Pocket queries in dense cache areas.

[+EtienneNavaar]

Geocaching.com limits it's pocket queries to 500 caches. I'm probably missing the obvious here but how do you work around this limit in a cache dense area? Is sorting the caches by date the only way? Thanks to anyone who takes the time to reply.

[+Kit Fox]

I separate my queries by doing the following:

 

2.5 or higher terrain

2 or lower terrain

virtuals / earthcaches

 

(I weed out multis, puzzles, any any cache listed as "unknown" size. I also weed out caches that are disabled.)

 

Five queries give me about 2500 caches for results.

[+Harry Dolphin]

With over 10000 caches within 75 miles, my pocket queries are set by date. I have two sets. One for all caches within state, and another for all caches within 75 miles, but out of state.

The oldest set in state are anything prior to Feb 15, 2005.

The second oldest 500 caches are from Feb 2005 to April 2006.

And so on, down the line.

[+Zop]

Geocaching.com limits it's pocket queries to 500 caches. I'm probably missing the obvious here but how do you work around this limit in a cache dense area? Is sorting the caches by date the only way? Thanks to anyone who takes the time to reply.

 

One great tip I received was to simply create a few PQ's filtered by date. one for caches placed between 2000 and 2002, another from 2002 to 2004 and so on...

 

If your area is that dense, you could end up with 2500 caches!

[+StarBrand]

Target your caches. Today - look for the terrain 2 and difficulty 2 small sized caches in your area. Next time out target t1/d2 regular sized. Next week make it a micro week. No need to have all the caches in your GPS at your fingertips. Get enough for a fun filled day and then repeat often!!

[+hukilaulau]

Target your caches. Today - look for the terrain 2 and difficulty 2 small sized caches in your area. Next time out target t1/d2 regular sized. Next week make it a micro week. No need to have all the caches in your GPS at your fingertips. Get enough for a fun filled day and then repeat often!!

I like that idea! Keeps you from doing a "scorched earth" thing around your home area . I never understood the need to have a bazillion unknown caches in your gps anyway.

[+geojibby]

Somebody really needs to make a sticky FAQ about this. I've seen this same thread 8 billion times. I asked the same question. With only 500 caches available for PQs, the way to do it right is searching by date. There needs to be a tutorial on PQs that would set this up for our newer cachers.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Target your caches. Today - look for the terrain 2 and difficulty 2 small sized caches in your area. Next time out target t1/d2 regular sized. Next week make it a micro week. No need to have all the caches in your GPS at your fingertips. Get enough for a fun filled day and then repeat often!!

 

I like this approach. Some days I might go for lots of easy micros, other days I might just target 1 single cache deep into the woods.

 

I don't live in a dense cache area but I have one PQ that covers a 50 mile radius from my home location which excludes unknown/puzzles, another which only has puzzles (and also corrected waypoints for those that I have solved at home). I have several others at various compass directions. I used GSAK to merge two or three of them into a common database (which removes duplicates) then send the result to my GPS. My GPS holds 1000 waypoints so I occasionally adjust the number of caches for query and used the maps view of each query to see how they overlap.

[+sbell111]

Somebody really needs to make a sticky FAQ about this. I've seen this same thread 8 billion times. I asked the same question. With only 500 caches available for PQs, the way to do it right is searching by date. There needs to be a tutorial on PQs that would set this up for our newer cachers.

There are already several such tutorials. Probably the most well known is Markwell's version from his FAQ. It discusses just about anything you would want to know about building a PQ. Using date ranges to pull ata sets that are over 500 caches is in the 'Tips & Tricks' section towards the bottom of the page.

[+sbell111]

Target your caches. Today - look for the terrain 2 and difficulty 2 small sized caches in your area. Next time out target t1/d2 regular sized. Next week make it a micro week. No need to have all the caches in your GPS at your fingertips. Get enough for a fun filled day and then repeat often!!

I like this approach. Some days I might go for lots of easy micros, other days I might just target 1 single cache deep into the woods.

 

I don't live in a dense cache area but I have one PQ that covers a 50 mile radius from my home location which excludes unknown/puzzles, another which only has puzzles (and also corrected waypoints for those that I have solved at home). I have several others at various compass directions. I used GSAK to merge two or three of them into a common database (which removes duplicates) then send the result to my GPS. My GPS holds 1000 waypoints so I occasionally adjust the number of caches for query and used the maps view of each query to see how they overlap.

It might be helpful to note that many GPSs allow you to add data as points of interest (POIs). I add caches to my Venture Cx as POI and have found that I have virtually no limit to the number of caches that I can add (limited only by the size of my microSD card). Currently, I think that I have about 2500 caches in my GPSr as POI even though it has a 'user waypoint' limit of 500 waypoints.

[+mantis7]

Target your caches. Today - look for the terrain 2 and difficulty 2 small sized caches in your area. Next time out target t1/d2 regular sized. Next week make it a micro week. No need to have all the caches in your GPS at your fingertips. Get enough for a fun filled day and then repeat often!!

 

I don't know....

 

This doesn't 'feel right' to me.... I mean my time is VERY limited so I like having the caches already in my GPS, and I like them up-to date, so that on the RARE occasion that I have a few extra minutes, I can check the GPS and see if there are any caches nearby....

 

Having to go to a computer, do a PQ or search, and then transfer the coordinates to a GPSr defeats the whole idea (for me anyway) of the 'spur of the moment' cache run..which happens to be the majority of the time that my wife and I geocache.

 

Furthermore, if your time is limited, being able to get to the closest cache is important, so not having all of the caches at your fingertips may mean the difference between finding the time to do some geocaching and not....

 

Right now, the only way (for me) is to create the PQ's by date..and try and keep the GPS updated as regularly as possible (using GSAK etc..)...This method works, but requires multiple PQ's to keep up to date...but hey..at least it works!

 

Seems like there should be a better way to deal with this data...I'm sure server load is an issue, with people running a lot of PQ's....

 

I'm sure that there will be changes to this in the future....although I have been thinking this for years now, so I guess I will keep waiting.

Edited March 11, 2009 by mantis7

[+Markwell]

Somebody really needs to make a sticky FAQ about this. I've seen this same thread 8 billion times. I asked the same question. With only 500 caches available for PQs, the way to do it right is searching by date. There needs to be a tutorial on PQs that would set this up for our newer cachers.

 

Yep - someone ought to write something up. Maybe if they did a tutuorial, they'd get a link posted in the Getting Started forum, where the newbies might find a sticky thread. Then the sticky thread would have a link to a more updated FAQ on more than Pocket Queries. Then maybe that author could even devote a whole page to the issues and tips and tricks about Pocket Queries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+sbell111]

Somebody really needs to make a sticky FAQ about this. I've seen this same thread 8 billion times. I asked the same question. With only 500 caches available for PQs, the way to do it right is searching by date. There needs to be a tutorial on PQs that would set this up for our newer cachers.

 

Yep - someone ought to write something up. Maybe if they did a tutuorial, they'd get a link posted in the Getting Started forum, where the newbies might find a sticky thread. Then the sticky thread would have a link to a more updated FAQ on more than Pocket Queries. Then maybe that author could even devote a whole page to the issues and tips and tricks about Pocket Queries.

 

Settle down, big guy. It's going to be OK.

 

It's understandable that some people might not realize that these resources exist until they either bump into them or they are pointed out.

[+Allanon]

Somebody really needs to make a sticky FAQ about this. I've seen this same thread 8 billion times. I asked the same question. With only 500 caches available for PQs, the way to do it right is searching by date. There needs to be a tutorial on PQs that would set this up for our newer cachers.

 

Yep - someone ought to write something up. Maybe if they did a tutuorial, they'd get a link posted in the Getting Started forum, where the newbies might find a sticky thread. Then the sticky thread would have a link to a more updated FAQ on more than Pocket Queries. Then maybe that author could even devote a whole page to the issues and tips and tricks about Pocket Queries.

 

Settle down, big guy. It's going to be OK.

 

It's understandable that some people might not realize that these resources exist until they either bump into them or they are pointed out.

Yeah, that whole exploring and reading thing is so over rated...

[CoyoteRed]

Actually, now that the PQ page returns the number results at the top of the when you submit it, I have an even better solution. When the results are 500, then add a statement that says something to the effect "Your Pocket Query exceeds the maximum number of results allowed. See here for more information." The link would take them to page for further help.

[+StarBrand]

Target your caches. Today - look for the terrain 2 and difficulty 2 small sized caches in your area. Next time out target t1/d2 regular sized. Next week make it a micro week. No need to have all the caches in your GPS at your fingertips. Get enough for a fun filled day and then repeat often!!

 

I don't know....

 

This doesn't 'feel right' to me.... I mean my time is VERY limited so I like having the caches already in my GPS, and I like them up-to date, so that on the RARE occasion that I have a few extra minutes, I can check the GPS and see if there are any caches nearby....

 

Having to go to a computer, do a PQ or search, and then transfer the coordinates to a GPSr defeats the whole idea (for me anyway) of the 'spur of the moment' cache run..which happens to be the majority of the time that my wife and I geocache.

 

Furthermore, if your time is limited, being able to get to the closest cache is important, so not having all of the caches at your fingertips may mean the difference between finding the time to do some geocaching and not....

 

Right now, the only way (for me) is to create the PQ's by date..and try and keep the GPS updated as regularly as possible (using GSAK etc..)...This method works, but requires multiple PQ's to keep up to date...but hey..at least it works!

 

Seems like there should be a better way to deal with this data...I'm sure server load is an issue, with people running a lot of PQ's....

 

I'm sure that there will be changes to this in the future....although I have been thinking this for years now, so I guess I will keep waiting.

Oh come on - You can setup nd run a new PQ with the new criteria and have it in your inbox in less than 5 minutes - well over 95% of the time. Fresh server data. Another minute and its loaded in your device and off you go. If it is really a cache dense area - even using the limited criteria i mentioned above - you should have a few caches inside of a mile or 2 of your current location. If you don't, I would submit you really aren't in a very cache dense area. In reality, most folks like yourself just can't stand the fact that there may have been a cache sitting 40 feet from thier parking spot and they didn't go get it.

[+Markwell]

Settle down, big guy. It's going to be OK.

Nice. I always love being demeaned on a Wednesday morning. Does my heart good.

 

It's understandable that some people might not realize that these resources exist until they either bump into them or they are pointed out.

 

There's a link to my FAQ in over 7,000 places on this forum.

 

[+sbell111]

Settle down, big guy. It's going to be OK.

Nice. I always love being demeaned on a Wednesday morning. Does my heart good.

Your heart didn't have a problem demeaning someone on Tuesday evening.

It's understandable that some people might not realize that these resources exist until they either bump into them or they are pointed out.

 

There's a link to my FAQ in over 7,000 places on this forum.

 

Everyone should search out the posts of the great and powerful Markwell to find the all important link? Really? Even if they have no idea who you are or that the document even exists?

 

wow.

Edited March 11, 2009 by sbell111

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Target your caches. Today - look for the terrain 2 and difficulty 2 small sized caches in your area. Next time out target t1/d2 regular sized. Next week make it a micro week. No need to have all the caches in your GPS at your fingertips. Get enough for a fun filled day and then repeat often!!

I like this approach. Some days I might go for lots of easy micros, other days I might just target 1 single cache deep into the woods.

 

I don't live in a dense cache area but I have one PQ that covers a 50 mile radius from my home location which excludes unknown/puzzles, another which only has puzzles (and also corrected waypoints for those that I have solved at home). I have several others at various compass directions. I used GSAK to merge two or three of them into a common database (which removes duplicates) then send the result to my GPS. My GPS holds 1000 waypoints so I occasionally adjust the number of caches for query and used the maps view of each query to see how they overlap.

It might be helpful to note that many GPSs allow you to add data as points of interest (POIs). I add caches to my Venture Cx as POI and have found that I have virtually no limit to the number of caches that I can add (limited only by the size of my microSD card). Currently, I think that I have about 2500 caches in my GPSr as POI even though it has a 'user waypoint' limit of 500 waypoints.

 

Good point. I used to download "unknown" caches as POIs but I haven't found the 1000 waypoint limit (for my GPS) to be a problem if I manage those waypoints in advance using GSAK. Occasionally when I am traveling and stopping in several areas for a day or two I've wished I could store more waypoints but if I schedule multiple PQs just prior to leaving and put them on my laptop I can refresh my GPS when I get to different locations on my trip.

 

I also usually remove all of the waypoints prior to sending a set of waypoints to my GPS so if I manage multiple GSAK databases such that they always contain less than 1000 waypoints it's pretty easy to have a huge number of waypoints available pretty quickly.

 

Now that I have an iPhone and the geocaching app and can pretty much see full cache page listings anywhere where I've got a data connection having every waypoint in my GPS has been less than an issue.