This is my first puzzle cache (which I hopefully did right, and would love comments on), and the first in a series that will highlight the history of radio. Similar to my 'Muse' series nearby, these will be put out as time and containers allow. I also want to make these as creative as possible so rushing them all out at once isn't going to happen. If you wish, keep checking back on my profile page to see when my new caches go live. I will try not to make it too hard. There aren't many parts to this series. The next cache is AM (GC6HFPT).
Nobody is really sure who truly invented radio, but several names all have their hats in the fray. The invention itself is hard to pinpoint down, as it involved the help of so many in the field, including those involved in magnetism and even electricity itself.
Perhaps the most recognized names of radio were Marconi and Tesla (although Tesla's role has been contested). It was James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz who discovered electromagnetic waves and radio waves in 1871 and 1887 respectively. Enter Marconi, who began experimenting with radio waves in his attic in the mid 1890s. In the year 1DA7, Marconi demonstrated the first transmissions across the English channel.
Two years later, in 1AE1, the first transmissions across the Atlantic Ocean were made by Marconi.
From there, technology rapidly advanced and multiple names, De Forest to Armstrong (to name a few) developed the base that would help radio get its footing.
The cache you're looking for, the first in the series, highlights those early transmissions, by having you decode one half of the final coordinates using a method most amateur radio operators still use today. It was developed by Samuel Morse, who lived from 17A1 to 1D72. His “code” was transmitted as “CDQ” as the Titanic was sinking on April 1C, 1A12. To solve for B, read about Mr. Samuel Morse and his beginnings. The year 1DBG was when he and two others developed the “code”.
The first half (north) of the coordinates can be easily (to some) decoded as follows:
....- ..... / -.. . --. .-. . . ... / ..--- ---.. .-.-.- ----. -.... ....- / -. --- .-. - ....
The second half (west) of the coordinates for this cache are comprised of AB CD.EFG. F is same number as E. If your GPSr gives you huff, add a zero (0) before the first number (A).
GZ should not be very far away from the original cache (under a mile). Park on the side of the road and walk to it. There is a nice geotrail down there, and snowmobilers and fishers visit this area often. It is not by a lake. Pay attention to the attributes at ground zero. You should be able to see the road from where the cache is hidden. The cache is starting out with two items of swag that are (kinda) radio related. Anything radio-centric would be welcome in this cache, such as stickers, pens, and other "swag".
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.