Have I got the wrong end of the stick?

[+Watford Wobble]

OK, I’m new to this game so be gentle with me.

 

I believe there are two key fundamental points with geocaching.

 

1. Is based on GPS.

2. A cache is hidden at a defined point that includes a log.

 

There is of course a lot more frippery and fun to be had with geocaching but these as I see are the fundamentals.

 

So, I’m looking to do my seventh cache at the weekend. I load the GPS co-ordinates into my GPS that locates me to a point on the earth’s surface only to find that in the clues it states not to look in the logical area as the cache is not there. The cache is to be found in the surrounding area I presume.

 

What’s the point of that? If your going to give out co-ordinates surely they should be reasonably accurate to where the cache is hidden.

 

This particular cache and it’s co-oridinates leads the geocacher to a fallen tree. Great place to hide a cache but oh no it’s not there. There is enough inaccuracy in a GPS to make it fun without intentionally being misleading.

 

Where does it stop? I’ll hide a cache in Harlestone forest but it’s not there. It’s in the New Forest?

 

Surely if you want to make the find difficult use ingenuity of hiding the cache and not provide mis-leading co-ordinates. It doesn't appear to be a regularly visited cache. I think I know why.

 

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick totally?

[+Pieman]

If it's a traditional it should be at the listed coordinates. However, whatever type of cache it is, it would be perverse to only make it clear that it is not at the listed coordinates by something encrypted in the hint. I'm guessing that it is at the listed coordinates- just not in the obvious place.

[+perth pathfinders]

You are correct, coords are normally reasonably accurate.

 

The GPS may get accuracy down to 20ft or so.

 

People use different GPSr's

 

Tree cover/steep gorges/buildings affects accuracy.

 

Logical place - never assume the cache is hidden at your feet under a pile of stones/sticks, it may be up a tree, it may be hanging, magnets or velcro may be used, a sneaky disguised cache that is in full view.............

 

The difficulty of the cache should be a guide as to how hard it is to find.

 

If you have problems, email the owner or a previous finder, or advice from a local cacher, I have found everyone helpfull.

 

Always think of the possibility that the cache could have possibly been muggled - of course we always hope that is not the case!

 

Sometimes you do need to widen your search a bit and eliminate all possible hiding places, and sometimes you are led directly to the spot, all part of the fun!

 

However if you do find the coords way out, take your own and either put it on your log, or email the owner, it could just be a typo or transposed numbers by the owner when submitting the page.

Edited July 3, 2008 by perth pathfinders

[+rutson]

Which cache are you looking for?

[+keehotee]

autonomous civilian GPS horizontal position fixes are typically accurate to about 15 meters (50 ft)

With the best will in the world, the most accurate cache co-ordinates could still be out by up to 100 feet when somebody else comes to find it. That works out to be about 1/5 of an acre to search in the worse case.

Even high sensitivity and sirf 3 chips do not increase that accuracy - they just provide a better guestimate of where they think you are based on the signal they're getting at the time.......

The hider just seems to be giving you the heads up that it's not hidden in the tree......

Edited July 3, 2008 by keehotee

[markandlynn]

Ive looked at your profile, welcome to the hobby.

 

I think you have probaly stumbled upon one the other types of cache either a multi or a mystery.

 

See this page for more details

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.aspx

[+MartyBartfast]

...the clues it states not to look in the logical area as the cache is not there. The cache is to be found in the surrounding area I presume.

.

.

.

This particular cache and it’s co-oridinates leads the geocacher to a fallen tree. Great place to hide a cache but oh no it’s not there.

 

Putting all these together you end up near a fallen tree, which would make an obvious hiding place, but the hint says the cach isn't in the obvious place - so don't look in the fallen tree look for something less obvious. It could be that the cache is above your head in another tree, or disguised as a rock, or.....

 

I think that you may be mistaken in presuming that the cache is not at that location.

[Nediam]

Which cache are you looking for?

Looking at Watford Wobble's profile and the nearest caches to their other finds - I'm guessing it could be GC11BR9 - Don't Barge By. It has a clue which fits with what they were saying about "logical"

 

The cache may well be very close to the posted co-ords - just disguised well

[+Watford Wobble]

Thanks everone for your response. All very helpful.

 

I guess it could be a while till I get a hang of this. But if it was easy where would the fun be.

 

I'll take the wife along. She just seems to stumble across the cache straight away.

 

And anything I hide or try to at home she finds anyway.

[+Munkeh]

are you using WSG84 map datum?

[+Watford Wobble]

Hello Munkeh,

 

Yes, checked that out and corretly set.

[+Delta68]

Have you compared your gps reading to anyone else's?

Our Etrex is soo bad it's unusable for geocaching (apart from giving a rough approximation as to distance and direction)

[+Lost in Space]

Our Etrex is soo bad it's unusable for geocaching (apart from giving a rough approximation as to distance and direction)

 

Some would argue that is the "fun" of geocaching. My first 250 caches were done with a yellow e-Trex, no PDA, no laptop, no maps - just my trusty e-Trex and a fistful of paper. It was great fun getting into the car and just "following the arrow" for 30 miles or so and then finding a cache at the end of it!

 

I would suggest our OP was almost certainly in the right spot given the spelling of the word "logical".

 

Watford Wobblers: Geocache setters can be devious so and so's. As my old boss used to say "Think out of the box".

 

Neil

[+kewfriend]

Part of the game is definitely trying to unscramble whether the cache setter ever got the coordinates right in the first place. There were two caches placed a few years ago in SW London by a camping shop where the coordinates were out by about 100 yards - and they were still found (not by me I hasten to add).

 

Even if the coordinates are correct part of the fun is standing at the point where the GPS turns to zero and then seeing if you can spot any likely place before turning to the clue. Or as in the case of a famous cache we did in Tuscany, which came with the instructions in the clue "trust your GPS" - vitally important as we cautiously inched towards a 100 metre drop and stopped about 30 cms in, lifted the stone under our feet and there it was.

 

Then there's the evil cache setter who discovers a location where satellites dont truly reach or as in the case of Yobbies in Edinburgh (couldnt possibly reach). Dead reckoning takes over and then its an argument about how long one's pace is - unless one's remembered to bring the school sports day tape measure.

 

So - no you didnt get the wrong end of the stick - but if you ever thought you knew where that stick is - think again!

[+Rocky Balboa]

i think shortly you will learn to love intricate twists and turns in caches. I remember when I started that any old hiding place was the best cache since sliced bread but when you have found 500 caches hidden 50 metres down a muddy footpath in the first place you look it starts to wear thin! I got a dnf on a multi today in a really nice spot with a very confusing clue (probably just thinking too hard before anyone cares to check my stats and send me belittling emails ), still, this was far more fun that the one I parked next to and found in 30 seconds between a field and a main road!

[The Red Kite]

I have a cache which gives the same HINT.. The coords are spot on so if you are IN the right place you will find it.

 

You could arrive at the location, see a really obvious place for a cache, find it's not there and log it as a DNF. Mine is close to the obvious item, but not in it.

 

Quote "Logical place - never assume the cache is hidden at your feet under a pile of stones/sticks, it may be up a tree, it may be hanging, magnets or velcro may be used, a sneaky disguised cache that is in full view............" unquote

 

You will find this is very very true as you progress into this madness The devious ones are the best and you get a real sense of achievement when you find something that has some thought put into it.

[+Watford Wobble]

Nediam is correct about the site.

 

I'll have another bash this weekend with the wife. When I mentioned to the wife about the size of nano caches she thought I was joking. It'll be a while before I tackle any of those

 

I must admit I didn't appreciate the devious nature of this for some of the cache owners.

 

I'll be out this afternoon honing my skills on some easier caches.

 

Thanks for all your advice and help. Much appreciated.

[markandlynn]

Never catch us placing a devious hide.

 

You get used to them after a while the first of any type is the hardest but afterwards you learn to look out for them as the clues are all pretty similar (ish)