Would you spend $6 for this?

June 2, 2003

I've been thinking about placing a cache which requires a black light to find clues and coordinates. I've found out that a small LED black light runs for about $6.

What do you think?

June 2, 2003

WOW What a great idea! I'd do that! Go for it!

OG

Prophetically Challenged

1.6k · June 2, 2003

I'd like to see this in detail. For sure.

That could make a multi in a busy area quite interesting.

canadazuuk

1.4k · June 2, 2003

AWSOME IDEA

Buy Fuji

June 2, 2003

That's a pretty unique idea. You can find these mini-blacklights on eBay for $4.99.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2326220892&category=1283

They also have some that look like pagers and are used for counterfeit bill detection, etc.

ScubaDewd

June 2, 2003

Try your local Dollar Store - we can get the counterfeit bill detectors with spare batteries for $2 CDN - that's about $1.40 for our friends south of the border.

I love the smell of Lock 'n Locks in the morning...they smell like $$$

24.7k · June 2, 2003

No, Hell No, and Double No. I would fight it, I would hem and I would haw, then people would tell me how cool the hunt was and then I'd whine and complain and more people would tell me what a great hunt it was. Then I'd ignore everyone and it would still be on my closest caches list. Then I'd try to find it with a divining rod and again with the force. Finaly if I couldn't do it that way I'd buy the light and have a good time.

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

June 2, 2003

If you answered: 'No, I would never go after such a cache', it would be great if you could say why. Thanks.

June 2, 2003

Works great... I enjoyed the last one I did that required UV lighting.

My mind not only wanders...

Sometimes it leaves completely...

**Namaste**

June 2, 2003

No, I wouldn't buy it just for the only cache of its kind. I wouldn't have any other use for it, so that cache would just go unfound by me. Spend $6.00 for a gadget for a single use- forget it.

Deer laugh when they hear my name!

http://www.geocities.com/cacheinon

June 2, 2003

Sure, I'd buy it just to get the cache. I'd find other uses for it if I could after finding the cache. Years and years ago I bought a 24" blacklight for my blacklight posters (That was a long time ago....) In the last couple of years, we've used the blacklight for looking if the dogs decided to water the carpet. Shows up pretty good.

"The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec."

-Marcus Dolengo

June 2, 2003

this has been done already. i cant say what cache, b/c locals may see posts, but it was fun. i went to a store where they sell blackligts to decode it. bought nothing.

The majority of the world is stupid, and the rest of us are in danger of contagion.

1.7k · June 3, 2003

Shoot, I was planning on doing three such caches nearby and I thought I was so clever. Now I'll just be regarded as a copycat. Oh well. Hint to Az cachers. Summer is here. It's too hot in the daytime. Look for my "special equipment" black light caches coming soon.

That moss-covered bucket I hailed as a treasure,

For often at noon, when I returned from the field,

I found it the source of an exquisite pleasure.

Samuel Woodworth The Old Oaken Bucket

June 3, 2003

I wouldn't say "never" (there might be a good travel bug in that cache! ), but I wouldn't rush out and buy a blacklight just for one or two caches. I live in an apartment and storage is a major headache. Anything that I buy has to be used more than once to make it worth the space. I'm just not a gadget person. It sounds like a cool idea though.

June 3, 2003

$6.00 Bucks is not a lot of money, period! Also, something like this doesn't take up any space at all to speak of.

I most certainly would spend the $6.00 Bucks *just for geocaching*. That said, I'm also a geo-maven and plan on making a living in gps gadgeteria alone!

...Caching In on the Journey

{--Firefishe--}

---------------------------

The year is 2003.

The name is S.A. Brown.

BrowNAV (Brown Navigation)

---------------------------

June 3, 2003

Terrific idea! Sure gets me to thinking about 'invisible ink' clues in public places!

"The hardest thing to find is something that's not there!"

3.1k · June 3, 2003

I've paid more than that in park fees for a single cache, so I can't say it's too expensive. But I can't see myself buying an actual piece of equipment for a single cache, unless I knew it to be incredibly well done (which is not to say that I doubt Geo's will be). I would definitely get one if there were many such caches. I do like the idea.

Edit: $4.95 for a small one here

Well the mountain was so beautiful that this guy built a mall and a pizza shack

Yeah he built an ugly city because he wanted the mountain to love him back -- Dar Williams

[This message was edited by Dinoprophet on June 03, 2003 at 06:03 AM.]

June 3, 2003

that sounds like a fun cache! other uses for the light: if you're into genealogy black light helps the faded markings on headstones show up better(for those cemeteries that won't let you do rubbings). thanks for the help in finding one of these lights.

Click to subscribe to ozmtngeocachers

if you cache it, they will come.

2.3k · June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking:
Shoot, I was planning on doing three such caches nearby and I thought I was so clever. Now I'll just be regarded as a copycat. Oh well. Hint to Az cachers. Summer is here. It's too hot in the daytime. Look for my "special equipment" black light caches coming soon.

I would go out and get a blacklight to do this. I heard that our desert scorpions out here show up at night when illuminated with a blacklight as well. So there's another good use for it.

You're right, too hot right now to do those caches that are rated level 3 terrain or higher, unless you are up at 4 in the morning (like AZFastfeet with all his first finds! Doesn't he ever SLEEP?). I would be looking forward to a night cache.

4.8k · June 3, 2003

I would do it. Then I would consider leaving the blacklight in another cache so someone could re-use it.

June 3, 2003

That's a really great idea, I'd do it if the cache sounds enticing enough.

Team Kender - "The Sun is coming up!" "No, the horizon is going down."

June 3, 2003

I'd say go ahead and post the cache - the cost is not prohibitive. But be sure to put in the cache description that this special equipment is necessary. Then it's no different from a cache that requires a boat, or SCUBA, or a 4x4, except that in this case the special equipment is very cheap and doesn't require special training. I don't see it being a problem.

As to whether I'd search for it? It would probably drop down on my priority list, but I certainly wouldn't rule it out. If the idea caught on and several such caches showed up in my area, I'd be more likely to try them.

Bottom line - nothing wrong with the idea, but the number of finders will be lower than a normal cache.

*** Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry, and they laugh at you. ***

June 3, 2003

If you wanted to make invisible urban clues, what would you use as ink? I know what shows up on the walls in the hotels with a black light, but I doubt that would be practical. This could open up a whole world of possibilities in the city.

Ever notice how anyone that caches more than you do is a maniac, while anyone that caches less than you do is an idiot? -Dru Morgan

June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Huntnlady:
No, I wouldn't buy it just for the only cache of its kind. I wouldn't have any other use for it, so that cache would just go unfound by me. Spend $6.00 for a gadget for a single use- forget it.

But what you're missing is that blacklights are so COOL! I mean they have so many uses outside of finding caches! When I think of one I'll let you know...

I think the cache would be a lot of fun- if done correctly you may even make it a night cache So there are those who wont do it- it's their loss. Just don't make it a coded micro UV cache- THEN you'll have problems!

/Benjamin

Carbondale, IL

Caching Newbie

3.1k · June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Rabbit 282:
But what you're missing is that blacklights are so COOL! I mean they have so many uses outside of finding caches! When I think of one I'll let you know...

http://brightworld.com/blacklight_uses.htm

quote:
Originally posted by Dru Morgan:
If you wanted to make invisible urban clues, what would you use as ink?

http://0-0-0checkmate.com/Hot/Blacklight_Pen_Set.html

Edit: I guess these aren't invisible. I did see some invisible ones while searching for the light, though.

Well the mountain was so beautiful that this guy built a mall and a pizza shack

Yeah he built an ugly city because he wanted the mountain to love him back -- Dar Williams

[This message was edited by Dinoprophet on June 03, 2003 at 10:11 AM.]

1.7k · June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Dinoprophet:

quote:
Originally posted by Dru Morgan:
If you wanted to make invisible urban clues, what would you use as ink?

http://0-0-0checkmate.com/Hot/Blacklight_Pen_Set.html

I think the goal was to find something that's invisible in "normal" light. I have three suggestions, in increasing level of availability but decreasing level of water resistance:

Sanford (manufacturers of the Sharpie line of permanent markers) make a UV-visible pen. [Edit: I thought I didn't know where to get it, but apparently lots of people sell it]
You can buy the ink that bars, amusement parks, and so on use for re-entry stamps. You'll probably have to special-order it, and it's likely to be expensive (I think I was quoted something like $15 for 8 ounces of the stuff.) You can get it in different colors, which might be a bonus depending on what you're doing with it. Most of this stuff is water- or at least alcohol-soluble, so you might need to look a while to find something semi-permanent.
The owner of the cache TeamSJ1 mentioned used laundry detergent mixed with water. The whiteners that are added to most detergents cause them to fluoresce blue. "Straight" laundry detergent applied with a paintbrush would probably last for quite a while in a place protected from direct exposure to rain. However, it's pretty sticky stuff, so over time it would probably attract dust and become visible.

Note that many papers already have whiteners added that cause them to fluoresce blue, so especially the laundry detergent idea is unlikely to work on paper products.

[This message was edited by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy on June 03, 2003 at 10:22 AM.]

1.3k · June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Sugar Kane:
I'm just not a gadget person. It sounds like a cool idea though.

Says the person who owns a $300 GPSR to hunt down tupperware boxes full of McToys.

2.3k · June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Bull Moose:

quote:
Originally posted by Sugar Kane:
I'm just not a gadget person. It sounds like a cool idea though.

Says the person who owns a $300 GPSR to hunt down tupperware boxes full of McToys.

HA! Guilty as charged, and I am one of them.

You could paint arrows pointing to the micro that would only show up under blacklight, and make the coordinates just barely offset so that cachers without the blacklight would have a tougher time finding it.

Now the wheels are turning.....squeeeek, squeeeek...

June 3, 2003

Okay, you folks have convinced me. Maybe that would be another fun toy. I could use it to inspect my hunting clothes to make sure that they do not flouresce. I did an article on my hunting web site about deer being able to see in the UV, but I've always washed my hunting clothes in Sport Wash and UV-Killer, so I've never actually looked at them under the black light.

Color Vision in Deer

Deer laugh when they hear my name!

http://www.geocities.com/cacheinon

1.7k · June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Dru Morgan:
If you wanted to make invisible urban clues, what would you use as ink?

There are pens that write with ink that can be seen only by black light. I've seen it for sale in the $4-6 range. It's probably cheaper, but I haven't looked too hard yet.

8.4k · June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Huntnlady:
Okay, you folks have convinced me. Maybe that would be another fun toy. I could use it to inspect my hunting clothes to make sure that they do not flouresce. I did an article on my hunting web site about deer being able to see in the UV, but I've always washed my hunting clothes in Sport Wash and UV-Killer, so I've never actually looked at them under the black light.

http://www.geocities.com/ihunts/deervision.html

Deer laugh when they hear my name!

http://www.geocities.com/cacheinon

So, it was you that killed Bambi's dad!

Sngans

The greatest labor saving invention of today is tomorrow....

June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by carleenp:
I would do it. Then I would consider leaving the blacklight in another cache so someone could re-use it.

Perhaps you could make a "blacklight travel bug" and request that it be kept within range of the "blacklight cache". This would make it easy for someone too chea...uh, broke to buy a blacklight - while giving them another reason to find another cache.

June 3, 2003

quote:
So, it was you that killed Bambi's dad!

Sngans

The greatest labor saving invention of today is tomorrow....

Yes, I admit it, and what's more, I enjoyed it. His mounted head stares of from my living room wall.

Deer laugh when they hear my name!

http://www.geocities.com/cacheinon

June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Snoogans:

So, it was you that killed Bambi's dad!

I always thought it was Bambi's mother that was killed. Then Bambi was rescued by his Dad.

June 3, 2003

Yes I would.

And... the more people who buy them the more likely we will see UV cache clues in the future.

I'm thinking "Out-of-the-box". I mean a containerless early stages to the final cache. Like coordinates written on the back of a park bench, or a picnic table, or the side of someone's car.... er.. oh... forget about the car thing... it wouldn't be too good.

This 'flying saucer' situation is not at all imaginary or seeing too much in some natural phenomena. Something is really flying around. The phenomenon is something real and not visionary or fictitious. - Gen. Nathan Twining Chief of Staff, US Air Force, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

2.6k · June 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by carleenp:
I would do it. Then I would consider leaving the blacklight in another cache so someone could re-use it.

http://outbreakcorp.hypermart.net/animation/pokemon/pokeanim3.gif

Or you can take the blacklight and make it a travel bug so people can use it by find the bug in another cache.

george

Wanna go for a ride?

June 3, 2003

Sure, $6 is not unreasonable. Team 360 is correct, those little black lights are also handy for spotting scorpions. That light might be useful out here. I've been stung once.

"I've never been lost, but I was a might bewildered for three days once." - Daniel Boone

June 3, 2003

Thank you all for the good feedback!

From the results of the poll, it seems to me that such a cache would be just as popular as a night-only cache and maybe even more...

In any event, I have ordered the "supplies" and I'm working out the cache details.

I'm already looking forward to reading the logs of this one! Ahah ;-)

Cheers!

4.8k · June 4, 2003

quote:
Or you can take the blacklight and make it a travel bug so people can use it by find the bug in another cache.

george

Excellent idea!

3k · June 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by smithdw:
Sure, I'd buy it just to get the cache. I'd find other uses for it if I could after finding the cache. Years and years ago I bought a 24" blacklight for my blacklight posters (That was a long time ago....) In the last couple of years, we've used the blacklight for looking if the dogs decided to water the carpet. Shows up pretty good.

"The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec."

-Marcus Dolengo

Well! There you go Huntnlady! you can use it to see if deer have decided to "water" the woods floor after you've used it to find the cache.

I personally might buy one, find the cache then find no use for the light, and leave it in a cache somewhere. But I don't order stuff online so I wouldn't look at e-bay or some other site. I might see if the dollar store had one. One thing's for sure. I'm not up for hunting down this light just to find a cache.

Cache you later,

Planet

So many caches, so little time.

2.3k · June 4, 2003

Anything for a new cache! Hell, I wasted twice that on a CD that turned out to be complete crap. It'll find its way into a local cache pretty soon.

Joel (joefrog)

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for ye are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!"

June 6, 2003

maybe you could make it into a 70s theme cache, with those black velvety posters with alien landscapes & the keep-on-trucking guy. okay, so an ammo box wouldn't do it... how about a black-light room cache (wait, sorry, i'm slipping back to my teen years at the mall.. what was that store called? Spencers?)

June 13, 2003

hmmmm, I found this source for ink markers and small blacklights....

Blacklight Stuff

"The hardest thing to find is something that's not there!"

June 13, 2003

How does this sound? Make the cache a two part Day/Night cache. Put 4 or 5 of the lights in a day time cache and locate it close to the night time one. You would have to make the night time one hard to find in the day. Request that after the night time cacher finds the cache, that the y return the light back to the day time cache. You might have to replace a light every now a then, but the cost would not be an issue to the cacher doing the cache. Just a thought..

June 13, 2003

I've seen caches that are on an island requiring you to rent a small boat, reflector caches that require you buy a strong flashlight and go at night, and others that are long multi caches along a bike trail that require a bike. $2 or even $6 doesn’t seem too bad, even if you only get a few to try it. Go for it! Maybe you'll start a trend.

20.7k · June 13, 2003

Looks like I'm going to have to bring a black light with me on my next trip to WNY.

June 15, 2003

Why not make it a multicache with a blacklight in the first container? Then instruct the finder to replace it on the way back out. Some one did that around here...Put a compass in the first container in case the seeker didn't have one. Alot of visits so far and the compass has always been returned.

Ask not for whom the cache waits....It waits for thee.

June 15, 2003

Sounds like fun to me... I'd just be careful what you're putting on trees or whatever (I can't think laundry detergent would be good for chipmunks ).

2.7k · June 15, 2003

Way cool idea man!!!!

June 16, 2003

Wow, this is weird. I've been working on one for a couple weeks and I'm almost done.

I got some U.V. spray that is clear and invisible until exposed to UV Light. I'm spraying some rocks that will lead the way to a big rock that will light up under UV Light.

This way, you have to hike through the woods on a dark night a few miles following the small rocks until you get to the cache. Only one side of the rocks will be sprayed so you can't use the UV light to get back! You have to use Trackback.

The reason it's taking so long is that I'm trying to find a way to make the ink stay while exposed to the elements. So far, clear acrylic seems to work but the sun degrades it after awhile.

Great minds think alike!

Would you spend $6 for this?

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