Digital Geocache

[+GizmoKitty]

I got an Arduino for Christmas and thought about making a digital Geo-cache with the Arduino. I'm just wondering what I should make the cache do? The Arduino is capable of many things and I just need some help deciding what to do with it for the Geo-cache. Thanks.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Sapience Trek

[+kunarion]

I got an Arduino for Christmas and thought about making a digital Geo-cache with the Arduino. I'm just wondering what I should make the cache do? The Arduino is capable of many things and I just need some help deciding what to do with it for the Geo-cache. Thanks.

 

There are a bunch of ideas if you google "arduino Geocache". I saw one at an event that required a separation of two computerized boxes to 100 feet apart, then simultaneous pressing of their buttons, to reveal cache coordinates.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Sapience Trek

[+dprovan]

I got an Arduino for Christmas and thought about making a digital Geo-cache with the Arduino. I'm just wondering what I should make the cache do? The Arduino is capable of many things and I just need some help deciding what to do with it for the Geo-cache. Thanks.

I know nothing about the Arduino, but for some ideas for interactive caches, you can check out some of bassocantor's caches over here in the east bay, not far from you. The ones to look at are the puzzle caches in The Machine series. I won't try to explain: to really see how they work, you probably need to drive over the Dublin and San Ramon and try some.

 

(By the way, you might want to consider putting that signature you're using in your forum signature area instead of copying it into every post.)

[+Chrysalides]

You can use an Arduino (or another device) to do one of two things :

 

1. Detect some user input / event and provide second stage coordinates

 

2. Detect some user input / event and unlock the container

 

With either approach, there is always the risk that :

 

1. Battery runs out. There needs to be an easy way of replacing the battery. In other words, this is going to be high maintenance.

 

2. Someone finds your gadget and logs a find without going through the extra stage.

 

3. An "overly enthusiastic" cacher breaks the box trying to take it apart.

 

Also consider the replacement cost if it gets lost or stolen.

 

If you don't need a full blown Arduino Uno to do what you want, Adafruit has the Trinket for a fraction of the price.

 

Also consider a mechanical approach to the problem. It is always good to remember that just because you have a hammer, not every problem is a nail. Check out some of the caches by tattletales in the Milpitas / South Fremont area. For an electronic puzzle that provides coordinates to the final, you can try http://coord.info/GC2131Y in the Stanford campus.

[+bflentje]

You can use an Arduino (or another device) to do one of two things :

 

1. Detect some user input / event and provide second stage coordinates

 

2. Detect some user input / event and unlock the container

 

With either approach, there is always the risk that :

 

1. Battery runs out. There needs to be an easy way of replacing the battery. In other words, this is going to be high maintenance.

 

2. Someone finds your gadget and logs a find without going through the extra stage.

 

3. An "overly enthusiastic" cacher breaks the box trying to take it apart.

 

Also consider the replacement cost if it gets lost or stolen.

 

If you don't need a full blown Arduino Uno to do what you want, Adafruit has the Trinket for a fraction of the price.

 

Also consider a mechanical approach to the problem. It is always good to remember that just because you have a hammer, not every problem is a nail. Check out some of the caches by tattletales in the Milpitas / South Fremont area. For an electronic puzzle that provides coordinates to the final, you can try http://coord.info/GC2131Y in the Stanford campus.

 

I've built several Arduino based caches over the years. And even though I use the cheap Chinese knock-offs (that work well), they're still spendy to put together. My one and only struggle has been theft.

[+Team K1W1]

I got an Arduino for Christmas and thought about making a digital Geo-cache with the Arduino. I'm just wondering what I should make the cache do? The Arduino is capable of many things and I just need some help deciding what to do with it for the Geo-cache. Thanks.

 

I have bookmarked a bunch of Arduino and electronic based caches:

http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?guid=9dc7690f-39eb-4e19-8c19-734467700f1c

 

Prototype with the expensive genuine arduino and build with the knock-offs

 

Cheers