Geocaching Event Calendar

[+tallglenn]

My scrolling finger aches from checking for GIFF events. I refuse to use that calendar any more. I'll be running PQs for events within 50 miles.

 

Since other countries combined often have just as many/more events as North America nowadays, could we sort by Country? The whole experience of browsing events has always been awkward, but now it has gotten ridiculous.

 

End of Rant.

[+noncentric]

If it makes it easier, you could bookmark these two pages:

 

All events (including CITO, Mega, regular) in Florida state - here

 

All events (including CITO, Mega, regular) in USA - here

[+MartyBartfast]

surely it would be easier to do it from the search page?

[+tallglenn]

I'm little ashamed to ask, but how do you find the search page? Obviously I've never used it. Whenever I've searched for the search page, I've never found it

[+NYPaddleCacher]

surely it would be easier to do it from the search page?

 

Those links (the second one is actually the same as the first) are just request URLs to the search page. The search page is just a collection of form elements which will construct a URL to the search engine. Each form element is associated with a parameter (everything after the question mark and the ampersand character delimits the parameters) which is sent to the search engine. For example, the "types" includes the numeric values for all event types. The r parameter specifies the region ID (Florida is 10), and the e parameter is the enabled/disabled flag.

 

https://www.geocaching.com/play/search?types=6,13,453,1304,3653,3774,4738,7005&r=10&e=1

 

If you know what each of the parameters means, and what values it an take, you can hand craft a URL to execute a search without using the search form and can sometimes execute a search that is not possible from the form.

 

For example, I have added ",60" to the region parameter (the region ID for Alabama is 60) so the following URL would show Events in both Florida and Alabama. While the search form won't let you specify multiple regions, the back end understands a comma separated list of IDs. If there is a region ID for the U.S. I don't know what it is.

 

https://www.geocaching.com/play/search?types=6,13,453,1304,3653,3774,4738,7005&r=10,60&e=1

 

Personally, I think one of the biggest issues with the new search engine is that it's not intuitive and sharing these links doesn't help people understand how it works. I think we would be better served with explanations on how to construct a search request to get a desired result rather than just post links that will work.

Edited October 27, 2015 by NYPaddleCacher

[+tallglenn]

Thanx for your reply NYPC. I ran it through Google translator without success. P.S. Where do you find the Search Page?

[Moun10Bike]

This link will be going out in an upcoming newsletter, but I'll post it here now. It is a map showing all approved GIFF events:

 

GIFF Events

 

As for finding the search feature, simply click on "Play" in the main site menu and then click on the first item "Find a Geocache".

[+tallglenn]

Ok, thanx M10B. I got the newsletter, which is why I was searching for nearby GIFF events. It looks like the "Find a Geocache" search page restricts you to a 30 mile radius. I ran a PQ and got exactly what I wanted. Thanx everyone for your help

[+MartyBartfast]

It looks like the "Find a Geocache" search page restricts you to a 30 mile radius.

 

If you go here https://www.geocaching.com/play/search and dont put anything in the search box, but hit the "add filters button", then on the next page deselect all cache types except "event" then in the "limit search to" box enter United States:Idaho (or wherever), then hit the search button, it will find all events in your chosen state, regardless of distance. If you enter GIFF in the "Geocache Name Contains ..." box it will only show you GIFF events.

 

And no, it's not very intuitive, but I quite like it now I've got used to using it.

Edited October 27, 2015 by MartyBartfast

[+tallglenn]

Meh, I'm not really interested in the events 200 miles away. That's kinda why the event calendar is so cludgy.

[+noncentric]

Personally, I think one of the biggest issues with the new search engine is that it's not intuitive and sharing these links doesn't help people understand how it works. I think we would be better served with explanations on how to construct a search request to get a desired result rather than just post links that will work.

 

Valid point. I didn't read the OP as a request for info of how to search for events, as that info could be found in several threads by doing a search. I simply threw out the 'quick answer' in case it was helpful.

 

Besides the multiple threads (this, this, this, this) about how to search, there is also this (change state to what's desired):

 

[+MartyBartfast]

I'm not really interested in the events 200 miles away.

 

Once you've done the search you can sort the results by distance....

[+tallglenn]

Seems like that is what the filters are for - to sort the chaff...

[+palmetto]

On the search page, https://www.geocaching.com/play/search scroll down, use the quick search for events, then sort by distance.

Or have a PQ set up, Events at x distance from home coords, preview, don't run.

 

(By the way, you asked, I checked the Popular Search for Events in Florida and disabled a boat load of events more than a month past...some more than 3 months. I sure wish event hosts understood that they can disable the event the next day and archive not too long after. Too quick of an archive will confuse and compound some novices of course)

[+The A-Team]

I'm not really interested in the events 200 miles away.

Once you've done the search you can sort the results by distance....

...or display the results on a map.