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Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 22 April 11 1:18 pm
by Rigger64
lemmykc wrote:I am the owner of 'Geometry with the Beach Birdies', and I personally think this is not fair. You see, I originally put the cache down as a Puzzle cache, but theUMP thought that it should be a multi. The first time he asked me, I kept it as a Puzzle. Then he asked me again and I agreed to change it because I wanted to get it published. I did do the right thing, however I had to change to the wrong thing. I realise that no one is having an attack, however I still think that it is unfair that I did the right thing. And on the other topic, I have no idea wether the rule has changed.
Ok so is this by the Rules & Reg's A Multi or A Puzzle/unknown?????????
As far as im conserned it should be a puzzle as it requires the use of a UV light to solve a pluzzle to even get the coords then the use of a CHIRP GPSr to find GZ.
So in my thinking it requires the use of special equipment so the rating should also be higer than it is.

Just my 2 cents worth (less Tax & GST)

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 22 April 11 1:56 pm
by gmj3191
Rigger64 wrote:
lemmykc wrote:I am the owner of 'Geometry with the Beach Birdies', and I personally think this is not fair. You see, I originally put the cache down as a Puzzle cache, but theUMP thought that it should be a multi. The first time he asked me, I kept it as a Puzzle. Then he asked me again and I agreed to change it because I wanted to get it published. I did do the right thing, however I had to change to the wrong thing. I realise that no one is having an attack, however I still think that it is unfair that I did the right thing. And on the other topic, I have no idea wether the rule has changed.
Ok so is this by the Rules & Reg's A Multi or A Puzzle/unknown?????????
As far as im conserned it should be a puzzle as it requires the use of a UV light to solve a pluzzle to even get the coords then the use of a CHIRP GPSr to find GZ.
So in my thinking it requires the use of special equipment so the rating should also be higer than it is.

Just my 2 cents worth (less Tax & GST)
I think it's a "Mystery". I can't see the value in calling anything "Unknown"
It's definitely not a multi going by the guidelines.

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 22 April 11 9:10 pm
by Zalgariath
Mystery / Unknown is also refered to as "Catch-all". In other words, any physical cache that does not fit the criteria of a trad or multi is thereby a "?" Cache ;) ...oh except Letterboxes which seem only to exist for historical purposes and dont follow the rules.

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 23 April 11 11:59 am
by Philipp
Rigger64 wrote:So in my thinking it requires the use of special equipment so the rating should also be higer than it is.
The guidelines or how they are handled are kind of inconsistent:
  • If you need a boat, climbing gear or screw driver it's special equipment and it'll be a T5
  • If you need a Garmin GPSr for a chirp it's not special equipment but the cache has to be a mystery/puzzle/unknown type
  • If you need a UV-torch, a normal torch for a nightcache, a camera for a virtual/earthcache or a computer for a wifi-cache you have to set the attribute but it's kind of accepted that these things are not considered to be special equipment. The Terrain can be less than 5.


Weird but it is as it is. In my opinion there should be three equipment-tags:
  1. standard: a GPSr and a pen
  2. advanced: you need some stuff you can find in a normal single-household (e.g. screw-driver, ruler, torch)
  3. special: gear you wouldn't find in a normal household (e.g. boat, UV-torch, ladder, chirp-GPSr)
... but that's just wishful thinking. It's never gonna happen.

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 23 April 11 12:32 pm
by gmj3191
I'm not overly fussed about the rating, but I think if you need anything other than a generic GPS then it should be a "?", with the Attributes telling you it needs a UV torch or a Beacon detector of some kind, or whatever special equipment.

That way, if you're out ploughing through an area, and you see a "?" type, then you know it might not be a candidate for a "walk up and search" find.
This is consistent with the rule for Chirp multis which Groundspeak have (had?).

Absolutely need Chirp detector then type = "?"
Don't absolutely need Chirp detector then type = "M" i.e there is an alternative method for finding.

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 23 April 11 1:10 pm
by Rigger64
Philipp wrote:
Rigger64 wrote:So in my thinking it requires the use of special equipment so the rating should also be higer than it is.
The guidelines or how they are handled are kind of inconsistent:
  • If you need a boat, climbing gear or screw driver it's special equipment and it'll be a T5
  • If you need a Garmin GPSr for a chirp it's not special equipment but the cache has to be a mystery/puzzle/unknown type
  • If you need a UV-torch, a normal torch for a nightcache, a camera for a virtual/earthcache or a computer for a wifi-cache you have to set the attribute but it's kind of accepted that these things are not considered to be special equipment. The Terrain can be less than 5.


Weird but it is as it is. In my opinion there should be three equipment-tags:
  1. standard: a GPSr and a pen
  2. advanced: you need some stuff you can find in a normal single-household (e.g. screw-driver, ruler, torch)
  3. special: gear you wouldn't find in a normal household (e.g. boat, UV-torch, ladder, chirp-GPSr)
... but that's just wishful thinking. It's never gonna happen.
gmj3191 wrote:I'm not overly fussed about the rating, but I think if you need anything other than a generic GPS then it should be a "?", with the Attributes telling you it needs a UV torch or a Beacon detector of some kind, or whatever special equipment.

That way, if you're out ploughing through an area, and you see a "?" type, then you know it might not be a candidate for a "walk up and search" find.
This is consistent with the rule for Chirp multis which Groundspeak have (had?).

Absolutely need Chirp detector then type = "?"
Don't absolutely need Chirp detector then type = "M" i.e there is an alternative method for finding.
I Agree with both points that if there an alternative way to find then "M" if not then it shoukld be "?".

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 23 April 11 1:33 pm
by Papa Bear_Left
I think there's a reasonable expectation that I can find and log a Trad without any special gear, and without needing to read the description.

For a multi or a mystery, though, I expect to need read the description! Otherwise, for a multi, I won't know what I have to do at the listed coords (find a container? Count something? Read a number off a sign? Look for a wi-fi SSID?)

So, if it turns out that I need a UV torch to complete the multi, that's OK, I've read the description and know about it and won't attempt it until I get one. (Of course, I have one in my caching bag just in case. Don't you?)

I disagree that Mystery / Puzzle / Unknown type should be used for anything that's a little bit hard or unusual. Should camouflaged Trads be included? Multis with some maths involved?

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 23 April 11 2:56 pm
by gmj3191
Papa Bear_Left wrote:I think there's a reasonable expectation that I can find and log a Trad without any special gear, and without needing to read the description.
Fair enough.
Papa Bear_Left wrote:For a multi or a mystery, though, I expect to need read the description! Otherwise, for a multi, I won't know what I have to do at the listed coords (find a container? Count something? Read a number off a sign? Look for a wi-fi SSID?)
Yes, but you expect to be able to go to WP1 then read the description, and be able to complete it. This is typical of a paperless caching expedition. Before paperless caching, what you say was true.
Papa Bear_Left wrote:So, if it turns out that I need a UV torch to complete the multi, that's OK, I've read the description and know about it and won't attempt it until I get one.
If you arrive at WP 1 of a multi and get half way through the description and find you need something special, then that's where you might find you've wasted your time. If was classified as a M/P/U then you would have been a bit more wary.
Papa Bear_Left wrote:I disagree that Mystery / Puzzle / Unknown type should be used for anything that's a little bit hard or unusual. Should camouflaged Trads be included? Multis with some maths involved?
Agreed, but needing some non standard equipment such as UV light, IR light, Beacon detecting equipment etc is a bit more than unusual - it renders the cache pretty much impossible unless you are specially equipped.

But all this aside, the guideline currently says, as most of us understand, that if there is no alternative method to find a Chirp cache, then it should be a/an M/P/U which seems to mean "Unknown" (I'm sure there used to be Mystery or Puzzle types as well, but I'm probably wrong about that)

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 24 June 11 11:25 am
by s_mc500
Chirp at DSE $19.98 + $5.95 delivery http://dicksmith.com.au/product/D9152/garmin-chirp

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 24 June 11 1:38 pm
by Laighside Legends
s_mc500 wrote:Chirp at DSE $19.98 + $5.95 delivery http://dicksmith.com.au/product/D9152/garmin-chirp
Why is it in the "Golf Navigation" section? Do they think you're meant to put them in golf balls to help find them? :shock:

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 24 June 11 4:43 pm
by shrek4
I bought 5 chirps from the US when they first came out. Had plans to use them but hadn't got around to it. A few months back I got them out of the cupboard to have a squiz when I noticed one was different. Turns out one of them was a Garmin Footpod thingo which is used to communicate the GPS position to a Garmin Heartrate monitor watch thing. Was very annoyed I hadn't noticed it sooner as it was far too late to contact the company in the US and organize a replacement.

So I went online had noticed the RRP of the Footpod was $120. So I sold it on eBay for $80 which effectively means I got the four for about $30.

Now that's a bargain.

Still plan on using them, one day I suppose.

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 27 June 11 11:15 am
by Zalgariath
And it seems the UK reviewers arnt quite as on the ball as the Aussie ones ;) Went to find a Traditional Listed cache the other day and the GPS was leading me into a building... odd. Clue made no sense too... then I noticed the cache was named "A little bird told me..." and checked the attributes... yep, even though there is no mention in the cache description the beacon icon is there and it clearly cant be found at the listed co-ords >:( Should be a puzzle.

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 27 June 11 2:40 pm
by gmj3191
Zalgariath wrote:And it seems the UK reviewers arnt quite as on the ball as the Aussie ones ;) Went to find a Traditional Listed cache the other day and the GPS was leading me into a building... odd. Clue made no sense too... then I noticed the cache was named "A little bird told me..." and checked the attributes... yep, even though there is no mention in the cache description the beacon icon is there and it clearly cant be found at the listed co-ords >:( Should be a puzzle.
Quite a controversial cache http://coord.info/GC2JP93

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 27 June 11 2:47 pm
by Happy Chappies
gmj3191 wrote:
Zalgariath wrote:And it seems the UK reviewers arnt quite as on the ball as the Aussie ones ;) Went to find a Traditional Listed cache the other day and the GPS was leading me into a building... odd. Clue made no sense too... then I noticed the cache was named "A little bird told me..." and checked the attributes... yep, even though there is no mention in the cache description the beacon icon is there and it clearly cant be found at the listed co-ords >:( Should be a puzzle.
Quite a controversial cache http://coord.info/GC2JP93
Do I read/assume correctly that people are trying to open the chirp, thinking it's the cache? If so, that's hilarious.....

"TFTC. Took microchip and two resistors. Left marble and snoopy paperclip. Needs new logbook."

Re: Garmin Chirp

Posted: 28 June 11 1:43 am
by Zalgariath
I think so! I dont think 90% of seekers are aware this is a Chirp Cache... unless you know what the Beacon Attribute means there is no way otherwise of realising at the listed co-ords you wont find anything. It seems one hunter did find the Chirp... but couldnt open it hahaha