Queries!Carl Schmertmann (Urubu)

With a heavy debt to Richard Thompson (Glonch’sPride) of New Hampshire, whose presentation I borrowed and adapted

Types of Queries

• ALL MEMBERS

Finds by…, Hides by…, Caches near..., Unfound caches near…, My Friends…

• PREMIUM MEMBERS

• Standard Pocket Queries (PQs)• ‘Along a Route’ PQs• ‘All Finds’ PQs

ALL MEMBERS

• From your account page

QueryLinks

ALL MEMBERS

• From any cache page…

QueryLinks

ALL MEMBERS

• Geocaching Quick Linkswww.geocachingadmin.com/search.pl

• Store links as Browser Bookmarks• finds by Flipsican

www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?ul=Flipsican

• hides by Ubertracker22www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?u=ubertracker22

• etc

PREMIUM MEMBERS: Pocket Queries

• PQ = search GC database for caches matching user’s specifications

• PQ results arrive as either• GPX file email attachment

Google Earth (Open file, or drag & drop) GSAK

• ‘Preview page’ in web browser Save as a bookmark for reuse

Pocket Queries

• Limits (as of Feb 2008):

• Max 500 Caches per PQ

• Max 5 PQs emailed per day

• Max 40 PQs per user

• (GSAK gets around these limits)

Standard Pocket Queries: Structure

User chooses• Name of query• Which days to run & send GPX via email• # of caches to return in query• Type & Size• Active/Inactive• Difficulty & Terrain• State• Center Point & Radius

EXAMPLE Standard PQs

• All active caches within 100 miles of 32309 that I haven’t found

• All Puzzle caches in Florida that have never been found.

• All traditional, non-micro caches within 10 miles of my hotel in Orlando

• All Tallahassee caches that are marked ‘no snowmobiles’

• Etc.

Standard Pocket Queries: Starting Out

• Get to your account screen

• On the right hand side, half way down, click Build Pocket Queries

Standard Pocket Queries: Starting Out

Select [Create a new query]

Standard Pocket Queries: Part 1

• Query Name• Pick something useful

• Days…• Can leave blank until

needed• Choose…

• Leave on “Uncheck..” until needed

• Show me ### caches (max=500)

Standard Pocket Queries: Part 2

• Select Type(s)

• Select container size(s)

Standard Pocket Queries: Part 3

• Status• I check:

• I haven’t found• I don’t own• Is Active

• Terrain/Difficulty

Standard Pocket Queries: Part 4

• Within• This will depend on the

application

Standard Pocket Queries: Part 5

• Origin= Center Point

• Radius

Standard Pocket Queries: Part 6

Placed during…

• This can be VERY valuable in an area with >500 caches (like Tallahassee!), because you can break up the search into 2 perfectly non-overlapping parts (before 2008, after 2008)

Standard Pocket Queries: Part 7

• Attributes to Include

• Attributes to Exclude

Standard Pocket Queries: Part 8

• Output to• Usually leave this as

default, change if needed in your situation

• In the format• Always - GPS Exchange

Format (*.gpx)• Always check –

Compress files into *.zip format

Caches Along A Route

2nd Major Type of PQ: ALONG A ROUTE

• Create a route in Google EARTH

• Save it as a KML file on your computer

• Start Building a PQ

• Select [Find Caches Along a Route] option

• Upload KML file to the GC.com site and name it

• Choose other PQ criteria (type, size, active, …) normally

Creating a Route in Google Earth

http://www.geocaching.com/my/userroutes.aspx

Says…

Creating a Route in Google Earth

• Open Google Earth and click the [Directions] tab

• Enter startand end pointsof route

Creating a Route in Google Earth

• Find the top of the route

• RIGHT clickand SAVE PLACE AS…

Creating a Route in Google Earth

• Name the file

• Save as Type KML

Caches Along A Route: Starting Out

Build a New PQSelect [Find Caches Along a Route]

Caches Along A Route

Select [Upload GPX/KML] tab

Caches Along A Route

Select [Browse], pick file, then [Upload]

Caches Along A Route

Click [Preview], then [Select], then [Save Selected Routes]

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Caches Along A Route

Find the new route on the list of “Your Existing Routes”, and start a PQ

…the rest is normal PQ stuff

Let’s Try Some!

Thanks…