Checking if coordinates are available

[+Goannas]

I apologise in advance if this is discussed elsewhere. Please let me know and I'll move my question there. I haven't been able to find anything recent.

 

We've spent the day scoping potential locations for new caches and I'm trying to check the coordinates for availability.

 

Previously (as recently as a few days ago) when I've entered the coords of the potential hide the map has shown a pointer to that location as well as the circles indicating existing nearby caches.

 

Now it seems to be showing the existing locations but not a pointer to the coords I've entered.

 

I've tested this with coords I know are definitely too close to an existing cache and it doesn't tell me it's not suitable (it was last week) and ones that I know are definitely nowhere near existing caches (we're in a rural area and some locations have absolutely nothing ... yet). In neither case is there an indication of whether the entered coords are available or not.

 

Is this a temporary glitch or has something changed in the last few days.

 

I don't want to bother reviewers with a barrage of potential locations to check. If I know they're definitely not available I'll chose somewhere else and move on. I'd just like to be able to check. Some of these potential locations are up to 150km from home. Please don't tell me that's too far away for us to maintain it. There and back is a pleasant afternoon outing and not a drama at all but I don't want to needlessly drive there if the locations aren't available.

 

Thanks,

 

Jenny.

[+Swfan]

When I go looking to place a cache, I load all the caches in the area into my GPS, where I want to put a cache, that way when I find a spot I'll check my GPS to see how close to any other cache it might be. I try to be .11 away just for a little buffer with GPS bounce. If your in a rural area, you don't need caches that close anyway. Puzzle caches are a different problem. If your in a more rural area, with not many caches, your most likely ok.

 

I don't use the geocaching map as I don't think those circles are not necessarily accurate. If you have a cache that you will have to spend a large amount of time to set up or construct, make up the cache page and then send a reviewer note explaining why your checking for availability. Once you get the clear sign go a head and place the cache and finalize the cache page and submit it. This kind of request from a reviewer tends to go to the bottom of the pile for caches that are ready so there response time might be a bit longer, depending on how busy there are.

 

As far as the distance thing goes, the reviewer in my area will ask me how I plan on maintaining the cache. If you can't give a good explanation on this they may reject it on that alone.

[+Goannas]

Thanks for your reply. I'll consider doing that. I do realise the check on the site would only be approximate but is at least an indication of whether it's worth pursuing. Most of the potential hides I'm looking at are pretty safe as it is a rural area but one popular tourist spot is pretty much saturated so we'll be avoiding that area.

 

I'll be sure to be clear about being prepared to do the distance for maintenance if necessary. We used to do double this as a day trip to go to the dentist so it's definitely not a problem.

[+Isonzo Karst]

You can enter your proposed cache coords into the search pane on Find a cache. This will generate a list of nearby caches, centered on your proposed coords, with distances. Essentially the same thing the planning map is doing, with more info (name of cache type, GC Code etc). One of the benefits of this list is to alert you to the number of staged caches in the near vicinity. If you're seeing Multi and Mystery nearby, that ups the odds that you may be crowding a stage or a final. And gives you the option to find them, and know...

 

I don't recall the planning map ever having "a pointer" for the cache coords. Once you've created a cache page published or unpublished, the maps, EXCEPT the first Geocaching.com map, show your coords as a push pin. The Geocaching.com map will come up centered on your coords, but show no indicator of an unpublished cache.

Edited May 4, 2017 by Isonzo Karst

[+Goannas]

All good, I found what I was using previously. Just needed to go one step further. That's a good tip about using "find a cache". I'll try that too..

Cheers.

[+WearyTraveler]

I use cachly - when placing caches I'll turn on the cache radius option. Then just stay out of the red circles... but that's only w my iphone and app...