Exactum, Helsinki Mystery Cache

• Accelerator Laboratory
• Alexandria
• Chemicum
• Exactum
• Physicum

Department of Computer Science and Mathematics will move this summer to a new location at Kumpula campus area: the Exactum building.

To find this cache You'll need a scientific approach. What that means, is that I'm not telling You the real coordinates here. However, You can figure them out yourself at home: the actual cache is located at KP20LE59MA34UT. As of 25th May 2004 you no longer need TB Science to log this cache and the container size also has diminished significantly. If there's snow or ice, the place is not very healthy to hang around. In winter the terrain rating is probably around 2.

• http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/tkt_cam/exactum.jpg
• Reittiopas for fetching exact public transport information

You really can figure it out

The Earth's surface is divided into 18 * 18 = 324 fields, each one 20 degrees longitude * 10 degrees latitude. Each field is divided into 10 * 10 = 100 squares, each one 2 degrees longitude * 1 degree latitude. Each square is divided into 24 * 24 = 576 subsquares, each one 5 minutes longitude * 2,5 minutes latitude. The fields are indicated by two letters AA - RR, the squares by two digits 00 - 99 and the subsquares by two letters AA - XX. The first character defines the eastern longitude and the second character the northern latitude on each level. The numbering is always from West to East and South to North.

As You see, I described only the six first characters here. But no matter how long the character sequence is, it works similarily for the rest of the numbers (10*10 squares) and letters (24*24 squares), describing the location more and more carefully. The coordinates are the sum of all the characters, no matter how long the character sequence is. Note that for the last pair of characters You'll need to evaluate and add the corresponding subsquare centerpoint measure too. Alternatively You can just calculate the raw value of KP20LE59MA34UT12, where rounding is not mandatory due to the higher accuracy.

So it's that easy really. If You're shocked now, study carefully TB Science description, it'll help You out if choosed to do so. But if You don't want to spoil the difficulty rating, and the exiting world of math, then just do the trivial homework first.

Completely optional leg

Important: You don't need to do the following for logging this cache as found.

The Exactum webcam which shows also the current contruction progress refreshes every minute. The camera is located at the Physicum roof (near the volley ball looking thing).

Should You choose to include the webcam photo too on Your log, resave the photo dynamically in under 125 kB sized jpg file. Attach the smaller photo to Your log, not the original. If You don't know how to do it, send Your original webcam photo to jmmlammi@cs.helsinki.fi and I'll do that for You. It is important to optimize the image quality on this cache log.

You don't neccessarily need anyone to take the photo for you. If you hold your GPSr up from a strike of an hour to a couple of minutes over, the photo will be retrievable on the webcam page for the next 24 hours. If you'll be there at noon (eg. 11:59-12:02), the photo will be available even longer.

Hint: you can preset the webcam photo download in advance by applying the following example with Linux and compatible operating systems: