View Full Version : Next thing... Caches that find themselves. No humans needed!



Mainiac1957
10-15-2010, 11:22 AM
Check out this latest innovation from Garmin here. (http://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/2010/10/garmin-chirp-brings-geocachers-even-more-creativity-connectivity.html)

At $23 retail I wonder if these would catch on. The guy in the video says with the Chirp you can spend less time entering coords for a multi and have time to find more caches. Whew! I was spending way too much of my day on that.:rolleyes:

brdad
10-15-2010, 11:28 AM
Yeah, we were talking about this in national chat last night. It is actually not a horrible price, but I am not sure it's any less prone to being taken than a traditional stage of a multi, possibly more prone to it. But depending on how much and what additional data can be sent from it, it might have other uses.

Mainiac1957
10-15-2010, 11:45 AM
I love your new tag line Dave...:p

lexmano
10-15-2010, 01:01 PM
You can now create a cache which can only be found by high end Garmin devices!

brdad
10-15-2010, 01:09 PM
You can now create a cache which can only be found by high end Garmin devices!

Well, Magellans were never known for finding caches anyway. :D

cano
10-15-2010, 01:35 PM
Check out this latest innovation from Garmin here. (http://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/2010/10/garmin-chirp-brings-geocachers-even-more-creativity-connectivity.html)

At $23 retail I wonder if these would catch on. The guy in the video says with the Chirp you can spend less time entering coords for a multi and have time to find more caches. Whew! I was spending way too much of my day on that.:rolleyes:

I like the idea, but I'm sure it uses some proprietary protocol, so it will be limited only for garmins and therefore useless. What's wrong with printing a QR code with coordinates of the next stage? You scan it and you are all set to go. How can a battery last there one year?

brdad
10-15-2010, 04:48 PM
I have two 2032 batteries in one of my caches which lasted about 3 years (You know which one.) I'm not sure how this chip knows there is GPSr present, but I can't imagine it is a continuous transmission.

I imagine it won't be long before there are some hacks for this device. I already have a cache idea for how I'd like to hack one.

Haffy
10-15-2010, 05:30 PM
Great, now we can have a $20 chirp missing from the cache along with the $10 geocoin.

Haffy
10-15-2010, 05:33 PM
You can now create a cache which can only be found by high end Garmin devices!

Or a high end smart phone that Cano is mentioning to read a QR code. What's the sense?

brdad
10-15-2010, 05:43 PM
Any new product is bound to have limitations but often their successors will have more features and be more compatible. For that reason I'm keeping an open mind about this.

However, I do fear that it might be one step closer to a prediction I have made before... These things being planted on every telephone pole, guard rail, and street sign and people being able to log them just by driving by them and calling it a find. :eek::eek: I'm just hoping the new lamecaching.com site is up before then! :D

cano
10-15-2010, 10:12 PM
Or a high end smart phone that Cano is mentioning to read a QR code. What's the sense?

Except QR codes are open, anybody can implement reader in any device with camera without paying any license to anyone, you don't need a high end phone for that. You don't even need any device either, all you need is a pen and paper and decode it by hand if you want to.

cano
10-15-2010, 10:54 PM
Any new product is bound to have limitations but often their successors will have more features and be more compatible. For that reason I'm keeping an open mind about this.

However, I do fear that it might be one step closer to a prediction I have made before... These things being planted on every telephone pole, guard rail, and street sign and people being able to log them just by driving by them and calling it a find. :eek::eek: I'm just hoping the new lamecaching.com site is up before then! :D

Technology has been here for quite a while, only you need is any bluetooth device as a beacon and any bluetooth enabled cellphone to register it when you drive by. It's cheap and accessible and yet I still see no caches like this :(

JustKev
10-16-2010, 06:13 AM
Well, Magellans were never known for finding caches anyway. :D

My Magellan finds caches as good as Pam's Garmin. Haven't compared it to my Oregon yet since my sister has the Magellan to "see if she likes Geocaching". What my Magellan did that pushed me away from it was acquire satellites so slowly that we sat around waiting for it to be ready to go. I heard that I should be turning it on and off in the same general area. Nope, that didn't do it. If I had to change batteries, another long wait while it acquired satellites. I wouldn't have switched to Garmin if it hadn't been for that.

brdad
10-19-2010, 09:09 AM
There is now an attribute for caches that utilize this new device.

http://www.geocaching.com/images/attributes/wirelessbeacon-yes.gif - Wireless Beacon

Four US caches are currently using this attribute

SBS - You're In a World of Hertz (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=6f314d95-2cfe-4a2f-941d-06a0968e4674) (GC2G604) by ecanderson (http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?id=1432531) (4/1.5)
Heard A Bird ? (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=39af1bbf-060a-4fe2-9ee2-229b35a592a7) (GC2GRHF) by towtrkdug (http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?id=2298059) (5/1.5)
THE SECOND COMING (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=b7f2a35a-9526-4194-b4b0-75eefe803fcd) (GC2FYWA) by The Late Dr HaZzMaTt (http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?id=181919) (4.5/4.5)
Color in the Dotte (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=b712bf8f-31a8-446e-b1d8-d8150edf0ea2) (GC2GXN1) by KCViper295 (http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?id=655862) (2/3.5)

cano
10-19-2010, 09:31 AM
There is now an attribute for caches that utilize this new device.

http://www.geocaching.com/images/attributes/wirelessbeacon-yes.gif - Wireless Beacon



Low tech users can use wireless bacon and dogs :)

Haffy
10-22-2010, 05:14 PM
I like the idea, but I'm sure it uses some proprietary protocol, so it will be limited only for garmins and therefore useless. What's wrong with printing a QR code with coordinates of the next stage? You scan it and you are all set to go. How can a battery last there one year?

And what do you need to read a QR code, some 300 dollar smart phone or what? Not any more proprietary than what you are suggesting for reading the code.

EMSDanel
10-22-2010, 10:27 PM
I'm so irate and discouraged at reading this thread......I'd better wait a few days to comment.

cano
10-23-2010, 09:44 AM
And what do you need to read a QR code, some 300 dollar smart phone or what? Not any more proprietary than what you are suggesting for reading the code.

If you are having problems what word proprietary means or you are missing any information about QR codes, I suggest you start studying, so you don't look like an ignorant, because I already explained everything.

brdad
10-23-2010, 10:19 AM
If you are having problems what word proprietary means or you are missing any information about QR codes, I suggest you start studying, so you don't look like an ignorant, because I already explained everything.

While not proprietary by manufacturer, decoding a QR code at a cache site does require special equipment which many cachers do not have. Until a few months ago, I didn't have a camera on my phone, and I do not think the one I have now is capable of decoding QR codes. And I'm not interested in QR code caches enough to find out, and those QR code caches which are puzzles on the cache page can be easily decoded online at several web sites. While I take no opposition to someone hiding a cache which requires decoding of QR codes (even at the cache site of it is so noted in the description), I would not like to see the use of QR codes implemented in all caches. I feel exactly the same way about this new Chirp.

Haffy
10-23-2010, 11:00 AM
If you are having problems what word proprietary means or you are missing any information about QR codes, I suggest you start studying, so you don't look like an ignorant, because I already explained everything.

Thanks but I never called you ignorant just because you can't speak proper English either, just saying be nice.

brdad
10-23-2010, 12:02 PM
Thanks but I never called you ignorant just because you can't speak proper English either, just saying be nice.

I saw that, but I don't think cano was calling you ignorant, but warned against looking like "an ignorant" - perhaps like we use the phrase to "look like a fool".

I'm happy to remain ignorant of QR code until I am forced to do otherwise. :)

cano
10-23-2010, 02:12 PM
Thanks but I never called you ignorant just because you can't speak proper English either, just saying be nice.

I can speak three other languages beside English and I never called you or anybody else ignorant for not speaking any of this languages (properly) either, so I guess I'm nice, maybe perhaps too nice (by your logic).

I know, my English is not perfect, so which part of "Except QR codes are open, anybody can implement reader in any device with camera without paying any license to anyone, you don't need a high end phone for that. You don't even need any device either, all you need is a pen and paper and decode it by hand if you want to." you didn't understand? Maybe I can explain it a different way.

cano
10-23-2010, 02:40 PM
While not proprietary by manufacturer, decoding a QR code at a cache site does require special equipment which many cachers do not have.

QR code is an ISO standard and it's specification is open and widely known, you don't need special equipment to decode it. It can be done by pen and paper even at a cache site, but I wouldn't do it this way.


Until a few months ago, I didn't have a camera on my phone, and I do not think the one I have now is capable of decoding QR codes.

I have had a camera phone since 2003, but didn't have a GPS until 2006. It's year 2010 and I don't think there is an excuse for not being to decode a QR code.


And I'm not interested in QR code caches enough to find out, and those QR code caches which are puzzles on the cache page can be easily decoded online at several web sites. While I take no opposition to someone hiding a cache which requires decoding of QR codes (even at the cache site of it is so noted in the description), I would not like to see the use of QR codes implemented in all caches. I feel exactly the same way about this new Chirp.

Different people like different way of caching. Different caches require a different equipment to find a cache. You may need GPS, car, kayak, climbing gear, QR code reader, what ever. In all cases you can choose from which manufacturer you buy. This cannot be said about chirp. It's a bad idea to have a vendor lock in the game.

brdad
10-23-2010, 02:54 PM
QR code is an ISO standard and it's specification is open and widely known, you don't need special equipment to decode it. It can be done by pen and paper even at a cache site, but I wouldn't do it this way.

I'd forgotten it can be done by hand, but it certainly is not the preferred method of doing so. Much like one could swim to Monhegan island to do the caches there. :p


Different people like different way of caching. Different caches require a different equipment to find a cache. You may need GPS, car, kayak, climbing gear, QR code reader, what ever. In all cases you can choose from which manufacturer you buy. This cannot be said about chirp. It's a bad idea to have a vendor lock in the game.

I agree, that is why I have no problem if a few hiders want to hide a QR code cache. Regarding the Chirp, it may be proprietary, but it's the first of its kind. I'm guessing other similar devices which are more universal will soon follow. And I am guessing gc.com assumes this, too, since the attribute is not for "Garmin Chirp", it is for "Wireless Beacon".

WhereRWe?
10-23-2010, 03:45 PM
I can speak three other languages beside English...

I can ask for a beer in about 10 languages. :D:D

cano
10-23-2010, 04:59 PM
I can ask for a beer in about 10 languages. :D:D

I once met a guy while geocaching who could say "go F yourself" in 50 languages, I learned a lot from him that day, thanks for the cache :)