welshwitch Posted July 1, 2008 Posted July 1, 2008 HELP!! I have a few cipher caches in my area but have no idea where to start on decrypting them. can anyone help me... I've tried to mail the cache owners but get no reply.. thanks Quote
+rutson Posted July 1, 2008 Posted July 1, 2008 Hmmm... not enough information to go on! Have you tried looking up ciphers on wikipedia etc? Maybe googling any clues on the webpage? How long ago did you email the owners? Failing that... email the previous finders? But.... the more help you get IMHO the more it devalues the find. Quote
+Rocky Balboa Posted July 1, 2008 Posted July 1, 2008 (edited) your not alone! There are loads on my to do list, including a certain 'station x' which has been there since i started caching over 5 years ago! I have tried and tried to use online info about how to crack the thing but they just don't compute so now i just have to avoid them before they drive me mad, which is a shame because im probably missing out on visiting some good spots! Personally they do my head in but i know a lot of people enjoy this kind of challenge! Edited July 1, 2008 by Rocky Balboa Quote
+Alibags Posted July 1, 2008 Posted July 1, 2008 Send me a text, Debs, with the GC number and I will assist you if I can. Quote
+Bear and Ragged Posted July 1, 2008 Posted July 1, 2008 Stayed for a week near to Chepstow in March. Nearest cache was Cipher Cache 8. Drove past it every time I went anywhere, with the TomTom sounding off! Looked at it before the week, and it seems best to start at number 1, which gives you clues to cracking the next in the series... Good Luck! Quote
+Zetetic Posted July 1, 2008 Posted July 1, 2008 HELP!! I have a few cipher caches in my area but have no idea where to start on decrypting them. can anyone help me... I've tried to mail the cache owners but get no reply.. thanks If your referring to our local cipher cache series then it's best to start with the first in the series as it's (a.) the easiest and (b.) when you've found the cache it will give a hint for the next one and so on. If you haven't had a response from the cache owner then I can only assume they are either away on holiday or are not getting your emails for some reason as I have always found them very prompt in replying to emails and giving help on finding their caches. They have some helpful programs and scripts that are mentioned on the cache pages, if thats what your after I can email you a copy. Don't give up on them though as they are very rewarding to solve and are in some great locations. Oh, and if you can help me with number ten it would be much appreciated. Quote
+maxkim Posted July 1, 2008 Posted July 1, 2008 I have a well worn copy of the Ladybird book of ciphers and codes and will help out if I can... LOL. MaxKim Quote
+hiho9 Posted July 1, 2008 Posted July 1, 2008 i have a 1984 book of codes and ciphers i might be able to help Quote
+drsolly Posted July 1, 2008 Posted July 1, 2008 With a cipher, you need to know what sort of cipher it is. One that's commonly used by cachers is the Vigenère http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigen%C3%A8re_cipher But that isn't the only one. There's also Playfair, Pigpen, semaphonre, morse, and many others. So, step one is to work out what the cipher method is (sometimes the cache page tells you). To decrypt it, there's really four possibilities. 1) Maybe you can discover the key (that might be in another cache, or maybe you can guess it from the cache page). 2) Maybe you can brute-force the key. That involves trying thousands of different possible keys - of course, you don't what to do that by hand, but you have a computer, and you might be able to write a program to do this. That method has worked for me a few times. 3) Maybe you know (or can guess) some of the plaintext (decrypted text). If you do, then that can give you a major leg-up in deducing other letters equivalents, or in deducing the key 4) If all else fails, you might use cryptanalytic methods. These will be different for different ciphers, Wikipedia would be a good place to start researching. And, of course, ther's the PAF method. You might email someone who has already solved the cipher. That's worked for me a few times (I'm not proud!). Quote
welshwitch Posted July 2, 2008 Author Posted July 2, 2008 Thanks for all your advise guys... zetetic it is the local ones i'm on about... would be great ful of any help.. alibags will let you know which ones they are... here goes!!! Quote
+kewfriend Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 There are remarkably few ciphers (eg VIGNERE) in regular use, and usually the issue is simply working which of the few ciphers it is likely to be. Some cache setters will give a clue (usually in the cache name) to the keyword for decryption. Given enough text you can break any cipher relatively quickly though having a virtual copy of the ENIGMA machine helps with that one - and if ENIGMA is used usually you will find reference to the day/wheel/plugboard settings, as well as which variant of the machine is being used. CIPHERS are generally boring, and I tend to not look kindly on those that use them: except in the few instances that the cache commemorates something to do with the cipher: such as the 'X Marks the Spot' one that applies to Lewis Carrol. So - unless the cipher cache promises an interesting final location, it would be completely reasonable to move on and ignore - unless of course you like doing crosswords, ciphers and Sudokus! Quote
+sniffadogz Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 HELP!! I have a few cipher caches in my area but have no idea where to start on decrypting them. can anyone help me... I've tried to mail the cache owners but get no reply.. thanks Firstly - to clear my name - I did reply on the 13th June (and witihin 1 hour of receiving the email!). I resent it this morning - did you get it? Secondly - not sure why the reply did not arrive as I didn't get a 'failure notice'. In general we will reply with 48 hours, so if you don't get a reply something may have gone wrong and I suggest you try again. If anybody else is peeved at us for not replying to your email then rest assured that it was answered and we are not ignoring you - please try again. Quote
welshwitch Posted July 2, 2008 Author Posted July 2, 2008 Hi sniffadogz I had a nice email direct off the gekos explaining that you reply to all mails. I have'nt received anything as of yet but will check again later.. prob my computer, not the best with these things!!! maybe I should send you another message direct and see if it works this time... looking forward to doing these as I love quizzes ect and cypher 5 is near my aunty's farm.... Quote
+mollyjak Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 I agree - Sniffadogz has always replied promptly to emails from us. We also want to solve these puzzles. I have deciphered the first one even though we haven't been out to look for the cache yet. My summer holidays challenge I think!!!!! Debs - we'll have to compare clues and tips - what do you think??? Quote
+Skate and Jane Posted July 2, 2008 Posted July 2, 2008 Recently discovered Purple Hell .com which may be of help solving some puzzle caches. Quote
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