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How do I register a trackable for my vehicle?


Evenpreston

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Activate the trackable item.

 

Unless the vehicle fits into cache containers, you won't be having other cachers retrieve and place the vehicle.  So it works somewhat differently than how an ordinary Travel Bug works.  People may log "Discover" when they see the vehicle somewhere with no particular cache nor coordinates.  You may log a "Visit" into choice caches as you like.

 

Post some clear expectations on the cache page, including a request for no photos showing a "tracking number".  Because not publishing it is what makes it a "secret tracking number".

 

Edited by kunarion
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6 hours ago, kunarion said:

Post some clear expectations on the cache page, including a request for no photos showing a "tracking number".  Because not publishing it is what makes it a "secret tracking number".

I would probably add a request not to show your license plate number, just for added personal privacy.  There are some places where it's too easy for the general public to find someone's home address with just a license plate number.  Unless you don't mind, of course.

 

Certainly, these requests won't guarantee that revealing photos don't get posted to the Trackable's page, so I'd advise the OP to check the Trackable's page every once in a while to review photos posted to it.  As the "owner" of the Trackable's page, you have the ability to delete photos posted by others to the page.  Don't worry, deleting photos won't delete the log too.  You can delete just the photo.

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On 8/26/2018 at 10:23 AM, kunarion said:

Activate the trackable item.

 

Unless the vehicle fits into cache containers, you won't be having other cachers retrieve and place the vehicle.  So it works somewhat differently than how an ordinary Travel Bug works.  People may log "Discover" when they see the vehicle somewhere with no particular cache nor coordinates.  You may log a "Visit" into choice caches as you like.

 

Post some clear expectations on the cache page, including a request for no photos showing a "tracking number".  Because not publishing it is what makes it a "secret tracking number".

 

When you activate it, be sure to check collectible, then post a log moving it into your collection. That way, no one will be able to incorrectly post a "grab" log.

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38 minutes ago, Team Christiansen said:

When you activate it, be sure to check collectible, then post a log moving it into your collection. That way, no one will be able to incorrectly post a "grab" log.

 

In that case, no Visits.  It just depends on what the plan is and how nutso the local cachers are.

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12 minutes ago, Lorien99 said:

 where do I get the trackable sticker for my car? I just looked in the shop, and all I find are Travel Bugs, name tags, and dog collars.  

 

It is a Travel Bug decal, and example is Here.

 - But you could also use a trackable's code from a standard travel bug and use vinyl letters/numbers to make your own.  :) 

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1 hour ago, Lorien99 said:

I've been wondering how this works. Thanks for the ask and answers! However, I have another question: where do I get the trackable sticker for my car? I just looked in the shop, and all I find are Travel Bugs, name tags, and dog collars.  

 

I've made two different car trackables, and both have custom numbers I used from my Geocoins.  They each have a pretty rare icon when discovered, at least surprising, since the icon is not the ordinary "Travel Bug Icon".  Also, the number is to be read by "Garmin Chirp", but that's pretty unusual for a Trackable item.

 

For one, I cut the tracking number off the barcode bug of an Official Decal I won at an Event (repurposed that number for another project), and made a window plaque out of it.  For the other, I ordered a custom TB magnet sign (yeah, do a search for "decal" when looking for deals on these) with the desired number, and I place that on the car trunk when I feel like it.  I sure didn't want it to be permanent.  Order a custom decal, and you can specify the size.

 

There are issues with using a "sticker" on car paint or windows.  As for a magnet, not all cars have magnetic places suitable for a TB magnet.

 

Don't get a "reflective" number unless you've tested it in advance.  I was driving behind a car with a reflective TB decal at night, and the number was all washed out in headlights.  I never did figure out what the number was.  Non-reflective, I could have read it.  It was the border that was reflective.  Maybe bigger numbers, and the numbers themselves being reflective would work.

 

Edited by kunarion
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Ok so I must be really not understanding.... I have put my trackable in the system and it shows up on my page in my trackable inventory? Asking me to drop it or log it? I must have done something wrong.....please help on the steps. Do I need to start over from scratch? I'm trying to make it so other people can log it but no luck!?! ? this us my first trackable so please have patience lol

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30 minutes ago, Evenpreston said:

Ok so I must be really not understanding.... I have put my trackable in the system and it shows up on my page in my trackable inventory? Asking me to drop it or log it? I must have done something wrong.....please help on the steps. Do I need to start over from scratch? I'm trying to make it so other people can log it but no luck!?! ? this us my first trackable so please have patience lol

 

Is it a sticker?  If so, you're all set.  Others' log options are different from an owner's options.  People may log "Discover" when they see it.  Go to Events, park where Geocachers can see the sticker, or else those Discover logs will be very rare.

 

You may also log "Visits" to select caches, logs that you make while logging a cache.  Beware that your car won't fit in many of the containers, so you probably can't Drop It. :D

 

Edited by kunarion
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7 minutes ago, Evenpreston said:

Ok so I must be really not understanding.... I have put my trackable in the system and it shows up on my page in my trackable inventory? Asking me to drop it or log it? I must have done something wrong.....please help on the steps. Do I need to start over from scratch? I'm trying to make it so other people can log it but no luck!?! ? this us my first trackable so please have patience lol

 

If it's "Move on over",  you activated it into your inventory, and it's all ready to go.   :)

You marked it "Not Collectible".  That means (if still by the first post...) others can now Drop, Retrieve, Visit, or Discover your car.  

Most we've seen haven't set their collectible preference, or in the case of cars, marked them collectible. 

I'm assuming you wanted it for Discover logs when another sees the code on your vehicle

 

That's how all trackables workThey have to be seen by another to log it,  whether folks see the code on your car, found the trackable in a cache, or shown by you on the trail.

In order to "have other people log it"  (as I stated earlier) others have to see it to log it, and events are a good spot.  :) 

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56 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

 

If it's "Move on over",  you activated it into your inventory, and it's all ready to go.   :)

You marked it "Not Collectible".  That means (if still by the first post...) others can now Drop, Retrieve, Visit, or Discover your car.  

Most we've seen haven't set their collectible preference, or in the case of cars, marked them collectible. 

 

We may be wading into the tall grass, but “Collectible” is complicated.

 

The “Collection” is a virtual storage area, which by design changes the log options for owners and finders. “Collectible” by itself only enables an item to be move into a Collection, either into yours or someone else's. It's complicated, has pitfalls and a purpose, and I can run through it if you like. It's way more than someone new to Trackables probably should mess with. You can create serious new issues by messing with “Collectible” without knowing what you're doing.

 

But here's the short version. Marking it “Collectible” is only the first step in a process. If for some reason you choose to mark a TB “Collectible”, you must then perform the next step, move it to your “Collection”. Once it's in there, mark the TB “Not Collectible”, as at that point, you're not moving it, it's there.

 

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6 hours ago, kunarion said:

There are issues with using a "sticker" on car paint or windows.  As for a magnet, not all cars have magnetic places suitable for a TB magnet.

 

Don't get a "reflective" number unless you've tested it in advance.  I was driving behind a car with a reflective TB decal at night, and the number was all washed out in headlights.  I never did figure out what the number was.  Non-reflective, I could have read it.  It was the border that was reflective.  Maybe bigger numbers, and the numbers themselves being reflective would work.

 

I've had magnets on my car before, and they've eventually either fallen off (most likely when I've brushed off snow and just didn't notice until much later) or were stolen (though I can't imagine why). I like bumper stickers, so decals works for me.

 

I would think reading tracking numbers would be easier on parked cars. Even if I could read the number on a moving car, I likely would not be able to remember it by the time I could log it.

 

Though depending on how reflective the decal is and where I place it, it might have the added benefit of being a "here's the edge of my car!" marker during night driving.

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OK. I have purchased my first trackables, 1 decal for my car and 2  tags. I want to be sure I'm doing it right when put them into the system. 

 

For my car, I should mark it collectable and then move it to my collection. Just a note does that? Or is there something else to click (I may understand better once I get to that part). That makes it discoverable to others so they can log that they saw the tag? (I do get that I can specify no license plate photos, etc.) That also makes it so it can visit caches? 

 

For the tags, I must make them noncollectable in order for them to be retrievable? This does seem to be the designation of the TB's I have discovered/retrieved/dropped. 

 

If I make a mistake, is it fixable? 

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8 minutes ago, Lorien99 said:

That makes it discoverable to others so they can log that they saw the tag?

Yes.

 

8 minutes ago, Lorien99 said:

That also makes it so it can visit caches?

No.  If it’s ‘collectible’ it’s not in your inventory, and therefore when you visit a cache, it won’t be available to drop off or visit.  A pain, isn’t it?!

 

You can move it in and out of your inventory at any time.

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13 minutes ago, Lorien99 said:

OK. I have purchased my first trackables, 1 decal for my car and 2  tags. I want to be sure I'm doing it right when put them into the system. 

 

For my car, I should mark it collectable and then move it to my collection. Just a note does that? Or is there something else to click (I may understand better once I get to that part). That makes it discoverable to others so they can log that they saw the tag? (I do get that I can specify no license plate photos, etc.) That also makes it so it can visit caches? 

 

For the tags, I must make them noncollectable in order for them to be retrievable? This does seem to be the designation of the TB's I have discovered/retrieved/dropped. 

 

If I make a mistake, is it fixable? 

 

 

Leave all of them "Not Collectible", and all options are available.  I suggest that, since it's just plain simple. :)

 

Move a car TB to your Collection, and only "Discover" and "Note" are available to others.  Instructions are here.  It is reversible.

 

 

Edited by kunarion
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Thanks, IceColdUK and kunarion! Activation of the car is complete! I'm assuming, since it doesn't appear to be possible to search for trackables in my area (or anywhere else), that the only way someone will even know about this is if a] I tell them or b] they see it out in the world somewhere.

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1 hour ago, Lorien99 said:

 I'm assuming, since it doesn't appear to be possible to search for trackables in my area (or anywhere else), that the only way someone will even know about this is if a] I tell them or b] they see it out in the world somewhere.

 

There's no way for folks to keep track of you in real time (and few would want to go there...), so you're correct, it's not possible to search where your vehicle is.    :)

As said a few times, folks can Discover your vehicle trackable at events (most we find are at events...) , on trail heads/parking, or spotted simply in a mall parking lot. 

 

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14 minutes ago, arabiea said:

Maybe a stupid question, but can a person (other than  the owner) reactive or somehow take over a trackable that has already been activated? Even if they have the activation code? 

Once it has been activated, the owner can adopt it to someone else. But there is no way for someone else to take over ownership without the owner adopting it to them.

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14 hours ago, arabiea said:

Maybe a stupid question, but can a person (other than  the owner) reactive or somehow take over a trackable that has already been activated? Even if they have the activation code? 

 

An activation code does you no good if the trackable has already been activated.   :)

Once activated, trackables are property of the one who activated it, making them the  Trackable Owner. 

It seems you might be speaking about the "Discover" on your only trackable.  If so, it would have been easier on us to have just started there.  

That person supposedly discovered the tracking code of your trackable.  There's been a large amount of fake "discover" logs lately.  

If you know for certain the "rehab Dr."  hasn't seen your trackable's code anywhere, delete it.  Seems more an ad than anything else... 

Everything you might want to know about Trackable basics is here.

 

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On 5/13/2020 at 1:06 AM, arabiea said:

Maybe a stupid question, but can a person (other than  the owner) reactive or somehow take over a trackable that has already been activated? Even if they have the activation code? 

 

Either. There's a photograph of your trackable somewhere on the site

 

Quote

Today I discovered you on the official geocaching trackable page.

 

Or. Someone is entering random numbers/has a computer programme to enter random numbers, and yours came up.

 

Or. Benefit of doubt, they've entered the wrong number on a trackable they have seen.

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53 minutes ago, steamrollerG said:

curious about the "discover" logs.   do they not record a gps location? I set up mine as a collectable and got one log but didnt register where? 

 

If you want to track its location, it needs to NOT be in a Collection.  Not to go back down the rabbit hole (Collectible and Collection are complicated and without a specific plan, it's better to not use them at all), once you place it in a Collection, it's a good idea to mark it "Not Collectible".

 

"Discover" logs have no location when the item is not in a cache Inventory.  Car TB decals are typically not intended to be Dropped into a cache.  Sometimes the discoverer will state where it was seen.  I do that, but I've never posted the GPS location.

 

 

Edited by kunarion
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1 hour ago, steamrollerG said:

curious about the "discover" logs.   do they not record a gps location? I set up mine as a collectable and got one log but didnt register where? 

 

How would that work, exactly?

 

It's a code on a sticker or a tag that you type. 

Where and how would you expect it's location to be recorded?

 

If it's being discovered in a cache, then that cache's location is known so you could 'track' the TB by saying that on the log date it was THERE, but that's as close as it gets.

Edited by TeamRabbitRun
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33 minutes ago, TeamRabbitRun said:

 

How would that work, exactly?

 

It's a code on a sticker or a tag that you type. 

Where and how would you expect it's location to be recorded?

 

If it's being discovered in a cache, then that cache's location is known so you could 'track' the TB by saying that on the log date it was THERE, but that's as close as it gets.

 

If The Official App was designed to save a Discovery location, it might kinda-sorta work.  While driving, it may not be so hot, especially if it's the driver that would be using The App.  I've sometimes written down a Tracking Code, but I don't log it immediately.

 

But yeah, a TB's GPS location is not currently a function of The App.  It's a little confusing for people to have a Trackable that isn't trackable.  :anicute:

 

 

Edited by kunarion
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15 minutes ago, kunarion said:

 

 

If The Official App was designed to save a Discovery location, it might kinda-sorta work.  While driving, it may not be so hot, especially if it's the driver that would be using The App.  I've sometimes written down a Tracking Code, but I don't log it immediately.

 

But yeah, a TB's GPS location is not currently a function of The App.  It's a little confusing for people to have a Trackable that isn't trackable.  :anicute:

 

 

 

I remember seeing one in traffic and chanting the code all the rest of the way to work!

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1 minute ago, TeamRabbitRun said:

 

I remember seeing one in traffic and chanting the code all the rest of the way to work!

 

I followed a car around town for a couple of miles one night.  It had the reflective style decal, and the code was all washed out in my car's headlights.  At a stoplight, I still could not properly see the code.  Bummer.  Anyway, I decided it would be weird to keep following the car.  :unsure: 

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On 9/19/2018 at 11:19 AM, cerberus1 said:

 

It is a Travel Bug decal, and example is Here.

 - But you could also use a trackable's code from a standard travel bug and use vinyl letters/numbers to make your own.  :) 

 

I am considering doing that. I picked up a really nice unregistered coin that I don't really want to give away.  That would let it "travel" without having to let it go :)

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