[Az-Geocaching] Re: Another new feature at GC.com

Andrew Ayre andy at britishideas.com
Thu Nov 3 15:44:33 MST 2005


Well you could always email contact at grounspeak.com with the suggestion then
sit back and wait three years ;) Or perhaps we could ask them for third
party access to the data - oh wait - they ignore those requests. Nevermind.
:)

Andy


  -----Original Message-----
  From: az-geocaching-bounces at listserv.azgeocaching.com
[mailto:az-geocaching-bounces at listserv.azgeocaching.com]On Behalf Of Team
Sprocket
  Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 3:39 PM
  To: az-geocaching at listserv.azgeocaching.com
  Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Re: Another new feature at GC.com


  Brian wrote:

    You could easily do the same thing with PQs. For example, mark coords
for
    several points throughout the state, ensuring that there is guaranteed
    overlap, minimizing as much as possible to ensure you get the
    complete/accurate results. When the PQs are downloaded, load EasyMPS and
    you can double-click each of the PQs and load several, then open
directly
    into MapSource. The newer version of EasyMPS will allow you to select
    multiple .gpx files and open them with fewer steps too. Of course, this
is
    a Garmin-specific nifty feature, but what can you do?

  Let's review:

  Step 1:


    For example, mark coords for
    several points throughout the state, ensuring that there is guaranteed
    overlap, minimizing as much as possible to ensure you get the
    complete/accurate results.

  This in itself is more complex than it sounds.  If I select point A and
set my PQ for a 50 mile radius and then point B with the same radius,
allowing several miles of overlap, but there turns out to be 600 caches
within 50 miles of point A, my PQ will only show me 500.  Even if Point B
overlaps,  if there are 480 caches within 50 miles of point B,  chances are
I may only  get 20 (or even 40 or 60) of the 100 caches missing caches from
the first PQ.  With cache locations being dynamic, I see no way of ensuring
full coverage with 100% accuracy

  Step 2:


    When the PQs are downloaded,

  After I wait  24 hours, or up to 6 days, depending when that PQ was
dowloaded last.... and assuming you don't need more than 5 PQ's (the daily
limit) to securely cover the whole state.


  Step 3:


    load EasyMPS

  Another 3rd party program to clutter up my HD...


  Step 4:


    you can double-click each of the PQs and load several,


  Step 5:

    open directly
    into MapSource

  Don't own it / Never heard of it / Does not compute / "I can't let you do
that, Dave" / Won't work with my GPS... (unlike NG Topo!, which isn't brand
specific.)




    It takes a little more initial legwork, but I don't think that's any big
    deal.


  A little??...

  I'll  stand by my initial observation.  "I can't see an _easy_ way to do
this
  with PQ's."

  As I said before, sure it can be done... but it ain't easy.  Heck, I'm
already maintaining a map of all my unfound caches now that is less
complicated than above but still isn't as easy as selecting a check box
labeled, "All caches I haven't found in [select state]."

  -- Sprocket





-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://listserv.sequoia.net/pipermail/az-geocaching/attachments/20051103/22ac705a/attachment.htm


More information about the Az-Geocaching mailing list