New Travel Bug Set-up

[+IN_Darel]

I have released 13 trackables and have another 5 that are either on vehicles, a tattoo or making my dogs trackable. I have another 9-10 in my collection that I have either bought, earned, was given or won that I do not plan to release.

My problem is that I feel that I am not setting up my trackables to get the most out of them and I have questions about some of the features.

Can someone take the time to answer a couple questions and maybe write some guidelines for setting up a trackable before releasing?

What is the Collectable check box for?

How do I set up to receive messages when my trackable is logged? Can I receive text message of the logs like new published caches?

Are there any other need to know items for setting up a trackable before being released?

Thanks.

[+Bear and Ragged]

How do I set up to receive messages when my trackable is logged?

 

The site does it automatically, and sends an email, whenever a trackable is Retrieved, Dropped, Grabbed, or Discovered.

 

The site does NOT send out an email when a trackable Visits.

(Only way to find out in those cases is to look at the trackables web page)

 

What is the Collectable check box for?

 

It's for trackables like car decals, tattoos and your dogs.

It stops cachers from Rerieving or Grabbing them and Dropping them in caches!

They can only Discover the trackable.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Bear and Ragged

[+IN_Darel]

So would I check the Collectable box for decals, tattoos and geo-pups or leave it unchecked?

[+kunarion]

What is the Collectable check box for?

Here's the current brief overview in the Help Center: http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=647

 

The feature can become as complicated as you wish, and then some. It's tough to explain, since the terms "Collectible" and "Collection" are defined by Groundspeak using the same words "Collectible" and "Collection", which already had meaning. For example, you see posts on this Forum about someone who "keeps Geocoins he finds in caches and adds them to his collection!" That's a whole other subject.

 

Anyway, on its basic level, the "This Is Collectible" checkbox allows a cacher to log a Trackable item into his digital "Collection", a place to organize a large number of Trackables, especially if the Trackables are to remain with the cacher in a binder or box. That prevents the Trackables from showing up in the "Inventory" list every time a cache is logged. That's all the "Collection" does: it provides a way for honest cachers to organize a large number of Geocoins.

 

It's a handy way to stop having a Trackable listed in one's own Inventory, maybe to temporarily loan a Geocoin to another cacher, without misunderstandings about who rightfully owns it, and the wishes of the owner are clear. All such transactions require proper online logs. There's no provision for unilaterally "adding any Geocoins I find to my 'collection'". If the coin is to be a gift, it can be 'adopted', which again has proper logs, or it would not need to be activated in the first place.

 

If you don't know what "Collectible" is for (or most any checkbox), don't mess around with it. Most cachers who place their TB to travel can leave it unchecked.

Edited December 21, 2016 by kunarion

[+kunarion]

So would I check the Collectable box for decals, tattoos and geo-pups or leave it unchecked?

If you understand the purpose of adding those kinds of Trackables to your Collection (that is, you have a specific reason for doing so), you first must mark it Collectible in order to move it to your Collection, and also perform the move to the Collection. At which point, it can and often should be then marked Not Collectible ("Collectible" being the switch, the first step that enables moving it to a Collection). Just clicking the box is not enough, unless you're waiting for a Finder to move it to his Collection, which is not what any of the items in the OP are being prepared for. But keep track of what it is you're doing. I suggest not messing with it, unless you have a huge coin collection and need a way to manage it (bringing all your coins in a binder to Events, for example). Many people just plain can't resist checking boxes, yet I still suggest not messing with it . Unless you know exactly to do, and what happens in various situations, don't bother with the Collectible checkbox at all, since it is for a specific need. Otherwise you'll be back in the Forum when the plan falls apart.

Edited December 21, 2016 by kunarion

[+colleda]

I would suggest you release your TBs in their own baggie (so long as the size of any hitch hiker is not too big). Include, in the baggie, a laminated info sheet stating that the TB is not to be kept by the finder AND a description of the TBs goal/s, if it has any.

I have a TB at the moment that I picked up in the US this year and, on arriving home here in Oz, found that it wants to travel to each US state. If that info was available I could have left it for someone else. Now I have to find a way to get it back to the US. We are planning a visit about mid year so we may take it back then if we don't come across anyone here who may be going sooner.

Edited December 22, 2016 by colleda

[+IN_Darel]

I have a TB at the moment that I picked up in the US this year and, on arriving home here in Oz, found that it wants to travel to each US state. If that info was available I could have left it for someone else. Now I have to find a way to get it back.

 

If you'ld like, you can send it to me and I can get it going again.