Garmin Chirp

[The Wombles]

Garmin have brought out a small device which transmits a short range message to compatible a GPSr (currently only the Oregon and Dakota).

Apparently it transmits a local message to these devices to offer information, eg coordinates or hints. It would be possible to set a puzzle cache with vague coordinates and leave it to the chirp to guide in cachers (or at least the few with compatible a GPSr).

Garmin Chirp

No news so far if it will be launched in the UK in addition to the US, but I have a nasty suspicion that the UK radio transmission laws may prevent this, depending on the mechanism it uses to transmit to the GPSr.

[Graculus]

I understand (from Facebook) that certain UK cachers already have these on order .... so the announcement by Groundspeak in the forums may be of interest. Includes details of the new 'beacon' attribute (now available) and suggestion the cache type using a 'chirp' would be an unknown type. This is the post in the main forum, take a look in particular at posts #159 and posts #164 and #165.

All I ask as a reviewer is that the first one submitted for review is not named after that awful song from 1971 by Middle of the Road.......hmy:

Chris
Graculus
Volunteer UK Reviewer for geocaching.com
UK Geocaching Information & Resources website www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk
Geocaching.com Knowledge Books

[DrDick&Vick]

and the first UK chirp cache was called "Chirpy ????????????????????"

[shantz_uk_&_cleverclogs]

I did my first chirp cache this week GC2H58M a great new twist on caching, I hope othe GPS units get to use these items allowing others to join in.

[Graculus]

Some information you may find useful. I was asked by someone if a chirp could be used as a 'moving' stage for a cache. I couldn't get a clear answer amongst my reviewing colleagues (these things are rather new!) so suggested the person contact Groundspeak. The answer is no, you cannot have a moving chirp as a stage of a cache. You can however make it a TB and use that to give the clues to a cache - there are many such caches around using TB's with coordinates/clues on.

Chris
Graculus
Volunteer UK Reviewer for geocaching.com
UK Geocaching Information & Resources website www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk
Geocaching.com Knowledge Books

[Maple Leaf]

One of the new things that the GAGB is going to do this year is to produce some information sheets .....

This is the first one on the 'Chirp'.

We will in the future have a section on the website for them ... but as there is currently only one, you can view/print/save it from here.

[keehotee]

One of the new things that the GAGB is going to do this year is to produce some information sheets .....

This is the first one on the 'Chirp'.

We will in the future have a section on the website for them ... but as there is currently only one, you can view/print/save it from here.

One little picky point - you only mention Chirp caches as they apply to Groundspeak.
Do any of the other listing sites allow Chirps?
Do these sites have any special Chirp listing requirements (attributes/cache types etc)?
If not, it might be worth mentioning that Chirp caches are also permitted on opencaching.org etc...

[Maple Leaf]

One little picky point - you only mention Chirp caches as they apply to Groundspeak.
Do any of the other listing sites allow Chirps?
Do these sites have any special Chirp listing requirements (attributes/cache types etc)?
If not, it might be worth mentioning that Chirp caches are also permitted on opencaching.org etc...

That was the reason that 'on Geocaching.com' was specifically mentioned in that document.

I haven't looked at the other listing sites with regards to listing caches, but if anyone has .... then please feel free to write some information and email to the committee address. We will then include it on that Chirp document or create a separate information sheet.