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Cache Along the Route


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Hi to all you forum regulars. Hope you can help me. I've been caching since November 05 with just over 400 finds. Im so hooked on caching that I now own 6 GPS with the nuvi 750 being my latest and favorite :)

 

Now, here is the problem. I do lots of traveling in my motorhome and like to do "Cache along the route".

I create a map on Google Earth as directions dictate. But sometime GE gives me a route that I dont want to take. I have to create several small routes in order to get it to go the way I want to go. This take lots of time. Question: Is there anyway to create a route on GE using the road and highways I want to use. Or is there a way to use another maping program (i.e. Streets and Trips or Garman's maps) to do what I want to do.

 

Hope I made my self clear. Thank for your help. Dive-n-diva

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...I have to create several small routes in order to get it to go the way I want to go. This take lots of time. Question: Is there anyway to create a route on GE using the road and highways I want to use. Or is there a way to use another mapping program (i.e. Streets and Trips or Garman's maps) to do what I want to do.

 

I'm not sure if this is what you're already doing but a work around is to split your desired route into segments and generate KML files for each. These can then be combined outside of Google Earth for use with the "Find Caches Along a Route" feature. See this page for instructions. There are also links at the bottom of that page for instructions on using Streets&Trips.

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...I have to create several small routes in order to get it to go the way I want to go. This take lots of time. Question: Is there anyway to create a route on GE using the road and highways I want to use. Or is there a way to use another mapping program (i.e. Streets and Trips or Garman's maps) to do what I want to do.

 

I'm not sure if this is what you're already doing but a work around is to split your desired route into segments and generate KML files for each. These can then be combined outside of Google Earth for use with the "Find Caches Along a Route" feature. See this page for instructions. There are also links at the bottom of that page for instructions on using Streets&Trips.

 

If you don't use GSAk none of this is possible. Just split your KML file into segments and you should be ok

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Don't have a GPS or anything yet, so I can't say this would work 100%, but my plan was this.

 

Make a map using Google Maps. Google Maps allows you to pick points along a route, and reset them to new roads. Simply click the route along the wrong road and drag it to the road you want to take.

Once you are happy with the new improved route, use the "Link to this page" on the top right. Drag your mouse to the far right of the http link (it will give a &z=11 or some other number for the zoom level) and add "&output=kml" to the end (without the quotes). Highlight the whole URL and copy it (CTRL-C for Windows machines). Paste it into your browsers address bar and Google Earth should launch with the directions loaded up. I never used it for directions, but I have used the link to page feature and used it to link to a city that I wanted to blog about (I would add a "Go there in Google Earth" type link where I used the URL with the &output=kml added tot he end).

This page at the Google Earth Blog is where I confirmed that it works with routes (and learned what the &z means). On that page they got a nice video showing how to move the route. They say on that page they hope that it makes its way into Google Earth as well. They warn there is a bug that sometimes it will loose portions of the route, but as of 4.3 beta, its not there.

Anyhow, from there Google Earth should work as normal.

I just tried it, and it worked. The Geocaching Network KML file showed all the geocaches along the way.

 

EDIT: I see PDOP's reply say that the KML can be loaded directly into the Caches Along a Route page on Geocaching.com, so I guess one could skip Google Earth all together. So after you make your map in Google Maps, just get the location, and the &output=kml thing and copy that into Cashes Along a Route. I am guessing it should work since it pulls into Google Earth fine. (Not having a GPS yet, I didn't buy the premium membership yet, so I can't test it directly.)

Edited by brianathomas
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Keep it simple in Google Earth.

 

Just do not use the Directions (driving directions) feature. Use the Path feature. Zoom in the map to a level where you can see the roads you are traveling. Under Add, click on Path. Click along the roads where you need to for turns. You do not need many points when the roads are straight. Use your keyboard's arrow keys to move past the page you are on.

 

When you are done, name the Path. On the left side under Places you will see this path. Right click on it and save it as a .KML file. This can all be done in seconds.

 

Use this .KML file in the Caches along a route section to create your PQ.

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