New features?

[+HistDrew]

You know what would be a cool feature for the website? Something along the lines of a shopping cart for cache/gpx files.

 

This came up because I'm planning a route straight across Kentucky, through some back roads areas. I want to load my GPS with specific caches, and a PQ just doesn't fit it. So as I'm manually dragging the map along the highway, I'm looking at certain caches along the way--checking for recent finds/DNFs, D/T numbers, and a few other things.

 

It would be cool if, when the little window pops up with the mini-info on the cache, or on the page for the cache itself, you could click a button that reads "drop this into my cart." Then at some point you could click a button that reads "download my cart as a gpx" and then all the caches you dropped in the cart would come out in one file. So, no extraneous caches for those times when your GPS is full, or you want to drive from specific cache to specific cache without clutter in between.

 

Thoughts?

[+Team GPSaxophone]

You might get Groundspeak to look at it if you post it in the correct forum.

[+Semper Questio]

You know what would be a cool feature for the website? Something along the lines of a shopping cart for cache/gpx files.

 

This came up because I'm planning a route straight across Kentucky, through some back roads areas. I want to load my GPS with specific caches, and a PQ just doesn't fit it. So as I'm manually dragging the map along the highway, I'm looking at certain caches along the way--checking for recent finds/DNFs, D/T numbers, and a few other things.

 

It would be cool if, when the little window pops up with the mini-info on the cache, or on the page for the cache itself, you could click a button that reads "drop this into my cart." Then at some point you could click a button that reads "download my cart as a gpx" and then all the caches you dropped in the cart would come out in one file. So, no extraneous caches for those times when your GPS is full, or you want to drive from specific cache to specific cache without clutter in between.

 

Thoughts?

 

How about bookmarking your caches, generating a PQ from that bookmark, and then downloading the PQ results? Isn't that pretty much what you are wanting or am I missing something?

[+StarBrand]

You know what would be a cool feature for the website? Something along the lines of a shopping cart for cache/gpx files.

 

This came up because I'm planning a route straight across Kentucky, through some back roads areas. I want to load my GPS with specific caches, and a PQ just doesn't fit it. So as I'm manually dragging the map along the highway, I'm looking at certain caches along the way--checking for recent finds/DNFs, D/T numbers, and a few other things.

 

It would be cool if, when the little window pops up with the mini-info on the cache, or on the page for the cache itself, you could click a button that reads "drop this into my cart." Then at some point you could click a button that reads "download my cart as a gpx" and then all the caches you dropped in the cart would come out in one file. So, no extraneous caches for those times when your GPS is full, or you want to drive from specific cache to specific cache without clutter in between.

 

Thoughts?

 

How about bookmarking your caches, generating a PQ from that bookmark, and then downloading the PQ results? Isn't that pretty much what you are wanting or am I missing something?

 

Yup - the OP just described what already exists - bookmarking and PQ of Bookmark.

[+StarBrand]

....Also - Are you familiar with PQ along a route?? You can create a route down exactly the roads you want to travel and get a PQ of anything near that route.

[+HistDrew]

....Also - Are you familiar with PQ along a route?? You can create a route down exactly the roads you want to travel and get a PQ of anything near that route.

 

Sure, I've done that. But the route PQ doesn't exactly follow the road (it follows straight lines along the road-path) and would include many caches instead of the few I'm looking for.

[+HistDrew]

 

How about bookmarking your caches, generating a PQ from that bookmark, and then downloading the PQ results? Isn't that pretty much what you are wanting or am I missing something?

 

Not a bad idea, but that adds a number of steps to the process.

 

Using a bookmark list, as I count it, includes the following steps after the actual creation of the list:

 

1. Click on cache

2. Click on "Bookmark it"

3. Click on "Create Bookmark"

4. Click back to get to cache page

5. Click back again to get back to map

 

I'm thinking more along the lines of a drop-down menu that automates it. Two step:

 

1. Click on cache

2. Click on drop-down "Add to PQ list"

[+HistDrew]

You might get Groundspeak to look at it if you post it in the correct forum.

 

If it turns out to be a good one, and depending on the kinds of suggestions I get here, I plan to.

[+Semper Questio]

 

How about bookmarking your caches, generating a PQ from that bookmark, and then downloading the PQ results? Isn't that pretty much what you are wanting or am I missing something?

 

Not a bad idea, but that adds a number of steps to the process.

 

Using a bookmark list, as I count it, includes the following steps after the actual creation of the list:

 

1. Click on cache

2. Click on "Bookmark it"

3. Click on "Create Bookmark"

4. Click back to get to cache page

5. Click back again to get back to map

 

I'm thinking more along the lines of a drop-down menu that automates it. Two step:

 

1. Click on cache

2. Click on drop-down "Add to PQ list"

 

I see your point and I agree it could be slicker and I think I'd vote for the change.

 

But working within the current bounds of the system, you can create a bookmark list ahead of time, eliminating that chore. I have one I call "Targets" I use for just this purpose. As for the rest I guess that depends where you start from. If I am on the map, then I click on the cache and click on "Bookmark It", the bookmarking window opens in a new tab (I use Chrome), so afterwards, I just close that tab and I'm back where I was.

 

I'd suggest opening the issue on the Feedback site and let it get debated over there so Groundspeak will see the whole discussion. Those threads are seemingly much more closely watched for this sort of thing than this forum is.

 

To address your specific issue, what I've done in the past is set up my caches along a route pocket queries, then use the preview on a map feature to go along the route and pick and choose the caches I want to do. I've also do the same thing using Google Earth. I know that doesn't really simplify things for you, but they are options in the meantime.

[+wimseyguy]

I agree that SQ's suggestion has a few more steps. But after using the PQ along a route a few times I decided that I preferred to create my BM list before hand and weed out caches that were not interesting, available, or convenient to a highway ramp or the side roads I would be on.

By spending a little extra time on the front end, I get a PQ of caches that are 100% potential road trip targetworthy.

 

It got really annoying to see all of the caches that were less than .25 miles from the highway in a direct line, but in reality were a 10 mile detour.

[GOF and Bacall]

I agree that SQ's suggestion has a few more steps. But after using the PQ along a route a few times I decided that I preferred to create my BM list before hand and weed out caches that were not interesting, available, or convenient to a highway ramp or the side roads I would be on.

By spending a little extra time on the front end, I get a PQ of caches that are 100% potential road trip targetworthy.

 

It got really annoying to see all of the caches that were less than .25 miles from the highway in a direct line, but in reality were a 10 mile detour.

 

I open a new GSAK db and Google Earth. I follow my rout on the GE map looking for interesting caches and send their GPX files to GSAK.

 

Some of those 10 detours are worth it.

[+Semper Questio]

This scenario is, I think, where the "GC Tour" Idea has a lot of merit and may be just what the OP is looking for...or darn close to it. TPTB are looking into this already and perhaps adding some of his own ideas to that conversation would yield better results than starting a new topic.

[+wimseyguy]

I agree that the detours may be worthwhile. That's why I take time to read all the cache pages on the front end while preparing my BM list.