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Pocket Query Request -- 1 immediate result


Brainerd

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First of all I love Geocaching.com. Thank you for a wonderful site. I think enough of it to pay my annual fee to be a Premium Member.

 

The Pocket Queries are wonderful, but they do require some advanced planning. Usually, this works out fine. But, sometimes a fellow cacher will call with desire to go on a hunt right away. If it is to an area where I have not queried a GPX file, then I might have to wait 1-5 hours for my 'special trip' Pocket Query to be delivered. Typically, I only run each of my 5 queries once per week, but the wait for a new search result can unreasonably delay my caching departure.

 

Can some of the newly reclaimed processing power gained from the implementation of the search result page, be given to the Premium and Charter Members. Not that I'm screaming for more benefits, but the add-ons for those memberships are minimal. Could TPTB create the ability for the Premium and Charter Members to run one Pocket Query type search per day that would result in the relatively immediate delivery of the GPX (or loc and doc) file?

 

Can ya throw us a bone here?

 

Thanks again for all that you do (not kissing up here -- I am truly being sincere).

 

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.

Henry David Thoreau

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quote:
Originally posted by Prime Suspect:

... When I create a new one-time PQ, I usually get it within 10 minutes. As I understand it, when a new PQ is created, it automatically goes to the "express lane".


 

True. But if you ran a search with the same 'title' the day before, then it does not go into the ''express lane''. I ran all of my searches on Thursday, to lessen the server load, and then I ran 1 of them again on Friday, with new coordinates. It took 5 hours to arrive.

 

So, today I ran that same query, with yet some new coords, and it has not arrived after 1 1/2 hours. So, I put in the same coords under a query that was run on Thursday, but not on Friday, and it did arrive in about 15 min. The first one is still AWOL.

 

Rather than trying to figure out ways to beat the queue, it would be nice to have the option to receive an immediate result. Perhaps I am alone on this one. I would be curious to hear what other members feel about this issue.

 

And with that said, I am off to the caching grounds with my GPX file.

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quote:
Originally posted by Brainerd:

quote:
Originally posted by Prime Suspect:

... When I create a new one-time PQ, I usually get it within 10 minutes. As I understand it, when a new PQ is created, it automatically goes to the "express lane".


 

True. But if you ran a search with the same 'title' the day before, then it does not go into the ''express lane''. I ran all of my searches on Thursday, to lessen the server load, and then I ran 1 of them again on Friday, with new coordinates. It took 5 hours to arrive.

 

So, today I ran that same query, with yet some new coords, and it has not arrived after 1 1/2 hours. So, I put in the same coords under a query that was run on Thursday, but not on Friday, and it did arrive in about 15 min. The first one is still AWOL.

 

Rather than trying to figure out ways to beat the queue, it would be nice to have the option to receive an immediate result. Perhaps I am alone on this one. I would be curious to hear what other members feel about this issue.

 

And with that said, I am off to the caching grounds with my GPX file.


Think you missed Prime's point. Dont edit an existing PQ. Create a new one. You aren't trying to "beat the queue", it was designed to give priority to new PQs for just this reason. I typically see a new PQ in less then 15 minutes, and usually it's closer to 5 minutes or less.

 

"(Mopar is) good to have around and kick. Like an ugly puppy" - Jeremy

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quote:
Originally posted by Brainerd:

Point taken. I'll just rename my search when I run it.


Nope, point still missed. Don't rename it. DELETE it. Leave that 5th slot empty, and create a brand new query (with a brand new ID number) when you need one in a hurry.

 

"(Mopar is) good to have around and kick. Like an ugly puppy" - Jeremy

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Thanks Mopar for the tip. But I think this goes to the heart of my original request. There are 4 searches that I like to run on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. It would be nice to keep those saved so that I don't have to re-enter the coordinates just because I needed to delete the query for a 'special' one.

 

The dead horse has been beat enough. I'll suck it up, delete, create, and then receive within 15 min.

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I just became a premium member and I figured out how to do pocket queries, but then I read this post and saw that you can get "immediate" results of your query. How do you do this? The only options I saw was to select which day of the week you want the query to run. I ran one last night, and it was in my email this morning. How do you get it within 15 minutes or so??

Thanks

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quote:
Originally posted by K-9 Cachers:

I just became a premium member and I figured out how to do pocket queries, but then I read this post and saw that you can get "immediate" results of your query. How do you do this? The only options I saw was to select which day of the week you want the query to run. I ran one last night, and it was in my email this morning. How do you get it within 15 minutes or so??

Thanks


 

Create a NEW query (do not edit an existing one), and select the current day for delivery. Most of the time you will get it within 15 minutes. However, during busy days (Fridays for example) it may take longer.

 

stunod_sig.gif

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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Apologies for my complete n00bness...but I have only recently got a GPS sleeve for my iPaq and I am wondering whether to give geocaching a go.

 

Would anyone care to explain to me what these queries are and how I use them? I'm guessing somewhere on this site it explains them, but I probably didn't realise what it was (most of the site is confusing me a little right now icon_frown.gif ) If so, please just post a link for me.

 

Thanks for any help that can be offered.

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quote:
Originally posted by AndyCr15:

Would anyone care to explain to me what these queries are and how I use them?


 

Here's the official text from the site...

 

''Pocket Queries are customized cache queries you can have generated on a daily or weekly basis. They are in a format you can bring along with you on cache hunts on your GPS and/or PDA. Currently you can create a pocket query and have it generate an EasyGPS LOC file, a GPX file, or MobiPocket eBook format to be emailed to you at the email address you define. Because of the detailed queries, you can only generate each search once per day. You can create up to 5 pocket queries.''

 

** You must be a premium member to take advantage of this feature ($30 a year).

 

Here's a link for info on Downloading GPX/LOC Files.

 

Here's a link to good tutorial on

'Paperless caching'.

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quote:
Originally posted by AndyCr15:

Would anyone care to explain to me what these queries are and how I use them?


 

Part of my FAQ, which may have other information that you'd be interested in.

======================

Another technique:

 

I keep on PQ saved called Ad-Hoc that has no days selected. If I need immediate results and it hasn't run for a couple of days, I edit it to my configuration, and then select today and tomorrow. I usually get it within about 30 minutes.

 

The key to this method is that the Ad-Hoc query hasn't been run since before the previous day. Then it's a low number query that hasn't run - moves to the express lane.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

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Just downloaded GPX Spinner and Plucker.. I think it's great. However, I have a question on how to do something. I tried to do something with the Reflocations.txt. I thought I followed the directions, but I don't get anything.

Here is what I did- I added the bottom line (starting with Asheville) to the RefLocations file that was in the directory.

# Reference locations

# Name, Latitude, Longitude, MaxDistance (optional)

#

# If you combine input files from two or more geographically

# diverse areas, you can set the optional MaxDistance, and

# each index will only include caches within that distance

# from the given location.

 

Roseville, 38.7517, -121.3094, 30 # Only include caches within 30 miles

Fremont, N37 28.400, W 121 56.700, 25 # Only include caches within 25 miles

Asheville, N35 38.166, W082 33348, 30 # Only include caches within 30.

I then ran Plucker, and transferred to my PDA via Hotsync.

I also tried creating a new file in the directory with the same info as above, but I left out Roseville and Fremont. I am under the impression that on the index page, I will get something that says caches within 30 miles. I don't think I'm getting anything different than I originally had.

 

I'm not very knowledgeable about programming, but I can follow directions (I think)!! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Here is another question about waypoints on the GPS. If I have downloaded 100 and want to delete some, but not all, do I have to do each one individually?

 

Thanks for any help

Thanks,

Bonnie

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