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How do you set up your pocket queries for maximum coverage?

Apr-05-10 18:10:40

How do you set up your pocket queries for maximum coverage?

I've been using the same approach for several months, but I don't think I get the best results because I get a lot of overlap between my PQs. Looking for brilliant ideas from others to see if I can improve my PQ setup.

I currently have 16 PQ that I have delivered throughout each week.

Eight main 'inner circle' queries - project a point xx km from my home center point in each of the eight main directions, and use this new point as the center point each of the eight queries. Use a radius of xx km.

Eight temporary 'outer circle' queries - only in use until I complete the SLAGA county challenge. Centers of these queries are projections form Arch, extend far enough out to hit the outer limits of the challenge.

Lots of overlap at the intersections of the circles, some missed areas at the outer edges, not very efficient. What would be great is if GC.com added an option of selecting between bearings from a point. For example, in Query 1 I could select between 0 degrees and 45 degrees out from my home up to the 500 caches limit. Query 2 from 45 to 90, etc. But, since that doesn't exist, how do YOU optimize your query coverage?

BubbaBlaze: Weekend Warrior; 34 Posts

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Apr-05-10 19:39:12

Re: How do you set up your pocket queries for maximum coverage?

I do it a bit differently and have a 150 mile radius around my zipcode with absolutely no overlaps and guaranteed updates at least in a 7 day time period. It takes a bit of trial and error to get the area but once you do, it's a piece of cake to keep it updated. You do it by "Place Date". That is the only piece of information that's guaranteed not to change on a cache.

Once you have your database, you can set your download quantity to 490 and then adjust your "Placed Date" before and after dates window to only retrieve under that limit. Start at 01/01/2000 and once you have your window, it will never get any bigger. Create your second PQ to start at the date the next day after the end of your first PQ and play with the end "Placed Date" until you retrieve less than your limit. Repeat the process until you have PQ's for up to today. I usually run the end of my last PQ to something in the future.

Once you have your diameter, then there's a GSAK macro called either PQPlaced or PlacedPQ that will help you fine tune and monitor your queries.

If you need more than a once a week check, I have another PQ that runs daily that give me everything either placed or changed in the last 7 days. That one runs daily to get the new and changed caches. The radius it grabs depends on the activity during the last week but will at least give me things up to 20 miles from home.

Hope this give you some ideas. Let me know if you have questions.

javapgmr: Full Time Cacher; 88 Posts

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Apr-06-10 01:30:04

Re: How do you set up your pocket queries for maximum coverage?

As they say in the Guinness commercials....BRILLIANT!

I never would've thought of that, but after rearranging all my queries following your suggestion, I get slightly greater coverage in only nine queries.