GSAK in benchmarking

[ArtMan]

I've generally avoiding the Geocaching Swiss Army Knife - its very name seems to suggest it is not really appropriate for benchmarkers

 

Nevertheless, I've just had a look at it again, and I wonder if it can display the date of the most recent NGS log in its tabular display.

 

I know the information is there, because its displayed when GSAK creates its own version of a datasheet.

 

There is an option called "last four logs" but all that does for me is put a grid of four tiny gray squares on each benchmark line.

 

If GSAK won't do this, is there another way that I can sort or search or view at a glance marks that haven't had an NGS recover in a year or more (or other date range)?

 

Thanks,

-ArtMan-

[+YeOleImposter]

I've generally avoiding the Geocaching Swiss Army Knife - its very name seems to suggest it is not really appropriate for benchmarkers

 

Nevertheless, I've just had a look at it again, and I wonder if it can display the date of the most recent NGS log in its tabular display.

 

I know the information is there, because its displayed when GSAK creates its own version of a datasheet.

 

There is an option called "last four logs" but all that does for me is put a grid of four tiny gray squares on each benchmark line.

 

If GSAK won't do this, is there another way that I can sort or search or view at a glance marks that haven't had an NGS recover in a year or more (or other date range)?

 

Thanks,

-ArtMan-

 

Yes, Yes, Yes.

 

With the import routine created Foxtrot_xray GSAK now displays each log from the NGS datasheet as a seperate entry than can be sorted, etc. Foxtrot_xray does not geocache either but uses GSAK just for benchmarks. I do both, so keep a separate database for each.

 

It also then gives you all the other features that GSAK offers to cachers -- including some incredible macros that can be modified to work with benchmarks including maps, gps exports, and stats.

 

Before going out on a hunt I look on a topo map for possible better coordinates for scaled marks -- GSAK allows be to plug these in as corrected coordinates and will export these instead of the datasheet coordinate. GSAK then allows me to export an unlimited number of benchmarks into my Garmin 60csx since I have it put them in as custom Points-of-Interest instead of waypoints. The intersection stations look like towers on my GPS, the adjusted marks use the regular benchmark icon, and the scaled use an icon that looks like a compass. The reference marks, if any, are just blue dots, but even these show up on my gps since foxtrot_xray creates them as child waypoints inside GSAK.

 

The 'funnest' part is the stats page - My latest update is viewable here: GSAK Benchmark Stats. I wish my stats were more impressive

[+Black Dog Trackers]

ArtMan -

 

I would think that GSAK could do this but I don't know either.

 

I do know (of course) that NGSREAD will show the latest recovery date of marks and a bunch of other options.

 

You can tell NGSREAD to only display those marks recovered after whatever year you specify, or if you like, before whatever year you specify. If you choose, you can also get it to give you a list of PIDs that pass that date filter. As an option, you can even get it to label each mark, not with its PID, but the last revovery date. It will also do combination labeling of either last-recovery-date-plus-recovery-agency or last-recovery-date-plus-condition.

 

It has similar filters and labeling options for monumentation date.

 

It makes a .kml file for viewing with Google Earth, so you can review the marks on the map that meet the conditions you specify. This would definitely be an at-a-glance sort of thing.

 

It will also make a .gpx file for reading with EasyGPS or any other application that reads a .gpx file. By far the greater functionality of NGSREAD is the .kml file for Google Earth because its popups contain just about all of the contents of the datasheet including all recovery reports.

 

You can download a whole state's worth of datasheets here from the NGS. These are archived in 2006 though. For a current listing, download a county here, save it to a file and then NGSREAD will read that file.

Edited October 13, 2007 by Black Dog Trackers

[foxtrot_xray]

The 'funnest' part is the stats page - My latest update is viewable here: GSAK Benchmark Stats. I wish my stats were more impressive

 

..You should write up a small "how-to" on making that stats page with that macro. I messed with that macro a little, and the best I got was a page that said I sucked.

 

Yeah, my program will import logs and dates of recoveries, BDT's little program will too. I use GSAK for all my benchmarking, I import the full datasheet as the long description since I like to see all the data, but since I started importing the logs seperately (via my program, I mean), I've found that getting more and more useful.

 

If you use my program and have any requests or questions, feel free to let me know.

[+Black Dog Trackers]

Yesterday ArtMan found a bug in the gpxfile-creation mode that caused NGSREAD to quit. I fixed it!

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Yesterday ArtMan found a bug in the gpxfile-creation mode that caused NGSREAD to quit. I fixed it!

Is there a need to get a new download?

Mine has been working up until now.

[+Black Dog Trackers]

It was a new problem so your version probably would not have it. There was another thing that I had to fix in the shapefile reading mode that I fixed last month. If you are reading shapefiles, it would be good to get a new copy of the program. Actually shapefiles don't offer any advantages because you can get a statewide .dat file from the NGS so I don't really recommend them anyway.

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

It was a new problem so your version probably would not have it. There was another thing that I had to fix in the shapefile reading mode that I fixed last month. If you are reading shapefiles, it would be good to get a new copy of the program. Actually shapefiles don't offer any advantages because you can get a statewide .dat file from the NGS so I don't really recommend them anyway.

Thank you.

I got so many now It might be a while before I can catch up to use it again.

Makes it so nice to have them at a click or 2.

 

Thanks again for your work on it.