The Octagon - Inner 1 Mystery Cache

The Octagon is a set of fourteen related puzzle or traditional caches in which tasks must be completed to obtain information to assist with following tasks. Later caches cannot be completed until the earlier ones in the set are completed. The caches are set in the rich farming areas of Wesley Vale, Northdown, Thirlstane and Moriarty and will require transport within this area.

Warning: The series is set in a typical rural area. Roads can be narrow with limited parking opportunities next to caches. Safer parking may be up to 100m away. Traffic is usually intermittent but can be much greater during harvest time. Vehicles can vary from quad bikes through to large harvesters. Vigilance is required at all times, particularly with geokids.

The caches in the series are not located at the published coordinates.

It is envisaged that the set will be completed over a period of time but could be done in a day provided the geocacher has access to the internet during the day. There is good mobile phone coverage in the area for a range of wireless devices. The caches are arranged in four groups:

• the starting point (The Octagon – Start)
• the outer group (The Octagon – Outer 1 through to The Octagon – Outer 8)
• the inner group (The Octagon Inner 1 through to The Octagon – Inner 4)
• the final cache (The Octagon – Final).

The Octagon – Start must be completed before attempting any other cache. All caches in the outer group must be completed before any of the inner group. And, of course, all other caches must be completed before attempting The Octagon – Final.

Check Point

Before attempting this cache you must have completed The Octagon - Outer 1 through to The Octagon - Outer 8 inclusive and have collected the values for the letters a, b, c, d, e, f, g and h.

The caches The Octagon - Inner 1 through to The Octagon - Inner 4 can be completed in any order but all four must be completed before attempting The Octagon - Final.

You may find it useful to have a copy of the worksheet for The Octagon - Final before attempting these four caches. A copy is available from The Octagon - Final Worksheet. Use the printer icon on the task bar at the top of the Google page to print a hard copy.

Your Task

This cache, The Octagon - Inner 1, can be found at

S 41 AB.CDE    E 146 FG.HJK

where the values of A..K can be calculated from the values of a..h obtained from the earlier caches in the series. Some of the functions in the calculations could be familiar to you, others possibly not. A little research should enable the calculations to be completed.

A = d MOD 3

B = INT(f/b)

C = a/(f - g)

D = the prime number in the set {a,b,e}

E = 2 * HCF(c,e)

F = a DIV b

G = SUM(b,g)

H = c - d + g

J = (h DIV e) - 1

K = (c/3 - 4)

You can check your answers for the Octagon - Inner 1 with:

Note: The orignal hide has been destroyed. Updated coordinates and the new hint will be found in the GeoChecker.

In the cache container you will find a logbook and one-quarter of the additional information you will need to solve the puzzle for The Octagon - Final. If all the copies of the additional information have been taken and not replenished, you will find another copy of the information inside the front cover of the logbook.