Jump to content

Geocaching Fox Hunt


Team Tate

Recommended Posts

The Question...

 

Would anybody be interested in taking part in a geocache fox hunt?

 

The Background...

 

Many years ago my friends and I took part in fox hunts using our CB radios. The idea of the game is that one person becomes the fox, and continually transmits a radio signal. Using the power meters on their radios, and some basic triangulation, the hunters would track the fox down to it's location.

 

Could this game be adapted to use a GPS receiver?

 

The technology now exists to allow anyone with a mobile phone to send a text message to a specialised GPS receiver, which in turn will automatically text back its location including latitude and longitude.

 

How would the game be played?

 

The fox would be a vehicle driving around in a specific area. The Lat/Long published on Geocaching.com would be the centre of the vehicles radius with a maximum pre-set distance of, say, 10 miles. Over a period of a few hours, the fox would move within it's boundary, and would be tracked by the hunters sending and receiving text messages, the lat/longs of which can be entered into their GPSr. To make it fair, the fox would probably make several stops within its boundary allowing the hunters to eventually catch it. The usual caching rules could apply, making the final destination a pub or local beauty spot! The only equipment you would need in addition to your normal caching equipment (GPS, etc.) would be a mobile phone capable of sending and receiving text messages.

 

The game could be expanded so that teams of cachers could try to head-off the fox, by collaborating with the information received. Moreover, why not have two foxes? The game play variations and limitless!

 

Why hasn't this been done before?

 

Ok, everything I have suggested so far COULD be done using mobile phones and LOTS of manual intervention. In the game I am proposing, the fox is fully automated, and requires no manual intervention other than driving the vehicle around.

 

Interested?

 

I have the technology in my grasp, and I would be more than happy to set up a cache hunt of this type. I just need to know if anyone would be interested, as I don't want to end up driving around for six or seven hours only for no one to take part. Initially, it would probably be in the south coast area (as this is where I live!), but if the game is successful, I will make all the information available to allow people everywhere else set up their own games in other parts of the country.

 

What do you think? Are you interested? Your feedback and additional ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Bob (Team) Tate

 

Team Tate

 

Remember - if it's moving, it's not dead...

Link to comment

We'd probably play but I have one worry, the cost of the SMSs.

 

If the game is set to last for say 4 hours, and your sending a SMS every 10 mins @ 10p per message then that equals... 2pound 40p, ok, maybye it isn't that bad but I for one am fast running out of credit!

 

Otherwise, a great idea!

 

Michael aka 1/2 of

 

Team Blitz

 

Ok, we've found it, now where did we put the car?

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by 1pilot:

We just had a fox-hunt like cache- get togeather, here in Portland Oregon U.S.A. we used cell phones and light rail trains icon_wink.gif check out the post http://opentopic.Groundspeak.com/0/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=1750973553&f=3000973683&m=2790978925

 

Having read the description of what went on in Portland (about halfway down the second page of the topic if you don't want to read the rest of the discussion), it doesn't seem quite the same as the foxhunt idea, more an interactive multi-cache, (imagine the Quantum Leap caches where you actually find the time traveller at the end, and you're recieving messages from him whilst solving the cache) It certainly seemed a great way to spend an evening, a geocachers meet with a difference!

 

I can't see why something very similar couldn't be done over here using the London Underground, or anywhere else with a good public transport system - would probably work with buses as well. It might not be quite the same with cars, as one of the big things people enjoyed there was the fact that they were all solving it in a big group. The main obstacle would be organising it, and having the manpower to run it I guess.

 

Reading about that one has set my mind thinking about variations...

 

Richard

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by 1pilot:

We just had a fox-hunt like cache- get togeather, here in Portland Oregon U.S.A. we used cell phones and light rail trains icon_wink.gif check out the post http://opentopic.Groundspeak.com/0/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=1750973553&f=3000973683&m=2790978925

 

Having read the description of what went on in Portland (about halfway down the second page of the topic if you don't want to read the rest of the discussion), it doesn't seem quite the same as the foxhunt idea, more an interactive multi-cache, (imagine the Quantum Leap caches where you actually find the time traveller at the end, and you're recieving messages from him whilst solving the cache) It certainly seemed a great way to spend an evening, a geocachers meet with a difference!

 

I can't see why something very similar couldn't be done over here using the London Underground, or anywhere else with a good public transport system - would probably work with buses as well. It might not be quite the same with cars, as one of the big things people enjoyed there was the fact that they were all solving it in a big group. The main obstacle would be organising it, and having the manpower to run it I guess.

 

Reading about that one has set my mind thinking about variations...

 

Richard

Link to comment

The technology is in place and tested, and the game rules have been published on the cache page.

 

If you are planning to take part, I would really appreciate an E-Mail from you to get an idea of who will be out there with me.

 

I would very much like to make this a social event. The final coordinates will be published in the cheat section of the cache page. Even if you dont want to take part in the chase, you will be more than welcome to join us for a drink afterwards.

 

To not break the rules of cache self-promotion, I will not publish the cache page details here. All I want to do at this time is get an idea of who is coming.

 

Many thanks,

 

Bob

 

Team Tate

 

Remember - if it's moving, it's not dead...

Link to comment

With a little under two days to go, we have up to 15 teams that have said they are going to take part in this event.

 

Please check the cache page for some additional information (including the telephone numbers!), and please note the final co-ordinates have now been published.

 

We look forward to seeing you!

 

Team Tate

 

Remember - if it's moving, it's not dead...

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...