Maximum Number Of Items In Pocketquery

[+JGeo]

The maximum number of caches in a single pocket query seems to be 500.

In the Netherlands alone, there are already more then 2000 caches at the moment, so I need 5 queueries to update them all on a regular basis. It would be convenient for me if everything could be combined in a single file. And it yould be even more convenient if I would only get the changes since the last queuery was send. This last option, I think, would not only save me a lot of mailbox space, bur would save a lot of bandwidth on the geocaching.com server as well, so it would be adavantageous in both ways. How about this idea?

 

I sent this to contact@Groundspeak.com, but they replied I should post this in the forum. As I think the point of my suggestion is overlooked, and the advantageous point is missed, this option will not be implemented soon. Therefore, my question to the forum is: is there another way to bypass the maximum number of 500? I would like to get all the Netherlands (2000+) in a single .gpx file somehow. The response of Groundspeak was "Yes, 500 is the maximum number of caches you may download per query. We do

this to limit the load placed on our site."; but this doesn't make sense to me, since having 5 queries to do the job only imposes a larger load on the site servers.

[+CO Admin]

Download as 5 and merge together with Watcher, GSAK or many of the other prgs.

[+JGeo]

I find it a bit complicated to open the five mails, open each attachment, then unzip it, then open the .gpx file in GSAK, then proceed to the next attachment, etc. An option in the queries to select only caches that have been updated of logged in the last X days would do the same job. And I don't think this is much effort to implement.

[+Mopar]

The PQs (and this website) are designed to be useful for geocaching. I don't think they are meant for maintaining a database of every cache log in your country. 500 caches is more then anyone is going to find in a day. Has the 500x5 PQ limit REALLY made it harder for you to get out and find those 28 caches in the last year?

[+BuzzKill]

I had a similar idea to the one suggested. It may work better to have some mass/pre-generated queries run that can be selected instead of a custom query by users. Depending on the area, it may help reduce the need for custom queries, I'd imagine. Of course selecting a pre-generated query would count towards the limit of 5 per day.

 

Would it make sense for queries to be run by state and/or country (if not too big) automatically (and only once) and have it sent to people who select it as one of their query runs? The query would only run once, but it would be sent to many people who would have probably created a personal query to get the same info anyhow. It would then be up to the user to sort/filter this query at their end using whatever sortware they prefer.

 

If the emails turn out to be too large due to the attachments, the email sent could simply include a link to the file to download.

 

Larger/high cache concentration areas might pose a problem (like California with 12,000+ caches), but might be able to be broken down into sections (zip codes). This way people would only download the files that contain the zip code for the area they're interested in.

 

I can also see this saving some bandwidth by not sending the files via email because only those who actually want the file will make the effort to download them. I'm sure many query results don't get used, despite them being sent via email to the user - which is just wasted bandwidth.

Edited July 8, 2004 by BuzzKill

[+Marky]

The 500 limit is fine in most cases. Most other cases can easily be accomplished by creating multiple PQs and merging them (GSAK makes this pretty easy since it will merge a folder full of PQs at one shot. Same goes for gpsbabel.)

 

The only missing piece I know of is the fact that you can't easily DL all your finds, once you are over 500. Given that there are now quite a few people over 500 finds, it would be nice to have some type of PQ that would include all your finds including all your log entries for the cache (finds, DNFs, notes, etc.) and make sure that archived caches are included. (Currently, I know of no way for me to get a PQ of the archived caches I've found, and I'm not about to hand DL them one at a time because the number for me is something like 700+.)

 

--Marky

[+Markwell]

Now THAT's an interesting idea.

 

Only problem is that there would be a lot more involved if it were something like having a link. You'd have to utilize some tough protection to have a link and make sure that people who aren't premium members can't get it (that's easy) but also make sure that premium members that CAN access it, when they do, it counts against their queries for the day. I don't even have a *clue* how they would do that.

 

The downside is that if (for example) each state were listed as a standard query, in 10 days, I'd have all the caches in the US. Might seem like a good idea for the end user, but having that data out there might not be such a good idea for the site (stale data, people using it for other reasons than personal use, etc).

[+GrizzlyJohn]

The downside is that if (for example) each state were listed as a standard query, in 10 days, I'd have all the caches in the US.  Might seem like a good idea for the end user, but having that data out there might not be such a good idea for the site (stale data, people using it for other reasons than personal use, etc).

True, but if a person really wants to do it it can be done right now. Just takes longer but either way they still can get the data. Right now I just see it as a struggle of how bad do you want it. Maybe it is a PIA but the limits do not really stop it from happening.

 

Two points I have always made about this have been:

 

1. Have the option to not include the logs. That will cut a major amount of overhead in the running of PQs. Also cuts the size of the email sent. But if that is a option I would want to be able to get more than 5 PQs or more than 500 selected.

 

2. Be able to get a list of archived and/or temp inactive caches. Then that list can be run to compare the list a person currently has and delete any on their list that is on that list. This should not count as a PQ the list would really only need to contain maybe the waypoint name. Barely any size to it or any real processing power. Doing this allows a person to run a PQ every week or however often and then pick up the archived file and do the dumping. If that were put in play the number of PQs I would run would maybe drop from 35 to 6.

 

The one other thing I have thought about is allowing for 2500 caches a day but in one PQ. The one point that is always made is size. I don't know that I buy that as a problem. The zip files I see average about 500kb and the expanded file averages a little over 2meg. So I am not sure 2500 in one zip file would be all that large to send via email. As well as cutting down on the overhead of producing 5 PQs and zipping them and then emailing them.

Edited July 8, 2004 by GrizzlyJohn

[+The Jester]

I find it a bit complicated to open the five mails, open each attachment, then unzip it, then open the .gpx file in GSAK, then proceed to the next attachment, etc.

You don't have to do all that. Just drag the zip file to GSAK and let it do the unzipping. I don't even have to save the zip file, just drag it from the e-mail window.

[+KG7JE]

What I want is somebody familiar with MS Outlook (not express) 2003 to write the batch file so when the email hits everything happens and my sync area for the PDA is automatically updated.

[+hedberg]

I have 4 PQs everyday, and I use GSAK. I don't have any problem with opening them, just uncheck that you want them zipped, and you will receive them as .GPX and .PRC - in GSAK check that you want to scan a whole map for .GPX files...

And voila, each time you press on the import button in GSAK, the program will scan your incoming mail attachment folder.

 

Just a little tip: delete the PQs afterwards, otherwise will you have hundreds of them soon

[+hedberg]

I forgot: And yes, I am also wondering WHY only 500 caches is allowed per PQ. In Sweden do we have more than 2500. That means that I can't download all waypoints per day, and it is a big country so the search by distance doesn't work either...

 

The most new GPS can also handle 1000 waypoints.

 

It would be great if we could have one single PQ everyday with 1000 waypoints in addition to the regular 500.