How Do I Solve These #@&% Puzzles?!! Coord Formats Mystery Cache

The cache is not at the posted coordinates. This is the fourth in a series to help people get a start at solving puzzle caches. I tried to make these easy to understand, but if you have any questions about them, please ask.

Note: This lesson discusses use of an "Other Conversions" link that Groundspeak removed from the cache page sometime in October 2015. They seem reluctant to replace it. I will redo the lesson, but until I have time to do so you can use this conversion site recommended by Groundspeak: GPS Coordinate Converter, Maps and Info

You can click on the following link to join a group of cachers asking Groundspeak to replace the "Other Conversions" link: Groundspeak Forums: 'other coordinates formats' link

As I said in the first cache in this series, these are intended to help BEGINNER puzzlers by covering some of the techniques I talked about in my "Puzzles 101" classes. The first cache was an introduction, and talked a bit about why I think puzzle caches can be a fun addition to one's caching experience. The second talked a bit about where to start.

With the previous (3rd) cache, I asked you to think about approaching puzzle caches as you would approach traditional caches: Keep the end in mind.

With a traditional cache, the end result you want is a container with a log. Your search will depend on what size container you're looking for. You can narrow down your search if you know you are searching for a micro rather than a large container.

>With a puzzle, the end result you want is a set of coordinate numbers. You can narrow down your search if you know the range of numbers likely to be needed for your coordinates.

The previous (3rd) cache in this series talked about our coordinates as they usually appear: numbers in a degree and minute format that look something like this: N 45° 46.970 W 122° 54.200 (using the posted coordinates for this cache as an example). But sometimes it's not as straightforward as that.

- They may be missing the N, W, and degree symbol: 45 46.970 122 54.200
- They may be missing the decimal point: 45 46 970 122 54 200
- They may be spaced differently: 45 46 97 01 22 54 20 0 or 454 697 012 254 200
- They may be bunched together: 4546970 12254200 or 454697012254200
- They may be backwards: 002452210796454 How do you figure this one out? Look for patterns that give you a 4 next to a 5 for north, and a 1 and 2 and 2 for west. If you find them in unexpected places (in the middle and end, as with this example), then you know you have to rearrange them somehow.

Look at the cache description. How many THINGS (words, sentences, images, critters, items in a list, whatever...) do you have? If you have 15 (especially if you have one group of 7 and one group of 8), it's likely you're solving for our standard coordinate format.

If you have 17 things, maybe they represent the N and W, as well as the 15 numbers of your coordinates.

If you have 10 things, maybe the N 45 and W 122 are assumed and you're solving for just the minutes. These can be harder puzzles to solve: if you have to solve for 45 and 122 as part of the puzzle, they can be very helpful in finding the pattern that leads to the solution to the puzzle.

How do you solve these? Remember from the previous (3rd) cache in this series: the minutes are USUALLY within 2 numbers, up or down, from the posted coordinates. (There are exceptions, including some puzzles older than 2007, that might have posted coordinates much further from the final.) Look for patterns - SOMETHING that can give you numbers that fit this pattern:

If you only have 6 things, maybe the degrees and minutes are assumed, and you're solving for just the last 3 numbers of the N and W coordinates.

How do you solve these? If it's not apparent, hopefully there will be a hint somewhere, maybe in the description, title, or "Additional hints". Still not getting it? Later in this series I cover more places to look for hints, and other strategies for more difficult puzzles.

Some puzzles can be even less straightforward than that. They can use other coordinate formats.

Here's an easy way to find the different formats, and convert between them. Look on the cache page, just under the page coordinates. There is a link called "Other Conversions".

That takes you to a page that shows the cache coordinates in different formats.

How do you tell if you need a different format?

Here's how to use the Waypoint Conversion page to change coordinate formats:

Here are the steps you would do to change to, for example, decimal degrees:

... Then enter the numbers you have that best fit the coordinate format, even if you don't think you have enough of them.

Many GPS devices will let you enter coordinates in different formats, but most checkers want you to enter them in our standard "degrees and minutes" (DegDec) format. You can use the "Other Conversions" link to convert, if needed.

Note: A compass is divided into 360 degrees. (In our area, the degrees stay in the N 44/45° and W 122/123° range.) Each degree is divided into 60 minutes, and each minute is divided into 60 seconds - just like with a clock. And just like with a clock, if you add a second to 1:59, you don't get 1:60; you get 2:00. With coordinates, if you add a minute to W 122 ° 59.000, you don't go to W 122° 60.000 You go to W 123° 00.000

So, with all that in mind, here's the puzzle you must solve to get the coordinates for this cache:

It's a little known fact that NASA sent out two unmanned space probes before Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. NASA kept quiet about them because there was a glitch in their software programs that caused them to zig-zag erratically on their flights out.

They were called Wanderer N and Wanderer W, and they circled around these planets before they each drifted into the asteroid belt and were not heard from again:

Wanderer N:
Mars
Jupiter
Uranus
Pluto
Jupiter
Earth

Wanderer W:
Mercury
Venus
Venus
Pluto
Mercury
Uranus
Mercury
Jupiter

Click on the box below to check your solution.

As I said, this is one of a series of "How Do I Solve..." caches. They are spread out in different neighborhoods. It might help to solve them in order, but you don't need to. I tried to make these easy to understand, but if you have any questions about them, please ask.

Here are all the caches in the series. They are also posted in a "How Do I Solve These #@&%$ Puzzle Caches?!!" bookmark list.

Have fun solving puzzle caches! And remember ...