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How do you keep track of your waymarks?


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I record everything in BaseCamp. I use separate icons for

  • Potential Waymarks for me to list (points on the map, not yet waymarks) = Green Pin
  • Waymarks I Listed = Green Flag
  • Waymarks I Listed that are now gone = Green Square (only 1 so far)
  • Waymarks I Plan to Visit = Red Pin
  • Waymarks of other folks that I visited = Red Flag
  • Waymarks of other folks that are now gone or I could not find = Red Square
  • Waymarks of other folks that have been archived (as opposed to marked GONE in the title) = Circle with X

I also have separate lists in my Waymarks list folder:

  • Potential Waymarks
  • Waymarks Listed
  • Waymarks To Visit
  • Waymarks Visited

The Waymarks Visited list has all flagged waymarks, green and red, the ones that I listed and the ones listed by other folks. As I scroll through that list, I can easily see which are which. Or I can use Sort by Symbol to quickly distinguish them.

 

When I have submitted a waymark and downloaded the GPX, I process the GPX file with a gVIM script to make it how I want it, then import it into BaseCamp into a list called "Temp or Pending" where it still has a Green Pin icon. Only when I get the message that it has been approved do I (1) record a visit in the waymark page, (2) change the BaseCamp icon of the waypoint to the Green Flag and drag it into both lists: Waymarks Listed and Waymarks Visited, and (3) remove it from the Temp or Pending list. I also delete the original green pin waypoint that I used to find the "thing" (cemetery, old school, etc.) and use for the coordinates for the posting (updated in the field using Reposition Here in the GPSr).


I recently started exporting the Waymarks Listed and Waymarks Visited lists into .gpx files, then use a scripting language to parse the .gpx files into a Comma Separated Value file to pull them into an MS Access database, including the Waymark ID, title, category, coordinates, and the URL to the waymark page, but not the short or long descriptions, which I don't need in the Access DB. A type field is either l for my listed waymarks or v for other folks's waymarks (the script ignores visits to my own waymarks for the database, but that is selectable). The script also changes the symbol (in the <sym> tag) into a status for a status field in the DB: a = active, g = gone (or not found), d = deleted/archived.

 

The MS Access DB is just for fun. I don't keep it up to date like I do BaseCamp. In fact, I delete all of the records from the table before re-importing the CSV files. It does have the advantage of being able to show me the waymarks I listed by date.

 

Unfortunately, BaseCamp only creates the "Created Date" of a waypoint when the GPX file is imported, and you cannot change it in BaseCamp. So the dates on my visited-others waypoints are all wrong. I download the GPX file (and process it) of each thing I intend to visit, causing it to have the date/time of my planning. Then when I visit it, I just change the icon from the red pin to the red flag and move it from the Waymarks To Visit list to the Waymarks Visited list. But that doesn't change the date of the waypoint in BaseCamp. If I'd have thought about it when I started Waymarking, I could have typed in my visit date into a field in the waypoint. But I've got waaay too many visits behind me to go back and do that!

 

How organized are you? Do you use something to keep track of your waymarks posted and/or visited? Tell us about it.

Edited by MountainWoods
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I use a folder (manila-colored, not a folder on a computer), and inside I have sheets of paper that I use to keep track of ideas I have for future waymarks. Other than that, Groundspeak keeps track of my posts and visits for me.

 

Boy, with all those fancy gadgets at CONTROL - you are keeping it pretty LOW TECH! rolleyes.gif

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I record everything in BaseCamp. I use separate icons for

 

SNIP

SNIP

SNIP

SNIP

 

HECK, REALLY BIG CHOP!

 

How organized are you? Do you use something to keep track of your waymarks posted and/or visited? Tell us about it.

 

I would have to say that you are going a little farther than I do.

 

I use GSAK to keep track of my listed and found. If there is something that interests me, I send it to Basecamp and then send it to my car GPS. (That way if I am in the area I will know to look for it.)

 

As for ORGANIZING - I only keep track of categories using my profile on Waymarking.

 

Potential waymarks - Depending on what they are. If something is on the National Register of Historic Places, I will do all my homework first. Review the submission form. Since most you can not cut and past from, I will either print and rescan then cut into a word document. If it is a short form I might just transcribe it. I will see what photos are listed for the site, so I can try to recreate those shots - to show the progression of time. Somewhere in that mess, I will go and visit the location. Sometimes it takes me two or three visits to get the photos I want.

 

A lot of the waymarks I list are pure luck. I will start out with a destination in mind (usually a few cemeteries) and end up just wandering from there. The other day, I decided I was going visit a few waymarks in a nearby town and ended up listing 15 of my own. I don't think there are any Waymarkers in my area, so there are a whole lot of waymarks here for me to add.

 

I do use Basecamp to download my GPS to. That way I'm not messing with a handheld trying to retrieve coordinates. I've tried to use different icons, but the selection of icons is not that fantastic. I do use the church icon for churches, the headstone for Woodmen monuments, and the water faucet for fountains. Everything else pretty much gets the green dot.

 

I'm glad you asked this question. It is something I have wondered for a while, I hope that others will reply. Maybe I will find something easier to use.

 

If you ask me, you are going a little overboard. That's OK, though. It's YOUR Waymarking game. biggrin.gif

Edited by jhuoni
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I use a folder (manila-colored, not a folder on a computer), and inside I have sheets of paper that I use to keep track of ideas I have for future waymarks. Other than that, Groundspeak keeps track of my posts and visits for me.

 

Boy, with all those fancy gadgets at CONTROL - you are keeping it pretty LOW TECH! rolleyes.gif

 

I labeled the folder "Vegan Recipes" to keep the contents safe from prying eyes.

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Most of my future Waymarking is planned on MapPoint (a high end version of MS Streets and Trips). For my home state I have a master map I keep adding things to that I might want to waymark. If I am taking a trip somewhere in my home state I make a copy of my master map and select the locations I have mapped that I plan to visit and add any new locations that I find as I research the area as my trip gets closer. For trips out of my home state I start with a blank map and add locations based on my main categories and other research in the area. Once I finish a trip I convert the gpx file of waymarks that I have to post to excel and work from that (if it is a multi-state trip I will break it down into state sheets). The waymarks in my excel file are date and timestamped and this correlates to date and time on my photos. Things might change a bit now as with my new camera I can geotag my photos as I take them so I will see how that impacts things.

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My focus tends to be on finding new places for which to create waymarks, rather than visiting existing ones.

 

For my planning, I create custom Google Maps, what are known as My Places. I create individual maps by waymark category for places I want to locate, such as sculptures, murals, NRHP or historic markers and use a specific bubble icon or color for each type. Any related information can be added to the bubble, such as an address, link to the Smithsonian AIC database or NRHP info. Other maps are by areas or by intended area to visit for special trips. From my home desktop machine, I research locations and categories I want to waymark, and create a bubble on these custom Google Map. I often use Google Street View to verify that the object exists and get the bubble in the right location.

 

While out in the field, I use my iDevices or MacBook Air to bring up these maps. Several category and area maps can then be opened at once with the bubbles from each custom map being overlaid onto a single map. I end up with a fairly dense map of bubbles of places to locate, where the color or icon of the bubble tells me what the item type is. i.e. which custom map it came from.

 

After you get these bubbles on the map it’s easy to visually plan the most efficient order to travel to places. By clicking the bubble I can retrieve an address or click a link to pull up my reference information out in the field. Sometimes I pre-program my car’s navigation system with the next eight places I want to travel to.

 

If I’m traveling somewhere unexpectedly, I can pull up any combo of my maps and see what’s interesting or in the neighborhood. The portability of these Google Maps is such that I could stop into an out-of-town library for updates of additional research, if needed.

 

I use BaseCamp to import data from my GPSr and to be my coordinates database. When I create a waypoint on my GPSr, I label it very appropriately, so my BaseCamp map has properly named waypoints. I can then copy and paste coordinate data from the waypoint directly into the waymark and often the name from the waypoint can be copied to the waymark title.

 

After I create the waymark, I alter my custom map to change the bubble icon to a camera, to indicate that it’s been done, as well as adding to the bubble, a link to the waymark that I created. The next time I’m out Waymarking and I pull some maps together, It’s easy to see what’s been done already.

 

Despite all this planning, I still find interesting and unexpected places to waymark on each adventure. :)

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I use Excel to track for my posted and visited Waymarks and visits my waymarks receive. Just for statistics.

 

Univisited waymarks I download as GPX and combine them in GSAK.

 

Potential waymark locations I usually generate in Google Earth, these KML file are transformed with GPSBabel and then also go to GSAK.

 

I load to GPX file from GSAK to my smartphone to access them with a GPX reader when in the field.

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I only find Historical Markers, I find it on Google Maps, verify the accuracy on Google Street. Save the coordinates or address if it's accurate (SMH!!) and put the name of the Marker. Is it on the RIGHT or LEFT side, is it a regular size, medium, or mounted HM. and then leave a note of where to park. Since every other church in Michigan is considered for a HM, i just say church parking lot - simple.

 

On the day of actually finding them, I print them off Bullets 1, 2, 3.. etc. and type thing in the phone on Google Maps. The rest you can say is history. I have about 855 left in Michigan. Over 1/2 way done!!!!

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Fascinating!

 

My true confession is that I do very little planning. I'm not interested in logging visits, so that is just random. Usually,, I just waymark whatever I find in my travels. I might go to That Town and start in the center, in New England there is usually a town green, where some of my favorite categories are, then wander around from there. Sometimes there is something specific that I will go for, maybe for a new category or other particularly interesting site, then I'll work from there.

 

The most planning that I do is for NRHP listings. So, some of those map ideas might be useful for that, and then doing the qualifying buildings. I'll see what comes up.

 

I export my waymarks into GSAK. I used to carry a notebook to write down the numbers and short ID for each waymark. Now I can add a comment on my Oregon 550. I can't find a way to import the comment field into GSAK, so I have to use a somewhat cumbersome workaround. But, then I export everything into one master spreadsheet. This is where I add fields for categories and flesh out the description and keep track of what is posted. I have more that are NOT posted than are.

 

Organizing my photos is more problematic. Way back in the beginning I tried to have a folder for each category. Not only was that a lot of work, but made it more difficult to find the photos in some ways. Then when the number of categories increased and cross-posting became more common, it didn't work as well. So, now I just keep them in chronological order in dated folders, sometimes with a not about the location.

 

My camera is supposed to geotag, but I haven't figured out how to use that, or figure out if it would be useful. The Oregon has a camera, but I've not really used it much.

 

Now, I guess I'll have to play around with Basecamp and custom maps. IF technology makes it easier, fine, but if it just adds more work, then I don't know if it is worth investing the time to set it up and try to use it. We'll see.

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I don't keep track of my past waymarks. I just have an Excel file with the list of all categories I still don't have created at least one WM in them. If I have an idea of where I will be able to create one, I write it in front of the categories name.

 

As to wm's waiting for their turn to be created, I have folders of the pics I take with my Garmin 550 which is really my primary tool. Apart from that I usually browse my Photo Organizer looking for ideas to create new ones.

 

Basically my WM creation activity is spontaneous. It happened - to obtain "my first" in hard categories - but there is rarely a plan. I act as a hunter on the fields... I walk, look around and spot the best "targets". If there are plenty of them I discard those which I don't fancy so much.

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I use GSAK to keep track of (un)found/posted waymarks and use GSAK to upload them to my Oregon 450. The handling of waymarks is somewhat cumbersome in GSAK. Use the very good macro GarminExport with custom attributes to get the right icons on my Garmin.

Started a few months back to write two macros to make my life easier. The are now available for others as well:

WaymarkPostProcessLoadGpx: Mark Waymarks as Found/Posted and correct some data when loading non-'GPX lite file' imports from Waymarking.com

WaymarkImportKmz: Import saved KMZ files from Google Earth into GSAK (works in combination with previous macro).

 

Have fun,

 

Erik

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For trip planning, we used to use both Vantage Point for the Magellan and Basecamp for the Garmin, but discovered a simpler way.

 

For our most recent trips we've done our research, putting everything straight into Excel, saving a copy as a CSV, converting it to a GPX with "Extra POI Editor", loaded the GPSrs and headed out. Arriving home, our coords pix from the GPSrs get run through "BR's EXIF Extracter" (http://www.br-software.com/extracter.html), then the coords (CSV output from the EXIF Extractor) go right back to either the original sheet or a new one. After that it's copy and paste coords to a waymark, and possibly other fields from the spreadsheet, as well.

 

And yes, we will sometimes do two to three months of research for a one or two week trip. The idea is to miss as few new categories and as few of our favourites (cemeteries, historic places and markers, benchmarks, etc.) as possible. Often, when we arrive in a town, we know more about it than do the people at the visitor centre.

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I don't keep track of them. If I want to see what I've done then the waymark lists & category grid suffice. I generally don't visit my own Waymarks but if I do it's after the waymark has been approved.

 

As to planning:-

Hardly anyone in Australia does Waymarking so I just check the areas I'm intending to visit, note any existing waymarks that are hard to find or I don't have such as Occupational Graves & add these to GSAK. I also support Geocaching Australia (GCA) & this site has Locationless caches, some of which I watch as they are similar to Waymarking categories.

 

I have three of GCA's Locationless caches on my Watchlist:

 

1) Look for Shelter - Artistic bus shelters;

 

2) Painted Boxes - Artistically Disguised Utility boxes

 

3) You've Got Mail - Themed Mailboxes

 

I add any suitable examples to GSAK. Once waymarked I delete the relevant entry from GSAK.

 

As to stats, Groundspeak's & those supplied by DougK are all that I need.

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