Magnetic Car Travelbugs

[+Oofy]

In the great geocaching shop near Ashbourne in Derbyshire a few months ago (an Aladdin's cave where my new hobby turned into an obsession) I bought a magnetic car travel bug.

 

If you haven't seen them, it's a grey, thin bit of metal with the travelbug symbol and the number (in this case TB3N4BW). It looked fairly unobtrusive on my grey car and that, perhaps is the problem. Because in over 4 months, the only person who has logged it is the friend who went to the shop with me and saw me put it on the car!

 

I assumed that it wouldn't be very long before some other cacher was stuck behind me at traffic lights or a roundabout, saw the TB symbol, got excited and jotted down the number. Nope. Not a dickeybird.

 

I wondered if anybody else has experience of these. They're really neatly done and perhaps I should have gone for a larger one. Clearly it's less obtrusive being grey with a grey car and the fact that I never wash the vehicle probably probably doesn't help.

 

But I got TB dogtags with it so I can always give up and simply use the dogtags instead. But I keep hoping for spotters. You don't get a "find" for TBs of course, otherwise I'd suggest people wander around Southfields in South West London looking for it. You can't give clues, either.

 

[N.B. If this proves in the LEAST bit contentious, is there a way of withdrawing posts?]

[+DonB]

I had a static cling one that goes on a window for two or three years and the only time it was discovered was at an event cache, and the only reason it was discovered there was I told people about it. I recently traded that car in and I don't know if I'm even going to put it on the new one. I think I'll just make a regular TB with the tags.

[+The Blorenges]

I think it's pretty rare for a vehicle TB to be spotted and logged while the vehicle is being driven somewhere. Most of them seem to get logged when parked near geocaching events or perhaps in the recommended parking location when a new cache has just been published.

 

There's a whole topic about vehicle TBs here: Vehicle TBs

 

MrsB

[+Delta68]

For our main Cachemobile I made my own slightly-larger-than-number-plate sized laminated card with the TB number on it and it's fixed to the dog-guard inside the car so it is clearly visible from the outside

 

 

The original TB tag is taped to the side window in the boot.

 

It has been discovered many times while parked up out caching or parked at events. It's even been discovered while on the move!

Personally I never actually log log it into events because prefer it to be discovered by chance rather than instructing people to look out for it!

 

Mark

[+BlueDeuce]

I assumed that it wouldn't be very long before some other cacher was stuck behind me at traffic lights or a roundabout, saw the TB symbol, got excited and jotted down the number. Nope. Not a dickeybird.

 

I've had mine for four years with only three Discovers, by people I know. I'm sure some don't agree with this comment but I say spend your money on a TB you release in a cache. What I've learned is that Car TBs are not travel bugs, nor should they be.

Edited March 5, 2011 by BlueDeuce

[+DesG]

I bought one at the Scottish Mega and a week later while doing a series not far from home we returned to the car to find some bu**er had nicked it so it's now an A4 laminated copy that I put in the back window while we're out caching and has been discovered a few times.

[+Moote]

I'd rather not advertise my car as possible having expensive GPS navigation hardware in it.! (If this remark offends you I apologise in advance)

[+little-miss-naughty]

ive had mine discovered a few times by people on the road but mostly at events ive had mine so long i forgot about it really but always nice when someone spots it. also not every one will log it they might point and smile when they see it but to make a note of the number when at traffic lights can be quite a challange and u have prob driven off before the got the whole number. i wouldnt worry about then one day ur get a nice suprise when someone does log it.

[+Oofy]

Begins to sound as though I'd be better off just using the tags that came with it. I take the point that if you saw it at traffic lights, chances are you won't get a chance to write the number down.

 

Perhaps, before I give up, I might put a cache near where the car is parked. Can always mention it in the cache.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

[+Teacosies]

Mine (static film) has only been logged once, funny enough car was parked in a carpark in the middle of nowhere, while I was off smashing my GPS. The same cacher later that day found one of my caches about 30 mile away.

[+*mouse*]

We've made 'wild' finds (not at events that is) and also our car got discovered in tescos of all places so it can happen.

Stick with it - someone will spot it eventually

 

We've seen quite a few cachers cars on motorways etc (usually by spotting the tech + nature decals) but reading a tracking number while you're moving is next to impossible!

[+aliandtone]

One of the recent logs for our travel bug

 

Spotted whilst moving on the A303 between Andover and the A34. Spotted the massive travelbug logo on the back of a car whilst overtaking, but couldn't get the tracking code memorized in time, so pulled back in front and let the owner overtake me again so I could get another chance. Moved back into the fast lane and hopefully didn't perform any dangerous driving maneuvers as I pulled up alongside for the 2nd time so I could get the tracking code. Dived through the services on the A34 so I could stop briefly and write it down having hopefully remembered it correctly!

 

Fun TB - very distinctive on the back of a car - made me double take as I spotted it out of the corner of my eye! Thanks!

[+John Stead]

I could discover it right now if I wished as you have given the tracking number for all to see. Or was that your intention? I think not!

I have a tag on my cachemobile dashboard but afaik it only gets logged at events when I point it out or when I meet a cacher in the field; except that I use it to visit any caches I go to (though only one a day now)

Edited March 5, 2011 by John Stead

[+Team Noodles]

meh

Edited March 6, 2011 by Team Noodles

[+Team Noodles]

I'd rather not advertise my car as possible having expensive GPS navigation hardware in it.! (If this remark offends you I apologise in advance)

 

I knoweth where thou art at.

 

:ph34r: :ph34r:

[+Oofy]

John,

 

You're right. Rather stupid of me to give the number. I'd claim to have posted while tired, but I can't work out the time difference.

 

That was pretty stupid, even for me. Any way of editing posts once they're up?

[+MartyBartfast]

Any way of editing posts once they're up?

 

Scroll up to the first post and there should be an "edit" button below the text.

[+The Blorenges]

No need to edit as afr as I can see...

 

The number given in Oofy's OP is the public reference number for the TB, not the actual tracking number. The public reference number is the correct one to give in a public place like a forum or a log. The tracking number is the one not to give away.

 

MrsB

[+Cushag]

I have one of these on my Campervan . I called it 'Where is Cushag'. Problem is these are discover only. Only been seen a couple of times so now I use it to show where I have been with the Van, logging it in one of the caches I find in each area on holiday as a 'visited' to that cache. I then put some miles on the TB and also can remind myself where I ended up in my holidays from the Isle of Man. I then have to 'Visit ' it to one of my caches on the Island to bring it home! At least it has a use that way. You can only use the Visit feature if you are logging or have logged a find on a cache.

[+Lime Candy]

My car has a magnetic TB that is exactly the same as Oofy's. All its discoveries (except one) are from events. I'm happy with any discovery log though. And at events, I always try to wander around the car park with pen & paper discovering all the other vehicle TB's.

[+ivanidea]

My Jeeps have only been discovered at geocaching events.

 

I presume the people who attend 4x4 shows are not geocachers, since the Jeep I had on display was not discovered. It will be on display again later this month (the things I have to do to get free admission )