Search Based On Coordinates And Radius

[+Keiko's buddies]

Is there a way to do a search on geocaching.com by using coordinates and a fixed radius? In other words can I do a search with the center point at N49 xx.xxx W 125 xx.xxx and a radius of 85Km? I can see how to do this by pocket querie but I want others to view the output. I can't use a postal code in this instance.

[+PDOP's]

You can search by radius from a given point from the dropdown list but I believe you're limited to the standard 160km (100mile) radius. Can't you just ignore the caches further than 85km from the list?

[+TeamK-9]

From the main geocaching.com page, click on "Hide and Seek a Cache"

 

About halfway down the page, there is the option to put in coordinates. But as far as I know, there isn't anyway other that pocket queries to actually specify a distance from those coordinates.

[+Blaidd-Drwg]

You can do a search from the 'Hide and Seek a Cache' page, but it doesn't appear that you can limit it to a set radius. Maybe I'm missing something though.

 

Edited to say that TEAM K9 beat me to my answer.

Edited March 21, 2005 by Team Madog

[+welch]

figure out the zip code the the coord is in, then go to the hide & seek page and use the first option, but change the 100mi distances to your range.

[+PDOP's]

Seems like it would be a good idea to add a distance radius box to the coordinate search on the Hide and Seek page. Zip/postal codes don't work everywhere.

[+Keiko's buddies]

Exactly....postal codes won't work in this instance. The closest postal code address is 6 Km away. I don't see why the geocaching.com folks couldn't make the distance box variable like they do in other sections. (hint, hint)

[+welch]

Exactly....postal codes won't work in this instance. The closest postal code address is 6 Km away. I don't see why the geocaching.com folks couldn't make the distance box variable like they do in other sections. (hint, hint)

I guess I don't understand why the range has to be so procise that you can't use a zip code

 

If you really need to be that close you'll have to send in a check and get a paid membership to run a pocket query. sorry I cannot be of more help.

[+Keiko's buddies]

I do have a premium membership and know how to do pocket queries, the trouble is the output of a pocket querie is not viewable by other cachers. I want to place a link on our website (migeocachers.org) that shows all active caches in our caching area. The center of this area is a set of coordinates that do not correspond to a nearby postal code. The closest one is at least 6 km away.

[+welch]

and going beyond 85km is outside the range... sucks .

[+Markwell]

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?origin_lat=X&origin_long=Y&dist=Z

 

X = starting latitude in decimal degrees

Y = starting longitude in decimal degrees

Z = radius in miles (85 km = 53 miles)

 

anbd "&f=1" to filter your finds.

Edited March 21, 2005 by Markwell

[+PDOP's]

Nicley done Markwell

[+Keiko's buddies]

So would this be the URL?

"http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?origin_lat=N49.52415&origin_long=W124.84897&dist=53&f=1"

Doesn't work for me, what am I doing wrong?

Edited March 21, 2005 by Keiko's buddies

[+PDOP's]

Try

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?origin_lat=49.52415&origin_long=-124.84897&dist=53&f=1

 

Note the negative sign for west longitude and no sign (or positive might work too) for north latitude.

[+Markwell]

Take out the N and the W, replace the W with a negative sign

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.asp...897&dist=53&f=1

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?origin_lat=49.52415&origin_long=-124.84897&dist=53&f=1

Edited March 21, 2005 by Markwell

[+Keiko's buddies]

Yay! It works, sort of ,I think. Is there a way to filter out inactive (archived)caches? I am physically going to this location tomorrow so I can get an accurate decimal fix. Taking a reading via Mapsource/Canadian Topo isn't nearly close enough. Thanks for everyone's help on this.

I take it the minus sign for west longitude indicates West but no sign in front of the latitude implies a plus, or North?

[+PDOP's]

Another approach might be to set up want you want in a pocket query, view the preview and copy the URL from that page. I'm not sure if there's a time lift on how long the URL would remain valid.

[+Markwell]

I take it the minus sign for west longitude indicates West but no sign in front of the latitude implies a plus, or North?

 

Yep. In the world of decimal degrees, N and E are positive, S and W are negative.

 

Another approach might be to set up want you want in a pocket query, view the preview and copy the URL from that page.  I'm not sure if there's a time lift on how long the URL would remain valid.

 

The URLs are constant - so bookmark them.

[+Keiko's buddies]

Well, it looks as if both methods may work. The "seek" URL definately works but also returns inactive (archived) caches, which I don't want but could live with. The "pocket query" method may work. As a premium member, when I click on the link that points to the query it works fine. I don't know if it works for a non-premium member. So if a regular user sees this post could they go to:Mid Island Geocaching and click on the bold number in the main text area and see if it works? Please post a reply here.

Thanks!

[+PDOP's]

I don't think it's going to work.

 

If I'm signed in I get the following

 

Sorry, your account does not own this Pocket Query.

 

If I'm not signed in I get

 

Sorry, you are not logged in.

[+welch]

I don't think it's going to work.

 

If I'm signed in I get the following

 

Sorry, your account does not own this Pocket Query.

 

If I'm not signed in I get

 

Sorry, you are not logged in.

same here

 

also, would this be a violation of 'don't share gpx' stuff?

[+Keiko's buddies]

Well, I kind of thought that's what would happen. Pocket query results are for Premium members so I would expect that would happen. I will go with the "seek" method and will have to put up with having archived caches displayed, unless someone knows the URL command to filter them out.

[+welch]

Well, I kind of thought that's what would happen. Pocket query results are for Premium members so I would expect that would happen. I will go with the "seek" method and will have to put up with having archived caches displayed, unless someone knows the URL command to filter them out.

i think the problem is that your linking to a PQ directly....

 

And you keep saying archived!!!

[+Keiko's buddies]

Strangely enough the two types of searches produce different results. The Pocket query result produces 317 caches and the "seek" method produces 249. I used the same coords for both methods, both were in decimal format, and both had a radius of 53 miles. Some caches were not included in the result done by the "seek" method, for instance the "Reststop cache by Redgreen" which is only .2 Km from the center point is not there. I have made a couple of links to buth these searche types on our home page here.

So if any of you Premium Members want to do some brain twisting and help me sort this out you can link to it there.

[+PDOP's]

Remember that we can't look at your pocket query results. I think we can see the setup page for your query as per this post by Jeremy Irish so

Copy and paste the URL of your query and other Premium Members can look at it, but not edit it.

 

I think you've got some criteria set on your query so it doesn't return the same results as the "seek" method

Edited March 23, 2005 by PDOP's

[+Keiko's buddies]

The only restrictions I have set up on the query page are:

- Any cache type

- Any container Size

- Any difficulty etc

- Is ACTIVE

- centered on coords with 53 mile radius

The setup page is here if you can see it.

Also remember the query produces more results than the seek.

Edited March 23, 2005 by Keiko's buddies

[+Markwell]

Well sure - your regular search will include the inactive-but-not-yet-archived caches. Your PQ excludes them.

[+Keiko's buddies]

But the regular search returns less caches than the PQ, not more. 68 caches are not on the standard search that are in the PQ.

[+Markwell]

I copied the PQ and saved it as one of mine with your exact same criteria. The results I got were 319 caches. I then went out and did a radius search from the geocaching.com/seek page and came up with 329 caches. In looking through the pages there were about 10 that were inactive (I just did a rough count).

 

When I went back to the Pocket Query and removed the "Is Active" limitation, I and previewed the query, I saw 329 caches. The exact same amount as if I did a live query on the distance. So the numbers matched - exactly.

 

This sounds like a really basic question, and I don't want to insult you at all by saying this, but I just want to be sure. When you're looking at the results of the pocket query, you're previewing the pocket query online, not looking at an offline GPX file through Watcher or GSAK, right?

 

Otherwise - I can't duplicate the problem.

[+Keiko's buddies]

My Pocket Query does exactly the same thing as yours. It is the radius search that is wierd. If I use the URL:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.asp...758&dist=53&f=1

It returns 249 hits.

If I use the URL:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.asp...4.84758&dist=53

it returns the same results as the pocket query. I just drop the term &f=1 from the URL. I dont know what this term does though, I just copied it from your original reply to this post.

[+PDOP's]

I just drop the term &f=1 from the URL. I dont know what this term does though, I just copied it from your original reply to this post.

This filters out your finds so would return the lower number.

[+Keiko's buddies]

Ahhhhh....the fog is lifting! Is there a filter term to exclude unavailable caches? In other words, I want to show all active caches centered on X with a radius of Y.

Thanks for your help on this.

[+Markwell]

Nope - that's only done through Pocket Queries.

[+Keiko's buddies]

Ok. Thanks for everyone's help on this. I think we can end this thread now as I know what I can do and how to do it.

Edited March 24, 2005 by Keiko's buddies