Just venting......

[+gtbii]

So last night I get two emails of near by newly placed caches. I grab my gear and head out. I spent almost an hour looking for one of them just to leave with a DNF, in the morning I head out early to try the other one. Again DNF. Now I didn't DNF b/c of lack of ability or lack of effort, I DNFed b/c on BOTH of these caches (placed by the same group) the coords were way off. This just ticks me off, this morning made the 3rd time I clearly would had been the FTF if the cache had actually been at the posted coords. Its a waste of time and gas when we go searching for a cache that is listed incorrectly, please people double and triple check your coords before posting a cache.

 

Mistakes like that really take the fun out of the sport

 

.gtbii.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Happens, occasionally. Irritating yes, but I think little more than that.

Is like a bumper sticker........ "Stuff" happens!

[+Kit Fox]

I'm confused, was the only reason you actually hunted for the cache was for FTF?

 

That's why 2nd to find is nice, because it allows them to hash out the owners mistakes.

Edited September 5, 2009 by Kit Fox

[+Wadcutter]

Happens, occasionally. Irritating yes, but I think little more than that.

Is like a bumper sticker........ "Stuff" happens!

 

Sometimes it can be a whole lot more than irritating.

GC1TQ3G

The coords were 1/4 mile off. Here's what can happen. Nothing but being a little more than irritating? Guess it depends on how you feel about being run off by a farmer pointing a shotgun at you.

 

June 20 by (Irritated Cacher?)

Super bad coords!!!

Farmer chased us off with a shot gun,

looked like he was going nuts about people

walking around his yard.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Wadcutter

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Put the shoe on the other foot..........

 

How do you feel being a farmer having to run off trespassers by the basketful.

 

Sounds like a maintenance requirement note is in order, or note to reviewer.

 

P.S. I like where your link goes to

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Had to back out, cnp to get to the cache

 

looks like problem is taken care of ( finally )............... I guess it goes back to "stuff" happens.

 

 

This case is certainly a bit more than just irritating, I agree.

[+DENelson83]

cnp?

[+Wadcutter]

Put the shoe on the other foot..........

How do you feel being a farmer having to run off trespassers by the basketful.

Exactly. A bit more than mildly irritating for him too. But it's not his fault.

 

Sounds like a maintenance requirement note is in order, or note to reviewer.

I posted a note when I looked for it that I didn't believe the coords were right since they took a person to the farm house. I wrote the CO should check his numbers. It was possible the coords were right and the CO lived at or had the permission of the farmer. Just didn't feel right to us tho.

After I posted my note a couple of others posted finds indicating they had found the cache 1/4 mile away but they didn't see fit to post corrected coords. It wasn't until someone was run off with the shotgun that I then posted the "to be archived" notice.

 

P.S. I like where your link goes to

Thanks. I think it's fixed now. It worked when I first posted but some how got it screwed up.

Try it now to read the history of the cache.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

cnp?

 

cnp = cut and paste

[+ventura_kids]

Going for the First To Find is one of the interesting parts of this sport.

 

When you choose to try for a FTF, You have an increased chance for a Did Not Find.

 

Many times we spot a brand new cache along our route, and we have a discussion about including it.

The discussion always centers on WHO hid the cache, and what are the chances they messed up.

Normally we conclude the discussion with an agreement, that we will look for a maximum of 5 or 10 minutes.

 

I have over 100 hides, and I have made the very same mistake....somehow I swapped two numbers.

From the hiders point of view it is always a relief to recieve the first find on a new cache. It validates that you did it right

[Dj Storm]

The farthest cache from GZ that I found was about 80 feet off. It was a micro placed in an urban park, and I managed to find it only using the spoiler photo. The hider had another cache (without spoilers) that I failed to find.

In a remote location, with poor satellite coverage, I found a cache about 60-120 feet off from GZ (I say 60-120 feet because GZ was jumpy, and the precision indicated was around 100 feet).

No problem with a few more feet off when the location is remote with few seekers and the location can support the search without being damaged. In an urban settings, you will be noticed if you search too long, in a larger area.

 

After I posted my note a couple of others posted finds indicating they had found the cache 1/4 mile away but they didn't see fit to post corrected coords. It wasn't until someone was run off with the shotgun that I then posted the "to be archived" notice.

 

How can anyone find a cache that's 1/4 mile off?

[+Wadcutter]

How can anyone find a cache that's 1/4 mile off?

Read the cache logs. GC1TQ3G

A couple of guys looked at the hint and started searching the pet cemetery until they found it. Had the cemetery been a big one or if the cache had been something like a bison tube the chances of finding it would have been remote.

[+mfamilee]

How can anyone find a cache that's 1/4 mile off?

Imagine one being 2.5 miles off.

The Boat House Cache

 

N 41° 31.569 W 090° 33.484

** Coordinates Changed From **

N 41° 31.569 W 090° 30.484

Distance From Old: 13647.3 feet

Updating coordinates.

 

It's amazing someone still mangaged to get an FTF the night it was published figuring it out by the title.

[BobandCheri]

It almost looks as if the two posted examples might have been simply "typos" rather than being the wrong coords. Either way - still wrong.

[Mr.Yuck]

I'm confused, was the only reason you actually hunted for the cache was for FTF?

 

That's why 2nd to find is nice, because it allows them to hash out the owners mistakes.

 

Yes a good point. Keep in mind that FTF enthusiasts are only a small minority of Geocachers. When you consider the number of active cachers who couldn't care less, and the legions of casual cachers.

 

However, (and I'm not being sarcastic) this is where you people are most useful to the rest of us! Sorting out bad coordinates. I've heard tales of people finding caches with honest attempts at coordinates that are 100-200 feet off. And even more amazing tales of people finding caches miles away with numbers transposed in the coordinates.

 

Then there's my own personal favorite, caches that are published before the cache owner decides they should actually go out an place it. I've been seeing this a lot lately. Of course any one who submits a cache page is checking a box saying the cache is in place; but this is apparently lost on some people.

[+off-camber]

I was guilty of a mistake recently. I realized I had input the coords from the wrong way point shortly after the cache was approved. I had it fixed in less than 12 hours after it was posted but a "FTF enthusiast" had already looked and DNF'd it. I emailed them and apologized for the mistake, shortly after that another cacher got there first FTF...so I didn't feel bad.

 

Poop Happens

[+aajoslin]

So last night I get two emails of near by newly placed caches. I grab my gear and head out. I spent almost an hour looking for one of them just to leave with a DNF, in the morning I head out early to try the other one. Again DNF. Now I didn't DNF b/c of lack of ability or lack of effort, I DNFed b/c on BOTH of these caches (placed by the same group) the coords were way off. This just ticks me off, this morning made the 3rd time I clearly would had been the FTF if the cache had actually been at the posted coords. Its a waste of time and gas when we go searching for a cache that is listed incorrectly, please people double and triple check your coords before posting a cache.

 

Mistakes like that really take the fun out of the sport

 

.gtbii.

 

Deep breaths Gary, just remember that this is fun, and 14th-TF is not that bad either. A hug from your lovely wife and daughter should make it all better.

 

BTW, I've got a new GPSr (Oregon 300) coming in the mail today. My old one finally crapped out. I'm going paperless now, and Cammie's old enough to search with me, and the weather is getting cooler, and the poison ivy is starting to die. I love the fall!

[Mr.Yuck]

So last night I get two emails of near by newly placed caches. I grab my gear and head out. I spent almost an hour looking for one of them just to leave with a DNF, in the morning I head out early to try the other one. Again DNF. Now I didn't DNF b/c of lack of ability or lack of effort, I DNFed b/c on BOTH of these caches (placed by the same group) the coords were way off. This just ticks me off, this morning made the 3rd time I clearly would had been the FTF if the cache had actually been at the posted coords. Its a waste of time and gas when we go searching for a cache that is listed incorrectly, please people double and triple check your coords before posting a cache.

 

Mistakes like that really take the fun out of the sport

 

.gtbii.

 

Deep breaths Gary, just remember that this is fun, and 14th-TF is not that bad either. A hug from your lovely wife and daughter should make it all better.

 

BTW, I've got a new GPSr (Oregon 300) coming in the mail today. My old one finally crapped out. I'm going paperless now, and Cammie's old enough to search with me, and the weather is getting cooler, and the poison ivy is starting to die. I love the fall!

 

Sounds like you two know each other. I was re-reading my own post, and it does sound sarcastic, even though I say I'm trying not to be. I think many FTF enthusiasts have come to know and even expect that bad coordinates are going to come into play. I would suppose that makes it even more satisfying to get your FTF. And I did actually dabble in the FTF game a little from like 2003-2005. I Just hope you never run into one of those "not placed yet" situations like I describe. I think I've seen about 10 instances of this in the past year in my 50 mile notification range. And those are just the ones I've noticed.

[+atmospherium]

I think many FTF enthusiasts have come to know and even expect that bad coordinates are going to come into play. I would suppose that makes it even more satisfying to get your FTF. And I did actually dabble in the FTF game a little from like 2003-2005. I Just hope you never run into one of those "not placed yet" situations like I describe. I think I've seen about 10 instances of this in the past year in my 50 mile notification range. And those are just the ones I've noticed.

 

I think I was FTF on a WhiteUrkel hide a few months ago, but only because our local FTF hound was out of town or taking a nap or something. Anyway, the coords were dead on and the cache was in place. Geocaching done right!

[+Kit Fox]

How can anyone find a cache that's 1/4 mile off?

Imagine one being 2.5 miles off.

The Boat House Cache

 

N 41° 31.569 W 090° 33.484

** Coordinates Changed From **

N 41° 31.569 W 090° 30.484

Distance From Old: 13647.3 feet

Updating coordinates.

 

It's amazing someone still mangaged to get an FTF the night it was published figuring it out by the title.

 

I have a FTF on a cache that had coords off by 12153 feet.

Edited September 10, 2009 by Kit Fox

[+tzipora]

How can anyone find a cache that's 1/4 mile off?

Imagine one being 2.5 miles off.

The Boat House Cache

 

N 41° 31.569 W 090° 33.484

** Coordinates Changed From **

N 41° 31.569 W 090° 30.484

Distance From Old: 13647.3 feet

Updating coordinates.

 

It's amazing someone still mangaged to get an FTF the night it was published figuring it out by the title.

 

I've got that one beat. By a long shot, and I do mean long. GC1T13Y

 

May 30 by erik88l-r (2390 found)

N 60° 47.481 W 148° 54.217

** Coordinates Changed From **

N 61° 47.481 W 149° 54.217

Distance From Old: 404453.5 feet

 

I managed to incorrectly enter both the Northing and the Westing by an entire degree. Despite coords that were 76 miles off, somebody managed to find it before I could get it corrected. It should be said that I'd already posted a note saying that the coords were very wrong, so an intrepid and intelligent cacher decided to try using my description to find the cache...and he actually did it.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I FTFed one that was 845 feet off. The CO put in the north parking coordinates for the north coordinates. It still took me four tries following the line south to find the cache.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

 

BTW, I've got a new GPSr (Oregon 300) coming in the mail today. My old one finally crapped out. I'm going paperless now, and Cammie's old enough to search with me, and the weather is getting cooler, and the poison ivy is starting to die. I love the fall!

 

Careful with that thought. Dormant poison ivy is infectious also....... it just doesn't have as many leaves!

Can still get you pretty itchy.

[+auctnr]

Typos account for a lot of bad coords but smartphones seem to be the main culprit lately. Here is my entry on a typo. 69 MILES! Posted coords were 69 MILES off from actual cache location! Posted N 36° 07.153 W 097° 15.924 should have been N 35° 07.153 W 097° 15.924 GC31MD1 A simple typo but I decoded it and found it without owner update. I have found several in the same manner over a mile off. I have a bookmark set up of ones that I have found with bad coords. See bookmark on cache page.

[+HHD]

I used to be a phoner, (a cacher that only uses a smart phone) and I placed a few caches that were published and found the coords to be 40 feet off. I tried to compensate by good hints and easier hides that were move inventive than hard. I just got a new delorme pn 40 and now feel comfortable doing some more complicated hides since I feel my coords will be better. However my phoner skills are pretty good now and I now have a natural 40 foot circumference at gz which I hear is a good thing.

I love FTF and while I agree it is no fun to dnf due to a coordinate issue it makes for some good stories. I looked for a multi once that had just been published it involved math, not my strong suit. I messed up the math looked in the wrong place in 2 foot snow drifts for 20 mins, then decided to go back to gz and recheck my math. Met a local FTF hound there and he did the math right and we walked to what we thought was gz and searched for 30 mins. He had to go to work so he left. I, being a phoner, emailed the co from the field and thankfully she responded about 10 mins later. She gave me the coordinates she had which led me to an open field...again in 2 foot snow and then she gave up and told me where she hid the cache. On the back of a sign right next to my car! Lol we both had a big laugh and she is now one of my closest geo friends. It is all in how you treat things.

I'm not saying you are wrong to be frustrated. I'm just saying unless this is a habit of this cacher (which may require some additional issues) just remember it is a game we do for fun.

Edited November 7, 2011 by HighHeeled Dutchess