+Team JSAM Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 I am going on a trip a small one about 200 miles one way and want to find some caches on my way whats the best way to find ones by the highway? Link to comment
+Tzoid Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Since you are a premium member I'd suggest either Google Earth KML or GSAK combined with pocket queries and an arc filter. Of the two, the former is the easiest to get going with, and Google Earth is a fantastic program in itself. So is GSAK also, but for different reasons altogether. Link to comment
+PDOP's Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Route Planning: Waypoints Along a Route Link to comment
+Raine Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 I am going on a trip a small one about 200 miles one way and want to find some caches on my way whats the best way to find ones by the highway? Route your trip via Google Earth and save it as a KML, not a KMZ. Send me that KML file and I'll send you a GPX of all the caches along that route. -Raine Link to comment
+Miragee Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Raine . . . if someone cannot use Google Earth, is their a way to get this route information? I have GSAK and Mapsource maps. My 24K dialup connection prevents me from using Google Earth. Link to comment
+ventura_kids Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Once you get away from Reno, there isn't a ton of caches out there. Just pan from geocaching.com and write them down. I use a querie for Reno and one near Elko. That just about covers them all without getting fancy. You can use your mapsource map and just highlight all the ones near the highway, then copy (cntrl c), go into Excel and paste (cntrl v), and you will have a list. Add numbers to them, and get caching. Since you use GSAK, start there with the queries, add smart names, add the Type/diff/terr/size/hint codes to the description field, and then export them to mapsource.....and continue. You will have the excel sheet with hints and everything you need. I've found most of the ones near the highway. Link to comment
+ventura_kids Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 I believe there is also a way to create a route in mapsource, save or export it back to gsak, and then filter by coords using that route. I remember telling gsak to give me all the caches within 10 miles of my route..... but that wasn't worth the effort. Now I just put everything in gsak, and export to mapsource, cut off the ones I won't be looking for, and then make a one page, clean list in excel. Then dump the gsak stuff into a pda for backup, and dump the mapsource stuff into the Garmin 60CS so I have the ratings and the hints available (also the name of the cache is normally a hint). Link to comment
+hukilaulau Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 For a short trip like that I would just pan with Google Earth. When you see a cache you might want to do, click on "view cache details" and if you like it, click on "bookmark it." Then make a PQ with your bookmark list and use the other tools people have mentioned (I use GSAK and Cachemate) to get them in your GPS and PDA. I even use this method for long trips, because I want to read about the caches I am choosing. Also, I generally avoid stopping in major metropolitan areas when I'm traveling and my method lets me pass right over the clutter in and around a big city. Link to comment
+Team Teuton Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Raine . . . if someone cannot use Google Earth, is their a way to get this route information? I have GSAK and Mapsource maps. My 24K dialup connection prevents me from using Google Earth. This explains how to do that with Mapsource, GSAK and PQs... http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...s+along+a+route Link to comment
+Miragee Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Yes . . . I know about that method. I have that thread linked in my blog and used that method for a 1300 mile trip I took this spring. But the new feature they are working on for the site seems to depend on Google Earth . . . I just wanted to see if there was a workaround for those of us who cannot use Google Earth. Link to comment
+Team Teuton Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Ohhhhhh. I'm thinking a Mapsource Route can be saved then converted (via GPS Babel perhaps?) into the appropriate file type. Not sure of the specifics with that, though. Link to comment
+PDOP's Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 But the new feature they are working on for the site seems to depend on Google Earth . . . I just wanted to see if there was a workaround for those of us who cannot use Google Earth. It will work with GPX files too. Link to comment
+Mary&Dave Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Route your trip via Google Earth and save it as a KML, not a KMZ. Send me that KML file and I'll send you a GPX of all the caches along that route. -Raine Is that an open offer? Or, better yet, is there (or will there soon be) a way for users to do that themselves? Link to comment
+Jamie Z Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I can't use Google Earth either, due to ancient OS. What I've recently done to find caches along a prospective route is utilize the new google geocaching maps. Somewhat like what Ventura Kids said... although you don't have to write them down. If you pan along your route with the new maps, you'll see a list of the geocaches along the right side of the screen. Beside each one is a little indiscernable icon, which if clicked, will add that particular cache to a bookmark. Go through your route bookmarking all those caches you're interested in. Now run a pocket query on that bookmark. In minutes you'll have a .gpx of all the caches along your route. I've found this to be the most efficient method for shorter trips like you're proposing. Jamie Link to comment
+Mary&Dave Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Route your trip via Google Earth and save it as a KML, not a KMZ. Send me that KML file and I'll send you a GPX of all the caches along that route. -Raine Is that an open offer? Or, better yet, is there (or will there soon be) a way for users to do that themselves? Never mind, I just saw this. Thanks guys (and girls)! Link to comment
+alexrudd Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I can't use Google Earth either, due to ancient OS.<snip> Jamie I'm not sure if you were aware of PQ's along routes at the time of your post, but you can use Google Maps with the new feature.Create a route in Google Maps, then use this bookmarklet to create a GPX file to upload. Link to comment
+Miragee Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Okay, that is a pretty cool link, but . . . I think Jamie Z and I are in the same boat. Neither of us can use Google Earth. My Internet connection is so slow (24K), I cannot even use Google Maps . . . I will have to create the .gpx files for any route I might follow on any future road trip using Mapsource and GSAK. Link to comment
Jeremy Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Create a route in Google Maps, then use this bookmarklet to create a GPX file to upload. Heh. I just posted that to the original topic. Link to comment
Jeremy Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Okay, that is a pretty cool link, but . . . I think Jamie Z and I are in the same boat. Neither of us can use Google Earth. Keep in mind that many others here can and routes are sharable. Link to comment
+Miragee Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Oh . . . cool. That is going to be great! Link to comment
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