NWCaching TB Race 2010 - Your Forum Needs You!

[JeremyR]

NWCaching Travel Bug Race 2010
Your Forum Needs You!

Race Website
Follow the TB Race at it's dedicated website at tbrace.jeremy-r.com

When?
The race will begin on February 1st 2010 and will last until the end of 2010. That gives you a month to obtain a travel bug, register it for the race and get ready to release it in a place of your choosing.

How?
The race is a cross between geocaching and orienteering. A series of 'checkpoint' geocaches have been selected across England, Scotland and Wales. The idea is for each travel bug in the race to visit as many of these checkpoints as possible. There may be a prize (probably a geocoin) for the first bug to visit all the checkpoints. A printable tag with details of the race for you to attach to your travel bug will be available soon.

One recommendation - a few of the caches this year are listed as 'Small' so little items are best. You can also use a geocoin if you see fit and can find a way to attach the race tag to it. All the caches are big enough to take a TB, just don't pick something like Flipping Nuisance!

My Forum Needs Me? Why?
As well as the individual goal of visiting all the checkpoints, each TB will also be scoring points for their forum because this time, it's a team game and our friends from the South East will be competing with us. Each checkpoint visit by a travel bug will score one point for its team and naturally, the team with the most points at the end of the race will be declared the winner with all the bragging rights that entails

Caveats...
Well there have to be some rules, I suppose...

• Moving your own TB into a checkpoint cache doesn't count!
• Moving one of the rival teams' bugs into a checkpoint does count - for them!
• Double visits to the same checkpoint only count once.
• Deliberately moving any of the opposing team's travel bugs outside Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) is not allowed.
• If your TB gets stolen or muggled, by all means release the copy tag if you want to carry on. Previous checkpoint visits will still stand.
• If your TB gets 'stuck' in a rarely visited cache, feel free to rescue it yourself if you want to get it moving again.
• If a checkpoint cache gets archived or becomes non-viable through repeated mugglings, being converted to a micro, etc, we'll select another nearby. Your TB won't have to visit the new one if it's previously visited the 'swapped out' checkpoint.

Playing Fair
First up, this race is meant to be friendly. Now I'm sure there will be an element of skulduggery and that's fine but remember - what goes around comes around! Be nice & remember it's about encouraging people to visit great cache sites, not just points

The Checkpoints
This year's race has 19 checkpoints. Here's a map:

And here's a list:

• GCNW79 A Pilgrim's Rest (Pembrokeshire)
• GC12VR9 Berry Head - Torbay Landmarks No.5 (Torbay)
• GC1CPGZ Black Duck Marsh (Kent)
• GCC88E Clearbury Ring (Wiltshire)
• GCGACR Devil's Pulpit (Wye Valley) (Gloucestershire)
• GCG0HR Drowned City (North Yorkshire)
• GCRAHY Hidden Monument (Hertfordshire)
• GC1984 Holkham Haul (Norfolk)
• GCK939 Lawley, Church Stretton (Shropshire)
• GCPNK8 Lovin' it on the Leam (Warwickshire)
• GCHJCM Portway (Hampshire)
• GCVVV0 Round the Ruins No 5- Bunnie's Hidey Hole (Lancashire)
• GC6DAE Round Turn & Two Half Hitches Pass (Cumbria)
• GCNB2G Salmon Station (Berwickshire)
• GC1DHTE Secret Water (Essex)
• GC1F2A5 Sluice Gate (Edinburgh)
• GCHPHP Some you Win! (Derbyshire)
• GC1358M The Vertically Challenged Orme (Conwy)
• GC1E12B TP4820 Mile High Club (Hampshire)

Ready?
Sorry, registration for the NW team has now closed.

Current Registration Totals:

The graphic shows the current number of TB's registered for each team.

Tags
Print the attached out at 100%, and add to your TB.


TB Page Description
you can now get an automatically generated description for your TB's gc.com page here:
www.jeremy-r.com/geocaching/tbrace10/status/listing_builder.htm

The big advantage of using this listing is that it includes an automatically updating list showing the checkpoints that your TB has and has not visited. Checkpoints are ticked off without any need for you to update the listing. Please make sure you enter your TB number carefully. If you enter it wrong, you'll see a message that the TB number wasn't recognised. You'll also see that message if you haven't registered for the race yet.

[scubaclogger]

Got a TB sorted, just what to attach to it

[Explorer Scout]

Let’s hope Happy Explorer does better this year. TB sorted and registered.

[The Phantom Camel Train]

Hoping that I do better than my two last year. I am registered now. Ray will get his sorted soon... And is hoping to beat his Zero!

[alicephilippa]

Time to order another set of tags...

[PopUpPirate]

Tags ordered

[gse1986]

Where do people buy the TBs from? Havent set any off yet, seen them @ ukgeocachers but wondering if there's anywhere cheaper?

[The Phantom Camel Train]

You could get a Travel Slug. They are slightly cheaper at http://www.coinsandpins.com/index.php?c ... 41&&page=1 but postage costs more. It depends how many you are buying I suppose.

Chris

[alicephilippa]

I'm about to order my TB tags from UKgeocachers. Now if A'Tuin the World Turtle was in my paws I'd use him, but he's oop norf about 2 miles from where I was born.

[JeremyR]

4 registrations so far, 2 for each team. A slow start is to be expected - not many people have a spare unactivated TB lying around. Over the next few days, I'll put together a cut & paste-able TB description, with the auto-updating race tracker image from last year (with some modifications for the team parts, obviously).

I'm also thinking about adding an option to be notified by email when your TB makes a scoring drop (more of a confirmation message that the score was recorded, I suppose) if people would be interested in such a thing? The system already notifies me by email when a score is recorded so it would be trivial to add a CC to that message.

[ChannelFadge]

Ooh Ive been wondering what to do with my spare tb dogtag...now ive just got to find somehting to attach it to

[janw7256]

Great

Registered Have Legs - Will Travel TB2WJHB & hoping that this one does travel

My poor Minnie Mouse TB in the 2009 race got picked up in July by a new cacher & hasn't been seen since

[jhewitt15]

I've fancied getting one for a while. Any ideas where I could get one? Fancy doing it this year. I've got
Jack's 999 Geocoin but its too nice to let out into the world

[alicephilippa]

I've fancied getting one for a while. Any ideas where I could get one? Fancy doing it this year. I've got
Jack's 999 Geocoin but its too nice to let out into the world

All the usual suppliers (ukgeocachers.co.uk geotees.co.uk for example) stock travel bug dog tags.

[jhewitt15]

I've fancied getting one for a while. Any ideas where I could get one? Fancy doing it this year. I've got
Jack's 999 Geocoin but its too nice to let out into the world

All the usual suppliers (ukgeocachers.co.uk geotees.co.uk for example) stock travel bug dog tags.

Cheers will check em out

[JeremyR]

I'd like to give each forum the opportunity to name their own team if they so wish. At the moment, they're just 'Team NWCaching' and 'Team SECaching' - not very original so if you want, pick something more catchy and let me know. The only stipulations are: 20 characters max (inc. spaces), nothing dirty & must include NW/SE, North West/South East or Northern/Southern, etc.

Also, I've updated the top post to include a little graphic showing how many members each team has

[Linedancers]

We're registered. Starting at the top of the year this time.

[Foinavon]

can you tell me something. Out of all the 2009 ones how many (what proportion) were still in action at the end of the competition? This is a big thing for me. I didn't participate last year because I got dissolusioned in 2008 when my racing bug went missing after its first drop. Only yesterday I got the bad news that Laphro1g's BWFC racer which I dropped into my Reebok Stadium cache has gone awol (after 2 drops). Not only that but all the cajoling you have to do after events just to get people the log the TB's they have taken has lead me to think that TB's might be more trouble than they are worth.

On a more positive not I picked up one the other day Coles Coin 6 years and 45000 miles. What a trooper!

[alicephilippa]

Sometimes it seems that coins and TBs are too much trouble, I've had one coin go missing in action and I've also misplaced one here at home. That though isn't going to stop me taking part in the TB Race this year.

[Dan1980]

I'd like to give each forum the opportunity to name their own team if they so wish.

Surely it's got to be Team Hankie

[alicephilippa]

I'd like to give each forum the opportunity to name their own team if they so wish.

Surely it's got to be Team Hankie

Team Hankie v. Southern Softies?

[Team SLuG]

You could get a Travel Slug. They are slightly cheaper at http://www.coinsandpins.com/index.php?c ... 41&&page=1 but postage costs more. It depends how many you are buying I suppose.

They have them at GeoTees (http://www.geotees.co.uk/advanced_searc ... words=slug) but they are more expensive than TravelBugs - we use them for more personal reasons

[alicephilippa]

I've also misplaced one [a geocoin] here at home

The embarrassment is that it has turned up - in one of my caches. I'd not planned on releasing it, but in a fit of madness had accidentally dropped it in when doing maintenance...

[PopUpPirate]

LOL! I was with Liane and her children in the Early Learning Centre today so picked up a couple of nice plastic farm animals to turn into TB's

[LoznSte]

Think we're up for this one just need to build ourselves a racer.

[Linedancers]

Surely it's got to be Team Hankie

Yeh we're up for that

[JeremyR]

The Southern Softies (as they seem determined to be called) are on 6 members to the NW's 4. Don't let them get ahead!

[Dan1980]

I've just ordered a tag, once it has arrived and I've found something to attach it to I'll get it registered.

[gse1986]

I ordered some tags last night too, so once they arrive will register one for the race

[grue666]

Tag arrived yesterday and hopefully I'll find something to attach it to this weekend.

[PopUpPirate]

Tags arrived - T'owd Tup ready to go!

TB333PQ

Travel Bug number submitted to Jeremy!

[Tina T]

Oh yes please...We've registered our tb and would love to take part.....now what do I do?

[JeremyR]

Just release it any time after the 1st Feb. Last year, releasing at events proved an excellent way to disseminate them very quickly but alternatively, you could get it moving ASAP... Your choice

[Tina T]

I forgot to say...here's our racing bug
TB2RZ4R
I'm not sure how to add one of those links

(edit by PUP)

Code: Select all

[track]TB2RZ4R[/track]

[alicephilippa]

I forgot to say...here's our racing bug
TB2RZ4R
I'm not sure how to add one of those links

(edit by PUP)

Code: Select all

[track]TB2RZ4R[/track]

Or you can do

Code: Select all

[track=TB333JT]Bored? No! Board![/track]

To produce: Bored? No! Board! which is my racer.

[JeremyR]

Don't forget the same also works with [coin]TB12345[/coin] and [coin=TB12345]Whatever it's called[/coin] if your racer should happen to be of the round, shiny metal variety - the difference being you get a instead of a , like this:

TB2281G JeremyR's ENIGMA Geocoin

[The Phantom Camel Train]

When are the TB Checkpoints going to be announced Jeremy?

[Tina T]

WOW!! Thanks guys for changing that for me

[MBFace]

Corky registered and raring to go.
MBF

[JeremyR]

When are the TB Checkpoints going to be announced Jeremy?

Just finalising the list right now. I fully admit that the list is PuP's hard work (and trust me, it's a cracking selection ). TBA later tonight or tomorrow, I hope!

[JeremyR]

Here's the checkpoint list:



GCNW79 A Pilgrim's Rest (Pembrokeshire)
GC12VR9 Berry Head - Torbay Landmarks No.5 (Torbay)
GC1CPGZ Black Duck Marsh (Kent)
GCC88E Clearbury Ring (Wiltshire)
GCGACR Devil's Pulpit (Wye Valley) (Gloucestershire)
GCG0HR Drowned City (North Yorkshire)
GCRAHY Hidden Monument (Hertfordshire)
GC1984 Holkham Haul (Norfolk)
GCK939 Lawley, Church Stretton (Shropshire)
GCPNK8 Lovin' it on the Leam (Warwickshire)
GCHJCM Portway (Hampshire)
GCVVV0 Round the Ruins No 5- Bunnie's Hidey Hole (Lancashire)
GC6DAE Round Turn & Two Half Hitches Pass (Cumbria)
GCNB2G Salmon Station (Berwickshire)
GC1DHTE Secret Water (Essex)
GC1F2A5 Sluice Gate (Edinburgh)
GCHPHP Some you Win! (Derbyshire)
GC1358M The Vertically Challenged Orme (Conwy)
GC1E12B TP4820 Mile High Club (Hampshire)

So that's 19 this year - of course, a printable tag for the racers is coming soon.
I'll update the top post of this thread in a minute to incorporate the list as well.

[FFloss]

Did GC1358M The Vertically Challenged Orme (Conwy) on Saturday - great choice!

[Dan1980]

Here's the checkpoint list:
GCNW79 A Pilgrim's Rest (Pembrokeshire)
GC12VR9 Berry Head - Torbay Landmarks No.5 (Torbay)
GC1CPGZ Black Duck Marsh (Kent)
GCC88E Clearbury Ring (Wiltshire)
GCGACR Devil's Pulpit (Wye Valley) (Gloucestershire)
GCG0HR Drowned City (North Yorkshire)
GCRAHY Hidden Monument (Hertfordshire)
GC1984 Holkham Haul (Norfolk)
GCK939 Lawley, Church Stretton (Shropshire)
GCPNK8 Lovin' it on the Leam (Warwickshire)
GCHJCM Portway (Hampshire)
GCVVV0 Round the Ruins No 5- Bunnie's Hidey Hole (Lancashire)
GC6DAE Round Turn & Two Half Hitches Pass (Cumbria)
GCNB2G Salmon Station (Berwickshire)
GC1DHTE Secret Water (Essex)
GC1F2A5 Sluice Gate (Edinburgh)
GCHPHP Some you Win! (Derbyshire)
GC1358M The Vertically Challenged Orme (Conwy)
GC1E12B TP4820 Mile High Club (Hampshire)

So that's 19 this year - of course, a printable tag for the racers is coming soon.
I'll update the top post of this thread in a minute to incorporate the list as well.

Another list of caches that I haven't done! I think I only managed to get to one of the caches featured in last year's race. I'll have to see if I can do better this year!

[grue666]

Looks like a great set of caches. Like Dan1980 I hope to get to more of them in person this year than last.
Hello Duckey TB37TAW is now registered for the race and as I'll be in Reading at the end of the month looks like it will be released into opposition territory

[Dan1980]

GCHPHP Some you Win! was actually on my to do list a few weeks ago, but the fading light beat me, so that's a must for this year.

[gse1986]

Registered mine and just put NWCaching in the lead (now 9-8)

GSE1986's NWCaching Travel Bug Race 2010 Racer

Yet to find something to attach to it, but it's registered

[clotguy]

Photo on 2010-01-11 at 17.53.jpg

clotguy &rugbyboys star racer
almost ready for the off, just waiting for something to laminate

[The Bolas Heathens]

Cracking cache with some fabulous views all over Shropshire and Cheshire . How were the caches chosen this year as I know this cache is one of the lesser visited ones in the area as it requires quite a steep climb (which is more than worth it for the views )?

Is there room for one more in the race?

GCK939 Lawley, Church Stretton (Shropshire)

[PopUpPirate]

Cracking cache with some fabulous views all over Shropshire and Cheshire . How were the caches chosen this year as I know this cache is one of the lesser visited ones in the area as it requires quite a steep climb (which is more than worth it for the views )?

Is there room for one more in the race?

GCK939 Lawley, Church Stretton (Shropshire)

There was quite a strict criteria, which would no doubt cross off swathes of decent caches, but without this criteria, it would've meant LOADS of (ie too much) manual searching.

From memory,
Terrain 2+
(to make less muggleable)

At least small in size
At least 1 year old
Well maintained if necessary
Never been aggressively muggled
(again to ensure stability)

Many PQ's later, exported onto Memory Map to browse... and browse!

Being on a fav bookmark list got extra kudos!

Most of all, generally great logs and well-spaced from others in the series


All the hard work is Jeremy's, of course!

[The Bolas Heathens]

Nice one - thanks Mark (and Jeremy!) . Looks like some belting caches there and the good news is we've not found that many of them. All the more reason to work some of them into caching days now .

Being on a fav bookmark list got extra kudos!

Most of all, generally great logs and well-spaced from others in the series


All the hard work is Jeremy's, of course!