How do I do a pocket query?

[+CachingGrandpa]

I have in my notes that I can click on pocket query from the map. I am not seeing that as an option on the map. How do I do a pocket query?

[+Markwell]

http://markwell.us/pq.htm

[+CachingGrandpa]

I did the pocket query, downloaded the zip file, unzipped it. copied the .gpx file to my garmin in the gpx folder. Then I tried to find one of the caches that was in the query and could not find it. Does anybody know why?

[+Chief301]

I did the pocket query, downloaded the zip file, unzipped it. copied the .gpx file to my garmin in the gpx folder. Then I tried to find one of the caches that was in the query and could not find it. Does anybody know why?

 

Hmmm....sounds like you did all the steps correctly, seems like they should be there. What Garmin model are you using, and how are you trying to find the caches on the device?

[+CachingGrandpa]

I did the pocket query, downloaded the zip file, unzipped it. copied the .gpx file to my garmin in the gpx folder. Then I tried to find one of the caches that was in the query and could not find it. Does anybody know why?

 

Hmmm....sounds like you did all the steps correctly, seems like they should be there. What Garmin model are you using, and how are you trying to find the caches on the device?

 

I have a Garmin 450T. Clicked on find a geocache then spelled name of one of the caches.

[+Chief301]

I did the pocket query, downloaded the zip file, unzipped it. copied the .gpx file to my garmin in the gpx folder. Then I tried to find one of the caches that was in the query and could not find it. Does anybody know why?

 

Hmmm....sounds like you did all the steps correctly, seems like they should be there. What Garmin model are you using, and how are you trying to find the caches on the device?

 

I have a Garmin 450T. Clicked on find a geocache then spelled name of one of the caches.

 

Mm.....Again, sounds like proper procedure. I have a 550 (essentially the same unit) and when I click "Geocaches">"Find a Geocache" I get a list of Geocaches on the unit, listed by proximity, and the button at the bottom to look them up by name. I'm not sure why you're not getting this.

 

When you click on "Find a Geocache", is it giving you a list of caches or nothing? If nothing, then maybe the caches didn't make it to the unit after all.

 

If you plug the unit in to your computer, it will appear as an additional drive on your computer. Actually two drives....one for the internal storage on the 450 and one for the removable SD card. I think the GPX files go on the internal memory (someone correct me if I'm wrong) and extra maps and stuff go on the SD card. So maybe you put the GPX file on the SD card and the device doesn't see it there? I don't know.

 

You can plug the Oregon in to your USB drive and browse the internal memory and SD card. Try that and see if you see the GPX file in either of those locations. If you don't, maybe it didn't download correctly.

[+CachingGrandpa]

I did the pocket query, downloaded the zip file, unzipped it. copied the .gpx file to my garmin in the gpx folder. Then I tried to find one of the caches that was in the query and could not find it. Does anybody know why?

 

Hmmm....sounds like you did all the steps correctly, seems like they should be there. What Garmin model are you using, and how are you trying to find the caches on the device?

 

I have a Garmin 450T. Clicked on find a geocache then spelled name of one of the caches.

 

Mm.....Again, sounds like proper procedure. I have a 550 (essentially the same unit) and when I click "Geocaches">"Find a Geocache" I get a list of Geocaches on the unit, listed by proximity, and the button at the bottom to look them up by name. I'm not sure why you're not getting this. Yes I am getting this but when I type in a name of a cache that should be one of those that is in the .GPX file that I downloaded to the garmin it is not found.

 

When you click on "Find a Geocache", is it giving you a list of caches or nothing? If nothing, then maybe the caches didn't make it to the unit after all.

 

If you plug the unit in to your computer, it will appear as an additional drive on your computer. Actually two drives....one for the internal storage on the 450 and one for the removable SD card. I think the GPX files go on the internal memory (someone correct me if I'm wrong) and extra maps and stuff go on the SD card. So maybe you put the GPX file on the SD card and the device doesn't see it there? I don't know. The GPX file is in the internal storage I don't have an SD card

You can plug the Oregon in to your USB drive and browse the internal memory and SD card. Try that and see if you see the GPX file in either of those locations. If you don't, maybe it didn't download correctly.

[+kunarion]

when I type in a name of a cache that should be one of those that is in the .GPX file that I downloaded to the garmin it is not found

Try just the first 3 letters or numbers in the cache's name.

[+Chief301]

OK then....so when you pull up "Select a Geocache" you do get the list of Geocaches, correct? So the caches are on the device. The only other thing I can figure, then, is maybe you're putting the name in wrong. That's all I can think of.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Yes I am getting this but when I type in a name of a cache that should be one of those that is in the .GPX file that I downloaded to the garmin it is not found.

 

I think I may know what is happening here...

 

Have noticed for a couple of months, folks have been posting that not all caches seem to be included in (some) Pocket Queries.

I had dismissed this for a while, but not long ago, I was out caching with Pocket Queries (ran and loaded the day before)...

The Better Half was using her new iPhone.

 

Her phone came up with a number of caches that were not included in those Pocket Queries from the day before. The cache dates were not new... so it struck me that these previous reports of "not all caches" being included in a PQ just may be true.

Getting home, I checked into it (actual downloads and previews) and found that not all caches that should've been were actually picked up by the queries.

 

So... to shorten this a bit, CachingGrandpa, why not select a different cache -- just to see if IT is in the unit? Perhaps you simply are trying to bring up one that WAS NOT picked up and downloaded by the PQ.

 

This [bug] if that is what it truly is... continues today. Although there may be a response from Groundspeak, I have not seen it... I confess to not reading EVERYTHING.

 

EDIT to add: this phenomenon was not isolated to a single PQ. We went geocaching to Sault Ste Marie and I specifically ran the queries to keep them separated Ontario and Michigan. I noticed that my GPSr was missing caches in each query, regardless of the border. Her iPhone displayed them ALL.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+Chief301]

Interesting observation Gitchee. If this bug is in fact happening that would certainly explain it. I haven't noticed it myself.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Chief301

[+Don_J]

Interesting observation Gitchee. If this bug is in fact happening that would certainly explain it. I haven't noticed it myself.

 

I was updating my GSAK database the other day and noted that two caches were not updated because they were not in the PQs. There was absolutely no reason why they shouldn't have been included as they matched all of the criteria and had been included in past PQs. There was really nothing in common between the two.

 

There is obviously some sort of bug.

Edited September 1, 2013 by Don_J

[+Indiangrass]

There seems to be no lack of experience here so I'm maybe bringing up a non-issue but I have noticed my lap top and my PC have very different amounts of, I'll call it, "recognition time" That is, for instance, my lap top will chime as if the connection to my Garmin is complete but in actuality if I check My Computer file listing, it is not yet listed. In fact, my lap top unit is extremely slow to recognize the Garmin. So, I'm wondering if attempting to download files before there is an actual recognized connection would account for partial downloads of lists of gpx files.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

There seems to be no lack of experience here so I'm maybe bringing up a non-issue but I have noticed my lap top and my PC have very different amounts of, I'll call it, "recognition time" That is, for instance, my lap top will chime as if the connection to my Garmin is complete but in actuality if I check My Computer file listing, it is not yet listed. In fact, my lap top unit is extremely slow to recognize the Garmin. So, I'm wondering if attempting to download files before there is an actual recognized connection would account for partial downloads of lists of gpx files.

Your posting here reminded me of something that, it seems, some aren't aware of...

 

BEFORE disconnecting your unit from the computer, you should right-click on that particular drive, then select EJECT. The computer will then tell you it is OK to remove the unit.

 

What can happen if you do not take that step is that you could end up with only a partial loading.

----

Regarding "slow recognition time" -- I have noticed that, but usually just when opting to use the SD card for storage rather than internal memory. At that, it is only a couple of seconds.

You can, if you prefer, remove the (properly formatted) SD card from the unit, and plug it directly to the computer or use a card reader to load the GPX files. The card recognition time can be much faster if the computer doesn't have to read it through the GPSr unit. Properly EJECTING prior to removal should still be done.

[+Indiangrass]

There seems to be no lack of experience here so I'm maybe bringing up a non-issue but I have noticed my lap top and my PC have very different amounts of, I'll call it, "recognition time" That is, for instance, my lap top will chime as if the connection to my Garmin is complete but in actuality if I check My Computer file listing, it is not yet listed. In fact, my lap top unit is extremely slow to recognize the Garmin. So, I'm wondering if attempting to download files before there is an actual recognized connection would account for partial downloads of lists of gpx files.

Your posting here reminded me of something that, it seems, some aren't aware of...

 

BEFORE disconnecting your unit from the computer, you should right-click on that particular drive, then select EJECT. The computer will then tell you it is OK to remove the unit.

 

What can happen if you do not take that step is that you could end up with only a partial loading.

----

Regarding "slow recognition time" -- I have noticed that, but usually just when opting to use the SD card for storage rather than internal memory. At that, it is only a couple of seconds.

You can, if you prefer, remove the (properly formatted) SD card from the unit, and plug it directly to the computer or use a card reader to load the GPX files. The card recognition time can be much faster if the computer doesn't have to read it through the GPSr unit. Properly EJECTING prior to removal should still be done.

 

Gotchya! (This is where a "thumb up" emoticon would go ...if there was one.) Thanks.

[+kunarion]

There seems to be no lack of experience here so I'm maybe bringing up a non-issue but I have noticed my lap top and my PC have very different amounts of, I'll call it, "recognition time" That is, for instance, my lap top will chime as if the connection to my Garmin is complete but in actuality if I check My Computer file listing, it is not yet listed. In fact, my lap top unit is extremely slow to recognize the Garmin. So, I'm wondering if attempting to download files before there is an actual recognized connection would account for partial downloads of lists of gpx files.

BEFORE disconnecting your unit from the computer, you should right-click on that particular drive, then select EJECT. The computer will then tell you it is OK to remove the unit.

In a rush, I've sometimes gotten a file that is the correct file size, but that the GPSr can't read. So I run off to the cache site, and have lists only from another area (from a GPX that I loaded previously). I never click "eject" (although that's advisable), I just wait a little longer now. So lately I don't have that corrupt file thing.

 

On my Oregon, I haven't seen a problem with one or two caches missing from my PQs. Maybe they are, and they are simply caches I'm not hunting at the time, so I don't know they're gone. But there's at least one cache that always has only one log, from June, despite newer logs since. That's weird. I delete my old GPX file before adding the new PQ.

Edited September 1, 2013 by kunarion