Beacon cache

[+BDB_Cache_Seeker]

Hello,

I want to have a bluetooth radio transmit the coordinates of seven different cache locations but only one per day from a fixed location. Sunday one set of coordinates of a physical geocache is transmitted, Monday a new set, Tuesday another and so on. The coordinate numbers for each day are only available from midnight to midnight for that day. This will repeat after one week and from there on as long as there is power to my bluetooth transmitter that would be located next to a window in my office. So, it would be one virtual to get the coordinates and seven physical locations that refer back to the virtual. Is this allowed?

[+Max and 99]

An interesting concept. But only locals would be able to get this cache, which may be an issue.

[+Isonzo Karst]

I think you should probably ask your area reviewer this question. Reads as 7 Mystery caches, all with same listing coords. Each of the 7 containers would then need to be within 2 miles of the beacon coords.

As a guideline issue, I wonder about availability?

Might be okay, or might get the okay on appeal.

[+cerberus1]

Did you receive one of those "reward" virtuals?   No other new virtuals otherwise...

We did a mystery cache that transmitted coordinates from a fixed location (the page's coordinates) to the final  in a funny radio show-like setting.  I don't remember whether it was am or fm.    

Agree with Isonzo Karst on availability , "caches must be available most of the week".  Only one each day outta seven (to me) doesn't fit, so probably up to your Reviewer whether a different one each day works.

Max and 99 had my first question in mind though...    Okay to only make it for locals?  That "must be accessible" thing...  Anyone traveling through would only be able to hit one outta seven.  

The "temporary caches" restriction may can your idea as well, depending on "This will repeat after one week and from there on as long as there is power..." doesn't really explain.    Seems the best thing is run all through your Reviewer.   

[+Harry Dolphin]

Wondering if a cache that's only available one day a week would meet the requirements?

[Keystone]

If there are seven separate mystery caches, with seven different cache pages and logbooks, then the only issue is the limited availability of the cache (one day per week).  Under the listing guidelines, caches must be available most of the week.  (That is, 'closed on weekends' would be OK.)  Check with your reviewer.  If it were me, I'd suggest scaling back to maybe two or at most three different sets of coordinates.

If there is just one mystery cache with seven different physical locations with logbooks, the user would get a slightly different experience depending on which day they obtained coordinates at the "beacon" stage.   My caution there is, you would not be able to delete logs where the physical logbook was signed, but on the "wrong" day of the week.

[+arisoft]

5 hours ago, Keystone said:

If there is just one mystery cache with seven different physical locations with logbooks, the user would get a slightly different experience depending on which day they obtained coordinates at the "beacon" stage.   My caution there is, you would not be able to delete logs where the physical logbook was signed, but on the "wrong" day of the week.

I have a mystery cache whict is available almost only "one day per year". But it is only the mystery part. The cache is available 24/7. I have seen no problems with this kind of setups because the cache is available at any time.

[+kunarion]

16 hours ago, BDB_Cache_Seeker said:

This will repeat after one week and from there on as long as there is power to my bluetooth transmitter that would be located next to a window in my office.

 

To bring people back seven times, that must be one spectacular window!  I'm considering a special trip just to see it.

[+Kalkendotters]

If this is constructed as 7 mysteries, it will break the proximity rule:

Since the beacon is something you put there; it is a physical waypoint of the cache. This same location can then not be used again for one of the other mysteries. Each should have its own beacon/location.
This of course depends on how the reviewer/HQ interprets the rules...

[+Touchstone]

17 hours ago, BDB_Cache_Seeker said:

Hello,

I want to have a bluetooth radio transmit the coordinates of seven different cache locations but only one per day from a fixed location. Sunday one set of coordinates of a physical geocache is transmitted, Monday a new set, Tuesday another and so on. The coordinate numbers for each day are only available from midnight to midnight for that day. This will repeat after one week and from there on as long as there is power to my bluetooth transmitter that would be located next to a window in my office. So, it would be one virtual to get the coordinates and seven physical locations that refer back to the virtual. Is this allowed?

Regarding the frequency issue, perhaps you can cycle through the coordinates more frequently?  It sounds from your setup that there is no manual intervention on your part, so maybe you could program the beacon the transmit different coordinates every 30, 60, 90 minutes?  Random intervals might produce interesting results, kind of like Russian Roulette.

As Kalkendotters mentioned, your beacon is a physical object, as such, it will be counted as a physical waypoint in the design of your Listings, per the Help Center guidance:

https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=127&pgid=303

I would suggest setting up one or two of the Listings, explaining in your Note to the Reviewer of your plans to deploy seven caches/Listing pages and see what they say.  From my point of view, it's similar to a Bonus Cache design, which also technically "breaks" the Proximity portion of the Guidelines (e.g. clues to a Final cache hidden inside a Traditional cache).

[+kunarion]

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 4:51 PM, BDB_Cache_Seeker said:

Hello,

I want to have a bluetooth radio transmit the coordinates of seven different cache locations but only one per day from a fixed location. Sunday one set of coordinates of a physical geocache is transmitted, Monday a new set, Tuesday another and so on. The coordinate numbers for each day are only available from midnight to midnight for that day. This will repeat after one week and from there on as long as there is power to my bluetooth transmitter that would be located next to a window in my office. So, it would be one virtual to get the coordinates and seven physical locations that refer back to the virtual. Is this allowed?

 

How does a "bluetooth radio transmitter" work?  Does each user have to pair with it?  Or is it more like a "kiosk" style where users will receive some info?  Does it then require a special App?  At least there will be a whole lot of info on the cache page. I had several paragraphs on my Chirp cache about the complicated system, and still people had many problems.  Plus they messed with the Chirp data directly.  Good luck with your idea!

Not to rain on your cool seven Finals parade, but if you had one set of coords for the window and one container, you could still send parts of the Final coordinates each day, to be complete only when users visit each day.  In fact, you could have a whole puzzle or paragraph of text or whatever, that requires many days of visits to complete.

But I asked about how it works, since that could do something amazing, depending on how it works...  can it start from the beginning for each user?  Everycacher gets the same experience, visits on X number of days, and gets the same sequence of data.  Maybe have easier puzzles or hints as time goes by.  In which case, make each change occur after a month or more.

Or... say you can have six connections... send individual pieces of data to each user in a group, but only when all Y number of users are present.

 

 

Edited June 2, 2018 by kunarion

[+arisoft]

4 hours ago, Kalkendotters said:

Since the beacon is something you put there; it is a physical waypoint of the cache. This same location can then not be used again for one of the other mysteries. Each should have its own beacon/location.
This of course depends on how the reviewer/HQ interprets the rules...

You just eliminated all bonus caches

For some reason, clues placed within existing caches can break the proximity rule. For example I have multi-cache which have QR-code clue for a mystery cache in every intermediate stage container before the final. I know that it is not allowed to daisy chain more than one (bonus) cache this way, but if the first stage share the bonus for many mystery (bonus) caches, it is not daisy chaining.

[+gbonnet]

Hi

FYI, I have set a BLE beacon based mystery cache.. The battery lasts about 6 months... The beacon broadcasts the cache coordinates...   Have a look at GC7EJ2Y .

It uses a 20$  small  waterproof standard device , works fine with a smartphone, no app required , no bluetooth pairing required  and no need of network coverage...

The detection range is about 150feet.