Couldn't find on my first two tries

[shrinkrap]

Hi,

 

Using the free iPhone App today I made my first two tries for two nearby film cans in a somewhat urban area. I couldn't find either. I didn't see anything on the iPhone that would tell me when these two locations were posted. I'm wondering if canisters placed in urban areas are perhaps likely to get moved by gardeners, groundskeepers, or passersby? Is it best to search on "fresh" locations?

 

Thanks,

 

David

[+Chief301]

If you're using the official Groundspeak app, all that information is available on the main page of that cache listing (before you click on "Navigate to Geocache"). Near the top it should show "Date Hidden" and "Date Last Found". Also, a little further down you'll find "Recent Logs", which can provide some clues as to whether people have been having trouble finding it recently. All useful information out in the field, and a great advantage of using the app over most GPSr's.

 

Also, still a little further down is "Hint"...not all cache owners provide a hint but if they do, don't hesitate to use it if you're having trouble (especially as a newbie)

Edited July 18, 2011 by Chief301

[+niraD]

I'm wondering if canisters placed in urban areas are perhaps likely to get moved by gardeners, groundskeepers, or passersby? Is it best to search on "fresh" locations?

Some urban hides get muggled very quickly. Others (including film canisters) can last for years. A lot of urban caches are micros both to make them harder for non-geocachers to find, and so geocachers can retrieve them less conspicuously (thus attracting less attention from non-geocachers).

 

You could look up the caches on the web site and see how recently the caches have been found. You could also check whether the caches have a history of going missing (and being replaced by the owner).

 

Anyway, here are some general tips that may prove helpful:

 

A common recommendation for beginners is to stick with small size, regular size, and large size caches. Until you're more experienced, avoid micro size caches, some of which are smaller than most beginners can imagine (sometimes called "nanos"). Save those for later, after you have some experience.

 

Also, stick with caches that have a difficulty rating of no more than 2 stars . Save the more difficult ones for later. You may also want to choose caches with easy terrain ratings. (The difficulty rating tells you how hard it is to find the cache once you get there. The terrain rating tells you how hard it is to get there.) And it is often best to start with traditional caches, which will be at the published coordinates. Multi-caches or mystery/puzzle caches or other cache types can require more work just to figure out where the container is located.

 

Under ideal conditions, a consumer GPSr will be accurate to about 3m (10'). That applies both to your GPSr, and to the GPSr of the cache owner, so you may find the container 15-20' from ground zero under ideal conditions. Under less than ideal conditions, both GPSr readings can be much less accurate.

 

Go ahead and read the cache's additional hints (if provided), and read the past logs and look at any photos in the cache's image gallery. They may help you understand what you're looking for, and how/where it may be hidden. It may also help to look at some of the cache containers available online. For example, check out the cache containers sold by Groundspeak. Also, take a look at the Pictures - Cool Cache Containers (CCC's) thread in the forums.

[shrinkrap]

Thanks for these tips, Darin. For the record, my two false starts did involve film canisters and were in easy terrain and one star. That's why I think maybe they got moved or were just out of date.

[shrinkrap]

If you're using the official Groundspeak app, all that information is available on the main page of that cache listing (before you click on "Navigate to Geocache"). Near the top it should show "Date Hidden" and "Date Last Found". Also, a little further down you'll find "Recent Logs", which can provide some clues as to whether people have been having trouble finding it recently. All useful information out in the field, and a great advantage of using the app over most GPSr's.

 

Also, still a little further down is "Hint"...not all cache owners provide a hint but if they do, don't hesitate to use it if you're having trouble (especially as a newbie)

[shrinkrap]

I was using the free app so it might not have had all those features. I'll take a closer look though. There was a hint for each but I didn't find them.

[+Pedagog]

Our first two we did not find, one we realised we had approached from the wrong direction and would have meant a massive detour, so we gave up for another day. And the second I think has been muggled.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Does the cache description say "Film Can"?

 

A micro sized cache can be/is "35mm Film Can and smaller"

The 'And smaller' can be a lot smaller!

[+Chief301]

I was using the free app so it might not have had all those features. I'll take a closer look though. There was a hint for each but I didn't find them.

 

Oh, OK, I assumed you were using the paid app. No, then, you won't have access to a lot of those features (or any other features, really, other than navigating to a set of coordinates).

 

If you think you're going to stick with this game for awhile, I would suggest investing in the paid app. Some complain that $10 is a lot to pay for an app, but if you're going to do any real caching it's more than worth it.

[shrinkrap]

Thanks for this input. Well, I was trying to figure out how interested I might be in this as a new hobby/activity. So that's why I started with the free app. But, hey, $10 isn't going to break the bank. So, I'll go ahead and do the upgrade and continue to explore!

[+Chief301]

Thanks for this input. Well, I was trying to figure out how interested I might be in this as a new hobby/activity. So that's why I started with the free app. But, hey, $10 isn't going to break the bank. So, I'll go ahead and do the upgrade and continue to explore!

 

I started with the free app too...I guess just until I was convinced that this wasn't just some huge elaborate hoax and there really ARE little boxes hidden in bridgerails and lamp post skirts all around me

 

Anyway, I guess I found 3 or 4 with the free app before I realized I was hooked and popped for the paid app. The latest version is even better with lots of filter options and other neat features.

 

Later on I also bought a handheld GPS because the iPhone does have it's drawbacks...mainly battery life and general ruggedness. But the iPhone, paired with my Garmin Legend HCX, allows me to do spur of the moment caching and be completely paperless

[shrinkrap]

The major challenge I encountered with the iPhone on my first outing is the difficulty reading the screen in bright sunlight! I'm reluctant to add yet another gadget to my arsenal, though! :-)

[+JJRP]

I always turn the brightness setting on my iphone all the way up when looking for a cache. Trouble is, that wears the battery down even faster.

Edited July 18, 2011 by JJRP

[kimboy]

Our first two we did not find, one we realised we had approached from the wrong direction and would have meant a massive detour, so we gave up for another day. And the second I think has been muggled.

[+Themundies]

We started caching about 2 months ago and have found nearly 200 caches in 13 states often with out phone signal using nothing more the the paid iPhone app. It is great, some time I wish I had a traditional GPS to make the game harder lol.