damage to cable box

[Pretty Face]

First let me say that I am new to this activity and would just like some clarification.

 

I recently went on a cache hunt and was directed to an area that contained an Electrical box and also a large green cable box. This was a site that was going to have a structure built but the construction did not occur.

 

The cable box had been "accessed" and the cover was not in the best of shape. As the cover was already off, I did look inside and noticed it had no cables in it. At this point, it seemed almost possible that it could have been the cache but after reading the log, (I did not find the cache) this appears to not be the case.

 

I read through the guidelines for hiding a cache and it clearly states, "Will the location placement cause unnecessary concern? Please use common sense when choosing a location for your cache. Do not design your cache such that it might be confused with something more dangerous."

 

One of the blog entries said the coordinates put them right in between the two boxes. That is where I ended up as well.

 

Having found a couple of hides in round cable boxes and the like, it is easy to understand why this green cable box has been "looked into". I have never had to use a tool to open a cache storage container, usually the top just slips off. Is there a rule of thumb that containers will not require a tool to open them? If not, I would suggest this for discussion as it might have kept this green cable box doors from being pried off and damaged.

 

Again I am new and looking for some good guidelines.

 

Pretty Face

Edited December 16, 2010 by Pretty Face

[jholly]

Did you by any chance notice numbers on one of these boxes? Take a look at the numbers, they might be on a magnetic sheet with a log on the back.

[+kunarion]

Is there a rule of thumb that containers will not require a tool to open them?

It's my rule of thumb. If I can't find the container, I am not going to unscrew, pry, or dismantle an electrical box, which may result in a DNF. And fewer likely sparks. Your mileage may vary.

 

But some cache descriptions will specify if there's a tool requirement. If you need direction, you'll have to check the cache description, but many GPSr have only cache coordinates.

 

I'd also suggest mentioning your reluctance (completely justified) to poke around in the electrical box, when you do your DNF log. And especially note that it looks rather poked around in. Be polite, of course. The Cache Owner probably thought it's unlikely that anyone would bother the utility boxes.

Edited December 16, 2010 by kunarion

[Pretty Face]

Did you by any chance notice numbers on one of these boxes? Take a look at the numbers, they might be on a magnetic sheet with a log on the back.

 

I did not notice, but will look again. Thanks for the tip.

 

I still have a concern that it was likely other cachers like myself, confused about the cable box being the actual container and damaging it to gain access.

 

Thanks again for the response and the tip.

 

Pretty Face

[Pretty Face]

Is there a rule of thumb that containers will not require a tool to open them?

It's my rule of thumb. If I can't find the container, I am not going to unscrew, pry, or dismantle an electrical box, which may result in a DNF. And fewer likely sparks. Your mileage may vary.

 

But some cache descriptions will specify if there's a tool requirement. If you need direction, you'll have to check the cache description, but many GPSr have only cache coordinates.

 

I'd also suggest mentioning your reluctance (completely justified) to poke around in the electrical box, when you do your DNF log. And especially note that it looks rather poked around in. Be polite, of course. The Cache Owner probably thought it's unlikely that anyone would bother the utility boxes.

Thank you for your reply. That is a great rule of thumb and tip on the cache description requiring a tool. I will look for that in the future but will also keep in mind, as you say, some may not include this important information, only coordinates.

 

Pretty Face.

[+geodarts]

It's my rule of thumb. If I can't find the container, I am not going to unscrew, pry, or dismantle an electrical box, which may result in a DNF. And fewer likely sparks. Your mileage may vary.

 

I apply the same rule to sprinklers and any other thing I find that is held on by more than a magnet. I am not going to dismantle anything I find on private property, even if the site is not being developed at the moment. For that matter, I am not going to dismantle anything I find on public property. If people have to start unscrewing anything in sight, prying open electrical boxes, taking apart sprinklers, and the like, we will hardly be popular with land owners or managers.

[Pretty Face]

It's my rule of thumb. If I can't find the container, I am not going to unscrew, pry, or dismantle an electrical box, which may result in a DNF. And fewer likely sparks. Your mileage may vary.

 

I apply the same rule to sprinklers and any other thing I find that is held on by more than a magnet. I am not going to dismantle anything I find on private property, even if the site is not being developed at the moment. For that matter, I am not going to dismantle anything I find on public property. If people have to start unscrewing anything in sight, prying open electrical boxes, taking apart sprinklers, and the like, we will hardly be popular with land owners or managers.

 

Thank you for your response.

 

I think this is another very good idea and you are correct in saying, "...we will hardly be popular with the land owners or managers." This was my concern as well.

[+Manville Possum]

I have saw cache containers for sale on Ebay that are made from TV type cable with the log inside the connectors. I think this is a very bad idea.

[Pretty Face]

I have saw cache containers for sale on Ebay that are made from TV type cable with the log inside the connectors. I think this is a very bad idea.

Thank you for your response.

 

I found one of those but it was placed where to someone not paying attention would assume that is where it belonged. To someone looking for a geocache, it was just out of place enough to make you check it out. This was a tough call but when the top came off with little effort, it became obvious that it was the cache. That is the kind of situation that prompted me to start this thread.

 

Thanks again for your input.

[g_o_caching]

I never unscrew, dismantle, or pry apart any cache. If it is not a magnetic cover plate a bolt, or a number sticker I skip it. There are many other caches that don't require messing where we don't belong. There is an unwritten rule that many cachers forget: You don't absolutely have to find every cache.

[+geodarts]

I never unscrew, dismantle, or pry apart any cache. If it is not a magnetic cover plate a bolt, or a number sticker I skip it. There are many other caches that don't require messing where we don't belong. There is an unwritten rule that many cachers forget: You don't absolutely have to find every cache.

 

Which goes along with the other unwritten rule: there are some caches that should not be found.

[+J the Goat]

I never unscrew, dismantle, or pry apart any cache. If it is not a magnetic cover plate a bolt, or a number sticker I skip it. There are many other caches that don't require messing where we don't belong. There is an unwritten rule that many cachers forget: You don't absolutely have to find every cache.

 

Which goes along with the other unwritten rule: there are some caches that should not be found.

 

Which goes along with the other other unwritten rule: there are some caches that should not be placed.

[+Sol seaker]

http://johnnygeo-blog.blogspot.com/

 

This is a link to a blog on electrical safety and caching. I highly recommend reading it.

[+Chokecherry]

I went to a cache last summer where an electrical box was pried open and lots of wonderful live wires from the power line were exposed. The cache was a metal cover with magnet glued to the side of it and paper in a baggy on the back about 2 feet above that hot mess.

 

We were about to walk away when I spotted the cache. So we logged it noting what was happening on this person's garage as it was not the cache owner's garage (but they stated they got permission for it). Subsequent cachers apparently took our notation of the open electrical stuff as a hint and many subsequent finders went digging around in that. Then one finally DNF'ed it stating the box was now locked and he/she couldn't open it to retrieve the cache. I didn't do a NM or NA on it since it apparently had permission to be there and it's now the owner's responsibility to maintain electrical equipment on the house but it's always a weird spot to be in trying to figure out what exactly to file that under in the log.

[+Jenischmeni]

This is a pet peeve of mine.

 

I know that many hiders (and finders for that matter) think it's clever when a cache is disguised as some electrical device.

 

But, it's only a matter of time before a cacher is seriously injured (or even killed) opening up something that they shouldn't.

 

I usually try to post a friendly suggestion in my logs, but I don't think anyone has ever actually taken the suggestion.

 

And I agree... we're going to wear out our welcome with land managers if we keep dismantling their equipment

[+dphickey]

This is an excellent post. As a newbie to this game, I've been doing some reading up on this sport and this is the first I've heard of cache's hidden in or around electrical equipment. I've taken my kids on a few of my hunts and I've tried to explain some of the unwritten rules, but I'm going to make 'stay away from electrical boxes, lines, poles' a hard rule for our hunts.

[+JL_HSTRE]

If a cache requires a tool to open the container it should be explicitly stated on the cache page.

 

When looking for a cache in Jacksonville, FL I found a box on the side of an light pole that had clearly been pried open at least one. It was not the cache, though the actual cache was similar and close by but very easy to access.

[Pretty Face]

http://johnnygeo-blog.blogspot.com/

 

This is a link to a blog on electrical safety and caching. I highly recommend reading it.

 

That was an EXCELLENT blog!!!! I agree this is a must read. Thanks for including this in the thread.

[+T.D.M.22]

I'm surprised our electrical worker friend from Edmonton, AB hasn't said anything yet. Never mind about that-it's his blog that's mentioned above me.

Edited October 15, 2012 by T.D.M.22