Fake Coordinates For Long-distance Multis

[+shunra]

If a multi cache starts in one state, and ends some 25 miles away in another state, should the fake coords be near the place where the final cache is located, or near the place where you have to go to to start foing the cache in the first place?

And does the same apply to the 'State' designation?

 

I'm asking because I hate it when caches show up next to me when I cannot do them.

[+El Diablo]

I would think, and I believe that the approvers require that they be close to the start of a multi. Like maybe near the parking area if possible.

 

One other thing. You stated you hate when you couldn't do them. I'm assuming you mean when the fake coords are near the end? You wouldn't have to drive any further to get to the start in another state and work back home than someone that started at the start and finished in another state and had to drive back home.

 

El Diablo

Edited January 18, 2005 by El Diablo

[+Stump]

If a multi cache starts in one state, and ends some 25 miles away in another state, should the fake coords be near the place where the final cache is located, or near the place where you have to go to to start foing the cache in the first place?

Shouldn't multi-caches have real coordinates? The coordinates posted should be the actual coordinates of the first location.

 

Here's a multi-cache that has 2 steps 42 miles apart. Stand By Me

Edited January 18, 2005 by Stump

[+El Diablo]

If a multi cache starts in one state, and ends some 25 miles away in another state, should the fake coords be near the place where the final cache is located, or near the place where you have to go to to start foing the cache in the first place?

Shouldn't multi-caches have real coordinates? The coordinates posted should be the actual coordinates of the first location.

No. Sometimes a multi...like many I place begin with a puzzle to solve to get the coordinates to the 1st stage. So you have to enter some coordinate on the submission page.

 

El Diablo

[+evergreenhiker!]

WEll, I think I would put it near the start. That seems to make the most sense. So if somebody is interested in doing the cache, at least, they won't be misled by the general area of the start. Also, lot of us don't always read the cache page before going to the coordinates. The state designation should be based on the listed coords.

Edited January 18, 2005 by evergreenhiker!

[+SeventhSon]

The coordinates on a multi-cache page are coordinates you will actually visit, so they will be near the start. If it is a puzzle cache, the coords are for reference only and you don't actually visit the location. I believe the guidelines suggest they be within 1-2 miles from the actual container.

[+shunra]

The coordinates on a multi-cache page are coordinates you will actually visit, so they will be near the start. If it is a puzzle cache, the coords are for reference only and you don't actually visit the location. I believe the guidelines suggest they be within 1-2 miles from the actual container.

From the actual container, or from the first place one needs to physically visit?

[+El Diablo]

The coordinates on a multi-cache page are coordinates you will actually visit, so they will be near the start. If it is a puzzle cache, the coords are for reference only and you don't actually visit the location. I believe the guidelines suggest they be within 1-2 miles from the actual container.

From the actual container, or from the first place one needs to physically visit?

From the first place you actually need to visit would be my thought.

 

El Diablo

[+Kit Fox]

If the cache is a mystery multi, I think the coords should be close to the actual cache. Here is my reasoning why, tracking travel bugs and for mapping all of your found caches.

 

If the fake coords are near the end, a note should be made on the cache page explaining where they actually need to start.

 

Bill,

[+SeventhSon]

The coordinates on a multi-cache page are coordinates you will actually visit, so they will be near the start. If it is a puzzle cache, the coords are for reference only and you don't actually visit the location. I believe the guidelines suggest they be within 1-2 miles from the actual container.

From the actual container, or from the first place one needs to physically visit?

I've never actually seen a multi-mystery cache, so I'm not exactly sure. With a typical mystery/unknown puzzle cache, the coords are bogus but within a short distance of the actual cache location. These coords are normally found by solving a puzzle of some kind.

 

With a multi-mystery I'm not really sure it matters. The guidelines mention TBs staying close to their actual traveled miles when posting these bogus coords, but with any multi, the miles are gonna be off since many multi's cover several miles.

[stang buff]

Here's a multi-mystery cache you might want to check out.

 

Do not use PC

[+Hemlock]

• If the cache is at the posted coords, its a traditional.
  
• If there is something at the posted coords (physical or virtual) that will lead the finder to the cache elsewhere, its a multi.
  
• If the posted coords are bogus, or nothing more than parking, its a mystery/puzzle.
  

There is no mention in the guidelines about how far apart the stages of a multi can be. The guidelines do specify a minimum distance that those stage must maintain to other caches but nothing regarding stage-to-stage distance within the same multi.

 

The guidelines do specify that the bogus coords of a puzzle should be within a couple miles or so of the solution.

 

If I understand the question correctly, we're talking here about a puzzle to figure the coords to a first stage, which then would be visited to find the coords to another stage. That could arguably be classified as either a multi or a puzzle, whichever strikes your fancy, but the bogus coords should still be within a couple miles or so of at least one of the stages. I don't think it would matter which stage.

 

Say the first stage is in Virginia and the second stage is in Maryland. If you use bogus coords in California, no one in Virginia or Maryland would ever see the cache to know to solve the puzzle and search for it. But if by chance someone *did* log it, and dropped a TB in it, the bug's mileage would be way messed up.

[+shunra]

• If the cache is at the posted coords, its a traditional.
  
• If there is something at the posted coords (physical or virtual) that will lead the finder to the cache elsewhere, its a multi.
  
• If the posted coords are bogus, or nothing more than parking, its a mystery/puzzle.
  

There is no mention in the guidelines about how far apart the stages of a multi can be. The guidelines do specify a minimum distance that those stage must maintain to other caches but nothing regarding stage-to-stage distance within the same multi.

 

The guidelines do specify that the bogus coords of a puzzle should be within a couple miles or so of the solution.

 

If I understand the question correctly, we're talking here about a puzzle to figure the coords to a first stage, which then would be visited to find the coords to another stage. That could arguably be classified as either a multi or a puzzle, whichever strikes your fancy, but the bogus coords should still be within a couple miles or so of at least one of the stages. I don't think it would matter which stage.

Actually, the cache I'm talking works as follows:

 

The first waypoint is described very accurately and unmistakeably - in words. At that location, some numbers need to be collected, which give you the final coords, which bring you to the final location, 25 miles away.

 

If we ignore the distance, this sounds like a simple two-step multi, right?

Except: the first waypoint is not indicated by coords, but described in words, unmistakeably and unambiguously, where you have to be and find those numbers. The posted coords might as well have been the posted coords, but for some reason the owner chose to describe the location and post fake coordinates instead. As a result, it got approved as a mystery cache - which it really isn't.

 

I didn't intend to pick on this cache. I had some friendly correspondence with the owner, who moved the fake coords a few miles further away from me and closer to the beginning of the cache. When I asked him, I didn't realize that there was no real reason not to put them exactly on the first waypoint.

 

FWIW, when I just started caching, I placed what I thought was a mystery cache, but it got approved as a multi, for exactly the same reason. The criteria posted by Hemlock make perfect sense, and I don't understand how so many caches get approved as puzzle caches, while they are actually multis. I spent some time last week trying my luck at solving a few dozen puzzle caches, hoping that I'll eventually get to find the physical cache. I was surprised how many puzzle caches were actually just multis, where you had to go somewhere, find some numbers, and move on.

But that's another issue.

[+º]

As a result, it got approved as a mystery cache - which it really isn't.

actually it is a mystery-cache:

 

Mystery or Puzzle Caches

 

The “catch-all” of cache types, this form of cache often involves complicated puzzles that you will first need to solve in order to determine the coordinates. The only commonality of this cache type is that the coordinates listed are not of the actual cache location but a general reference point, such as a nearby parking location. Unless a good reason otherwise can be provided, the posted coordinates should be no more than 1-2 miles away from the true cache location.  This allows the cache to show up on the proper vicinity searches and to keep the mileage of Travel Bugs that find their way into the cache reasonably correct.

Some multis get approved as puzzle-caches since you have to solve riddles on the trail however there is no worldwide standardised approving policy about mystery-caches: Some say that it's a mystery-cache if you have to do some calculations on the trail and others say it's only multi-cache

[+shunra]

As a result, it got approved as a mystery cache - which it really isn't.

actually it is a mystery-cache:

 

Mystery or Puzzle Caches

 

The “catch-all” of cache types, this form of cache often involves complicated puzzles that you will first need to solve in order to determine the coordinates. The only commonality of this cache type is that the coordinates listed are not of the actual cache location but a general reference point, such as a nearby parking location. Unless a good reason otherwise can be provided, the posted coordinates should be no more than 1-2 miles away from the true cache location.  This allows the cache to show up on the proper vicinity searches and to keep the mileage of Travel Bugs that find their way into the cache reasonably correct.

Some multis get approved as puzzle-caches since you have to solve riddles on the trail however there is no worldwide standardised approving policy about mystery-caches: Some say that it's a mystery-cache if you have to do some calculations on the trail and others say it's only multi-cache

So - take two caches which are absolutely identical and do not involve any puzzles.

 

Cache A says: Your first waypoint is Nxx xx.xxx Wxxx xx.xxx (which are alos the posted coords)

 

Cache B says: Your first waypoint is at 1234 Main Street in Mytown. The posted coords are bogus.

 

No other difference at all. In either case, you get to count something, add it up to something, and go to the final. You know the type.

 

Would you say that the first case is a multi and the second is a mystery cache?

 

By the same token, I could put out some coords out in the Puget Sound, put a note book in my living room, just specify my address and inviter people to come and visit, and call it a mystery cache.

[+º]

Would you say that the first case is a multi and the second is a mystery cache?

 

By the same token, I could put out some coords out in the Puget Sound, put a note book in my living room, just specify my address and inviter people to come and visit, and call it a mystery cache.

You name it

 

You might have a problem with getting the home-cache approved due to it's availability but that's it ...

[+programmer64]

I just psted a puzzle cache and was asked to change the bogus coords because they where too far off. Like 20 miles, made sense to me no point in someone going to look for a cache that is nowhere near them.

[+º]

Mystery or Puzzle Caches

 

The “catch-all” of cache types, this form of cache often involves complicated puzzles that you will first need to solve in order to determine the coordinates. The only commonality of this cache type is that the coordinates listed are not of the actual cache location but a general reference point, such as a nearby parking location. Unless a good reason otherwise can be provided, the posted coordinates should be no more than 1-2 miles away from the true cache location.  This allows the cache to show up on the proper vicinity searches and to keep the mileage of Travel Bugs that find their way into the cache reasonably correct.

Hmmm ... I just see that this answers the original question as well

[runner_one]

I have a multi mystry cache that covers MANY miles, I worked with the approver to make sure this cache worked out. You may visit it Here

All the stages except the first on have fake coordinates.