how to...

[+novw.nl]

Is there a smart way to get a list of all (traditional) caches in a country ? Maybe a .loc file with those caches, so I can use GSAK to filter the ones I like (offline !) ?

 

I understand I can use pocket queries for this:

 

find traditional caches in (ex:) Germany, placed between jan-1-2000 and <whatever, as long as I stay under 500 "hits">. This would hammer the servers because I have to try the query till I hit 500, and than download iot, and than start with the new date, and than do it all again...

 

For France and Belgium and Netherlands I can download a .loc file with what I want, from the local geocaching comunity. Is this available for other countries ? Maybe ? Please ?

[+StarBrand]

.loc files contain only basic information like the coordinates and cache name. Not enough information for filtering.

 

No - there is no current way to download ALL of the caches per country - only way to do it is via Pocket Queries - but why would you want to do that?? By the time you got all the data - much of it would be old. Use the PQ function for what it was intended for - to identify caches in an area that you might be interested in so that you can download them for a day or 2 of caching. You can preview a PQ before running - that will allow you to see the number with only a light load on the server.

 

If somebody is sharing all counttry .LOC files - that is probably a violation of the site TOU agreement. If they are sharing GPX files - that is certainly a violation.

[+Renegade Knight]

You have to use brute force. Either set up a rotating series of PQ based on coords that will let you cover the country and then combine the resulting PQ's with a program that lets you weed out the duplication, or fine tune it like are thinking.

 

Using that many PQ's to keep an offline database is legit as an indivudual user but will catch the attention of TPTB.

 

Personally I'd like to keep a handy database of everthing within 400 miles. That would keep me covered for caches no matter what wild hair I get for where to go caching. Instead I have to pick and choose my center points.

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

Portugal has only 3300 caches. We set up 7 PQs to get them all, only the active, of course.

 

Suppose that's the only way to do it. We run it on a weekly basis.

[+sbell111]

Due to high gas prices, I've had to restrict my potential geocaching area. Therefore, I only need a PQ that contains the LPC at the Home Depot down the street.

[+novw.nl]

maybe a better explanation: next october we are going on a tour through Germany, Switserland, (northern) Italy, France, Luxemburg, Belgium back home to Holland. We will go where the wind takes us so to speak. So, although I have a general plan I am unsure when or where we will go to. So my only option sems to be to take all caches in each country along...

 

So queries it is going to be... Jikes...

[+Renegade Knight]

maybe a better explanation: next october we are going on a tour through Germany, Switserland, (northern) Italy, France, Luxemburg, Belgium back home to Holland. We will go where the wind takes us so to speak. So, although I have a general plan I am unsure when or where we will go to. So my only option sems to be to take all caches in each country along...

 

So queries it is going to be... Jikes...

 

A little different way of thinking.

If you know where you are going to be staying along the way, those can be your centers for your Pocket Queries searches.

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

If it's a trip, stick to traditional caches, virts and webcams. We just got back from a 3,000 mile road trip that took us from Portugal, Spain, Andorra, France, Monaco, Italy and San Marino.

 

We had some different routes to get there. Our method was setting up caches along a route with the different options. Worked perfectly. We ran also some PQ of areas we'd probably go around.

 

Think we got it all.

[+Okiebryan]

I travel frequently on my motorcycle to other states. If I'm in a hurry to get somewhere, I only search for virts. That way, I don't spend a lot of time looking for a cache that may or may not be muggled. I've found that to be quite fun and satisfying. A PQ filtered to Virts only will cover a VERY large area.

 

If I have days and days to get somewhere, I'll look for some traditionals as well.

[+rstefano52]

I don't know what kind of phone service you will have in the areas that you are going to but here in the states it seems that more and more people are using their phones with internet access to acquire cache data on the run. My brother just recently got a Blackberry and is using Geocache Navigator with it - he says that you almost don't need a GPS! I, myself, am looking into a similar option. It's just another option to think about - that way there's no need to take "extra equipment" along because you will have access to the GC site wherever you go.

[+sbell111]

You could build PQs for the areas that you know that you'll be going to and just not cache in the other areas.

[+novw.nl]

I have given up on Germany. I am at 15 PQ's, and not even finished, with just traditionals, under 3.5 difficulty and terrain. I am requesting caches placed between dates, still active and in Germany. This is madnes !

 

I don't know what kind of phone service you will have in the areas

 

<snip>

European phone service, so perfect ! But (!) at us$20 per Mb, a bit on the expensive side...

 

You could build PQs for the areas that you know that you'll be going to and just not cache in the other areas.

GC does not know about bundeslander (states) in Germany , plus we want to be free to follow the sun, when any part of our trip is raining.

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

You're asking something impossible. And if you get all Germany in 20 PQ's you'll need 4 days to update them all... And that's all for the german caches.

 

Pick a few caches on the possible destinations. Otherwise you'll go nuts with so much information and so many things to update!

[+sbell111]

You could build PQs for the areas that you know that you'll be going to and just not cache in the other areas.

GC does not know about bundeslander (states) in Germany , plus we want to be free to follow the sun, when any part of our trip is raining.

I realize that what you want is every cache in every country that you will visit, but that simply is not realistic. If you instead get PQs for every area that you know you will be visiting, you will have plenty of caches to find on your trip. As you deviate from known plans, you may enter areas for which you don't have cache information. Given that you reason to deviate was not caching-related, you likely will still have stuff to do while you are in those areas. Otherwise, you could access the internet in any number of ways to obtain local cache data on the fly.

[+trainlove]

With Germany having 16 'states' and each of those has 200 to 9500 caches you can't do it with pocket queries by date 'easily'. It will take a long time.

 

Why don't you get a GPS that has POI information on Educational Institutions: Libraries and use their public, free, internet connections? Oh, yes, there probably are not many over there.

 

P.S. Generating the PQ's and fine tuning them to get a number under 500 does not 'hammer' the servers. It does take some computing power to do that, but the generation of the GPX file itself, which you only dowhen you have gotten it right, is what uses up much more server time.

 

P.P.S. Switzerland with 10 'states' has 2078 caches, Itlay with 20 'states' has 1534 caches, France has 6794

caches, Luxembourg has 442 caches, Belgium with 11 'states' has 3545 caches and Netherlands (Holland I think plus++) has 6327 caches.

All these are from an experiment of a few days ago. And all of these include all kinds of caches. But of course traditional caches in foreign countries covers about 90% of all cache types.

Edited September 19, 2008 by trainlove

[+novw.nl]

it does give me an idea of the scale of geocaching... Geepers ! Between May 14 and Jun 14 2008 in Germany there were 423 new cacahes (fulfilling my requirements) placed. Thats a HUGE job for the reviewers...

 

--

 

I just tried, from the LOC files I can determin the province (Belgium) and filter accordingly, so a loc file for every country wouild not be a very bad idea I think.