Puzzle cache - am I missing something about the process?!

[+JulesDunelm]

Hi All,

 

Am fairly new so only searched for traditional caches so far. Following all advice about trying for easy ones first!

 

However I was chatting to our visitors last night, who were interested in hearing about my new hobby, and we looked at a puzzle cache within reach of my house. A couple of hours later, one of them solved it and used the code they found to create some co-ordinates. Then we noticed that practically the same co-ordinates were given at the top of the description page. Were we just doing the puzzle for fun (no harm there)? Seems we could just have bunged in the co-ordinates as shown and gone off to hunt.

 

Could someone say if it is indeed just a fun mind-exercise to do this kind of cache or is this unusual? Or are we missing something else obvious?

 

Thank you.

[+cerberus1]

Seems in my area most of the posted coords are parking.

If the solved puzzle coords and the posted are the same, yes I'd say that's unusual.

[+cerberus1]

You say "practically" the same.

Without knowing what you're inferring, possible the coords (in distance) are up to maybe a hundred feet or so away from the posted?

That would make it a fun mind experience - with a short walk.

[+T.D.M.22]

They could very well be the same- I've done it before. They could also be different- I think up to 2 miles. There has to be co-ords, so some will use a parking spot, some will just pick random numbers, some may put it in a spot where you'd never expect the cache- the middle if a highway for example.

 

The thing about puzzles is the can be anything. Count the windows in the church, or solve a series of different codes.

[+NanCycle]

You say "practically" the same.

Without knowing what you're inferring, possible the coords (in distance) are up to maybe a hundred feet or so away from the posted?

That would make it a fun mind experience - with a short walk.

 

This sounds most likely to me. The listed coordinates of a puzzle are not supposed to be more than 2 miles away from the actual cache location, but they could be much closer. Coordinates that are a few hundred feet apart would be nearly the same, but that would give you a huge area to search.

[+Panther&Pine]

It seems to depend on the owner, I've known several who use the bogus coords as parking coords.

[+Bear and Ragged]

It's possible!

There is a maximum distance the cache can be from the posted coordinates, there's no minimum, and nothing to stop the cache being at the coordinates!

 

Good way to keep the number of finders down, if they 'ignore' puzzles.

(Unless they are 'new' and don't realize puzzle caches are not (usually!) at the posted coordinates.)

[+dprovan]

So it sounds like this is just an answer that's close to the posted coordinates, which isn't unusual, so assume that's what it is.

 

Once in a while, a CO will be "cute" and make the posted coordinates exactly the same as the solution as a neener-neener.

 

And in a few cases I've run into, the "solution" was the same as posted coordinates because the CO's was telling me I'd followed a red herring and needed to work harder to find the real solution. Hopefully there's a checker that lets you rule out that possibility.

[+ngrrfan]

The listed coordinates of a puzzle are not supposed to be more than 2 miles away from the actual cache location, but they could be much closer.

 

Not necessarily true. Older caches had solutions that were miles away from their posted start location.

However, if a cache is fairly new you can figure that the final is within 2 miles.

[+NanCycle]

The listed coordinates of a puzzle are not supposed to be more than 2 miles away from the actual cache location, but they could be much closer.

 

Not necessarily true. Older caches had solutions that were miles away from their posted start location.

However, if a cache is fairly new you can figure that the final is within 2 miles.

 

Yeah, well, you had to bring up ancient history.

[+Harry Dolphin]

So it sounds like this is just an answer that's close to the posted coordinates, which isn't unusual, so assume that's what it is.

 

Once in a while, a CO will be "cute" and make the posted coordinates exactly the same as the solution as a neener-neener.

 

 

Found one once (seemed an unsolvable puzzle) where the solution was six feet from the posted coords. Plug in the posted coords, it told you that you were close. Change one digit, and you got the solution.

[+niraD]

The listed coordinates of a puzzle are not supposed to be more than 2 miles away from the actual cache location, but they could be much closer.

Not necessarily true. Older caches had solutions that were miles away from their posted start location.

However, if a cache is fairly new you can figure that the final is within 2 miles.

Yeah, well, you had to bring up ancient history.

It isn't necessarily "ancient history". I've found puzzle caches hidden relatively recently that have extended the standard 2-mile radius. Generally, the CO had a good reason for the posted coordinates to be further from the final cache location, and the volunteer reviewer and/or Groundspeak agreed.

[+JulesDunelm]

Thank you for all the replies. Looks like the next thing is to check whether the coordinates are exactly the same and have foolishly left the puzzle solution elsewhere so will get onto that as soon as I can!