Thoughts on Radio Waves

[marty621]

After doing Team Ekitt's The Cache Where Your the GPS, and thoroughly enjoying it, I just had to try Radio Waves. I've been working on it for a few days now and have come to some conclusions.

I think luck plays a very big role.

There might be a few too many variables involved for many to solve this one, myself included. Errors in positions of towers used to find the final cache, may yield areas of position that are really too big to search.

Even the methods used to get the initial tower locations give varied positions depending on the method used. I stumbled on a net calculator that does circle-cirle intersects, but that has some strange operational anamolies.

A purely graphical solution needs to be done at a very large scale to yield good enough results to enable a field search.

AutoCad methods also have not helped me.

So far, simple plotting with drafting instruments have yielded the most sensible (I think) results for me.

Team Og seems to have hit it on the head with his log. Lots of possible final cache locations.

Certainly a challenge Team Ekitt!

What do others think about this cache?

[+nikcap]

Indeed, Radio Waves is designed to provide you with a significant challenge.

I stumbled across this idea several times, it doesn't help that the gigantic television tower stares at me all day through my office window.

The concept here is to provide the potential seeker with the opportunity to use their sleuthing skills and solve the puzzle from the comfort of their home before seeking the treasure.

I the same fashion as the You are the GPS Cache, if you get within 100ft of the final cache you should be able to find it w/o problem. (Of course, with the recent rains it a wee bit difficult to get within 100ft of the cache - hint

 

Anyway, I used the USGS to determine the locations of the towers. In fact you never have to leave the GC.com site - hint

The math is pretty easy, a little long, but it's pretty easy. Equation of a circle will solve it for you, but plotting on a map will get you right on also. The trick is you need to work on a plain.

 

FWIW, the two finders of the cache found it without any hints or help, so the problem is solvable, regardless, I know how frustrating it is to seek a cache when you're not confident you 'tudes are right-on. Thus, I'll be including a couple spoiler pictures and maybe an extra clue to the actual hide.

Edited November 20, 2003 by ekitt10

[+Team Og Rof A Klaw]

Thanks for the note, Marty. I kind of acted as a guinea pig for Ekitt on this one, and found several of the "wrong" antenna locations. After a few go-rounds, I got the location to within about 30 meters of Ekitt's.

 

We'll go out on it again when we can be assured of good environmental factors around the cache. Mrs. Og doesn't care for Melvinesque situations, though she does do thorns.

 

Unfortunately, one of the "wrong" locations is very much like one of the "right" ones. I'd suggest using two methods -- maps and math -- and comparing the results.

 

BTW, there is a hint embedded within Ekitt's message above.

[+Skully & Mulder et al.]

I really have no problem with "Radio Waves". I am less hi-tech (or is it lower-tech) then 95% of cachers. I was able to determine the final coords from my offce the day the cache was posted. Granted I was lucky enough to stumble upon the correct info. Marty is correct that there are many variables, along with a bunch of mis-information, but it can be done. Just ask the cache owner to confirm your coords. If you are wrong...get back to work.

[marty621]

I've hopefully refined my numbers and with some hints and help from JoelSD and Mr. Magoo and Team Og I am off into the woods again. I have it narrowed to an area of possibility of about 400 foot square. Ah, the challenges!