Re: Challenge Checker Request for GCAPANM

Hi-

I require a checker for my new Challenge cache GCAPANM, 25 Years of Geocaching Challenge (note this isn't an "Anniversary" because there are now 25 years inclusive 2000-2024 and the 25th anniversary is next year in 2025)

It should be similar to my 20 Year Anniversary of Geocaching Challenge GC9J32D with a couple of changes.

https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC9J32D/64513

Requirements:

The 25 Years of Geocaching Challenge requirements are:

1) You must find 25 geocaches; one geocache that was hidden in each year of geocaching from 2000-2019 (20 years) and 5 more hidden from 2020 to present*
2) Ten (10) or more different icons (cache types) must be represented*
3) No icon (cache type) can appear more than 3 times
4) Include in your log the Cache year or date hidden; cache type; GC code; Cache name; Date found
5) You may sign the log at any time but you must post your list of qualifying caches before claiming your find

*To meet the 25 cache/10 icon requirement for cachers who started in 2024 and/or have no earlier events, you may include two caches from the list of Event, Mega, Giga, Community Celebration, Block Party or CITO in or after year 2024, but they may not be Attended during the same calendar year (i.e. 1 Event type per year maximum). Due to limitations of the checker, Lab caches are unable to be counted for this challenge.

I have discussed these requirements with geocaching reviewer TOTTcho and he agrees they are compliant with all present GC guidelines for Challenge caches.

Thanks in advance! Cats4us

Actually, items #4 and #5 are not valid. From the challenge cache guidelines:

Quote

For cache pages published after April 21, 2015 with a challenge checker, the owner can confirm the finder's qualification with the checker when the cache is logged as found. No further documentation is required from the finder.

You can still of course request that the checker outputs the information in #4, but the cacher is not required to include it in their log (although typically, most people logging a challenge will paste the checker output).

I still need the Challenge Checker whether #4 and #5 are valid; this language was copied verbatim from an approved Challenge in 2021, so reviewers obviously have no issue with it.

The current script times out for too many cachers. It really needs a custom script

A few (not many) have told me the existing 20th Anniversary script times out for them, but they have been cachers with high numbers of total finds (approaching 100k or more). I would give them a pass based on their total numbers, as they are almost certainly qualified.

Can you make a more efficient custom script than the existing one?

I managed to make the checker for GC9J32D a lot quicker by using a different config
https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC9J32D/87429
In stead for timing out for you it gives a result in 0.13 seconds.

Please test this result so I can make the checker for GCAPANM based on this config

I tested the result for GC9J32D and wow, what an improvement!! It cranked through mondou2 in 6.0 seconds and Alamogul in 5.8 seconds and those are the top 2 (numbers) cachers in USA by a good margin. I also tested on a few other cachers that are qualified (and not) including one I specifically recall having issues with the past checker and it worked correctly and efficiently in all cases. Past finders have also commented on the utility of the tabular output for other purposes. Thanks vogelbird, I will link this improved checker into my earlier Challenge as an upgrade.

I think this is a good basis for GCAPANM, please proceed.

Cats4us

Keep the link as it is because I will change the config

OK, thanks again!

Here is the checker for GCAPANM
https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GCAPANM/87439

Please test and reply

I tested the checker on few dozen geocachers (qualified and not) and it seems to work great 96% of the time. The two geocachers where the script timed out were GeoMals and scrabblebird. They both don’t have that many finds (<1000 and just over 2000 respectively). Both these accounts work with the GC9J32D checker and have only 7 and 8 of the 9 types required, respectively, and so fail to meet the Challenge there. These accounts should similarly fail for the 10 types required for the new GCAPANM challenge checker, but are timing out instead. Perhaps you can determine why?

I can not find an explanation why the script goes into a loop, sorry

No worries, we will call it good to go since for all the likeliest finding suspects the script ran smoothly. The cache will require a minimum 29 km round trip hike and 1200m elevation gain as it is for a 5/5 challenge, so many cachers may not attempt due to the Terrain rating.

Just to be clear, I approve this checker and the request can be closed.