Jump to content

Hello I'm new and dumb!


Sigtenborg

Recommended Posts

Either I'm missing something essential or I find the pocket query search method rather dumb.

 

I live in a small country(Denmark)and I use an Explorist GC. The best way to geocache for me, is to load all the geocaches in a 80 km radius of where I live into my Explorist. (only about 6500 caches(the explorist holds 20000ish)) I use GSAK to combine the files.

 

So far the way I've had to do this has been very awkward. The limit of only 1000 geocaches per search really kills me, I understand the reasoning behind this limitation, but that combined with the radial searches you can do, it really just stresses the servers more than it should.

 

What I could have done with one single search I've had to do over several, many of which have overlapped(I don't want to miss any).

Having made a query, I go to preview it on the map, adjust it, preview again, adjust, and so forth untill it fits into the area of my previous pocket queries. With a lot of overlapping, you kinda have to if you want circles to cover everything.

Problem is of course that every time I go to check it on the map, geocaching completes the query and I quickly hit the limit of queries per day. As a result, I now can't get the caches I need for tomorrow's trip and have to rely on a 8 month old geocache file on my explorist.

 

Am I missing something here, or is this really the best way to do it?

I should probably point out that I'm a pretty random geocacher, so the "along a route" doesn't really work for me.

 

I see the sense in not being able to search for more than a 1000 caches at once, but I just don't see the sense in having to waste so many queries to get what you want.

 

I'd suggest either adding an option to preview your query on the map before the site compiles it for you.

Or the option to define a inner radius to be excluded from a radial search.

So for example I've used one search to find caches within 0-20 km of my current location. And then the next skips the first 20 km and searches in 20-40 and so forth, like that I'd be able to complete all my crap in about 3 queries, instead of about 23, back and forth ones before I get what I want.

 

Input appriciated, possibly a better way of using it.

Link to comment

Are you extremely particular in your searches, traveling great distances for just one or two amazing caches? If so, you may find a bookmark that lists a handful of caches throughout the country, or maybe you can get a suggested list from the regional forum, and you can create a much more manageable database. Having to compile a list 6500 caches to find 22 seems like way too much work, to me. There must be a way to pre-filter to the caches you want.

Link to comment

Are you extremely particular in your searches, traveling great distances for just one or two amazing caches? If so, you may find a bookmark that lists a handful of caches throughout the country, or maybe you can get a suggested list from the regional forum, and you can create a much more manageable database. Having to compile a list 6500 caches to find 22 seems like way too much work, to me. There must be a way to pre-filter to the caches you want.

 

I'm not picky at all, there aren't really any type of cache I don't want to find.

What I do is pretty much grab my Explorist out of my pocket at any random time, turn it on, and click "nearby caches" sift through them to see which seem interesting, and then go for them.

Link to comment

Either I'm missing something essential or I find the pocket query search method rather dumb.

 

I live in a small country(Denmark)and I use an Explorist GC. The best way to geocache for me, is to load all the geocaches in a 80 km radius of where I live into my Explorist. (only about 6500 caches(the explorist holds 20000ish)) I use GSAK to combine the files.

 

So far the way I've had to do this has been very awkward. The limit of only 1000 geocaches per search really kills me, I understand the reasoning behind this limitation, but that combined with the radial searches you can do, it really just stresses the servers more than it should.

 

What I could have done with one single search I've had to do over several, many of which have overlapped(I don't want to miss any).

Having made a query, I go to preview it on the map, adjust it, preview again, adjust, and so forth untill it fits into the area of my previous pocket queries. With a lot of overlapping, you kinda have to if you want circles to cover everything.

Problem is of course that every time I go to check it on the map, geocaching completes the query and I quickly hit the limit of queries per day. As a result, I now can't get the caches I need for tomorrow's trip and have to rely on a 8 month old geocache file on my explorist.

 

Am I missing something here, or is this really the best way to do it?

I should probably point out that I'm a pretty random geocacher, so the "along a route" doesn't really work for me.

 

I see the sense in not being able to search for more than a 1000 caches at once, but I just don't see the sense in having to waste so many queries to get what you want.

 

I'd suggest either adding an option to preview your query on the map before the site compiles it for you.

Or the option to define a inner radius to be excluded from a radial search.

So for example I've used one search to find caches within 0-20 km of my current location. And then the next skips the first 20 km and searches in 20-40 and so forth, like that I'd be able to complete all my crap in about 3 queries, instead of about 23, back and forth ones before I get what I want.

 

Input appriciated, possibly a better way of using it.

 

Since you have a file that is 8 months old, the simplest method would be to ask for all caches placed in the last 8 months. This would add the new ones to your file. If you are using GSAK 8 you can update the status on the existing caches using the API.

 

A long term solution is to use various date ranges to get all the caches. It shouldn't take too long to figure out what dates to use.

Link to comment

Either I'm missing something essential or I find the pocket query search method rather dumb.

 

I live in a small country(Denmark)and I use an Explorist GC. The best way to geocache for me, is to load all the geocaches in a 80 km radius of where I live into my Explorist. (only about 6500 caches(the explorist holds 20000ish)) I use GSAK to combine the files.

 

So far the way I've had to do this has been very awkward. The limit of only 1000 geocaches per search really kills me, I understand the reasoning behind this limitation, but that combined with the radial searches you can do, it really just stresses the servers more than it should.

 

What I could have done with one single search I've had to do over several, many of which have overlapped(I don't want to miss any).

Having made a query, I go to preview it on the map, adjust it, preview again, adjust, and so forth untill it fits into the area of my previous pocket queries. With a lot of overlapping, you kinda have to if you want circles to cover everything.

Problem is of course that every time I go to check it on the map, geocaching completes the query and I quickly hit the limit of queries per day. As a result, I now can't get the caches I need for tomorrow's trip and have to rely on a 8 month old geocache file on my explorist.

 

Am I missing something here, or is this really the best way to do it?

I should probably point out that I'm a pretty random geocacher, so the "along a route" doesn't really work for me.

 

I see the sense in not being able to search for more than a 1000 caches at once, but I just don't see the sense in having to waste so many queries to get what you want.

 

I'd suggest either adding an option to preview your query on the map before the site compiles it for you.

Or the option to define a inner radius to be excluded from a radial search.

So for example I've used one search to find caches within 0-20 km of my current location. And then the next skips the first 20 km and searches in 20-40 and so forth, like that I'd be able to complete all my crap in about 3 queries, instead of about 23, back and forth ones before I get what I want.

 

Input appriciated, possibly a better way of using it.

 

Since you have a file that is 8 months old, the simplest method would be to ask for all caches placed in the last 8 months. This would add the new ones to your file. If you are using GSAK 8 you can update the status on the existing caches using the API.

 

A long term solution is to use various date ranges to get all the caches. It shouldn't take too long to figure out what dates to use.

 

Dear gods man, take me outside and shoot me for not thinking of this.

 

Thank you

Link to comment

Either I'm missing something essential or I find the pocket query search method rather dumb.

 

I live in a small country(Denmark)and I use an Explorist GC. The best way to geocache for me, is to load all the geocaches in a 80 km radius of where I live into my Explorist. (only about 6500 caches(the explorist holds 20000ish)) I use GSAK to combine the files.

 

So far the way I've had to do this has been very awkward. The limit of only 1000 geocaches per search really kills me, I understand the reasoning behind this limitation, but that combined with the radial searches you can do, it really just stresses the servers more than it should.

 

What I could have done with one single search I've had to do over several, many of which have overlapped(I don't want to miss any).

Having made a query, I go to preview it on the map, adjust it, preview again, adjust, and so forth untill it fits into the area of my previous pocket queries. With a lot of overlapping, you kinda have to if you want circles to cover everything.

Problem is of course that every time I go to check it on the map, geocaching completes the query and I quickly hit the limit of queries per day. As a result, I now can't get the caches I need for tomorrow's trip and have to rely on a 8 month old geocache file on my explorist.

 

Am I missing something here, or is this really the best way to do it?

I should probably point out that I'm a pretty random geocacher, so the "along a route" doesn't really work for me.

 

I see the sense in not being able to search for more than a 1000 caches at once, but I just don't see the sense in having to waste so many queries to get what you want.

 

I'd suggest either adding an option to preview your query on the map before the site compiles it for you.

Or the option to define a inner radius to be excluded from a radial search.

So for example I've used one search to find caches within 0-20 km of my current location. And then the next skips the first 20 km and searches in 20-40 and so forth, like that I'd be able to complete all my crap in about 3 queries, instead of about 23, back and forth ones before I get what I want.

 

Input appriciated, possibly a better way of using it.

 

Since you have a file that is 8 months old, the simplest method would be to ask for all caches placed in the last 8 months. This would add the new ones to your file. If you are using GSAK 8 you can update the status on the existing caches using the API.

 

A long term solution is to use various date ranges to get all the caches. It shouldn't take too long to figure out what dates to use.

 

Dear gods man, take me outside and shoot me for not thinking of this.

 

Thank you

 

GSAK has a macro to work out the dates for you, for the caches already in the database...

 

http://gsak.net/board/index.php?showtopic=2777&st=0entry168297

Link to comment

Problem is of course that every time I go to check it on the map, geocaching completes the query and I quickly hit the limit of queries per day.

You're ticking a day of the week too soon. If you don't tick any days, you can preview the result without the PQ actually running and counting against the 5 PQ limit. Once the result looks good, tick a day to tell it to run.

 

You also might want to read Markwell's tutorial on PQs, especially the section under "Tips and Tricks" where he describes how to use date ranges to cover large areas.

Link to comment

Problem is of course that every time I go to check it on the map, geocaching completes the query and I quickly hit the limit of queries per day.

You're ticking a day of the week too soon. If you don't tick any days, you can preview the result without the PQ actually running and counting against the 5 PQ limit. Once the result looks good, tick a day to tell it to run.

 

You also might want to read Markwell's tutorial on PQs, especially the section under "Tips and Tricks" where he describes how to use date ranges to cover large areas.

 

Thank you, I just figured this out as well myself.

 

I am however somewhat screwed, it's midnight here now, and I'm going geocaching at 11 tomorrow, with the old file, I can't run any new queries as I used them all up with my foolish fumbling earlier.

 

Any idea when you get your daily alotment? 24 hours after your previous searches, or at some specific time.

I really don't want to go out tomorrow with an old file.

 

I found out I could do all the stuff I needed with just one query.

Link to comment

If someone would be willing to do the query for me and email it to me, I'd be eternally grateful.

 

I've finally managed to convince my folks that they needed to go geocaching with me for a day, tomorrows the day, but I'm kind of screwed.

 

Only alternative I see now is making a new account, upgrading to premium, and never using it again.

Link to comment

If someone would be willing to do the query for me and email it to me, I'd be eternally grateful.

 

I've finally managed to convince my folks that they needed to go geocaching with me for a day, tomorrows the day, but I'm kind of screwed.

 

Only alternative I see now is making a new account, upgrading to premium, and never using it again.

 

That would be against the site's Terms Of Use, (TOU). In the future, you can use the strategy documented in Markwell's FAQ, using a series of PQs using placed dates for the criteria. This will eliminate any overlap and potentially cut down on the number of PQs that you need. If you already have a GSAK database populated with the caches, look for, install and run the PlacedPQ.gsk macro. It will give you the dates that you need to use to optimize them.

 

I currently run nine PQs, (soon to be ten), to get all unfound caches within 40 miles of my home. I spread them out over three days at the beginning of the week so I still have two available in a pinch and all five on the weekends.

Link to comment

Problem is of course that every time I go to check it on the map, geocaching completes the query and I quickly hit the limit of queries per day.

You're ticking a day of the week too soon. If you don't tick any days, you can preview the result without the PQ actually running and counting against the 5 PQ limit. Once the result looks good, tick a day to tell it to run.

 

You also might want to read Markwell's tutorial on PQs, especially the section under "Tips and Tricks" where he describes how to use date ranges to cover large areas.

I was just about to post that link! :lol:

Link to comment

Are you extremely particular in your searches, traveling great distances for just one or two amazing caches? If so, you may find a bookmark that lists a handful of caches throughout the country, or maybe you can get a suggested list from the regional forum, and you can create a much more manageable database. Having to compile a list 6500 caches to find 22 seems like way too much work, to me. There must be a way to pre-filter to the caches you want.

 

I'm not picky at all, there aren't really any type of cache I don't want to find.

What I do is pretty much grab my Explorist out of my pocket at any random time, turn it on, and click "nearby caches" sift through them to see which seem interesting, and then go for them.

 

If you have a smartphone (ANDROID, iPhone, or WIN7 phone), $10US (not sure what that is in Kroner/Euros) will buy you the Geocaching app that will allow you to pull out your phone at random and search for nearby caches anywhere in the world (if you have a cell signal).

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...