Contry wide full pocket query

[+ron1337]

I would like an option to get the pocket query for the entire country that could be run once per year.

This would eliminate having to create a series of queries based on date to establish a correct starting dtabase for GSAK.

 

If you limited it to a the first of each month frequency, it could be done in bulk mailings, with less stress on the PQ server. You could even have it pre-created, and just provide an access password for special downloading.

 

I currently have about 20 pocket queries that I need to run to just establish Alberta & British Columbia.

 

Considering that I do a lot of traveling, this list is bound to get even larger over time.

 

Regards, Ron

[+StarBrand]

TPTB are not supportive of members maintaining an offline database. Sorry. The purpose of a PQ is to load up your GPS for short term Geocaching.

[+ron1337]

I thought they just didn't support people sharing their GSAK databases.

 

Wouldn't you agree that this would be a more efficient way to access the data though?

[+beejay&esskay]

I thought they just didn't support people sharing their GSAK databases.

 

Wouldn't you agree that this would be a more efficient way to access the data though?

 

Yes, more efficient. But a more efficient way for you to maintain an offline database is exactly what they won't do.

[+BBosman]

Don't forget that a country as for instance Germany has 29000+ caches. That's a BIG pocket query.

Not taking the effect of mail size limits into account, this would consume a lot of bandwith.

 

And even if you have one. How would you keep it up to date (new/changed/disabled/archived caches), if you can have only one a year?

[+ron1337]

Good point.

 

My BC & Alberta databases aren't nearly that big, and I just run a pocket query for modified caches every few days to keep them up to date.

[+PeterNoG]

Good point.

 

My BC & Alberta databases aren't nearly that big, and I just run a pocket query for modified caches every few days to keep them up to date.

 

The big problem with a PQ for modified caches only is that is does NOT capture the archived caches.

[+baloo&bd]

How many caches are in the area you want to cover?

 

Through PQ's you can get 15,000 caches per week, however not sure why you would EVER need that many. 30 PQs * 500 caches = 15,000 caches.

 

I have a radius of 125 miles set up from my home, more than enough to keep me busy even with my normally erratic travel in the area. I have a PQs set-up by placed date and have adjusted them to keep them <495 caches and run them weekly.

 

Example:

 

00001 01-01-00 through 06-15-03 - 125 Mi from home

 

00002 06-16-03 through 05-06-04 - 125 Mi from home

 

00003 05-07-04 through 02-12-05 - 125 Mi from home

 

My last sequential PQ right now is something like 02-28-07 to 06-25-07 to capture all new caches. If you are in a really active area or do cache throughout the week, you can run this one daily or, if like many most of your caching is on weekends, run this on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

 

After your first week, if you're using a program like GSAK, you can run a filter to look at caches that are not found, DNF not checked (if you track that stat) and with no GPX in the last seven days. You can erase the results since these will be your archived caches if you are doing this weekly.

 

To keep these adjusted, GSAK even has a macro that will assist you in adjusting your PQ's to keep them <500 or whatever number you choose.

 

I run 2 a day to keep space for any other PQ's I may need to run and still have Thursday Through Sunday with no PQ's like this.

 

My number of PQ's has not fluctuated in a year, and I am in a major metro area, due to normal attrition. When I first used the macro, I actually cut the number down slightly since I did not have to use trial and error to figure out the size. I now run the macro about every 3 months or as necessary.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited March 8, 2007 by baloo&bd

[+ron1337]

I use the same GSAK macro as you do to keep my PQ's up to date for my area.

I travel out of my region quite often, that is why I prefer to keep the database GSAK set for both Alberta and BC.

 

I realize I could just run a PQ for the region I'm going to be in, but the way I have it set enables me to look for good cache clusters really fast for days when I go out of town/province.

[+eigengott]

Wouldn't you agree that this would be a more efficient way to access the data though?

 

No. In what way is it efficient to have all caches within one country? The only thing you need for geocaching is current data for the few hundred caches in your vicinity (either your home or some other place you plan to visit).

 

For example, I cache within a range of 100 kms around my home. Currently that gives me arround 1450 caches (traditionals and multis with a regular or large container) from three countries (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium) with only four pocket queries.

 

Compare this with your method: I would have to handle 29000+ caches for Germany alone. Almost all of them completely useless, because not within my caching range. And still incomplete, since some caches in the eastern parts of Belgium and the Netherlands are also in my caching range.

[+sbell111]

If you buy another membership, you can get 15000 more weekly caches. I don't know why you would need this, but who am I to judge.

[+wsgaskins]

If you are in a really active area or do cache throughout the week...

 

My area is very active. I am using the same system that you described, and there are now 407 new caches placed within 100 miles of my home since 2/14/2007.

 

The other point to note here is that after you get to having more than 7 PQs to cover the necessary radius from your home, you need to manage the total # of PQs that get run each day. I try to keep it down to at most 2 PQs in a day so that I can always run an additional 'new caches' query if necessary, or maybe another couple PQs for a different locale if I am heading out of my home turf for a trip.