GC codes - what is and isnt used

[+Deepdiggingmole]

This may sound an odd question - however this is related to an topic being discussed in the UK specifically because of links to car registration plates or vehicle license plates as they are known elsewhere

The background....

We have noted in the UK, and in particular in the county of Kent, that a good number of vehicles have registration plates that begin with the two letters 'GC' (there are around 470 different combinations of 2 letters that start the current registration plate system in the UK, from AA to YY)
and more interestingly (though probably not to most) are of the right length to be similar to GC codes
i.e GC15 CDY - this is a registration plate for an Alfa Romeo - it is also the GC code for a cache in the US which is still active.

We have noted that any vehicles that begin with the letters GC are in fact centered around the area of Maidstone in Kent (the vehicle licensing office) and so most vehicles with these plates are likely to be seen in the area of the SE of England

So we have made a game out of this to see if we spot any registration plates that
1) are GC codes anywhere
2) are GC codes for caches in the UK
3) are GC codes for caches that you have found or own 

In identifying several it has been noted that many are not coming up as cache codes (for example - GC14ENW, GC14LZO, GC15LLM, GC15LLR, GC15WNU, GC17WLU are registration plates that when put into the search on GC.com shows as invalid code)

and so .... I come to my question

Which letters are not used when GC codes are allotted ?

It is evident from the above that L and U are probably not used but I was surprised by the first one as E, N and W have all been seen in GC codes that are valid. 
I am also aware that letters such a O and S are not used - however we have noted that when these are put into the GC.com search box the result comes back with 0 or 5 (respectively in those two cases)  for example when putting in GC14ACO (registration of a blue Ford) it comes back with GC14AC0 an archived cache in Denmark

Thanks

Tim

 

[+HHL]

Not in use: iSOUL

Hans

[+Deepdiggingmole]

Any reason why GC14ENW didn't make it as a GC code then ?

 

[+Deepdiggingmole]

3 minutes ago, HHL said:

Not in use: iSOUL

Hans

thats the 4 I identified and we don't have 'i's in our reg plates either - thank you

[+HHL]

10 minutes ago, Deepdiggingmole said:

Any reason why GC14ENW didn't make it as a GC code then ?

 

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC14ENW_blue-ghost-tunnel-cache The cache is unpublished yet.

Hans

[+Deepdiggingmole]

Eeek - that code (and those around it) was issued back in 2007 - so this has been unpublished for over 10 years !!!!

Ok, well at least that explains the anomaly with that one

cheers

[+noncentric]

You might not see a GC code when using the Search box because a cache was archived.

For the purposes of your game, you can use the coord.info URL, which will return all cache codes that were issued, even if they have been archived.

Just enter any GC code at the end of "coord.info/"   . For example:

https://coord.info/GC14ENW

 

Edited October 25, 2017 by noncentric

[+Deepdiggingmole]

2 hours ago, noncentric said:

You might not see a GC code when using the Search box because a cache was archived.

For the purposes of your game, you can use the coord.info URL, which will return all cache codes that were issued, even if they have been archived.

Just enter any GC code at the end of "coord.info/"   . For example:

https://coord.info/GC14ENW

 

Hi

From my experience archived caches do come up when doing that search - they have to date anyway

regarding searching any cache however - that URL link....Very useful to know - thank you

[+Deepdiggingmole]

Having just tried the above - I note that you still come up with the 'This cache is unpublished' box and no information - however one useful bit gleaned from the search is the name of the cache in the address bar

[+Deepdiggingmole]

2 hours ago, noncentric said:

You might not see a GC code when using the Search box because a cache was archived.

For the purposes of your game, you can use the coord.info URL, which will return all cache codes that were issued, even if they have been archived.

Just enter any GC code at the end of "coord.info/"   . For example:

https://coord.info/GC14ENW

 

Do you come up with the cache page when you do this - all I come up with is as shown in the attached

 

2 hours ago, noncentric said:

You might not see a GC code when using the Search box because a cache was archived.

For the purposes of your game, you can use the coord.info URL, which will return all cache codes that were issued, even if they have been archived.

Just enter any GC code at the end of "coord.info/"   . For example:

https://coord.info/GC14ENW

 

 

[+noncentric]

7 hours ago, Deepdiggingmole said:

Hi

From my experience archived caches do come up when doing that search - they have to date anyway

regarding searching any cache however - that URL link....Very useful to know - thank you

Yes, archived caches can be viewed when using the website Search box and selecting the "GCxxxxx - view GCxxxxx" option in the drop down. Archived caches will not show up if selecting the "GCxxxxx - 10 mi radius" option in the Search box drop down on the website (unless you have the 'I've found' filter selected) OR if using the Search option in the official app.

If you use the Search box in the official app, then Archived caches will not appear, so using the direct   coord.info/  URL is the most comprehensive option.

[+noncentric]

7 hours ago, Deepdiggingmole said:

Having just tried the above - I note that you still come up with the 'This cache is unpublished' box and no information - however one useful bit gleaned from the search is the name of the cache in the address bar

Yes, for that cache  (GC14ENW)  I also see the unpublished page.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

22 hours ago, Deepdiggingmole said:

Having just tried the above - I note that you still come up with the 'This cache is unpublished' box and no information - however one useful bit gleaned from the search is the name of the cache in the address bar

When creating a new cache listing one can fill out the form but check the box which indicates that it is not yet available for review.  That will assign a GC code and allow the user to work on the listing, then place the cache and submit it for review.  Sometimes geocachers change their mind and never submit it for review.  In that case, the cache listing will remain unpublished but the GC code was still assigned and will never be reused.

[+Optimist on the run]

37 minutes ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

Sometimes geocachers change their mind and never submit it for review.  In that case, the cache listing will remain unpublished but the GC code was still assigned and will never be reused.

Yes, there's been times when I've done that. One was an event that I never got round to properly organising, one rejected by the reviewer for various reasons, and one was a challenge cache that I hadn't submitted for review before the moritorium. In each case I archived it before publication.

One of these, GC65YWK, is a possible registration number, though according to https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/ it hasn't been registered.

Edited October 26, 2017 by Optimist on the run
Add more

[+Deepdiggingmole]

Thanks for all the comments - I have been able to establish what would and would not constitute a cache code from a UK Reg number

With all my wanderings I have spotted 64 numbers that I have checked (I have spotted many more but not always in a position to note the number down)

of those 53 came up with cache codes (the other 11 had a 'U' or 'L' in the last 3 letters so no good)

11 of the 53 had either an 'S' or an 'O' - though when these were input into the cache search box they came back with an amended '5' or '0'

So of these 53, 18 are still active caches, 34 archived and 1 unpublished (as mentioned earlier)

12 countries, mainly the US and Germany - however I finally spotted one from the UK .. AND it happened to be one that I have found too