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Pocket Queries and Performance


sir_zman

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Many if not most premium members pull pocket queries and store the data in some kind of 3rd party utility for managing waypoints/caches like GSAK. I know that there have been discussions about the most efficient way to pull this data in order to keep ones waypoints up to date, but I'm wondering why there isn't an option in the Pocket Query Setup to pull just caches with a status change?

 

Ideally I'd like to make an initial pull of all the data for my metro area (which takes several queries) and then once a week pull all new caches and all caches with a status change..then I'll use GSAK to remove the archived and disabled caches and GSAK/my caches stay up to date. Since less than 500 new and terminated caches occur a week (in my metro area), this could greatly cut down on the processing time the GC servers spend on my PQ's a week, and I can do in one PQ what I now have to use 3 or 4 to do. Multiply the processing savings from my one PQ to hundreds of cachers and you have a significant savings.

 

Currently I need to pull a full list of caches, and either sort by GPX date and dump the rest, or dump the entire database and re-insert all. Either way this is a waste of resources for both me and GC.

 

I tried using the "Updated in the past 7 days" option but I got a bunch of caches that had not been updated, but simply had a log posted to them.

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Simple fact that TPTB do not support the creation or maintenance of offline databases. Therefore, the features you seek are not available.

 

Pocket Queries are intended to deliver a set of caches to you for loading into your GPS and enjoying a day (or a few days) of caching. 3rd party apps make it possible to do offline databases but they are not sanctioned by gc.com

 

See this post from Jeremy sometime back.

Edited by StarBrand
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Simple fact that TPTB do not support the creation or maintenance of offline databases. Therefore, the features you seek are not available.

 

Pocket Queries are intended to deliver a set of caches to you for loading into your GPS and enjoying a day (or a few days) of caching. 3rd party apps make it possible to do offline databases but they are not sanctioned by gc.com

 

See this post from Jeremy sometime back.

 

Then why offer a "Found Caches" PQ? And regardless the answer to that, a system (any system) that doesn't respond to the changes in it's use is bound to have problems. I respect that the PQ system might not have been designed for this initially, but that is the way it is currently being used. I'm only suggesting that adapting to the current situation and wants of the members (those of us who pay to use the system) might be beneficial in more ways than one. Knowing that many users use the system this way, adding this functionality will save strain on the GC servers, and provide everyone a better experience.

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Simple fact that TPTB do not support the creation or maintenance of offline databases. Therefore, the features you seek are not available.

 

Pocket Queries are intended to deliver a set of caches to you for loading into your GPS and enjoying a day (or a few days) of caching. 3rd party apps make it possible to do offline databases but they are not sanctioned by gc.com

 

See this post from Jeremy sometime back.

 

Then why offer a "Found Caches" PQ? And regardless the answer to that, a system (any system) that doesn't respond to the changes in it's use is bound to have problems. I respect that the PQ system might not have been designed for this initially, but that is the way it is currently being used. I'm only suggesting that adapting to the current situation and wants of the members (those of us who pay to use the system) might be beneficial in more ways than one. Knowing that many users use the system this way, adding this functionality will save strain on the GC servers, and provide everyone a better experience.

Intended use does not equal designed use. You are using the system in a manner that is not consistent with the intent.

 

TPTB actually have a lot of very good reasons for you to frequently visit the website and frequently get the newest freshest data. Which they maintain for you (how nice of them). Really think about it, the database and website are the only things of real value they own.

 

provide everyone a better experience.

not me - I let them maintain the database - I just find caches. :huh:

 

Sorry the system doesn't quite work for your needs.

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Not everyone needs every little bit of data on each cache in a region. I don't. I only request a PQ when I am heading in a specific direction. Using GSAK, I filter out any Archived or Disabled caches in that area so I don't end up hunting a cache that isn't there.

 

Every once in a while I refresh the entire database of "local" caches (currently about 1300), but I don't need to do that every week.

Edited by Miragee
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I travel around a lot, and I suppose I could pull a PQ every day for the area that I'm going to be in. But because my GPSr will only hold so many caches it is necessary for many many cachers to be able to store caches and have the ability to while moving around dump the caches that are no longer in their area and re-uplaod caches to their GPSr. Don't take this the wrong way, it is simply a suggestion that I would hope would be welcome by the people I pay money to, a way of bettering the system. I respect what you are saying about the only real thing GS owns, and I'm not asking anything that would impede this, simply asking for something to enhance many paying users experience and usability of the system. By the way what does TPTB stand for? The Twin Cities is simply too big a metro area for me store everything on my GPSr, I need the ability to upload data for specific regions of our metro area, dump and repeat as I move across it.

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When I was traveling, because I didn't want to be looking for caches that weren't there, or caches that were, but had been Archived because of the terrible condition they were in, I would find a library, or a Day's Inn parking lot, or a little coffee shop where I could access free WiFi and get a new PQ or two for the area I was in, or heading towards. :(

 

Then, on my laptop, in Mapsource I would do a quick route, then use that with the Arc/Poly filter in GSAK to get a new list of caches to find. I would delete the Geocaches I hadn't found from my GPSr and reload it from GSAK's new info.

 

From that list I Exported the info for Cachemate on my Palm M500, and after making that transfer, I was back on the road with new caches to find. :huh:

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provide everyone a better experience.

not me - I let them maintain the database - I just find caches. <_<

 

Sorry the system doesn't quite work for your needs.

 

Thanks for the acronym defn. You would benefit from that; your PQ's would run faster because of the systems increased performance.

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If you have an x-series Garmin, which I know you do, you could load a lot more than 500 caches as custom points of interest by using the POI loader. It's not as nice as using waypoints but it works.

 

I didn't say I was limited to 500 caches, but how many caches are there in the Twin Cities and surrounding area, must be a few thousand, I know it takes at least 3 PQ's to get just the 694/494 loop.

 

I hadn't looked into the POI Loader, but I'll take a look at that. The main point of my suggestion was more to save resources on the GC system, and reduce the time it takes to get a PQ generated and be able to pull smaller more relevant data sets; than about putting data into my GPS.

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provide everyone a better experience.

not me - I let them maintain the database - I just find caches. <_<

 

Sorry the system doesn't quite work for your needs.

 

Thanks for the acronym defn. You would benefit from that; your PQ's would run faster because of the systems increased performance.

Actually almost every PQ I ever wanted was delivered to my inbox within 5 minutes - can't ask for much better service than that.

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provide everyone a better experience.

not me - I let them maintain the database - I just find caches. <_<

 

Sorry the system doesn't quite work for your needs.

 

Thanks for the acronym defn. You would benefit from that; your PQ's would run faster because of the systems increased performance.

Actually almost every PQ I ever wanted was delivered to my inbox within 5 minutes - can't ask for much better service than that.

 

Thats cool. My first PQ is fast, but if I'm going to multiple areas and need a second, lately they have been taking hours to be processed. Case in point, this moring I requested a PQ for an area north of the cities where I'm caching with some friends, and I based that off of the waypoint name of the first cache we are going after, but my friend who posted the caches, put an incorrect waypoint in. The way point he put was for a cache in AL. So around 9:30 or 10 CST this morning I re-requested a different PQ with the correct waypoint and I'm still waiting to receive it.

Edited by sir_zman
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... I'm wondering why there isn't an option in the Pocket Query Setup to pull just caches with a status change?

Any change - including new logs? There's nothing like being out it the field and knowing that the last 5 logs are all DNF's. It really changes how you look for the cache. If you count new logs, then we're back to where we started.

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Any change - including new logs? There's nothing like being out it the field and knowing that the last 5 logs are all DNF's. It really changes how you look for the cache. If you count new logs, then we're back to where we started.

 

I'm not sure if that was a question. You can get that with the "Updated within the last 7 days" I mean thats better than nothing, but not as small as I was hoping for..I'd like to get everything in a wide area, and I'll max out that 500 limit with the updated in the last 7 days option...again, needing several PQs

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