hitchhikers started when some people would attach a note to a trade item asking people who traded for it to leave it in another cache. They either asked that people email them when they moved their hitchhiker or they set up their own website to track them. Groundspeak, who was looking for way to turn geocaching into a business, saw the popularity of hitchhikers and decided to sell travel bug tags that could be attached to items and be tracked on Geocaching.com. Later they added the ability to track coins. Never have they said you couldn't continue to have your own hitchhiker and track it on your own website. Of course, Groundspeak was able to integrate the tracking of their travel bugs with the online logging of geocaches so that makes them more likely to be tracked and thus more popular.

 

The idea that travel bug tracking should be free is one more example of people who confuse geocaching with the online services provided by Geocaching.com.

  1. ability to list caches - free (or $3 to list caches as premium members only)
  2. ability to log caches online - free
  3. ability to search online for caches - free
  4. ability to download coordinates of caches - free (or $3 to get coordinates for PMOC)
  5. ability to download additional cache information - $3/month
  6. ability to list a trackable item - varies around $4.25 per item
  7. ability to log a trackable item listed on Geocaching.com - free

 

sbell111 is right and he's been around long enough to know. Hitchhikers started when some people would attach a note to a trade item asking people who traded for it to leave it in another cache. They either asked that people email them when they moved their hitchhiker or they set up their own website to track them. Groundspeak, who was looking for way to turn geocaching into a business, saw the popularity of hitchhikers and decided to sell travel bug tags that could be attached to items and be tracked on Geocaching.com. Later they added the ability to track coins. Never have they said you couldn't continue to have your own hitchhiker and track it on your own website. Of course, Groundspeak was able to integrate the tracking of their travel bugs with the online logging of geocaches so that makes them more likely to be tracked and thus more popular.

 

The idea that travel bug tracking should be free is one more example of people who confuse geocaching with the online services provided by Geocaching.com.

  1. ability to list caches - free (or $3 to list caches as premium members only)
  2. ability to log caches online - free
  3. ability to search online for caches - free
  4. ability to download coordinates of caches - free (or $3 to get coordinates for PMOC)
  5. ability to download additional cache information - $3/month
  6. ability to list a trackable item - varies around $4.25 per item
  7. ability to log a trackable item listed on Geocaching.com - free

what turned Geocaching into a business?!?

Jeremy's desire to feed his family.

 

O.K. good point

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Airhead-kb

+Airhead-kb

Posted
Posted

I've learned a bit of history here.

 

I once found an item that had a note attached that asked me to email the originator and tell him where I found it then move it along. I emailed the owner and asked him why he didn't put a tb tag on it. He said it was released before tb tags.

 

Wow.

 

And I cannot keep a coin going for a couple of months without it dissapearing.

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ReadyOrNot

+ReadyOrNot

Posted
Posted

There's still the issue that Groundspeak has monopolized the issue of hitchhikers for profit. Travelbugs and coins must have a 'serial' that is supplied by them. People who make coins and tags pay this fee to Groundspeak for this 'service' and that cost gets passed down to us (and inflated). The fees, IMO, are excessive. Why can't the individual cacher register his home made hitchhiker to be registered on geocaching.com?

 

Let me make sure I understand.. You are requesting that Groundspeak allow you to use their infrastructure that they have built over the years for free.... And that they are somehow obligated to do this for you or else they are "Bad"...

 

Ok.. Just wanted to make sure I understood... :)

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Eric and Hill

+Eric and Hill

Posted
Posted

The big thing that becomes a problem is that if anyone can list an Item with what ever number they want we will have tons of numbers that are the same out there, causing lots and lots of problems.

 

All you people that a whining need to calm down and realize.... Its just a game! You only have to spend what you want to on it.

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