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Celebrating 20 Years with Codezilla Mystery Cache

A cache by JA1 Message this owner
Hidden : 5/2/2020
Difficulty:
5 out of 5
Terrain:
5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


Code Zilla


Cache is not at the posted Coords:



Solve the following puzzle to find where it is:


I made a code that grouped letters in groups of three and then converted this into a number. This is similar to using base 26. In base 10, the number 273 is 2*10^2 + 7*10 + 3. Just as there is no digit for 10 in base 10, there is no digit for 26 in base 26. So the letters A thru Z have values of 0 thru 25. Thus the “number” GEO would be 6, 4, 14 which would become 4174 in base 10 using 6*26^2 + 4*26 + 14.

 

Not much of a code so far, so I multiplied this number by an arbitrary 3 digit number. In this message I used 123 since January 23rd is my birthday. I then divided this by 17,576 (value of 26^3) and got a remainder of 3,698. (I divided by 17,576 so that my remainders would be in the range of 0 to 17,575. This is convenient since AAA codes to a zero and ZZZ codes to 17575.)

 

I think you can see where I am going with this. I took my remainder of 3,698 and converted it back from base 10 to the letters of my base 26. First I divided by 26^2. 3,698/676 gives Q=5 and R=318. Taking the remainder of 318 and dividing by 26 gives Q=12 and R=6. (You are really just solving a*26^2 + b*26 + c = 13,354 where a, b, and c have to be less than or equal to 25.) So 3,698 would be 5, 12, 6 which would be the “number” FMG. Now my entire message can be letters instead of cumbersome numbers.

 

Here is my message: FMGJFLHWYDITYOTSIYFNWHTD


Have Fun and Remember to
STAY SAFE.


Initial contents of cache: Log only

Camoed Container should be easy to spot once you get to the right spot.


Congratulations to FIRST TO FIND: PlaqueRider,LRHG73 and HDATHA. TFTC


You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ab ynqqre arrqrq ba guvf bar.

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)