Decoding Coded Caches

[+GRANPA ALEX]

I have been trying to decode some cache text that is written in what looks like Aarabic or Hebrew (though it is not), unsuccessfuly.

 

Logs of successful finders relate use of a web site that does the trick at decoding . . . can anyone direct me so that I can find these caches?

Edited January 30, 2005 by GRANPA ALEX

[+The Blind Acorn]

Which caches??? I'll take a look and see if I can help you. I'm not too good at decoding, but I'm willling to try.

[+GRANPA ALEX]

The primary one, or most recent one, is GCHQ91. I have others using the English alphabet that are coded beyond MY interpretation, as well. Thanks for any help you can give on this one . . . do you know of a web site for decoding?

[+Mopar]

A website for spoiling puzzle caches?

 

Gee, I hope not!

[+GRANPA ALEX]

Not really spoiling . . . the owner 'found' the code somewhere and used it AND I think he wants his work to be rewarded by finds.

 

It seems okay to 'solve the puzzle' so one can find the cache - the solving is to find the ability to decode in the same way the owner found the code to use.

 

It is part of the game, like using a GPSr to find the coords that the owner gave to locate the cache. Sounds reasonable, don't you agree?

[+Sissy-n-CR]

I believe another cacher hit the nail on the head when he said:

 

"it IS bad form for finders to give hints but it is more than that - it is an absolute unforgivable a display of dishonor and diminished integrity that robs the owner of his efforts and care for the game."

 

Anyone care to guess who the author of that particular quote is?

 

My suggestion would be to contact the cache owner to see if he cares to give you a little "push".

 

I e-mailed him with what (I hope) I have as the answer. I went to no websight, just used deductive reasoning based on what the shapes had in common with each other. Took about 5 minutes.

 

Thanks for pointing this out to me!

 

Sissy

[+GRANPA ALEX]

OUCH !!! . . . good post Sissy! (for those who don't know, Sissy is quoting me, I believe)

 

The finds HAVE used the web and stated same in their logs. As I am a novice in this area of technology, do you think it is wrong to ask for help to solve it ON MY OWN using the same tools others have used?

 

I am not asking for the answer, I do want to solve it myself.

[+Sissy-n-CR]

Do I think it is wrong to ask for help? Of course not, but the first place (and only one for me) I would seek help from would be the cache owner.

 

Some owners feel that giving too much away or making it easier for one or two cachers could cheapen the value of the finds for the other finders. One of my favorite puzzle cache placer's philosophy is that his caches have a high difficulty rating for a reason. Just as he does not expect to be able to find scuba or watercraft-necessary caches, because he does not have the training or equipment, he understands that not everyone will have the resources to find all of his caches.

 

This is OK with him.

[+GRANPA ALEX]

You make sense, I think you are right in what you say & the example you provide.

 

That said . . . I do so hate to ask owners for help if there is anyway to do it on my own, using sources for help if I can find them (like others have) - it may be a pride thing with me - BUT, you are still right.

 

Besides . . . you are good at these things, you have said it and I bet proven it in your successes. I stare at these things (codes, puzzles) and go blind.

[+Milbank]

The primary one, or most recent one, is GCHQ91. I have others using the English alphabet that are coded beyond MY interpretation, as well. Thanks for any help you can give on this one . . . do you know of a web site for decoding?

GCHQ91

 

Interesting cache page.

 

I don't know of any web site to help you out, sorry.

[+nittany dave]

OUCH !!! . . . good post Sissy! (for those who don't know, Sissy is quoting me, I believe)

 

The finds HAVE used the web and stated same in their logs. As I am a novice in this area of technology, do you think it is wrong to ask for help to solve it ON MY OWN using the same tools others have used?

 

I am not asking for the answer, I do want to solve it myself.

Since it is my cache that you're asking about, I feel obligated to say

YES! IMO it is not appropriate to ask for help solving the cache puzzle on these forums. If I wanted to broadcast the solution I'd have made a simple cache with the actual coordinates listed on the cache page.

 

You could have asked me for a hint which I would have gladly given.

[Hucklebuck]

So I do need to learn Navajo?

Windtalker

Or learn to decrypt computer code?

No longer patented

Gads!

Edited January 30, 2005 by Hucklebuck

[+Sissy-n-CR]

No, you need to be able to skip the caches that do not bring you joy.

 

I have!

 

Sissy

[+Milbank]

OUCH !!! . . . good post Sissy!  (for those who don't know, Sissy is quoting me, I believe)

 

The finds HAVE used the web and stated same in their logs. As I am a novice in this area of technology, do you think it is wrong to ask for help to solve it ON MY OWN using the same tools others have used?

 

I am not asking for the answer, I do want to solve it myself.

Since it is my cache that you're asking about, I feel obligated to say

YES! IMO it is not appropriate to ask for help solving the cache puzzle on these forums. If I wanted to broadcast the solution I'd have made a simple cache with the actual coordinates listed on the cache page.

 

You could have asked me for a hint which I would have gladly given.

I find the code very interesting.

I can't seem to get it.

 

I don't plan on looking for your cache.

 

It's just to far away for me to go looking for it, but I would still like to get the code worked out.

 

I would be interested in a hint myself.

 

So if you would be so kind as to give me a hint.

 

You can PM or email me from my profile.

 

Thanks,

[+Milbank]

So I do need to learn Navajo?

Windtalker

Or learn to decrypt computer code?

No longer patented

Gads!

Your links do not work.

[+CompuCash]

So I do need to learn Navajo?

Windtalker

Or learn to decrypt computer code?

No longer patented

Gads!

Your links do not work.

 

no they don't they are DEAD -

 

and give the dreaded 404 error

[+Absolut&KittyKat]

 

My wife(KittyKat) has a tatoo like that on her ankle. I know what language that is

[+Ambrosia]

*begin rant*

I guess I'm a heretic. I think that it's not very nice to post a perfectly easy cache that is in my town, and the only reason that I can't find it is because I can't do the puzzle, and saying that because of that, I can never find it. It is a lot easier for me to learn how to scuba dive or drive a boat, or rock climb (all of which I can do) to find a 5 star cache, than it is for me to learn how to twist my brain around some of these puzzles.

 

And I don't think that just because my brain doesn't work in that way precludes me from ever finding these caches. If my super-smart brother helps me figure out these puzzles, or other family members that geocache, or local cachers in my area, and I have the answers in hand, that means I have to always ignore those caches because I didn't actually get those answers all by myself. I can go to the cache location and get it myself, and that should be all that matters.

 

This is just a game, and part of the fun is collaborating with different people, meeting new people, and thinking in ways that I am not used to, and then going out and finding another cache!

*end rant*

 

I'm just responding to those who in the past have said that if you don't know the answer, than you should just ignore the cache and never find it, and if you get the answer from someone else, it is cheating and you should still not be abe to log it.

[+fauxSteve]

So I do need to learn Navajo?

Windtalker

Or learn to decrypt computer code?

No longer patented

Gads!

Your links do not work.

They just lost the "www". Here they are fixed:

Windtalker

No longer patented

[+Muirwoody]

I have seen this site referenced in other threads as a useful crypto learning tool but have no experience with it myself (..takes a long time to load):

 

The Black Chamber

[+nittany dave]

This is just a game, and part of the fun is collaborating with different people, meeting new people, and thinking in ways that I am not used to, and then going out and finding another cache! 

*end rant*

I agree and have done so myself many times.

My point is that posting on the forums is a form of collaboration that goes beyond working with a few local cachers (or relatives, friends, etc.).

[+nittany dave]

They just lost the "www". Here they are fixed:

Windtalker

No longer patented

'Windtalker' was great fun.

'No longer patented' is one of those caches in my town that I can't figure out - yet. Even with hints!

[+sbell111]

...My point is that posting on the forums is a form of collaboration that goes beyond working with a few local cachers (or relatives, friends, etc.).

While I agree with you tHhat specific solutions to specific puzzle caches should not be discussed in the forums without approval of the cache owner, I read the original post as a simple inquiry as to whether anyone knew of any codebreaking website. I don't have a problem with this at all.

[+nittany dave]

...My point is that posting on the forums is a form of collaboration that goes beyond working with a few local cachers (or relatives, friends, etc.).

While I agree with you tHhat specific solutions to specific puzzle caches should not be discussed in the forums without approval of the cache owner, I read the original post as a simple inquiry as to whether anyone knew of any codebreaking website. I don't have a problem with this at all.

No, I guess I really don't either. However, once a specific cache is listed, people will just naturally visit the cache page and I think there is a fairly good chance that sooner or later someone will post the language or other hint that gives it away. For people that don't live near the cache that isn't an issue. I suppose I don't even care that much if the answer is posted and people in my area see the solution. I like for my caches to be found. I personally gain more satisfaction from solving a tough puzzle but I don't want to project how I like to play to others.

 

Still, I've already had more fun than worries about this posting. I've received emails from several people who have either solved the coordinates or are asking for a hint. Most are people who may never be able to find the cache due to distance, but it has been great to hear from them. There are lots of natural puzzle solvers out there!

 

Like I said earlier, I'll always give a hint when asked. I'll give better hints if someone posts a DNF.

[+tiki-4]

Each puzzle has someone who can solve it easily and another who will just feel completly out of sync. Hence it is a puzzle. I agree that to post an answer or discuss how to in the open would defeat the purpose of the puzzle. We have a few in MD that have wracked my brains. Even asking for a clue or help from other cachers hasnt yielded much sympathy. But again that is why it is a puzzle. I recognize exactly what language this is, but it wouldn't be fair to the cacher who went to all the effort to develop this cache to give it away. I do no follow basball and yet i have this anoying puzzle cache 'listed' but 5 miles away that requires a decent amount of knowledge of the sport. A blight i have to live with until i decide to concour it....

[Hucklebuck]

No, you need to be able to skip the caches that do not bring you joy.

 

I have!

 

Sissy

 

Actually, the Navajo was fun & pretty easy. There were just too many people around for me to find the cache. I'll have to go back. I don't mind these puzzle caches (although some really have skunked me.)

 

P.S. I fixed my links in my earlier post. Thanks guys.

[JohnX]

Well, I must admit this has been an interesting thread. I live nowhere near the cache but there is 2 feet of the snow on the ground here so I gave the puzzle a try. I took a pretty good guess at what the characters meant, how to solve the puzzle and did some research on the web. It was interesting to learn how different alphabets changed the development of civilization. Think Gutenberg, moveable type and that arabic did not lend itself to that technology. Anyway, if I recall correctly, a method to solve this puzzle was featured in an Encyclopedia Brown book I read in grade school.

 

Hey, Nittany Dave. Thanks for the cyberspace adventure.

[+horsegeeks]

Luckily for us Ms horsegeeks not only speaks the language but sometimes I think she was born there.

[+horsegeeks]

When I've decoding co-ordinates, I've found the biggest problem is recognizing the source of the cypher ... then finding a good explanation of how to crack it.

 

Some of the sources for the cyphers are obvious, some have me hanging from the ceiling (when not bouncing off the walls!). I've been able to "crack" most of the codes ... but some STILL have me stumped! I don't know if I'll EVER crack some of them. I return to them periodically ... probably to increase my frustration!

 

What I have noticed is that each time I crack a cypher, the next one gets easier. Possibly because my brain has been stretched in a new direction. (My brain probably looks like a fractal (or an Ecsher Print)

 

Puzzle caches aren't for everyone. I find them fun ... if it doesn't push me too far over the edge.

 

Ms Horsegeeks