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Getting More Than 500 Caches


Thot

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I probably dreamed it but I have a vague memory of reading a post here that explained how to get more than 500 caches by running more than one query and merging them. For example, 500 caches only reaches out about 30 miles from my home. How can I get all the caches within 50 miles of my house? I can’t think of a way to tell it to pick up where the last search left off and get caches beyond 30 miles.

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You can try a couple of different ways. Run different queries for the different cache types (traditional, virtual, etc) If the results are still over 500 you can resort to overlapping circles where you blanket an area with several offset PQs.

 

The resulting GPX files can be loaded into GSAK or Watcher where the duplicate caches are filtered out (GPSBabel will do this too)

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I run them by dates. I have all the caches in Kansas (1200+) in 3 queries by setting the date placed. Set one for caches set between C-Day May 3, 00 thru a date that will not give you more than 500. Trial and error will get you the best date. I use the last day of whichever month keeps me under 500, then the next query I start with the first day of the next month. The last one I keep changing to the date I run the query.

 

The earlier ones will get fewer results as caches archive, but so far it hasn't been enough to change dates on these.

 

7

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I run mine based on city centers, I also limit each one to about 100 caches, this makes them very easy to manage. If I am in Sacramento I just have to go throught Sacramento caches, If I am in San Francisco I just have to go throught those and so on. I also load the waypoints onto my Memory Card in my Meridain Gold the same way so that I only have to scroll throught Sacramento caches in the GPS if that is were I am. BTW I do the same thing with maps in my Pocket PC.

If I am in Sacramento I use the map the just displays caches in Sacramento.

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I used to split mine by terrain difficulty.  One for 2.5 or less, the other 3.0 or higher.  (Since I have found the bulk of the cahches within 50 miles, I now only need one PQ.)

 

How you split it depends on your area.

Were I to do this with the Chicagoland region, I'd need

  • One PQ for Terrain: stargreen.gif (369)
  • One PQ for Terrain: stargreen.gifhalfstargreen.gif (478)
  • One PQ for Terrain: stargreen.gifstargreen.gif or stargreen.gifstargreen.gifhalfstargreen.gif (358), and
  • One PQ for Terrains 3 and above (113).

The other benefit by doing it by placed date ranges is that if you set up your queries correctly, you should be able to work it so that you only have to monitor the most recently placed PQ.

 

For example: If you're area needs to split it into 3 queries, set the first two date ranges to return around 490 caches (you can fiddle with the criteria until you get something in that range). Since they're older dates, no NEW caches should be added to those results, and the number of hits will only go down as older caches are archived.

 

The newest PQ may start off with only 50 or so caches, but as more and more are placed in the area, you might get close to that 500 mark. As soon as the PQ reaches 490 results, add a new PQ on that day.

 

Granted - this scenario has only happened to me once so far, but I'm ready for the next time it happens.

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Since they're older dates, no NEW caches should be added to those results, and the number of hits will only go down as older caches are archived.

 

There are times that an archived cache with an old date is reactivated. (Admittedly, that doesn't happen often.) That's why I run my "complete" set of date-selected PQs once a week. 5 PQ's keeps me current with the caches within 100 miles.

 

(Another advantage to getting all of them is that I can identify the newly archived caches by the lack of an update in GSAK.)

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You can get 5 pocket queries per day, so divide them however you like. A little experimenting may be required. You can center the queries at different places, for instance. I get one centered on my home, and another on Galveston, because that's where I work, and while there is a lot of overlap, it still gets different caches. You can use coordinates, so try one PQ centered on your home, and one in each cardinal direction 50 miles or so away, and you should get almost everything within 200 miles.

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