New Way To Identify Challenge Caches I have Signed But Not Qualified For

[+Karate Hiker]

Hello - Over the past 3 years I have really gotten into challenge caches.  Over the past year I have started signing all challenge caches that I come by whether I qualify for them or not.  If I do not qualify for the challenge I write a note.  However, I find it difficult determining on my map which caches I have signed.  I do keep an extensive spreadsheet but that is growing cumbersome.  Is there a way to track these on line and on a map?  How could I suggest this to those at Geocaching HQ?

[+Max and 99]

5 minutes ago, Karate Hiker said:

Hello - Over the past 3 years I have really gotten into challenge caches.  Over the past year I have started signing all challenge caches that I come by whether I qualify for them or not.  If I do not qualify for the challenge I write a note.  However, I find it difficult determining on my map which caches I have signed.  I do keep an extensive spreadsheet but that is growing cumbersome.  Is there a way to track these on line and on a map?  How could I suggest this to those at Geocaching HQ?

Add them to a list? Call it challenge geocaches I have signed but not yet qualified for. 

[Keystone]

You would benefit from the challenge cache functionality at project-gc.com, especially the list of "Challenges signed (but not yet logged as found)" at the bottom of the challenge cache tab in your profile statistics.  Looking at that, I see you have three challenge caches that you can log an online find for, if you previously signed the log in the cache.   Yay!

[+RecipeForDisaster]

24 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

Add them to a list? Call it challenge geocaches I have signed but not yet qualified for. 

This is what I do - when I sign a challenge I don’t yet qualify for, I write a note in the personal cache note field with the date I signed (and anything I’d want to add to my log), I add it to my "challenges signed by not yet qualified" bookmark list, and I put any caches that could help to qualify me for the challenge to my "to do list" bookmark list.

[+thebruce0]

51 minutes ago, Karate Hiker said:

I find it difficult determining on my map which caches I have signed.  I do keep an extensive spreadsheet but that is growing cumbersome.  Is there a way to track these on line and on a map?  How could I suggest this to those at Geocaching HQ?

Personally, I do two things.

 

1. Add them to a "Found but not qualified" bookmark list. I check back on these occasionally to see if I've yet qualified (if I haven't added the challenge to my active goals)

 

2. Edit the personal corrected coordinates for the listing to the same posted coordinates. It will show on the map as a corrected pin, distinguished from any other untouched Mystery cache.  This has the benefit of making them similar to solved puzzles (as in, "there is a geocache at these corrected coordinates that you can now find and sign!"), but doesn't work as well if the challenge container/final location is "not as posted" and behind a puzzle task not yet solved... That's rare though. I can't remember if it's allowed, but I know of a few challenges I couldn't correct to a known final location once I signed in, so I had to highlight it separately within Cachly to remind me that it's found and signed, but the final location isn't determined.   In any case, this strategy is a very nice visual indicator of "findable" mystery caches (whether puzzles or challenges).

 

Edited November 13 by thebruce0

[+JL_HSTRE]

I try to avoid signing challenges without qualifying for them as part of the same trip, though I won't deliberately pass up a challenge cache if I expect to qualify in the future. I skip those I an unlikely to qualify for.

 

I log a Note, add the cache to my Signed Not Qualified bookmark list, and add Personal Note on the cache page about how close I am to qualifying. I also add the cache to the My Finds database in GSAK.

Edited November 14 by JL_HSTRE

[+Smitherington]

I love challenge caches but I hardly ever sign them until I qualify.  An exception would be if I am in another state and I am close to qualifying.  I am waiting to qualify  for a "Z" cache in an alphabet series but need a few more that start with Z.  It is only a 2 hour drive so when I qualify I will make the drive.

[+Goldenwattle]

1. I keep a list of those I have signed the log for, but don't yet qualify for. Every now and again I check the list. If I find one I now qualify for, I make a find log and delete this challenge cache from my list.

 

2. Those I qualify for but haven't found yet, I copy the coordinates and add them as updating the coordinates as though it were a solved multi or puzzle cache. Then it shows up on the map as solved.

[+Twinklekitkat]

If you have Cachly you could use the highlight feature. Choose one of the colors and rename it ‘challenges signed but not qualified’. Then, using the list feature, display them all on the map in Cachly. Once they are all displayed use the hamburger button and choose highlight/add highlight/all caches then choose the color. Those will then show up on the map with that colored line under the pin so when you see it on the map you’ll know it’s one of those caches you’ve signed already so no need to go back and revisit. I love this feature and use it for field puzzles, large size, night cache and many other things.