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How do you find TB's near you?


DeCoyote

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Hello,

 

I like to trade TB. When I find one I like to take it to another GC that has one in it and trade. Or maybe put it in an area where no TB's are or Geocoins are. The problem is I can't pull up a search of just GC with TB's or Geocoins in them. I hate having to go through the whole list of GC's looking for TB's at geocaching.com. Any help?

 

Thanks a ton!

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Hello,

 

I like to trade TB. When I find one I like to take it to another GC that has one in it and trade. Or maybe put it in an area where no TB's are or Geocoins are. The problem is I can't pull up a search of just GC with TB's or Geocoins in them. I hate having to go through the whole list of GC's looking for TB's at geocaching.com. Any help?

 

Thanks a ton!

 

Can't you run a PQ, showing only those with a TB or Geocoin in it?

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Sheer luck! ;)

Just kidding. When you do a search, if the cache is supposed to have TBs, or geocoins, in it, an icon for that will show up on the list next to the cache. Then you can hope and pray that the trackable is in the cache. If it isn't, it was either removed and never logged, or someone got to it right before you, and hasn't gotten home to log it yet. If you do find one is missing, it is courteous to post a note to the cache page and the trackable page, to let the owners know, and they can choose to mark it missing. If you don't get a reply, I, or your local reviewer can mark it missing, if you send a link to the trackable (not the cache), but someone has to physically confirm that it is not hiding in the cache container somewhere.

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Thank you.

 

First is a PQ a pocket Query? I'm not sure what that is? I usually just run a map of my area and scroll around to find the TB's. BUT this takes a log time for me. So I'm looking for an easy way.

 

Second I do try to read the logs. Alot of times it states that the TB is gone.

 

Third I'm really amazed at how many are missing. I have found a few that were not marked in the GC so I then log them.

 

The main reason I ask is because I enjoy taking a picture of them and posting it for the owner. My kids dig em.

 

Thanks a ton.

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You are just gonna have to deal with the Travel Bugs or geocoins that are not in the cache they are supposed to be. That's the way it is...

 

Someday, perhaps, a solution to that problem may be worked out. The only thing you can do is to peruse the logs of the cache AND the logs (or lack of logs) of the traveler itself in an attempt to ascertain whether it is there or not before you venture forth.

 

Now... you speak of trading TB's. As a traveler is not SWAG, there is no "trade" requirement. TB's as well as geocoins are made and sent out to travel. Not to sit in a cache because the last [insert number here] cachers had no item to "trade". Just sayin'... don't get trapped into a trading program for TB's or geocoins. If you can help them with their mission, move 'em all!

-----

 

PQ and Pocket Query are one in the same. A PQ allows you to the option to search for caches that have a Trackable listed in it's inventory (line one of this post still applies).

You still must sort out which ones may well yet have the Trackable present, but it is better than map searching.

:)

 

Good Luck.

 

Edit to add: Create a Pocket Query from link on your profile page: Build Pocket Query.

Edited by Gitchee-Gummee
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First is a PQ a pocket Query? I'm not sure what that is? I usually just run a map of my area and scroll around to find the TB's. BUT this takes a log time for me. So I'm looking for an easy way.

Pocket Queries are easy to do, and very useful. I think you'll like that feature.

 

If you visit a cache that has a Trackable listed in it but don't see any, search through everything in the container. Some Trackable tags fall off their attached "hitchhiker", so a loose tag may be under all the stuff.

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Something else just to add to the finding of travel bugs. I am kind of a bug person (I know i have not been caching long but... I like the bugs and think they are more fun to move than the actual caching itself :-)

 

This is helpful for a trip. If you know your going to be traveling from point A to point B create a route using the directions then you can create a Pocket Query based on your route and tell it to find all caches within x distance along that route that have bugs in them.

 

Again its a good idea to check out the logs to see if it looks like it may still be in the cache.

 

Have fun :-)

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I'm a newbie. I attended an event tonight and discovered a lot of TB's on windshields, t-shirts and key chains. I wrote down the TB identification numbers so I could log them. I don't even know where to start looking for a way to log a TB that I've found.

 

I need really specific instructions on how to log a TB that I have found, without revealing the ID number.

Thanks!

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I'm a newbie. I attended an event tonight and discovered a lot of TB's on windshields, t-shirts and key chains. I wrote down the TB identification numbers so I could log them. I don't even know where to start looking for a way to log a TB that I've found.

 

I need really specific instructions on how to log a TB that I have found, without revealing the ID number.

Thanks!

Easy peasy. Under "Play" in the drop down menu, click on "Find Trackables." There are three boxes; fill the tracking number into the first one. It will take you to the trackable page, where you can log each as "discovered." DON'T log that you grabbed one, unless you physically took it with you.

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Also check for bookmark lists that contain travel bug hotels, inns, etc. I have multiple ones bookmarked myself for areas across Canada. As others suggested, a PQ for caches in your area that contain 'travel bugs' is a great way to find them. Look around airports, entrances and exits from major cities (along main highways) and also at province/state/country borders as they tend to be located there as well. Another place to find them is very high rated 'blue ribbon' caches, as some tend to be tourist caches that contain TBs, etc. Anyway, hope that helps a bit. Be sure to check out some of my lists that I've created to see a bunch of them bookmarked. Also, a FYI, you can make a PQ out of a bookmark list as well.

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I'm not a fan of Pocket Queries. I suppose they help when you are downloading caches to a unit that doesn't have realtime internet access like a phone app...but they only show a single moment in time and are not really "current". Besides, you have to go through a whole seperate process to set one up and I'd rather just run a search. I like the map view they have for geocoins...not sure why they don't have the same setup for TBs.

 

As for writing notes about missing trackables...can all you cache owners and trackable owners out there please actually update your pages once in a while? I have put in many notes about missing items that were listed in the inventory, but none of them ever get addressed. If someone writes a log in my cache about a missing travel bug, if I can I'll take it out of inventory (can we as cache owners do that? or is it just the trackable owners that mark it as missing?). I think half of my frustration over missing trackables stems from cache and trackable owners not keeping their inventory up-to-date.

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