audio caches?

[+PollyRoger]

Hi!  I'm new to geocaching, and it's really captured my imagination!  I'm a sound artist, and I'm thinking of ways to combine geocaching and audio (downloadable, or physical via a cassette tape player in the cache).  I did a search of the forums and it seems like there have been some examples but all the posts were pretty old, so I was wondering if you guys have done this, or seen this, and what form it took?  

[+kunarion]

I had a cache where the finder pushes a doorbell button for a remote doorbell next to the container.

 

I found one where the first stage is a “radio station” that you tune to, and between songs, you get clues.

 

One thing I’ve wanted to try is to have a switch or light sensor in a container, to play audio.  The device might be as simple and inexpensive as the recordable greeting cards.  Similar things are mentioned around this Forum.

[+cerberus1]

1 hour ago, PollyRoger said:

 I'm a sound artist, and I'm thinking of ways to combine geocaching and audio (downloadable, or physical via a cassette tape player in the cache). 

I did a search of the forums and it seems like there have been some examples but all the posts were pretty old, so I was wondering if you guys have done this, or seen this, and what form it took?  

I won't load anything I find in the wild to my phone, but someone might.     

One gadget cache we did had a radio station segment playing on a loop, with the coordinates stated every ten minutes or so. 

 - Could only be heard on am, and in their parking area (housing development).

Another that scared the carp outta most was an ammo can with a light sensor inside, that sent a horrifying screech when opened.

 

Maybe get away from the 1.5 or less micros, and look for small/regular traditionals or mystery with the "field puzzle" attribute to see some "new' ones.  

 - Premium members can PQ for the field puzzle attribute.

[+niraD]

I've found a few where I had to dial a (free) telephone number, and the (audio) information in the message gave me the coordinates for the cache. It's similar in concept to the low-power FM transmitters, except you have to set up a phone number with an outgoing message, rather than setting up a low-power FT transmitter.

[Keystone]

If you create a cache with a sound element, it either needs to be "self contained" (like the above examples) or be compliant with the Geocache Hiding Guidelines regarding file downloads.  See this Help Center article for details.

[+barefootjeff]

I have a couple of audio-related caches. One (GC5YP8E) is a puzzle where the coordinates are encoded in a series of piano notes in an MP3 file (with all the required downloading disclaimers), the other is in a cave with a light-operated sensor that plays spooky sounds. That one was a bit unintentional as I bought the halloween-style camo just as something that fitted with the cache's theme without realising it had built-in audio effects. It was a simple matter to replace the push-button with a light-dependent-resistor and find a sufficiently dark spot in the cave so incident light wouldn't set it off.

[Blue Square Thing]

Here's my one: https://coord.info/GC8W6P5

 

It was interesting to put together and the theme fits the location nicely as well. But I don't expect that many people to find it.

 

I do like the idea of a longer stream with stuff in the adverts, but I'd need to think of a story to fit around that.

[Johannis10]

20 hours ago, PollyRoger said:

I'm a sound artist, and I'm thinking of ways to combine geocaching and audio

That sounds great. For my caches with little sound effects, i use sound moduls simular like  that https://www.voicemodul.de/
First i replace the little batterys with a new Battery holder for three AA Batterys. For normal use, the Battery Cycle is more than one year if the box don't get a wide temperature range. I prefer that, because vor examle the moduls with the light sensor start the sound as surprise without activity from the cacher before. An other way is, to use an USB plug, saved with a bottle cap. The Cacher need's a Powerbank to activate the sound.

Greetings Johannis10

Edited January 27, 2021 by Johannis10

[Johannis10]

For the Lost flight MultiCache for example I use some sound moduls. One for the voice recorder, were the searche crew (geocacher) can listen the last conversation from the stewardess to the passengers from the crashed airliner. One modul is for the military fake aicraft radio in the search helicopter were you get more information about the position from wreckage parts of the airliner. But i don't use an original helicopter turbine sound volume, because the neighbour wouldn't like that . If I use a soundmodul I always use a backupsolution, so the geocachers can find the cache, even when the soundmodul is defektive. Greetings Johannis10

[+CAVinoGal]

21 hours ago, PollyRoger said:

Hi!  I'm new to geocaching, and it's really captured my imagination!  I'm a sound artist, and I'm thinking of ways to combine geocaching and audio (downloadable, or physical via a cassette tape player in the cache).  I did a search of the forums and it seems like there have been some examples but all the posts were pretty old, so I was wondering if you guys have done this, or seen this, and what form it took?  

 

There's an interesting puzzle near me; I've solved it but not yet searched for the final:  https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC7JN6K_wgcr-geocache-radio-yountville-ca

 

I don't know how you would set it up.  We sure had fun requesting and listening to songs for about an hour or so before we had coordinates that worked.

[+kunarion]

5 hours ago, CAVinoGal said:

 

There's an interesting puzzle near me; I've solved it but not yet searched for the final:  https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC7JN6K_wgcr-geocache-radio-yountville-ca

 

I don't know how you would set it up.  We sure had fun requesting and listening to songs for about an hour or so before we had coordinates that worked.

 

I solved the coordinates for the one in Georgia, 3 years ago and set the corrected coordinates. This reminds me that I still need to go find it.

 

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by kunarion
While typing my post, I was bitten by a duck.

[+Crow-T-Robot]

On 1/26/2021 at 6:15 PM, niraD said:

I've found a few where I had to dial a (free) telephone number, and the (audio) information in the message gave me the coordinates for the cache. It's similar in concept to the low-power FM transmitters, except you have to set up a phone number with an outgoing message, rather than setting up a low-power FT transmitter.

 

I had a multicache set up where WP1 would give you the phone # for a Google Voice account I set up. I used a free text-to-speech website to read back a voicemail greeting I wrote and in the greeting were the coordinates for the cache. I really liked the concept, but there were flaws that I couldn't quite resolve.

 

Since I wanted to keep everything "free" on my end, the Google Voice account only allowed about 60 seconds for your voicemail greeting. I really like using humor when I can, so I wanted something more elaborate than a 60 second message but wasn't willing to pay out money to make that happen, so that was one limit.

 

The other issue was that I Googled around for a good solution on how to get the text-to-speech audio recorded/transferred into my Google Voice greeting and there just didn't seem to be any good way. Maybe an inline microphone would've worked but I didn't have that on my computer, so I just ended up doing it the analog way...you know, by playing the file and recording it with my phone and then uploading it to Google Voice. The sound quality of the recording was...not great. It came out kind of garbled but it still worked well enough to glean the coordinates. I am still looking for good free/cheap solutions to this, as I'd love to create another cache like this. 

[+kunarion]

One Christmas, my family got a big can of cookies as a gift.  There was a magnetic electronic music box stuck to the lid, and it played a tune whenever the can was opened.  Light sensor, a self-contained little device.  It wasn't recordable, it played one tune.  That might be a compact and inexpensive way to add "music" to a cache, without having to set up anything or program it (plus the whole thing's replaceable).  Even a set tune could provide clues, it could be a puzzle stage.

 

Does anyone know where I could buy such a music box?  Yes, I know music exists.  I'm wondering about the specific light-activated music box.

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by kunarion

[+NYPaddleCacher]

11 hours ago, kunarion said:

One Christmas, my family got a big can of cookies as a gift.  There was a magnetic electronic music box stuck to the lid, and it played a tune whenever the can was opened.  Light sensor, a self-contained little device.  It wasn't recordable, it played one tune.  That might be a compact and inexpensive way to add "music" to a cache, without having to set up anything or program it (plus the whole thing's replaceable).  Even a set tune could provide clues, it could be a puzzle stage.

 

Does anyone know where I could buy such a music box?  Yes, I know music exists.  I'm wondering about the specific light-activated music box.

 

 

Do a search for recordable greeting cards.   

[+kunarion]

7 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

 

Do a search for recordable greeting cards.   

 

I have some of those. I even have a recordable video greeting card, video screen and all.  I don't place those into caches due to the effort required to design them for cache durability, after which they break almost immediately.  The required cost and labor means it's a cache that goes away soon.

 

I know that Internet search engines exist, and these may not be what anybody but me is looking for.  Probably the closest thing to what I've mentioned that I've seen online is a doll music box "button", as cheap as $2.00 each.  Those are played with a button press, and have long-lasting batteries (you leave it "on").  But they aren't light-activated.  Recordable versions start at $10.00 and go up from there.

 

This would not be the greeting card style that uses a mechanical switch. I'm searching specifically for the kind that has a light sensor. The reason is, it's self-contained, works every time a cache box opened with no interaction needed, and there are no modifications needed to use it inside a cache box, and it's entirely replaceable.  If you're going for something to play sound in the wild, the least expensive, most easily maintained thing is a good starting point.

 

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by kunarion

[+hzoi]

On 1/26/2021 at 6:02 PM, PollyRoger said:

Hi!  I'm new to geocaching, and it's really captured my imagination!  I'm a sound artist, and I'm thinking of ways to combine geocaching and audio (downloadable, or physical via a cassette tape player in the cache).  I did a search of the forums and it seems like there have been some examples but all the posts were pretty old, so I was wondering if you guys have done this, or seen this, and what form it took?  

 

I've seen many different ways audio has been incorporated into a cache hunt.

 

- You can have an audio file linked on the cache page, like this one. You'll need to provide your own hosting; if you don't have your own site, YouTube might be a good bet.

- You can record a message on a voicemail service, or broadcast on a short-range radio.

- You can have a speaker broadcast the coordinates to a bonus cache when geocachers push a hidden button, like this one. (That's not all the button does. See the gallery.)

- You'd need to contact the CO of this cache to find out how he set it up, but they had keycards that would trigger different audio files. Most were music, some were directions how to find the cache. It required a USB power source to operate.

- Oh, yeah. This TB hotel had a night club theme, and in addition to a light show in the little night club diorama inside, there was a little speaker that played a loop of part of Yo La Tengo's "Autumn Sweater."

Edited January 28, 2021 by hzoi

[+barefootjeff]

This is my light-activated one I mentioned earlier...

 

 

[Johannis10]

7 hours ago, kunarion said:

If you're going for something to play sound in the wild, the least expensive, most easily maintained thing is a good starting point.

Sometimes you won't get anywhere, if you don't leave the starting point. My prevered compromise is the 5€ USB Modul with light sensor Soundmodul Lichtsensor USB, were you need an external free, easy to use, software and an PC with an old operating system and if you like less maintainance, a bigger battery. If you don't like to solder the Batteryholder, or don't like to use the software, the seller can do it for you. Sorry the page is only in german language. But if you searche for "soundmodul with light sensor" you can finde other ones, wich may be a better compromise for your needs.

Greetings Johannis10

PS: One thing I don't like is: When you use the trigger Mode, only a very short flash, don't start the complete sound, but only the first seconds. If you have a longer flash, then the modul play's the complete sound, even if the light is off, as expected in that mode. You can also use a mode "play as long as the light is on", but I don't need that. If someone know's a better modul, for that case, I'd like to know, even if it's more expensive. Thank's.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Johannis10

[+kunarion]

52 minutes ago, Johannis10 said:

Sometimes you won't get anywhere, if you don't leave the starting point. My prevered compromise is the 5€ USB Modul with light sensor Soundmodul Lichtsensor USB, were you need an external free, easy to use, software and an PC with an old operating system and if you like less maintainance, a bigger battery. If you don't like to solder the Batteryholder, or don't like to use the software, the seller can do it for you. Sorry the page is only in german language. But if you searche for "soundmodul with light sensor" you can finde other ones, wich may be a better compromise for your needs.

Greetings Johannis10

PS: One thing I don't like is: When you use the trigger Mode, only a very short flash, don't start the complete sound, but only the first seconds. If you have a longer flash, then the modul play's the complete sound, even if the light is off, as expected in that mode. You can also use a mode "play as long as the light is on", but I don't need that. If someone know's a better modul, for that case, I'd like to know, even if it's more expensive. Thank's.

I’ve seen similar items.  But the self-contained kind that plays a tune and magnetically sticks inside a cookie tin, that’s what I hope to find.  I’m thinking I could buy 3 for the price of the one programmable kind.  No extra batteries needed.

 

If it’s more costly, and requires extra work, it’s no longer a disposable item.  Might as well look at fancier things in the higher price range, even that video screen.  That would be cool.  If I’m going to have a lot of expense and construction, it might as well be fancy.
 

But cachers’ talent for utter destruction of gadget caches... that discourages me from building something cool without putting more work and expense into it.  Making it rugged, durable so it stays viable even if water gets into the container.

[+cerberus1]

Bored, wasn't looking at cookie tins, but actual wooden music boxes (didn't spot them either...).    

We've two lambertz tins with a wind-up movement on the lid (key outside).  Annoyingly loud when empty.  Both have match books/boxes in 'em. 

I'd think you 'd have to create what you're looking for yourself because of age. Music boxes not something flyin' outta major markets these days.  

Amazon has various light-activated movements.  Tins you can get from any female relative over 40.   

Did find one when looking for valentine candy boxes, here,  light activated gags, some on ebay a bit cheaper, but that's about it.

[+kunarion]

41 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

Bored, wasn't looking at cookie tins, but actual wooden music boxes (didn't spot them either...).    

We've two lambertz tins with a wind-up movement on the lid (key outside).  Annoyingly loud when empty.  Both have match books/boxes in 'em. 

I'd think you 'd have to create what you're looking for yourself because of age. Music boxes not something flyin' outta major markets these days.  

Amazon has various light-activated movements.  Tins you can get from any female relative over 40.   

Did find one when looking for valentine candy boxes, here,  light activated gags, some on ebay a bit cheaper, but that's about it.

Maybe that Valentine candy company will help me find the light activated kind.  Seems like they have at least one style.
 

A wind-up music box would be cool.  Or having a cassette tape with clues on it (kind of like what the OP said).  Imagine the fun when cachers try to figure out how to play it. 

They’d take it and lose it.  I’m not suggesting everyone make such caches, but someone did ask.  Not everything is suitable for every cache.  Sometimes you just decide yours could have a remote doorbell, in one special situation.

 

... or how about an 8-track tape?

 

... or a reel-to-reel tape... or VHS or... BetaMax!

I still have some MS-DOS floppy disks. 
 

Edited January 29, 2021 by kunarion