TTY - ASR33 Mystery Cache
Hidden : 9/3/2011
Difficulty:
3.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

TTY - ASR33

(This cache is NOT at the posted coordinates)

Most people don't know about it, but there is a new type of Geocache called a Tech-Cache. To find this kind of cache you need to be a bit of a techie! The information needed to find the cache is broadcast over the internet using TCP-IP which stands for Tech Cache Protocol - Internet Protocol.

I decided to go after one. I looked in my junk room and pulled out an old Teletype ASR-33. They were the workhorse of the 1970's as a console for minicomputers. I spent many an hour in front of them convincing Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) PDP-8 and PDP-11 computers to do what I wanted.

I designed, built and programmed a printed circuit board to listen to the internet for TCP-IP and translate it to the format needed by the TTY.

I hooked it all up and waited. Then, finally, a new Tech-Cache was published in my area. The ASR-33 came to life! The typehead cylinder started moving like crazy and I knew I had the data to find the cache!!

Alas! What I had forgotten was that the 30 year old ink ribbon was completely dried out, so I ended up with a blank paper!

However, all was not lost! Since I was still debugging, I had a strip chart recorder recording the data line to the ASR-33. I had all the data I needed, but not in a very convenient form!

But we were leaving for a 2 month SCUBA diving trip to Indonesia and I never got a chance to analyze the data and find the cache.

Maybe you can help!!

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
OK! OK! TCP-IP does NOT really stand for Tech Cache Protocol - Internet Protocol. It actually stands for Transfer Control Protocol - Internet Protocol and it is how you received this cache page.

And there is no such thing (as far as I know) as a Tech Cache!

But it IS true that if you fed the electrical signal represented by the attached chart into the appropriate interface of a Teletype ASR-33, it would print out the data you need to find this cache (if you had a good ink ribbon in it).

It is also true that Fox51 and I are enjoying SCUBA diving in Indonesia, so if the cache needs anything, it will have to wait until we return.
Click on image, then zoom in for a larger view.

You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.

Happy hunting!

Note: I didn't get this published from Indonesia. We are home now, but you can help anyway.

Note2: The cache is near one of the main buildings which housed Digital Research (producer of DR-DOS) during its hay day.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

nflap frevny EF-gjb-guvegl-gjb

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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