Newbie needs help with "lists/pocket queries"

[+DynamicDavisDuo]

Ok, so I created a pocket query for a route that I plan on traveling in the future.  Now I can "view" a list or "view" the map of those results.  How do I take that "viewed" list and turn it into a true list that I can download offline data for on my Galaxy S7 without manually going into each cache and "adding to list"?  Or is this not a possible feature?

 

[+hzoi]

There have been several requests over the years to make adding geocaches in bulk to a bookmark list a feature on the website.  So far it has not been added.

If you use GSAK, you can create a pocket query, download it and populate a GSAK database with it, and use GSAK to bulk add them all to a bookmark list.  You then would just need to make the list available offline in the app.

Here's a thread that discusses how.

[+HHL]

22 minutes ago, hzoi said:

There have been several requests over the years to make adding geocaches in bulk to a bookmark list a feature on the website.  So far it has not been added.[...]

That's wrong.
Do a NewSearch (website, right?) > select all or just some of the resulting caches > bulk add to Bookmark list.

Hans

[+hzoi]

3 minutes ago, HHL said:

That's wrong.
Do a NewSearch (website, right?) > select all or just some of the resulting caches > bulk add to Bookmark list.

Hans

OK, you're correct in part.  That is a feature I failed to remember.  I forgot that the new search allows bulk adding, and yes, assuming that DDD can duplicate his pocket query results by using the new search page, he wouldn't have to use GSAK. 

The question was about a pocket query, and I answered it using the pocket query preview page, which doesn't use the new search interface and doesn't support bulk adding to lists.  If he can't duplicate the PQ results through the new search page, then GSAK still provides the answer, since he can download the PQ file, populate a GSAK database with uit, and then use GSAK to bulk add those caches to a list.

[anpefi]

17 hours ago, DynamicDavisDuo said:

Ok, so I created a pocket query for a route that I plan on traveling in the future.  Now I can "view" a list or "view" the map of those results.  How do I take that "viewed" list and turn it into a true list that I can download offline data for on my Galaxy S7 without manually going into each cache and "adding to list"?  Or is this not a possible feature?

 

With the Geocaching.com app there is an easy way to do it. First of all you have to make sure that the PQ has been generated (for example, mark a day for it to be generated) and it is available for download in the corresponding tab. All the PQs available for download on the web appear as lists in the app, and you can save the data offline.

 

Other apps have an option to directly download PQs. Alternatively, you can download the GPX file from the web and upload it to your app/GPSr.

[+palmetto]

 

1 hour ago, anpefi said:

All the PQs available for download on the web appear as lists in the app, and you can save the data offline.

I   wanted to reiterate this point, anpefi is  correct.

Create the PQ, RUN IT ! (set a day for it to run, usually, today). Once it has run, you'll see under the Pocket Queries Ready for Download tab on the pocket query page.  It will remain there for a week. During that week, it behaves as a "list" and can be loaded and saved to your smartphone.

[+DynamicDavisDuo]

You guys rock!!  I think I wasn't being patient enough to let it run.  I assume once I set up my query parameters then I can "un-check" when it runs but the parameters will still stay there in case I want to run it again in the future?

This is must be how peeps find "new" caches after they've worked over a geographic area?

[+NYPaddleCacher]

6 hours ago, palmetto said:

 

I   wanted to reiterate this point, anpefi is  correct.

Create the PQ, RUN IT ! (set a day for it to run, usually, today). Once it has run, you'll see under the Pocket Queries Ready for Download tab on the pocket query page.  It will remain there for a week. During that week, it behaves as a "list" and can be loaded and saved to your smartphone.

What does "behaves like a list" mean?   I've never quite understood the purpose of saving a list as a pocket query.  The list of caches on a list is static, and one of the most useful features of the pocket query system is to be able to schedule PQ search criteria so that the results are updated as new caches which meet that criteria are included and caches which no longer meet the criteria (e.g the cache has been archived) are not included the next time the PQ runs.  From the Lists page one can do several things including (Send to Garmin,  Share the List, Delete the List, or Download to .loc).  If we could "Download to .gpx" instead it wouldn't be necessary to create a PQ from the list at all. 

Similarly, if I am on the map page and use to sidebar to turn off all caches except Mystery caches, it would be nice to be able to just add the results to a list.  Being able to create a pocket query from caches on a map is still useful as it provides that means to add additional criteria but just saving the caches displayed on a map would save a few steps.   Rather than creating a PQ, then running it from the PQ page so that it temporarily "behaves like a list", how about the option of just saving the results as a list from the PQ page? Instead of having a "Pocket Queries ready for download" why not just add or update a list when a PQ runs?  If we could "Download to .gpx" from a list that "Pocket Queries ready for download" tab would be unnecessary.   Any lists of caches we would want to download to a computer (e.g. into a waypoint manager such as GSAK), "Send to Garmin", available in the app as a list, or shared would be available on the "Lists" page.  

 

[+hzoi]

8 hours ago, palmetto said:

9 hours ago, anpefi said:

All the PQs available for download on the web appear as lists in the app, and you can save the data offline.

I   wanted to reiterate this point, anpefi is  correct.

Create the PQ, RUN IT ! (set a day for it to run, usually, today). Once it has run, you'll see under the Pocket Queries Ready for Download tab on the pocket query page.  It will remain there for a week. During that week, it behaves as a "list" and can be loaded and saved to your smartphone.

OK, then.  I have a few PQs not based on lists that I run from time to time, but I hadn't seen them pop up in the app before.  (I ran them today and confirmed that yes, they are now showing up.)

Is the expiration date on these the same as the 1-week expiration date for download from the PQ page?

1 hour ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

What does "behaves like a list" mean?

I think it means in this context that, when a PQ is run and is available for download, that version will show up on the "Lists" page on the app (and be available for offline viewing, if it is saved to the phone). 

I have one based on caches I haven't found along a route, of which there should be 86.  I ran the PQ, it is available for download on my PQ page, and when I open the PQ from the list page on the app, the same 86 caches show up.  Presumably, if I set it to run daily, then a new version would be available on the app as soon as the PQ ran each day.

[+The A-Team]

1 hour ago, hzoi said:

OK, then.  I have a few PQs not based on lists that I run from time to time, but I hadn't seen them pop up in the app before.  (I ran them today and confirmed that yes, they are now showing up.)

Is the expiration date on these the same as the 1-week expiration date for download from the PQ page?

Yes, PQs accessed via the API (which includes any apps) are only available for the same 1-week period as on the website.

[+noncentric]

In the official Geocaching app's "Lists" panel, either "Last Generated:  m/d/y" or "Last Modified: m/d/y" will appear above the PQ/List name.

• "Last Generated" denotes a PQ
• "Last Modified" denotes a Bookmark List

 

On 10/13/2017 at 10:10 AM, NYPaddleCacher said:

What does "behaves like a list" mean?   I've never quite understood the purpose of saving a list as a pocket query.  The list of caches on a list is static, and one of the most useful features of the pocket query system is to be able to schedule PQ search criteria so that the results are updated as new caches which meet that criteria are included and caches which no longer meet the criteria (e.g the cache has been archived) are not included the next time the PQ runs.  From the Lists page one can do several things including (Send to Garmin,  Share the List, Delete the List, or Download to .loc).  If we could "Download to .gpx" instead it wouldn't be necessary to create a PQ from the list at all.

I've seen you question this several times. Sometimes a cacher will create a set list of caches that they want to go after. Maybe they already ran a PQ of an area and read through the cache descriptions and/or prior logs to determine which ones they want to go after.  Then they only want to download that "List" of pre-screened caches.  They don't care if new caches are published.  So, they create a PQ of that Bookmark List so they can load just those caches to their GPSr.

Another, likely more common, situation is for solved mysteries.  Myself, and other cachers, will add mystery caches that are solved/qualified challenges/field puzzles to a Bookmark List.  Those are the only mystery caches that we'd want to have loaded onto our GPSr's.  We don't want to see question mark icons on our map if those mysteries are not on that list. So, we create a PQ of that Bookmark List to run when we update our GPSr's and we exclude Mystery caches from our other PQ's.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

4 hours ago, noncentric said:

On 10/13/2017 at 1:10 PM, NYPaddleCacher said:

What does "behaves like a list" mean?   I've never quite understood the purpose of saving a list as a pocket query.  The list of caches on a list is static, and one of the most useful features of the pocket query system is to be able to schedule PQ search criteria so that the results are updated as new caches which meet that criteria are included and caches which no longer meet the criteria (e.g the cache has been archived) are not included the next time the PQ runs.  From the Lists page one can do several things including (Send to Garmin,  Share the List, Delete the List, or Download to .loc).  If we could "Download to .gpx" instead it wouldn't be necessary to create a PQ from the list at all.

I've seen you question this several times. Sometimes a cacher will create a set list of caches that they want to go after. Maybe they already ran a PQ of an area and read through the cache descriptions and/or prior logs to determine which ones they want to go after.  Then they only want to download that "List" of pre-screened caches.  They don't care if new caches are published.  So, they create a PQ of that Bookmark List so they can load just those caches to their GPSr.

Another, likely more common, situation is for solved mysteries.  Myself, and other cachers, will add mystery caches that are solved/qualified challenges/field puzzles to a Bookmark List.  Those are the only mystery caches that we'd want to have loaded onto our GPSr's.  We don't want to see question mark icons on our map if those mysteries are not on that list. So, we create a PQ of that Bookmark List to run when we update our GPSr's and we exclude Mystery caches from our other PQ's.

I agree that those are two valid scenarios for creating a list and I'm sure that there are many more.  Currently, people area creating a PQ from a list because the PQ system will create the (zipped) GPX file which can be downloaded to a GPS.  My point is that if the Bookmark could be downloaded as a GPX from the bookmark page  it wouldn't be necessary to create a PQ.  I understand why people create a PQ from a list now, I just don't understand why the site was designed in a way such that creating a PQ from a list is how one downloads a list of caches to their GPS. 

[+HHL]

57 minutes ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

[...] I understand why people create a PQ from a list now, I just don't understand why the site was designed in a way such that creating a PQ from a list is how one downloads a list of caches to their GPS. 

Actually we can send a Bookmark List directly to a Garmin unit without creating a PQ:

Hans

[+NYPaddleCacher]

23 minutes ago, HHL said:

1 hour ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

[...] I understand why people create a PQ from a list now, I just don't understand why the site was designed in a way such that creating a PQ from a list is how one downloads a list of caches to their GPS. 

Actually we can send a Bookmark List directly to a Garmin unit without creating a PQ:

Hans

That allows one to send the results to "most" Garmin devices but doesn't help anyone that uses another brand.  That's also not the same as downloading cache data as a GPX file so that one can load it into a waypoint manager such as GSAK, EasyGPS, Basecamp, etc.  

I am just offering a suggestion on how I think that the process can be improved.  By adding the ability to download a list as a GPX file it wouldn't be necessary to create a pocket query from a list.    If the results of a PQ was just saved as a list, and the list could be downloaded as a GPX file then that "Pocket Queries Available for Download" tab would not be necessary on the PQ page.  

[+kunarion]

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 8:39 AM, NYPaddleCacher said:

I am just offering a suggestion on how I think that the process can be improved.  By adding the ability to download a list as a GPX file it wouldn't be necessary to create a pocket query from a list.    If the results of a PQ was just saved as a list, and the list could be downloaded as a GPX file then that "Pocket Queries Available for Download" tab would not be necessary on the PQ page.  

 

There is much room for improvement.

A Pocket Query and a List, each containing exactly the same caches, have different outputs.  I haven't done a lot of comparisons, but the file name of a List is formatted differently than a PQ, and there are oddities in the cache logs.  Here's a little bit about one thing I discovered:

Anyway, when I make a List and "send it to Garmin", my GPSr receives a slightly different GPX file than the Pocket Query has.  There are oddities, and not just file names and duplicate logs.  Before adding the ability to "download" a List, the whole system must be re-worked so that the files are basically interchangeable, exactly the same file, bit-for-bit, for the same caches.  There was no response to my thread above.  It's been 6 months!  It urgently requires action, some guidance, any hint of why there are differences at all, but there's silence.  Go figure.

I would like to be able to "Save" a List to my PC (rather than first having to "Send To Garmin"), for the convenience of not needing to run a PQ on specific chosen caches.  But I also must beware of the weirdness of the List's GPX file. For this reason, lately I don't use "downloaded" Lists on my GPSr, I go make a Pocket Query and download that.  I can't stand being out in the field, being unpleasantly surprised by the weirdness of today's "new thing".  With no support.

Edited October 22, 2017 by kunarion

[+austreesNaustpark]

Co-incidently, I would like to know how to go from PQs to a List. I can create a List from a standard search. However there is no way I can see to create a List from the results of a PQ, and in particular from a Route PQ. I can reliably download a List to a Garmin DriveSmart 70LMT using Garmin Express, but downloading a PQ is not reliable.