First Cache Blues

[polar69]

Hi , I was wondering if all you uber cachers out there could answer me a question.

 

When you hid your first ever cache how many times did you have to update the description , clues , waypoint etc until someone found it ?

 

Did you just sit and snigger at the DNF's ?

 

[+briansnat]

My first cache had plenty of finds without a problem from day one. The mistake I made was going into way too much detail in the encrypted clue. I had a very full paragraph of info. I didn't realize at the time that it all wasn't necessary.

[+IMLost]

Did you just sit and snigger at the DNF's ?

Now you have the right idea. You updated the difficulty level I might be wrong but it seems to be just a projection from the coordinates you posted you can enter that into the GPS and should be close enough to find the cache. If you have the coordinates to the cache you can check the bearing using a program called GeoCalc it was written by FizzyMagic it's a great tool when hiding caches.

 

I have a new cache that has gotten some cachers frustrated, however this cache wasn't supposed to be a walk up and find it cache it was meant to be a challenge. Compass Course 101 If your sure of the coordinates and the bearing relax your part is done after all the challenge of this game is finding the cache.

[+RichardMoore]

The first cache that I placed was found before I even knew it was listed. It was in place for over a year with no changes to the cache page.

Of course, I had been caching for 10 months and found 83 caches, plus working with the park system on their caching program, when I placed it.

 

 

RichardMoore

[+The AuBuchons]

My caches have been thru a couple of different locations, and two different containters before I got them right. I love to see finds logged on them as I live in a fairly rural area!

[+Perrin]

I wouldn't worry too much that it hasn't been found yet. After checking the cache page, the only person to try only have 10 finds. I guess I would have waited to update until a few more people attempted the hunt.

 

Those wp projection ones can be tricky, especially if your start point is as the cacher mentioned "an unmarked location in the middle of a field." From what I've noticed about caches of this sort, it is good to have your projection start from a defined landmark, not just the coords you got in the middle of a field.

 

If there is anything that stands out in the general area, it might be good to have the projection start from there. (ie fence post, tree, rock with a big red X on it, etc)

 

Good luck, hope some finds start racking up for you.

[polar69]

The start point is actually on a prominant feature of the landscape

 

I can wait ......I can wait

[+Perrin]

The start point is actually on a prominant feature of the landscape

 

I can wait ......I can wait

Ok, I'm just going by what the first hunter said in their log.

[polar69]

Bit worried about that actually

 

I PM'd him just to make sure my waypoint was'nt too far off

[+captnemo]

On my first WP projection cache, not my first hide, I had a number of DNF's.

 

So, I went out and ran it start to finish and it worked! Got another DNF!

 

So, I went out with a fellow cacher who hadn't found it his first time out, and followed him as he worked it out. Didn't help just watched. He found it!

 

Since then I had DNF's, finds after several attempts and finds first shot.

 

My advise is don't panic and if it still not found, find a fellow cacher to watch as they work it out to check for problems.

[+flask]

when i get a lot of DNFs it's usually because people don't properly interpret the difficulty ratings. when i say it's difficult, it's DIFFICULT.

 

i never, ever snigger at the NF's. people working on puzzles regardless of success have my respect. making mistakes is how we learn. i am amazed sometimes of the ingenuity of hunters looking for some of my harder caches. they develop theories that while incorrect, are stunning leaps of reasoning. and usually, bit by bit, they get it right.