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What is your ratio of finds vs. DNF's?


mr.mudd

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I'm still pretty new to this, but I've got 12 finds and a whopping 15 DNF's. I got 8 DNF's today and only found 3. Needless to say I had a frustrating time. There was some cloud cover but I don't want to use that as an excuse for sucking. I'm just curious to find out if everyone has this problem or if it is just part of being a noob.

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I dont give up easily, but when the 'fun factor' hits zero I bail from GZ

 

probably at 10-20% DNF to Finds overall

some days the geosats treat me good, some days they dont

 

when they dont I still got out and had fun seeing new stuff then I grab a beer and call it a day

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I remember when I was first starting out (a whopping one month ago) and didn't have a clue what I was doing. I found it really helped to have a partner with me, in this case my wife, because different people have different ways of seeing and looking for things. I didn't even know what a geocache looked like. Now I've found over 60 and I've seen a lot of different containers, and I'm starting to get a feel for what to look for. Seriously, it just takes a little time.

 

If you can, look for caches in your area that are described as park 'n grabs, or drive-up. That's for starters to give you a feel. Then try some larger containers in woody areas (local parks and walking trails) that have a difficulty of 1 or 1.5. And go from there. It'll come. It's amazing how quickly you can get better at this.

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I'm still pretty new to this, but I've got 12 finds and a whopping 15 DNF's. I got 8 DNF's today and only found 3. Needless to say I had a frustrating time. There was some cloud cover but I don't want to use that as an excuse for sucking. I'm just curious to find out if everyone has this problem or if it is just part of being a noob.

 

For currently active caches, 2532 finds and 274 DNFs.

 

So 9.8% of my hunts result in DNFs.

 

You may be searching for "too difficult" caches. But there is also some learning that goes on. After more finds you will start to get an idea of where to look and how to spot things that are just a little out of place.

 

It does get better.

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It's been discussed before, but there was no consensus. How should the ratio be calculated?

 

TDNF = Total # of logged DNFs including duplicate logs

TDNFU = Total # of DNFs, max. 1 per geocache

TDNF-UNFOUND = Total # of unique DNFs still not found

TFOUND = Total # of finds

 

So should it be :

 

TDNF / TFOUND

TDNFU / TFOUND

TDNFU / ( TFOUND + TDNF-UNFOUND)

TDNF-UNFOUND / ( TFOUND + TDNF-UNFOUND)

 

Yes, I've been thinking about this a little too much :unsure:

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when they dont I still got out and had fun seeing new stuff then I grab a beer and call it a day

One Beer > 10 DNFs :unsure:

 

Then there is the question, "What is a DNF?" Yes, it means "Did Not Find", but what if you reported the DNF and the CO goes out and states that the cache is indeed GONE. I no longer count that as a true DNF. Is it a DNF if you can't find it, go find other caches, and then come back and FIND it? Is it a DNF if you can't find it today, but do find it tomorrow? If you go out five times, can't find it the first 4, but find it on the fifth try, is it four DNF's or one or even NONE since you found it?

 

I have very few DNFs if you get to erase them if you went back out and find them.

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Raw figures... (logged) DNF/Found = 246/2149 = 11.5% (Never DNFed an event/CITO or Locationless Cache, though I guess it could be done...) (And, I seldom log more than one DNF per cache, even if I search more than twice...) (And if the cache was missing, and you did not find it, then you did not find it! DNF!)

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when they dont I still got out and had fun seeing new stuff then I grab a beer and call it a day

One Beer > 10 DNFs :unsure:

 

Then there is the question, "What is a DNF?" Yes, it means "Did Not Find", but what if you reported the DNF and the CO goes out and states that the cache is indeed GONE. I no longer count that as a true DNF. Is it a DNF if you can't find it, go find other caches, and then come back and FIND it? Is it a DNF if you can't find it today, but do find it tomorrow? If you go out five times, can't find it the first 4, but find it on the fifth try, is it four DNF's or one or even NONE since you found it?

 

I have very few DNFs if you get to erase them if you went back out and find them.

If I start the search and that effort ends in me not finding the cache - I log a DNF. Each and every time it happens. No editing of past log types. Even if I later find it had been muggled.

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30:about 500?. I don't know my exact number of finds as I log many with notes instead of finds. If I did have a DNF i would most definitely log it though. If you count my logged finds that is about 7%. A little less if you figure more finds. I have a hard time finding caches at night. I recently learned that my light sucks and that's why. I also hate to count the DNF for a somewhat buried cache, but I did anyway.

 

Some people just get bored and give up. Just stay until you find it.

Edited by Knight2000
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302 DNF's divided by 4246 finds is 7.1%. That's with DNF's being logged faithfully each time I get out of the car, hit "Go To" a waypoint, but don't sign a logbook.

 

I got curious, however, to see if my ratio was worse when I was a newbie, whether the ratio steadily got better, etc. So, I broke down my DNF's and finds by year and came up with the following ratios:

 

2002 7.7%

2003 4.5%

2004 6.1%

2005 13.2%

2006 9.0%

2007 5.7%

2008 6.4%

2009 8.1%

 

There appears to be little rhyme or reason to these annual ratios. At best I can attribute the fluctuations to where and how I was caching. A few cache runs in urban areas full of "evil micros" can rack up a big number of DNF's and throw off the ratio for the entire year.

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Do you count *DNRCTLAWTTNC's?

 

* DNRCTLAWTTNC = Did Not Really Care To Look And Went To The Next Cache

 

Heh heh, I will admit towards the end of the day I was so frustrated that I prolly was giving up a little easily. But that was after crossing a treacherous creek a couple of times including falling in the mud, getting scratched by tons of thorns, and finding a rampant nest of mosquitoes (not to mention the muggle-dodging on the more populated areas of my run). I won't say I "DNRCTL" but after 4 hours of that in Texas heat, it was ceasing to be fun.

 

BTW, I did enjoy a couple of tall Shiners later on in the evening :D

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I have about 1 DNF log for every 5 or 6 Find logs.

 

...it happens to all of us from time to time. I once set out to find 15 caches and ended up with 9 DNFs and 6 finds for that day. And on my highest find day, I got 20 finds with just 1 DNF.

 

It's funny, I found 3 in a row and 2 of those were in potentially high muggle areas. Most of the ones I DNF'd were in deep cover and very difficult to get to.

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I just started two weeks ago, but my stats are 6 DNF's: 21 Finds. 22%. Those all came in the first 2 days. I have since started to look only for 1.5/1.5 or easier, no micros (unless it's easy), and if I get to a place and decide not to look, it is not a DNF, it's one of those "DNRCTL"'. This of course will change once I get more use to how and where people hide. Also, I have gone back to find a previous DNF and still DNF it, but didn't count it again.

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I figure I am 3 out of 10 DNFs. There are a couple I am skunked on more than once though. One in particular I am skunked 3 times on.

I'm sure as soon as I figure that one out, I will decrease my overall DNF ratio since it will give me a new kind of hide to find.

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Raw figures... (logged) DNF/Found = 246/2149 = 11.5% (Never DNFed an event/CITO or Locationless Cache, though I guess it could be done...) (And, I seldom log more than one DNF per cache, even if I search more than twice...) (And if the cache was missing, and you did not find it, then you did not find it! DNF!)

 

Very similar!

 

2006 15.0%

2007 11.1%

2008 11.0%

2009 11.2%

2006-2009: 11.3%DNFs (243 DNFs/ 2143 searches (1900+243))

 

And I logged all my DNFs including those that I found on the same day but later on a different search.

 

Similar data:

Finding the butter container in the refrigerator: 25% DNFs!

 

Putting the ice cream back where I found it: 8% did not return to place I found it (and then it melts!)

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Then try some larger containers in woody areas (local parks and walking trails) that have a difficulty of 1 or 1.5. And go from there.

 

After re-reading this thread, you hit the nail on the head. I think I've been trying to tackle caches that may be too difficult for a noob. I've been going for caches based on geographic location without taking into consideration the terrain/difficulty level. Maybe I need to only go after 1's and 1.5's for now, at least until I get the hang of things. Later on, once I get better at identifying caches, I can go back and try to avenge my DNF's and get those harder caches.

 

Thanks :D

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My average is one DNF for every 5 to 10 finds. I've gotten better with time and experience at making the finds. I figure there is going to be about a 10% "it's just not there" factor much of the time. If I don't really give it a good try because I'm bored, or muggled, or I think I'll return another time soon, I don't even bother to log a DNF. I have started logging a note calling it a "soft DNF" but giving the reason why I might not have made the find.

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I figure that I'm probably on the order of 10-15% DNF rate but it can soar as high as 75% for a day (1/4 where that one is just an easy, 'im not going to go out all day and not find a stupid cache' type thing) or be 100% where I've visited a number of virtuals and easy roadside caches (this road trip, much of which is still unlogged). I think that I tend to almost go by the best advice that I've seen on these forums: search until I'm not having fun anymore.... of course I'm a bit obstinate and stay a bit past that so that's why I said 'almost'... Funny though how many finds come between that point where I say to myself 'I give up' and when I find it...

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I tend to run about 5% DNFs, if current stats are any indication.

 

Of that 5% (I've only been at this for about 16 months), I'd say that a good 75% of them have turned out to be missing. Had a rough patch this spring where I'd solved a bunch of puzzles over the winter, and found half of them MIA when I arrived at GZ, confirmed by the owners.

 

My personal % is made up of several factors. If I arrive on scene during a lunch cache run, I try not to search for caches with 2.5 or higher difficulties. I know I can't devote the necessary time to those at lunch, and save them for the weekends. That helps a lot to keep the DNF rate down. If I DO get silly and tackle a 3.0 during lunch, but can only spend 10 minutes looking (typically not nearly enough for a 3.0), I'll take a couple of lunch passes at it before recording the DNF if I have no luck. No sense raising red flags when the lack of looking on my part is the problem.

 

Another reason for the relatively low DNF rate is that we've got quite a few easy ones around my area.

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Last time I checked a few months ago I was around 21 percent DNFS. I should still be in that ballpark.

 

I am the world's worst geocacher

 

I beg to differ...did you read my OP? Right now I'm at 125% :D

 

But you just started. I've been doing this since 2001

 

I concede :D

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I was thinking about this as I recently had a DNF that ruined my day. (I don't take defeat well. I stayed as long as I could then I felt ill and went home, skipped dinner and went straight to bed. I love food too.)

 

Anyway... this is comparing apples to oranges as many of our DNF's are caches that were missing. If its missing it is still a DNF, through no fault of your own though.

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I'm still pretty new to this, but I've got 12 finds and a whopping 15 DNF's. I got 8 DNF's today and only found 3. Needless to say I had a frustrating time. There was some cloud cover but I don't want to use that as an excuse for sucking. I'm just curious to find out if everyone has this problem or if it is just part of being a noob.

 

I originally had some difficulty (and sometimes still do) with really unusual hides. It's been fun (sometimes frustrating) to see the very ingenious ways that some people work out to hide a cache! I used to work in a part of the defense community where this sport would have been very suspicious! It's a good thing I didn't get into it till after I left that kind of work.

 

As a rule, I usually find about 85% of all the caches I go after. I've had some that I went back to as much as a dozen times and STILL can't find it. Others find it but not me. That really bugs me, but it's pretty cool when the light comes on in my head and I start looking at things from a different perspective.... Don't know if this will help you but I hope you continue to get into it and enjoy this little activity!

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When I said "our" above, I meant all of us geocachers. Just wanted to clear that up.

 

There is a way to edit your posts. Didn't seem like you knew that.

I guess my question is why would you even post that? There are plenty of reasons that one would want to add a clarification... Some that come to mind: time has passed since the original post and a lot of people have read it, other posts have been posted since the post or perhaps the clarification was just an afterthought that was easy to post rather than edit.... Doesn't seems like it matters; you obviously know that K2K knows how to edit his posts already...

 

On topic since I guessed before and was curious as to how people were getting exact numbers, I was doing a more careful numerical search and it looks like I'm at just at 10.9% DNF to finds... I'm surprised that my guess was that good :anitongue:

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I love this topic! The only stat which I really take seriously is my DNF count. Up in South Dakota, met some cachers at a cache, and they asked me how many finds I had. First, I was surprised they asked, since I didn't think this relevant, and second - I really did not know. I gave them a ballpark figure.

 

However, if they asked how many DNFs that I'd accrued, I could have provided that exact information with ease. B)

 

Alas, I run about 1 DNF for every 11 finds, which seems the "norm" with most folks here, running at the 11% mark.

 

I'm kind of surprised to see such consistency in DNF percentage among cachers. Plus, it is nice to know that I only suck slightly less at finding caches than I previously thought. :anibad:

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We're still very new and I'm not surprised at all that we have a high percentage of DNFs - I expect there to be a learning curve and that we will become more accustomed to finding the hidden items the more experience we get. The only ones that do really bug me are the DNFs that are a difficulty level of "1" and there's tons of logs saying how quick and easy the find was! lol :anibad:

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I'm planning a 10 cache run for tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.

 

Have fun, and keep logging thosee dnf's - many people start off by thinking that they are a mark of shame, but they are the opposite - they really do help people know more about the particular situation of the cache in question. A bit of explanation helps too, like "checked all obvious hidey holes" or "too hot to search for long". Keep on caching!!

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I'd like to see folks ratios if they take out DNF's for caches that were missing.
Mine would certainly be different. I'd guess that my ratio of "missing in action" to "didn't find it but it was there" is probably on the order of 5:1 or more. Since I don't tackle the harder ones unless I can make the time to do a proper search for them, my "didn't find it but it was there" numbers are very low.
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89 DNF logs to 334 finds. Some of those DNFs are on the same cache. There may be a couple I didn't log, particularly on caches where I had multiple attempts, but the number is close enough to say my ratio is a bit over 1:4.

 

Very few were missing. One was after I had found it previously (and no, it wasn't missing). At least two I tried to find without the coordinates.

Edited by Dinoprophet
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Well, I just logged my 200th find (mini-milestone!!!) and I have 38 DNFs. That includes ones that have been re-searched for another day and found. Some were archived as removed by muggles after I DNF'ed. Some were 'dumb ones', like when I went caching in Finland's Arctic Circle in FEBRUARY - big surprise I got more DNFs than finds then! I could have more finds, thus lowering the ratio, if I didn't avoid lamp post and paperbox caches whenever possible. Spending time in shopping mall parking lots is not my idea of fun. Of course I'd like to have a better average, but I'm just as proud of my DNFs as I am of my finds.

 

BTW, today I found 3 out of 4.

Edited by Ghengis Jon
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We have found 23 with 3 DNF's but one was because a water moccasin was not too hapy with our pressence and he blocked our path. We have bone a long bee dance with an impending storm hovering, lightening flashing, thunder growling, surrounded by trees and about a mile away from our car, and not left untill we found it. I hate the little blue faces...

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