resistor puzzles

[+tracyo]

I have a puzzle cache on my radar, with a picture of resistors, I do not have a clue how to solve this type of puzzle. Any help for a newbie?

[+akkatracker]

I have seen a few of these- it's something to do with the colours

[+Great Scott!]

did you try googling it?

[Pup Patrol]

Do a Google Images search for "resistor".

 

There's a lot of this type of puzzle. Not sure if they all follow the same solving format, though.

 

 

 

B.

[+eusty]

The only thing to worry about is ...

 

There is a rhyme I was taught years ago to remember the sequence....bit it's not repeatable on here!!

Edited May 4, 2012 by Markwell
Edited out solution

[+Cardinal Red]

I have a puzzle cache on my radar, with a picture of resistors, I do not have a clue how to solve this type of puzzle. Any help for a newbie?

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them. Interesting idea. Could you provide a GC#, or even better a link to it?

[Pup Patrol]

I have a puzzle cache on my radar, with a picture of resistors, I do not have a clue how to solve this type of puzzle. Any help for a newbie?

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them. Interesting idea. Could you provide a GC#, or even better a link to it?

 

Doing a search from the Hide & Seek page using either "resistor" or "resistance" worked pretty good for me.

 

(You will get to see just how many caches are named "Resistance is futile". )

 

But not all the "resistor" or "resistance" puzzle or multicaches use the same solving format.

 

"resistor" samples:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=1a497cc8-6471-498b-96eb-de307023b845

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=9bc354e7-5615-4aed-b7a1-3de913116cfd

 

"resistance" samples:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=57b416c8-31d8-4417-9fa9-8591294c2ce4

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=b07e82b5-2fdc-44d5-bf83-148c93d3a373

 

 

 

B.

[+tracyo]

I have a puzzle cache on my radar, with a picture of resistors, I do not have a clue how to solve this type of puzzle. Any help for a newbie?

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them. Interesting idea. Could you provide a GC#, or even better a link to it?

 

Doing a search from the Hide & Seek page using either "resistor" or "resistance" worked pretty good for me.

 

(You will get to see just how many caches are named "Resistance is futile". )

 

But not all the "resistor" or "resistance" puzzle or multicaches use the same solving format.

 

"resistor" samples:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=1a497cc8-6471-498b-96eb-de307023b845

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=9bc354e7-5615-4aed-b7a1-3de913116cfd

 

"resistance" samples:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=57b416c8-31d8-4417-9fa9-8591294c2ce4

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=b07e82b5-2fdc-44d5-bf83-148c93d3a373

 

 

 

B.

[+tracyo]

Hi, here is the GC code for the one I am hoping to solve..GC2PVZA

Thanks for your input

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I have a puzzle cache on my radar, with a picture of resistors, I do not have a clue how to solve this type of puzzle. Any help for a newbie?

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them. Interesting idea. Could you provide a GC#, or even better a link to it?

 

I've done two puzzle caches based on resistor colors but am reluctant to post a GC# as that would effectively give away the solution to the puzzles.

[+Huntleigh]

I have a puzzle cache on my radar, with a picture of resistors, I do not have a clue how to solve this type of puzzle. Any help for a newbie?

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them. Interesting idea. Could you provide a GC#, or even better a link to it?

 

I've done two puzzle caches based on resistor colors but am reluctant to post a GC# as that would effectively give away the solution to the puzzles.

 

I think the cat's already out of the bag on this one.

 

I wouldn't have thought these sort of puzzles would be particularly difficult in any case. Have trained in electronics I'd know the method as soon a I saw it (although I've forgotten the rude acrostic for remembering the code) but even without the foreknowledge I would have thought most people would be able to deduce that the pretty colurs on a resistor stood for something.

[+tracyo]

I have a puzzle cache on my radar, with a picture of resistors, I do not have a clue how to solve this type of puzzle. Any help for a newbie?

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them. Interesting idea. Could you provide a GC#, or even better a link to it?

 

I've done two puzzle caches based on resistor colors but am reluctant to post a GC# as that would effectively give away the solution to the puzzles.

 

I think the cat's already out of the bag on this one.

 

I wouldn't have thought these sort of puzzles would be particularly difficult in any case. Have trained in electronics I'd know the method as soon a I saw it (although I've forgotten the rude acrostic for remembering the code) but even without the foreknowledge I would have thought most people would be able to deduce that the pretty colurs on a resistor stood for something.

[+tracyo]

I was able to deduce that the pretty colors stand for something. Why does posting the GC# give away the soltn to the puzzles, especially if resistor puzzle caches do not always use the same solving format? Thanks

[+Cardinal Red]

I was able to deduce that the pretty colors stand for something. Why does posting the GC# give away the soltn to the puzzles, especially if resistor puzzle caches do not always use the same solving format? Thanks

I think the examples the PaddleCacher knows of don't explicitly mention that the puzzle is based on the resistor color code. Even that small hint could lead many potential solvers to the solution quickly.

 

I do know a few variations of the old color code memory aid verses. They weren't all that bad, and I can't imagine ever forgetting them. I wonder which spicy ones others learned? How many of you techs remember "ELI the ICE man"?

[+Huntleigh]

I was able to deduce that the pretty colors stand for something. Why does posting the GC# give away the soltn to the puzzles, especially if resistor puzzle caches do not always use the same solving format? Thanks

I think the examples the PaddleCacher knows of don't explicitly mention that the puzzle is based on the resistor color code. Even that small hint could lead many potential solvers to the solution quickly.

 

I do know a few variations of the old color code memory aid verses. They weren't all that bad, and I can't imagine ever forgetting them. I wonder which spicy ones others learned? How many of you techs remember "ELI the ICE man"?

You're right there, one of the caches posted just has a string of colours in words. Resistor code would be a spolier for that.

 

I can remember the periodic table; "Harry He Like Beer But Cup Not Overflowing. Neddy Naturally Megaphonic Always Sings Part-Songs Clearly After Kippers."

[+Markwell]

Please do not post puzzle solutions here.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I was able to deduce that the pretty colors stand for something. Why does posting the GC# give away the soltn to the puzzles, especially if resistor puzzle caches do not always use the same solving format? Thanks

I think the examples the PaddleCacher knows of don't explicitly mention that the puzzle is based on the resistor color code. Even that small hint could lead many potential solvers to the solution quickly.

 

I do know a few variations of the old color code memory aid verses. They weren't all that bad, and I can't imagine ever forgetting them. I wonder which spicy ones others learned? How many of you techs remember "ELI the ICE man"?

You're right there, one of the caches posted just has a string of colours in words. Resistor code would be a spolier for that.

 

I can remember the periodic table; "Harry He Like Beer But Cup Not Overflowing. Neddy Naturally Megaphonic Always Sings Part-Songs Clearly After Kippers."

 

My son uses "My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" to remember the order of the planets from the sun.

 

One of the puzzles that I solved doesn't mention resistors at all. It has a bunch of symbols in various colors which, if you convert the colors to the resistor color codes you'll get the coordinates. If I gave the GC# code for that puzzle, and indicated that the solutions was related to resistor codes, it would essentially give away the solution.

[+The A-Team]

How many of you techs remember "ELI the ICE man"?

I still remember that one. I can't remember the "spicy" colour code mnemonic we used, but I just did some Googling and found some very "colourful" ones that gave me a good chuckle. I also just came across this (offensive material removed):

A supply teacher who taught a racist rhyme to a pupil - which included the vile phrase '[CENSORED]' - has been found guilty of professional misconduct.

James Hersey, 68, taught the shocking mnemonic to a 16-year-old boy who was revising a wiring colour coding system for electronic resistors.

He taught the boy the ditty: '[CENSORED]' Each word represents the first letter of the colours in the code which are; black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, grey and white.

If you really want to see what was used there, you could Google parts of the quoted material and find the original story.

[+tracyo]

Yes, but don't you think many cache-owners themselves "let the cat out of the bag" by their cache titles?

[+niraD]

Yes, but don't you think many cache-owners themselves "let the cat out of the bag" by their cache titles?

Some do. Others are more subtle, using a Star Trek theme ("Resistance is futile"), or a futility theme (ditto), or a WWII theme ("French resistance"), or something similar.

[+The A-Team]

Yes, but don't you think many cache-owners themselves "let the cat out of the bag" by their cache titles?

Some do. Others are more subtle, using a Star Trek theme ("Resistance is futile"), or a futility theme (ditto), or a WWII theme ("French resistance"), or something similar.

And some may not elude to the theme at all, relying on you to figure it out on your own for added difficulty.

[+DonB]

The only thing to worry about is ...

 

There is a rhyme I was taught years ago to remember the sequence....bit it's not repeatable on here!!

Yep, I remember that one. Try here.

 

http://www.dannyg.com/examples/res2/resistor.htm

[+J the Goat]

What happened to the "Puzzle help is frowned upon in the forums" crowd? I think this is the first thread I've seen asking for puzzle help that hasn't been met almost immediately with that response. Markwell is the only one who's alluded to it so far. I'm kind of disappointed in you guys...

[+Glenn]

What happened to the "Puzzle help is frowned upon in the forums" crowd? I think this is the first thread I've seen asking for puzzle help that hasn't been met almost immediately with that response. Markwell is the only one who's alluded to it so far. I'm kind of disappointed in you guys...

 

There are other more civilized and effective ways to take care of those who give away the solution to puzzle caches here in the forums.

For example using the Report button is one way.

 

 

Markwell took care of it. So why do a bunch of people need to jump in here and complain about something that has been taken care of.

[+tracyo]

Hey guys, lighten up. This was my first forum post. I was not asking for the puzzle solution, just a little direction, it's been a really long time since undergrad physics... This is just a fun, outdoorsy, adventure game, right?

[+Markwell]

The actual puzzle solution was edited out of a post and eventually the post was deleted. So don't think that the "Puzzle help is frowned upon in the forums" crowd is non-existent. They just reported it to the forum moderators.

 

Tracyo: Sorry your first reaction in the forums was so heavy-handed of a smack. This is kind of a hot topic around here. Usually people fall on the line that puzzle owners place them as difficult puzzles for a reason. Likewise, many puzzle solvers like to solve things on their own. If I pick up the world's hardest sudoku and solve it, but someone else uses a computer program to solve it for them, I might be irked enough to say "HEY!"

 

Best advice for hard-to-solve puzzles: ask the owner for help. If they refuse, either keep trying yourself, or move on. There's lots of other caches out there to find.

 

===================

 

And by the way, Tracyo, I hope you don't let this little smack turn you off of the Geocaching forums. By far and away, I've found these forums to be some of the most courteous ones on the internet. Many people are seriously willing to help out people with understanding stuff (except puzzle caches).

 

Welcome to the fun!

[+Glenn]

Just to piggyback on what Markwell said...

 

Tracyo, nothing was directed at you so don't take any of it personally and welcome to the forums!

 

Part of the fun of Geocaching is the journey. The same thing can be said about puzzle caches. Part of the fun is discovering the solution. Just because a puzzle is common or easy doesn't give anyone else to right to rob others of the joy of discovery. It's okay to ask for guidance if you are having trouble with a puzzle cache but posting the solution in the forum robs others of the joy of discovery and is highly discouraged.

[+tozainamboku]

I have a puzzle cache on my radar, with a picture of resistors, I do not have a clue how to solve this type of puzzle. Any help for a newbie?

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them. Interesting idea. Could you provide a GC#, or even better a link to it?

I find this hard to believe. I've referred to resistor code puzzles as the LPC of cache puzzles. However they're not as popular around here as they once were so this may not apply anymore.

 

I recall a puzzle once that showed some circuits with resistors and the solution was based on Ohm's law. I wouldn't not assume that just because there are resistor the puzzle is base on the color bands. (Of course if I looked at the cache in question, I might see what the puzzle really is.)

 

Please do not post puzzle solutions here.

Since its natural to want to help out, it's hard to resist the temptation to post answers.

[+tracyo]

Just to piggyback on what Markwell said...

 

Tracyo, nothing was directed at you so don't take any of it personally and welcome to the forums!

 

Part of the fun of Geocaching is the journey. The same thing can be said about puzzle caches. Part of the fun is discovering the solution. Just because a puzzle is common or easy doesn't give anyone else to right to rob others of the joy of discovery. It's okay to ask for guidance if you are having trouble with a puzzle cache but posting the solution in the forum robs others of the joy of discovery and is highly discouraged.

[Mr.Yuck]

 

There are other more civilized and effective ways to take care of those who give away the solution to puzzle caches here in the forums.

For example using the Report button is one way.

 

 

Markwell took care of it. So why do a bunch of people need to jump in here and complain about something that has been taken care of.

 

Mean Medieval Guy: "Put them in the Iron Maiden"

Bill and Ted in unison: "Excellent!!!!"

Mean Medieval Guy" "Execute them!!"

Bill and Ted in unison: "Bogus!!"

 

 

I do know a few variations of the old color code memory aid verses. They weren't all that bad, and I can't imagine ever forgetting them. I wonder which spicy ones others learned? How many of you techs remember "ELI the ICE man"?

 

Oh yes. As a matter of fact, my middle name is Eli, and a few college pals dubbed me The Iceman. How in the heck it ever became public what my middle name is is beyond me.

 

The "spicy" one involved the use of the word rape for "r". Yeah, juvenile, and politically incorrect, but there are rarely any females in High School or College electronics classes.

[+Lieblweb]

If you like those puzzles, try this one. This is my husbands puzzle - he works in the field and thought I'd share.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=c59ee684-8337-4012-8308-d9df89d90c35

[+The A-Team]

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them.

I find this hard to believe. I've referred to resistor code puzzles as the LPC of cache puzzles. However they're not as popular around here as they once were so this may not apply anymore.

I live in a very puzzle-heavy area, and I've never seen one of them around here.

[+Glenn]

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them.

I find this hard to believe. I've referred to resistor code puzzles as the LPC of cache puzzles. However they're not as popular around here as they once were so this may not apply anymore.

I live in a very puzzle-heavy area, and I've never seen one of them around here.

Hop on the ferry and come on over to Seattle for a day. I'm sure there is at least one around here. If there isn't let me know I can hide one for you!

[+tracyo]

I don't remember much about electronics from my physics class in college, therefore I am having trouble solving the resistor puzzle in the GC I am obsessing over. However, I DO NOT WANT ANY CLUES from anyone on the Forums. I do know Seattle though, used to live on Tiger Mountain above Issaquah (before geocaching).

[+FunnyNose]

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them.

I find this hard to believe. I've referred to resistor code puzzles as the LPC of cache puzzles. However they're not as popular around here as they once were so this may not apply anymore.

I live in a very puzzle-heavy area, and I've never seen one of them around here.

Hop on the ferry and come on over to Seattle for a day. I'm sure there is at least one around here. If there isn't let me know I can hide one for you!

 

I know of at least one in Seattle. B@d B0yz

[+JesandTodd]

I'm familiar with resistor codes, but never saw a cache puzzle based on them.

I find this hard to believe. I've referred to resistor code puzzles as the LPC of cache puzzles. However they're not as popular around here as they once were so this may not apply anymore.

I live in a very puzzle-heavy area, and I've never seen one of them around here.

Hop on the ferry and come on over to Seattle for a day. I'm sure there is at least one around here. If there isn't let me know I can hide one for you!

 

I know of at least one in Seattle. B@d B0yz

 

http://coord.info/GC241QP

 

Peace series. Peace de resistance

[+NYPaddleCacher]

 

I find this hard to believe. I've referred to resistor code puzzles as the LPC of cache puzzles. However they're not as popular around here as they once were so this may not apply anymore.

 

I think the LPC of cache puzzles is now a Sudoku based puzzle.

 

I know we've had this discussion before, but I was under the impression that puzzle solutions could be discussed as long as a solution was not tied to an identifiable cache. I can't see any reason why we can't, for example, discuss different types of poly-alphabetic substitution ciphers as longs as we don't refer to a specific cache based upon a Vigenère cipher.

[+DragonsWest]

The beauty of solving the Resistance Puzzles is there's so many of them you can solve quickly when you happen upon them.

 

I have one I placed years ago (Bands of Resistance) and still gets an occasional find. I'd rate these as among the simplest puzzles, very suitable for beginners. Once you know where to look for knowledge they are pretty easy.

 

Best of luck!

[stldenise]

I should hope you can talk about puzzles in a generic sense--how else are new people going to figure out how to solve them? I'm a mass comm major, I wouldn't know a resistor if it bit me on the hinder.

[Pup Patrol]

I should hope you can talk about puzzles in a generic sense--how else are new people going to figure out how to solve them? I'm a mass comm major, I wouldn't know a resistor if it bit me on the hinder.

 

I don't know anything about playing darts, but the second I saw a certain cache page, I knew exactly what I had to do to solve the puzzle. Success!

 

Sudokos? Yikes, I have no skill with those. *Ignore.*

 

Morse code? Easy-peasy.

 

A completely blank cache page? Uh, I'm lost.

 

There are so many different ways to write up a puzzle cache, I figure I'm bound to hit one or two that I can solve. So I keep looking at any puzzle cache that pops up close by.

 

 

B.

[+Glenn]

I should hope you can talk about puzzles in a generic sense--how else are new people going to figure out how to solve them? I'm a mass comm major, I wouldn't know a resistor if it bit me on the hinder.

 

Talking about a puzzle in a generic sense is okay but once you can identify a particular cache you are no longer being generic.

Saying something like "I trying to sold a puzzle cache and it has a lot of colors in it. Can someone give me some hints." is fine.

Saying "I'm trying to solve GCZY36. It has a lot of different colors in it can someone tell me what they might mean." is not fine.

 

If you've read some of the post here you'd have seen that with a little research understanding resistor color code is very simple. It is one of the very first things taught to someone interesting in electronics. So the challenge in most resistor color code based puzzle caches isn't doing to conversion from color to number. The challenge is recognizing that it is a resistor color code puzzle cache.

[+FunnyNose]

Here is a totally different type of resistor puzzle.

 

A Kirchhoff the Old Block

 

This type is a tad harder.