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Is Anyone Ever Gonna Fix the Google Map Search?

Kirbert

By Kirbert,
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Kirbert

Kirbert

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The "Search with Google Maps" has NEVER worked, ever since it was introduced. I've just been sitting back and hoping it would get fixed in the course of events, but it's been several years now and it still doesn't work. The Google Maps part works fine, you can slide around and look at different areas and zoom in and out, but the thing won't display any geocaches once you get where you wanna look.

 

And much as I'd like to just snag the coordinates off the URL and go back and type them into the search, the coordinates on the URL are of where you first started looking at Google Maps rather than the area you've moved to!

 

Aaaaargh. It's so frustrating. If the town you're looking for doesn't happen to be one listed on the Local State page and you don't happen to know the zip codes or GPS coordinates of where you want to go geocaching, you're just screwed.

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JPatton

+JPatton

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Posted

It works for me as well. I just used it to get some caches for a trip tomorrow. I typed in the town name and it took me right there. Ran a query from the map and I'm all set.

 

One thing it seems many people don't know, you can type all kinds of things in the 'Zoom to Address' box. Zip codes, city names and place names all work. You don't need to type in an address. It's a lot more versatile than many people realize.

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benh57

+benh57

Posted
Posted

He's right in that it is kinda unreliable. Often after a few pans / zooms it will completely stop displaying caches. If he is doing a lot of panning and zooming around then it's possible that it looks like it never works.

 

The search box is also unreliable, but was slightly improved recently. At least you can search for coords now to zoome there.

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MYater

+MYater

Posted
Posted

Never had a problem with it. I've used it with everything from a T1 connections, to dial up, to DSL and to optic on about a dozen computers with no problems. By your description I would hazard a guess that something something on your end is the problem. Sorry your having trouble. :D

 

MYater

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Chananda

+Chananda

Posted
Posted

The "Search with Google Maps" has NEVER worked, ever since it was introduced. I've just been sitting back and hoping it would get fixed in the course of events, but it's been several years now and it still doesn't work. The Google Maps part works fine, you can slide around and look at different areas and zoom in and out, but the thing won't display any geocaches once you get where you wanna look.

 

And much as I'd like to just snag the coordinates off the URL and go back and type them into the search, the coordinates on the URL are of where you first started looking at Google Maps rather than the area you've moved to!

 

Aaaaargh. It's so frustrating. If the town you're looking for doesn't happen to be one listed on the Local State page and you don't happen to know the zip codes or GPS coordinates of where you want to go geocaching, you're just screwed.

 

The refresh button under the cache listing refreshes the list for wherever you are viewing on the map.

 

I have had times when no caches were displayed no matter where I was, but these have been only occasional and are apparently related to how often I personally use google maps and google maps on other sites (there is a per-user limit per-month I think).

 

Try clearing all your google cookies and making sure you are not logged into any google services. Then try the maps again.

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Arrow42

+Arrow42

Posted
Posted

Aaaaargh. It's so frustrating. If the town you're looking for doesn't happen to be one listed on the Local State page and you don't happen to know the zip codes or GPS coordinates of where you want to go geocaching, you're just screwed.

 

Actually, you can type in quite a few different things to zoom to different areas. The name of a park, the name of the "city, state", 3-letter airport code, lake names... all sorts of things. Google has gone way out of thier way to give users 100's of options to search.

 

I do have some complaints on how it works... Every cache is a separate object, so it makes the load times quite long if your near the 500 cache limit.

 

You do know there is a 500 cache limit, right? If your viewing an entire city chances are that your over the 500 caches. If you zoom in they should start loading.

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Kirbert

Kirbert

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Posted (edited)

Actually, you can type in quite a few different things to zoom to different areas. The name of a park, the name of the "city, state", 3-letter airport code, lake names... all sorts of things. Google has gone way out of thier way to give users 100's of options to search.

 

I have no problem zooming whereever I want, but it won't show me any caches once I get there. And it won't show me any GPS coordinates, so I can't go back to the search engine to find any caches!

 

benh57 confirmed having the same problem. If you zoom too much, it quits displaying any geocaches. The problem is, zooming is pretty much the only reason I'm on the Google map search in the first place. If I wanted the caches right where I first brought the Google map up, I didn't need the Google map, I coulda just brought up the list of nearby caches for that spot.

Edited by Kirbert
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MYater

+MYater

Posted
Posted

I have no problem zooming whereever I want, but it won't show me any caches once I get there. And it won't show me any GPS coordinates, so I can't go back to the search engine to find any caches!

 

benh57 confirmed having the same problem. If you zoom too much, it quits displaying any geocaches. The problem is, zooming is pretty much the only reason I'm on the Google map search in the first place. If I wanted the caches right where I first brought the Google map up, I didn't need the Google map, I coulda just brought up the list of nearby caches for that spot.

I still think something on your end is the culprit. As long as I do not have a connection issue, or a software issue on my end, I have been able to zoom and pan and zoom again for longer than I probably should with no problems. If I go over 500 caches displayed on the map it tells me and I have to zoom in to view them again, but I have recieved notification of that every time.

 

If you create a PQ and then view the PQ in map mode does your browser display cache icons on the map?

 

Also I couldn't find where you said anything about it, but have you tried multiple computers as well as a different browser on your computer?

 

MYater

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Isonzo Karst

+Isonzo Karst

Posted
Posted

Hi Kirbert, I'll echo the many who suspect that the problem is on your end. I do notice the map freeze up momentarily if I zoom out too far (over 500 caches) or pan quickly and repeatedly - but waiting a bit solves that. This technique, using the google cache map, is the primary way I hunt for caches when traveling - I know it works.

 

re, "If the town you're looking for doesn't happen to be one listed on the Local State page and you don't happen to know the zip codes or GPS coordinates of where you want to go geocaching, you're just screwed."

 

Use the link fegan offered above http://www.geocaching.com/map/default.aspx and type in name of town, state. I just checked it on Mabel FL - an unincorporated "place" (a green sign on the side of the road) in the Green Swamp. No post office, no zip. It took me to Mabel and showed me a couple of caches.

 

Here's the troubleshooting google maps landing page, I hope you can find something here to help.

http://maps.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=10781

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