Idea for cache type

[tts423]

I had an idea for a cache type which I think could be really fun in the future. I'm not expecting to revolutionise caching or anything, just thought I'd throw it out there because it seemed like a great idea to me. Initially I thought it was what people refered to as the "movable cache", but it's not. Essentially it's having a cache attached to a moving object, such as a vehicle, and having a GPS attached to the vehicle to monitor its location in real-time. You could have the cache on the outside of the vehicle and the GPS tracker on the inside to prevent theft, for example. To me this is the ultimate moving cache. You could even have it on public transport- buses, trains.. anything that frequently changes location.

[+T.D.M.22]

And how exactly would a moving cache abide by the saturation rules?

[+GeoBain]

It would be a moving cache. It would just have automated coord updates. Cool idea though.

[+Pork King]

So what if the car was parked right beside one of the 1000s of LPMs in a Wal-Mart parking lot? How would you know which one to log? without reading the cache page (as some do not)?

[+geocat_]

I couldn't find anything about "moving caches" in the guidelines, but I am pretty sure you would not be allowed to hide one as you described. The coordinates must be accurate as listed on the cache page. Would be a cool idea though.

[+Markwell]

Cache Permanence

[+geocat_]

Cache Permanence

 

Thanks

[+BigLinc16]

I honestly think it is a pretty cool idea. These types of caches would have to be exempt from the saturation rules for them to work however. I would argue that this type of cache would be permanent in its own way as it would be attached permanently to its vehicle. Its a cool idea that would most likely never be allowed by Groundspeak.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Not too horribly long ago, somebody else suggested a cache placed on/in a public transport vehicle. They had suggested a bus.

Mention of the 1996 London bus bombing kind of killed that idea.

 

Yes, most of us know that a micro might not equate to being recognized as a bomb... but you are going to have to pass it by the authority in charge of that public transport system. Based upon that alone, I doubt that such a cache would go much of anywhere!

I rather doubt that permission would ever be granted, especially an item that would contain a transmitting/receiving device.

 

I'd say that presents two big obstacles: Cache Permanence and Permission.

[+Tassie_Boy]

So what if the car was parked right beside one of the 1000s of LPMs in a Wal-Mart parking lot? How would you know which one to log? without reading the cache page (as some do not)?

 

Is it not time that people stop having their hands held and read the descriptions?

Is it really so hard?

 

The description forms part of the information needed to find a cache, in my opinion if they sign the light post instead of the car. Or they don't realise there is a big river in the middle of a multi. Or there is a tool they need to open the cache but they don't have it. If they haven't read the description it's their own bloody fault.

[+Touchstone]

I seem to recall someone doing something similar with the HAM APRS system, but instead of a cache, they just had a trackable sticker on their car, like a travel bug.

[+unabowler]

You can't do this with a cache but I believe a trackable can do exactly what the OP is describing, except for maybe sticking it on public transportation.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

You can't do this with a cache but I believe a trackable can do exactly what the OP is describing, except for maybe sticking it on public transportation.

 

Not that I think this is a good idea but the OP is proposing a new cache type. The fact that this type of cache doesn't comply with the existing guidelines really isn't an issue because essentially the OP is proposing that the guidelines be changes to allow for a new cache type.

 

 

[+TeamRabbitRun]

Sooooo, if it's on the outside of the bus, cachers would have to stand in traffic to get it, with traffic-waiting car drivers staring at them. And, the bus isn't going to wait for them to sign the log and put it back. "Hey, come back!", or "Hey, you ran over my foot!", or "Hey, don't back up!", or "Hey, I'm walkin' here!"

 

If it's on the INSIDE of the bus, you'd have to grab it in close proximity to a whole passel of folks who have nothing else to look at but the guy who's stashing a little cylinder under the seat in the back.

 

What could possibly go wrong?

[+unabowler]

You can't do this with a cache but I believe a trackable can do exactly what the OP is describing, except for maybe sticking it on public transportation.

 

Not that I think this is a good idea but the OP is proposing a new cache type. The fact that this type of cache doesn't comply with the existing guidelines really isn't an issue because essentially the OP is proposing that the guidelines be changes to allow for a new cache type.

 

That new cache type is not in the cards, as has been explained by others. I was suggesting an alternate way of accomplishing something close to the OP's intentions.

[tts423]

Sooooo, if it's on the outside of the bus, cachers would have to stand in traffic to get it, with traffic-waiting car drivers staring at them. And, the bus isn't going to wait for them to sign the log and put it back. "Hey, come back!", or "Hey, you ran over my foot!", or "Hey, don't back up!", or "Hey, I'm walkin' here!"

 

If it's on the INSIDE of the bus, you'd have to grab it in close proximity to a whole passel of folks who have nothing else to look at but the guy who's stashing a little cylinder under the seat in the back.

 

What could possibly go wrong?

Most of these things had occurred to me. Hypothetically, a physical cache could be placed on a vehicle if you are the owner or a willing participant- and obviously you could only retrieve it if the vehicle was parked. Having one on public transportation would be much more difficult, if only because you'd need a way to keep the tracker charged at all times (as far as I know?). The rest wouldn't be that difficult- you could simply make it a virtual cache, a QR code, a NFC (placed in an accessable part of the transport), etc etc. Many buses have serial numbers you can see from the outside (or the inside) if you were to opt for a virtual cache, for example. I'm fully aware that despite the logistical issues, Groundspeak grandfathering the moving and virtual cache types means it wouldn't be possible on this site anytime soon anyway. I can still dream though!

Edited April 14, 2015 by tts423

[+GeoLog81]

First of all, there's nothing new in your idea. It's technically more 'own cache' than 'mobile cache' since the idea of 'own cache' is to be connected to the owner, not to the coordinates.

 

Second, it utilizes exactly the same aspect of game like travel bugs for discovery.

 

Third, there were locationless caches and mysteries with the same idea, but they are now removed. There were more problems than benefits. Events should be attended for socialization, not for mass logging of caches that are available only on events...

[+NYPaddleCacher]

You can't do this with a cache but I believe a trackable can do exactly what the OP is describing, except for maybe sticking it on public transportation.

 

Not that I think this is a good idea but the OP is proposing a new cache type. The fact that this type of cache doesn't comply with the existing guidelines really isn't an issue because essentially the OP is proposing that the guidelines be changes to allow for a new cache type.

 

That new cache type is not in the cards, as has been explained by others. I was suggesting an alternate way of accomplishing something close to the OP's intentions.

 

The point is that arguing that a new cache type is not in the cards because it would violate the current guidelines is not valid as any new cache type would require a change in the guidelines.

 

 

[+unabowler]

.

Edited April 14, 2015 by unabowler

[+The A-Team]

Hypothetically, a physical cache could be placed on a vehicle if you are the owner or a willing participant...

Hypothetically, every cache has permission to be hidden where it is, but we all know this isn't true in reality. I can foresee geocaching getting put in a very bad light when the number of bomb threats, um, "explodes" due to countless unauthorized containers being discovered on public transport or otherwise unwilling participants.

 

...and obviously you could only retrieve it if the vehicle was parked.

Is it obvious? What would there be to stop someone from following the vehicle and jumping out in the middle of the road at a red light to log it? Trust me, it would happen.

 

While your idea is certainly interesting, it just won't fly.

[+MartyBartfast]

There was one just like this in Southern England when I started caching (back in 2005), there was a GPS and radio transmitter in the car, which sent it's location to the guy's home where it then updated the co-ords on a website which was linked to the cache page. If you found the car and the driver wasn't there then there was a phone number you could text and they would come and open the boot (trunk) for you which contained a large ammo can. There were rules on the cache page about the availability when it could be cached and I believe the co-ords were hidden at unsociable hours. I never got to look for it, though I wish I had, but I think it went down very well.

 

It was archived as caching changed and it fell foul of several guidelines/rules, and sadly I can't remember the GC code to link to it.

[+narcissa]

Something that could work, instead of a container on a vehicle, might be a sticker with a QR code or some such thing that gives you the correct coordinates for a geocache. I don't know that I'd want to put that on a bus, but I might be willing to put it on my own car underneath my travel bug sticker.

 

GPS tracking seems too fussy to actually work in the long run.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Something that could work, instead of a container on a vehicle, might be a sticker with a QR code or some such thing that gives you the correct coordinates for a geocache. I don't know that I'd want to put that on a bus, but I might be willing to put it on my own car underneath my travel bug sticker. .

 

I read about a cache like this awhile back. The CO had a sticker on their vehicle with coordinates to a final location where the cache was placed. He/She described where the vehicle was *usually* parked (at work/home) but essentially people had to find the car to in order to find the cache location. Of course, permission would be a major issue to put any sort of sticker on a bus.

 

 

[+narcissa]

Something that could work, instead of a container on a vehicle, might be a sticker with a QR code or some such thing that gives you the correct coordinates for a geocache. I don't know that I'd want to put that on a bus, but I might be willing to put it on my own car underneath my travel bug sticker. .

 

I read about a cache like this awhile back. The CO had a sticker on their vehicle with coordinates to a final location where the cache was placed. He/She described where the vehicle was *usually* parked (at work/home) but essentially people had to find the car to in order to find the cache location. Of course, permission would be a major issue to put any sort of sticker on a bus.

 

I think I would be evil and have the north coordinates on one car and the west coordinates on the other car.

 

Eventually people just end up sharing the coordinates with each other but it would be fun to see who manages to be first to find it.

[+6NoisyHikers]

Something that could work, instead of a container on a vehicle, might be a sticker with a QR code or some such thing that gives you the correct coordinates for a geocache. I don't know that I'd want to put that on a bus, but I might be willing to put it on my own car underneath my travel bug sticker. .

 

I read about a cache like this awhile back. The CO had a sticker on their vehicle with coordinates to a final location where the cache was placed. He/She described where the vehicle was *usually* parked (at work/home) but essentially people had to find the car to in order to find the cache location. Of course, permission would be a major issue to put any sort of sticker on a bus.

 

I think I would be evil and have the north coordinates on one car and the west coordinates on the other car.

 

Eventually people just end up sharing the coordinates with each other but it would be fun to see who manages to be first to find it.

 

I love the idea of a sticker with coords on our car. What do you think the difficulty rating should be on a cache like that?

[+TriciaG]

Wouldn't stickers on a car sometimes run afoul of the proximity guideline? It's a physical stage of the cache, isn't it? So don't park it within 161m of a guardrail or light post hide.

[+narcissa]

Something that could work, instead of a container on a vehicle, might be a sticker with a QR code or some such thing that gives you the correct coordinates for a geocache. I don't know that I'd want to put that on a bus, but I might be willing to put it on my own car underneath my travel bug sticker. .

 

I read about a cache like this awhile back. The CO had a sticker on their vehicle with coordinates to a final location where the cache was placed. He/She described where the vehicle was *usually* parked (at work/home) but essentially people had to find the car to in order to find the cache location. Of course, permission would be a major issue to put any sort of sticker on a bus.

 

I think I would be evil and have the north coordinates on one car and the west coordinates on the other car.

 

Eventually people just end up sharing the coordinates with each other but it would be fun to see who manages to be first to find it.

 

I love the idea of a sticker with coords on our car. What do you think the difficulty rating should be on a cache like that?

 

That's a good question! I think I'd make it a 3 and see if anyone complained.

[+AustinMN]

Something that could work, instead of a container on a vehicle, might be a sticker with a QR code or some such thing that gives you the correct coordinates for a geocache. I don't know that I'd want to put that on a bus, but I might be willing to put it on my own car underneath my travel bug sticker. .

 

I read about a cache like this awhile back. The CO had a sticker on their vehicle with coordinates to a final location where the cache was placed. He/She described where the vehicle was *usually* parked (at work/home) but essentially people had to find the car to in order to find the cache location. Of course, permission would be a major issue to put any sort of sticker on a bus.

 

I think I would be evil and have the north coordinates on one car and the west coordinates on the other car.

 

Eventually people just end up sharing the coordinates with each other but it would be fun to see who manages to be first to find it.

 

I love the idea of a sticker with coords on our car. What do you think the difficulty rating should be on a cache like that?

 

This would last until a overzealous cacher ran the car off the road to get the cache.

 

If you think it would not happen, think again.

[Art Carnage]

I had an idea for a cache type which I think could be really fun in the future. I'm not expecting to revolutionise caching or anything, just thought I'd throw it out there because it seemed like a great idea to me. Initially I thought it was what people refered to as the "movable cache", but it's not. Essentially it's having a cache attached to a moving object, such as a vehicle, and having a GPS attached to the vehicle to monitor its location in real-time. You could have the cache on the outside of the vehicle and the GPS tracker on the inside to prevent theft, for example. To me this is the ultimate moving cache. You could even have it on public transport- buses, trains.. anything that frequently changes location.

 

That's far from being a new idea. It was tried about a dozen years ago. Didn't really work out.