New Cache Notifier

14.3k · December 3, 2004

We have a guy in our area that is the FTF master. I'm not naming names, but this guy typically finds and logs new caches within 1-2 hours after they are first posted. What I am wondering is how he does it. I'm 99% confident that he doesn't sit in front of his PC hitting refresh over and over. That would be ridiculous! Does anyone know how he might be doing it?

December 3, 2004

Heh....I know who you mean. I've wondered the same thing. More power to this person, cause they get them fair and square, but I could use a little advice, heh.

December 3, 2004

Most of my FTF's were gotten during a time (ie: unemployment) when I could check the listings several times a day.

Since I still got up at 6:30 in the morning every day, I would check at that time. And I would check every couple hours throughout the day until about 11:30 PM or midnight.

Of course, I always had my gear in the van and ready to go. I'd print the page, head out the door, and enter the coordinates in my GPSr as I'm driving to the area.

I never said that I was sane. :blink:

38.2k · December 3, 2004

Does anyone know how he might be doing it?

Everybody else has a life?

December 3, 2004

Try this.

21.9k · December 3, 2004

In the FAQ thread that's pinned at the top of the "Getting Started" forum, I posted some present and future strategies entitled, interestingly enough, How do I find out about new caches hidden near me?

5.3k · December 3, 2004

Being retired helps, I check every two or three hours and keep all my rear ready by my front door in a small shoulder bag, Flashlights (3), batteries, Radio (Ham and FRS) my new addition is a Pro 96 scanner. I also have a GPS by my computer ready to load from the web site.

You must also be ready to go 24/7, and have have gotten to caches at 2am to find another cacher there already.

My most recent FTF

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?II...87b&LID=5791680

Edited December 3, 2004 by JohnnyVegas

December 3, 2004

Do you suspect he's getting tips from a 'little birdy' or that he's come up with some computer alarm system? Otherwise he's probably doing something very similar to what you said, constantly hitting the Refresh button.

-Bob

December 3, 2004

Being retired helps, I check every two or three hours and keep all my rear ready...

Appropriate even if it's not a typo. :blink:

Edited December 3, 2004 by RichardMoore

2.1k · December 3, 2004

I have been told that PQ can go out with new caches before they are seen on the 'nearest' listings.

December 3, 2004

That doesn't seem fair. Everyone should get an equal shot. Can anyone confirm?

-Bob

5.3k · December 3, 2004

Being retired helps, I check every two or three hours and keep all my rear ready...

Appropriate even if it's not a typo.

:blink: and my Gear

2k · December 3, 2004

There are other ways, building upon what was already said here. I usually get a new cache within 1-2 hours of it being posted, assuming I'm free to go.

Of course, if I told you how I'd have to kill you.

14.3k · December 3, 2004

Try this.

I think you may have found the key! :blink:

14.3k · December 3, 2004

In the FAQ thread that's pinned at the top of the "Getting Started" forum, I posted some present and future strategies entitled, interestingly enough, How do I find out about new caches hidden near me?

Thanks. As D_I's link also recommends setting this PQ as your homepage let's you check for new caches each time you open your browser. The playing field is starting to level out! :blink:

1.3k · December 3, 2004

I've heard there are at least 2 ways to find the coordinates to unapproved caches.

I only know one of them and it has to do with travelbugs being placed in unapproved caches.

I don't know if the 2nd way actually exists... but I heard there were a few ways so maybe it does....

I heard you used to be able to look directly at the approval queue but they changed it so that's no longer possible.

sd

1.3k · December 3, 2004

In the FAQ thread that's pinned at the top of the "Getting Started" forum, I posted some present and future strategies entitled, interestingly enough, How do I find out about new caches hidden near me?

Thanks. As D_I's link also recommends setting this PQ as your homepage let's you check for new caches each time you open your browser. The playing field is starting to level out!

Does this method show unapproved caches? Or just newly approved caches?

I mean, I look at my states page and it shows the 10 newest caches. This page is found by using the "To locate the nearest geocaches in your area.... by state (US only) feature in the top right corner of the frontpage (main gc.com page) of this website.

Here's my state.

Geocaching in Mississippi.

I'm aware that many states have a lot more new geocaches per day than our state, so you can also go to the Hide & Seek a cache page, which is found in the links on the upper left of the main page, and search by state:

ALL GEOCACHES for MS. This shows geocaches in the reverse order of how the date they were listed (not necessarily approved... sometimes a cache is listed on a Monday but the approver doesn't approve it until a Friday.... it seems sometimes it'll have the date of Monday on the page - and it won't show up on the 10 most recent caches page).

You FTF hounds run on down - there are several caches that have been out about 2 weeks that haven't been found down here. There's even one from June (requires a boat).

I've personally never cared about FTF's. I'm just curious how this PQ method differs from looking at the state search page.

sd

3.8k · December 3, 2004

We have a guy in our area that is the FTF master. I'm not naming names, but this guy typically finds and logs new caches within 1-2 hours after they are first posted. What I am wondering is how he does it. I'm 99% confident that he doesn't sit in front of his PC hitting refresh over and over. That would be ridiculous! Does anyone know how he might be doing it?

Probably.

Checking this page early and often is most likely how they're doing it.

38.2k · December 3, 2004

There are other ways, building upon what was already said here. I usually get a new cache within 1-2 hours of it being posted, assuming I'm free to go.

Of course, if I told you how I'd have to kill you.

New York admin, finally unmasked!

1.6k · December 3, 2004

We rarely are able to gain a FTF , for the simple reason we both have jobs . Dang jobs always getting in the way !

We have found its nice if we can do it but we aren't gonna sweat it if we can't . We also have a local near Star's area that is always the FTF , sometimes even minutes after it is approved , we to have wondered how this cacher might be doing that !

Star of Team Tigger International

December 3, 2004

FTF can be tough. there are some people that cache on their job time, just to get the FTFs

Hang in there, you get a few

Roadway57

6.4k · December 3, 2004

I've also seen where a hider gives someone the coords before it's approved. I did that once for a cache that was being placed especially for another local's wife. I didn't even submit the cache until I knew she had found it. Other people will do something thing similar to allow someone to test run a complicated multi or puzzle cache, to make sure there are no problems before it goes live. Another time where someone was FTF before the cache was approved; it was because the hider had made some general statements at an event about placing a new cache near a where an archived cache had been. Someone who had found the old cache was able to brute force surch the area and find the cache just based on that.

Sometimes local cache groups will give other members advanced notice of a new cache. Sometimes the "FTFer" was standing right there with his back turned while the cache was being hidden.

1.4k · December 3, 2004

<<SNIP>>

I heard you used to be able to look directly at the approval queue but they changed it so that's no longer possible.

sd

Yep, that was when there were only a handful of approvers and the que had maybe 30-40 caches in it.

All you had to do was change the last number in the URL until you got to the un-approved ones. It was fun to see all the new caches as they came out. Once people abused it and more people posted caches that couldn't be approved, Groundspeak had to change it.

1.1k · December 3, 2004

I've tried using this travel bug that I've created, but haven't really gotten any results yet.

December 3, 2004

I've heard there are at least 2 ways to find the coordinates to unapproved caches.

I only know one of them and it has to do with travelbugs being placed in unapproved caches.

I don't know if the 2nd way actually exists... but I heard there were a few ways so maybe it does....

I heard you used to be able to look directly at the approval queue but they changed it so that's no longer possible.

sd

Actually a second way does exist. I found this out one evening while I was bored at home. I was looking at the pictures at the Recent Photos and clicked on a picture. This picture just happened to be attached to a Approver's Note to an unapproved cache. What I was able to get from this not was the coordinates to all the stages and the final stage. Why? Because they where listed in the note. I still was unable to look at the cache page, but I was able to see the note.

2k · December 3, 2004

There are other ways, building upon what was already said here. I usually get a new cache within 1-2 hours of it being posted, assuming I'm free to go.

Of course, if I told you how I'd have to kill you.

New York admin, finally unmasked!

That's not a job I would want. I'm a FTF "hound", and I think admins are (or should be!) excluded from getting FTFs.

December 3, 2004

Most of the first finders in this area are retired. They check the new caches at night and early in the AM, and typically find at 6 AM or earlier. There also is a guy who works strage hours, checks postings from work, and gets first finds in the middle of the night. With this competition, I no longer have a chance...although I did get a FTF on a difficult cache last week that these others could not find -- aha, the excitement of a blank log book !!

14.3k · December 3, 2004

Most of the first finders in this area are retired. They check the new caches at night and early in the AM, and typically find at 6 AM or earlier. There also is a guy who works strage hours, checks postings from work, and gets first finds in the middle of the night. With this competition, I no longer have a chance...although I did get a FTF on a difficult cache last week that these others could not find -- aha, the excitement of a blank log book !!

We just drove out to the desert last weekend. We 4-Wheeled up some through a gnarly rocky pass and made it to a hidden valley where a new cache had been sitting unfound for 8 months.

Of course we would have done it regardless of the the FTF. The FTF was a small bonus for us because we rarely get them. But challenging FTFs are better!

9.4k · December 3, 2004

I find out about new caches the easy way.

I sit outside of CO Admin's house with binoculars and my wireless laptop. When I see him approve a new cache, I do a search. If it's close enough to his house, I'm FTF

2.3k · December 3, 2004

I find out about new caches the easy way.

I sit outside of CO Admin's house with binoculars and my wireless laptop. When I see him approve a new cache, I do a search. If it's close enough to his house, I'm FTF

That was you???????????????????????????

2k · December 3, 2004

I find out about new caches the easy way.

I sit outside of CO Admin's house with binoculars and my wireless laptop. When I see him approve a new cache, I do a search. If it's close enough to his house, I'm FTF

That was you???????????????????????????

I also sit outside of CO admin's house.

But I'm looking for a guy with binocs and a laptop. When I see him open the laptop, I run to a car with saxaphone's in it, let the air out of the tires, then do a search on my own wireless laptop, and get a FTF.

December 3, 2004

I have an idea to get notifications with Firefox web browser... I have a bookmark toolbar with a bookmark to my nearby caches with finds filtered out. If you right-click on the bookmark button and select properties and customize the schedule and notify tabs so it lets you know when the page has changed. It will notify you of ANY changes to the page, so it will also notify you when anyone logs anything and the dates change, but you'll know when one pops up new in your immediate area.

I don't know if IE, Mozilla, or Netscape have the same options, but if you use Firefox, it's a way to do get updates.

14.3k · December 3, 2004

I have an idea to get notifications with Firefox web browser... I have a bookmark toolbar with a bookmark to my nearby caches with finds filtered out. If you right-click on the bookmark button and select properties and customize the schedule and notify tabs so it lets you know when the page has changed. It will notify you of ANY changes to the page, so it will also notify you when anyone logs anything and the dates change, but you'll know when one pops up new in your immediate area.

I don't know if IE, Mozilla, or Netscape have the same options, but if you use Firefox, it's a way to do get updates.

Great to see that we are getting even more ingenious!

2k · December 3, 2004

I have an idea to get notifications with Firefox web browser... I have a bookmark toolbar with a bookmark to my nearby caches with finds filtered out. If you right-click on the bookmark button and select properties and customize the schedule and notify tabs so it lets you know when the page has changed. It will notify you of ANY changes to the page, so it will also notify you when anyone logs anything and the dates change, but you'll know when one pops up new in your immediate area.

I don't know if IE, Mozilla, or Netscape have the same options, but if you use Firefox, it's a way to do get updates.

Great to see that we are getting even more ingenious!

Ah man! Now you're gonna let everybody know the secret!

2k · December 3, 2004

I have an idea to get notifications with Firefox web browser... I have a bookmark toolbar with a bookmark to my nearby caches with finds filtered out. If you right-click on the bookmark button and select properties and customize the schedule and notify tabs so it lets you know when the page has changed. It will notify you of ANY changes to the page, so it will also notify you when anyone logs anything and the dates change, but you'll know when one pops up new in your immediate area.

I don't know if IE, Mozilla, or Netscape have the same options, but if you use Firefox, it's a way to do get updates.

Great to see that we are getting even more ingenious!

Ah man! Now you're gonna let everybody know the secret!

Actually it's better to set up a PQ that shows unfound caches. Then you don't get it changing so often if you have it set up for "nearby" caches.

5.3k · December 3, 2004

I have an idea to get notifications with Firefox web browser... I have a bookmark toolbar with a bookmark to my nearby caches with finds filtered out. If you right-click on the bookmark button and select properties and customize the schedule and notify tabs so it lets you know when the page has changed. It will notify you of ANY changes to the page, so it will also notify you when anyone logs anything and the dates change, but you'll know when one pops up new in your immediate area.

I don't know if IE, Mozilla, or Netscape have the same options, but if you use Firefox, it's a way to do get updates.

Is this a Firefox extention, or is it in the base software? When I right-click the bookmark in the tool bar and click properties, it does not have any scheduling info...just the name/location/keyword/description fields.

2.3k · December 3, 2004

I find out about new caches the easy way.

I sit outside of CO Admin's house with binoculars and my wireless laptop. When I see him approve a new cache, I do a search. If it's close enough to his house, I'm FTF

That was you???????????????????????????

I also sit outside of CO admin's house.

But I'm looking for a guy with binocs and a laptop. When I see him open the laptop, I run to a car with saxaphone's in it, let the air out of the tires, then do a search on my own wireless laptop, and get a FTF.

Whats really funny is my Wireless is open. You could do that.

2.7k · December 3, 2004

I think these degrees slow down a lot of FTF's. And that is 10° warmer than when I left the house.

5.3k · December 3, 2004

I have an idea to get notifications with Firefox web browser... I have a bookmark toolbar with a bookmark to my nearby caches with finds filtered out. If you right-click on the bookmark button and select properties and customize the schedule and notify tabs so it lets you know when the page has changed.

From section 5, the TOU that sounds prohibited.

You agree that you will not use ... automated means to access the Site for any purpose without our express written permission

If you click "reload" on your browser every 120 seconds, that would be OK, but automating it to poll is bad, right?

Do I really expect the Frog Mafia to start breaking down doors and busting kneecaps over this? Probably not. But this tidbit did seem worth highlighting.

14.3k · December 3, 2004

Ah man! Now you're gonna let everybody know the secret!

I'm zipping my lips on my local forum!

December 4, 2004

I'm zipping my lips on my local forum!

Locals checking in...YER BUSTED!

(not that I'm ever in the FTF race anyway)

14.3k · December 4, 2004

I'm zipping my lips on my local forum!
Locals checking in...YER BUSTED!

(not that I'm ever in the FTF race anyway)

That's makes 3 locals that have caught me with me hand in the cookie jar! But it doesn't matter if I now have this great list of unfounds because I can never seem break free to find them because I'm a Honeydew. Most of you know what that is: "Honey do this...Honey do that." :lol:

December 6, 2004

That's makes 3 locals that have caught me with me hand in the cookie jar! But it doesn't matter if I now have this great list of unfounds because I can never seem break free to find them because I'm a Honeydew. Most of you know what that is: "Honey do this...Honey do that."

Local checking in...so make it four that have caught you......and I bring the honey along...or at least just started to, in order to avoid that honeydew list.

Nice tip about Firefox though.

December 6, 2004

Is this a Firefox extention, or is it in the base software? When I right-click the bookmark in the tool bar and click properties, it does not have any scheduling info...just the name/location/keyword/description fields.

No extension, just the base software. Look above all the other information, there should be three tabs. You are looking at the "info" tab.

As far as the Terms of Use, robertlipe... I suppose, technically speaking, perhaps this could fall into that, but if you look at the part that you omitted:

You agree that you will not use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means

I think you get to the point of what Groundspeak is prohibiting.

(a) take any action that imposes, or may impose in our sole discretion an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on our infrastructure; or ( interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Site or any activities conducted on the Site or other measures we may use to prevent or restrict access to the Site.[

As long as you use common sense/courtesy and use a reasonable amount of time between scheduling polls for updates, as individual users doing this, it shouldn't put any unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the servers. Of course, if TPTB decide this is a violation of TOU, I'd stop, but I don't think that this is what they are trying to stop by putting this in there. Hope I'm right!

December 6, 2004

Weird I only have an info tab on my bookmarks and no other tabs. I'm using Version 1.0

December 6, 2004

Really want to be a FTF? Here's another cache (in addition to the one mentioned above that was unfound for 8 months) that's been waiting for almost a month ... Rock Garden Trail

The park and pick caches, IMHO, are too easy for the FTF to mean an awful lot! :grin:

14.3k · December 6, 2004

Local checking in...so make it four that have caught you......and I bring the honey along...or at least just started to, in order to avoid that honeydew list.

Nice tip about Firefox though.

I already counted you TT in, so it is back to only 3. But you are the LAST guy that needed more FTF tips! :grin:

I know it's really hard to fathom but my honey doesn't like to cache. She thinks I'm nuts! :blink:

December 6, 2004

Weird I only have an info tab on my bookmarks and no other tabs. I'm using Version 1.0

You're right. I am using Firefox 0.9 on my Linux box, but on my Windows machine with Firefox 1.0 I only see the info tab...

I see in the Mozilla forums that when they released 1.0, they removed the feature ("Removed due to instability with the feature. May be reinstated in the future when the developers have time to work on it"). So we must all be using older versions...

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