c@w,
I can understand this if the dates between PQ's decrease due to archiving of caches, ie, where there were 500 caches, due to archiving there are now 493.
But, in the cicumstance I was alluding to, the nunmber of caches increased within each PQ to the extent that the most recent PQ block was revised BACK about 6 weeks.
This then threw out all preecedding PQ's as well as they now included more than the allowed 500 caches.
Hopefully you can understand the direction (pun intended) I'm coming from!
Any ideas as to why the INCREASE in the numbers rather than the DECREASE?
Jardry
What's new on Geocaching Australia
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caughtatwork
- Posts: 17017
- Joined: 17 May 04 12:11 pm
- Location: Melbourne
- Contact:
I think I understand.
Simple example (not real data).
01-Jan-2007 to 31-Jan-2007 480 caches.
1-Feb-2007 to 28-Feb-2007 100 caches.
What this in reality tells you is that on 1-Feb-2007 there were more than 20 caches hidden on that day which if the range included 1-Feb-2007, it would be greater than 500.
e.g. If on 1-Feb-2007 there were 30 caches hidden, if the range was 1-Jan-2007 to 1-Feb-2007 it would have 510 caches.
So it's very possible that as a result of a previous range now having less caches, the date has moved by quite a bit as it can now include more of the next ranges dates.
If you have a look at this graph you can see that October, November, December were relatively low in hides (remember this is all hides, not just currently active hides).
http://geocaching.com.au/stats/graphs/a ... s_by_month
It's certainly in the realms of possibility that recent archives have adjusted the ranges such that if there were 20 or 30 "spaces" left over in a range, they would all be adjusted backwards.
I've just adjusted my own PQ at GC to the date ranges and they work out as they should.
It's hard to track backwards in history to see exactly what the situation would have been at that point in time. However, if you can check the 5 ranges for SA and confirm that any one of them is over 500 bu a substantil amount (according to the PQ on GC), then I'd be happy to check the code for any inaccuracies. A difference of 1 or 2 or even 5 may just be a difference of timing.
Simple example (not real data).
01-Jan-2007 to 31-Jan-2007 480 caches.
1-Feb-2007 to 28-Feb-2007 100 caches.
What this in reality tells you is that on 1-Feb-2007 there were more than 20 caches hidden on that day which if the range included 1-Feb-2007, it would be greater than 500.
e.g. If on 1-Feb-2007 there were 30 caches hidden, if the range was 1-Jan-2007 to 1-Feb-2007 it would have 510 caches.
So it's very possible that as a result of a previous range now having less caches, the date has moved by quite a bit as it can now include more of the next ranges dates.
If you have a look at this graph you can see that October, November, December were relatively low in hides (remember this is all hides, not just currently active hides).
http://geocaching.com.au/stats/graphs/a ... s_by_month
It's certainly in the realms of possibility that recent archives have adjusted the ranges such that if there were 20 or 30 "spaces" left over in a range, they would all be adjusted backwards.
I've just adjusted my own PQ at GC to the date ranges and they work out as they should.
It's hard to track backwards in history to see exactly what the situation would have been at that point in time. However, if you can check the 5 ranges for SA and confirm that any one of them is over 500 bu a substantil amount (according to the PQ on GC), then I'd be happy to check the code for any inaccuracies. A difference of 1 or 2 or even 5 may just be a difference of timing.
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Jardry
- 600 or more caches found
- Posts: 295
- Joined: 23 June 07 9:52 pm
- Twitter: Jardry
- Location: Berri, SA
I sort of follow the logic.
Currently there are 5 ranges for SA. 4 ranges have 500 the other has 497, so quite soon there will be a need for a 6th range.
So, if I am following you, there really shouldn't be exactly 500 caches in each range, unless the last date in the range did in fact return exactly 500!
So, if on last date in a range 50 caches were placed and on the date before the total in that date range may have been 480, including the last date would result in a PQ with potentially 530 caches to retrieve, and as a consequence 30 caches wouldn't be retrieved.
And if there are 5 ranges, depending on the numbers over 500 in each range, potentially a number of caches could have been missed. I think when I was checking the dates the GPX data was last receieved I had around 250 or so caches that hadn't been updated, which would have been accounted for in the changes in the date ranges.
So, again trying to be logical, shoudl the logic be for the ranges to be from day 1 to day ?? where day ?? the total number of caches are less than 500 caches, rather than from day 1 to day ?? where the total number of caches equal 500. The second logic could result in more than 500 caches being returned in the query, but GC will only send 500 caches.
OR, am I completely missing something.
With regard to archiving caches, I would have assumed the ranges would have moved forwards, that is the date range between dates would have increased, not decreased, which resulted in my "missing" some cahces.
Currently there are 5 ranges for SA. 4 ranges have 500 the other has 497, so quite soon there will be a need for a 6th range.
So, if I am following you, there really shouldn't be exactly 500 caches in each range, unless the last date in the range did in fact return exactly 500!
So, if on last date in a range 50 caches were placed and on the date before the total in that date range may have been 480, including the last date would result in a PQ with potentially 530 caches to retrieve, and as a consequence 30 caches wouldn't be retrieved.
And if there are 5 ranges, depending on the numbers over 500 in each range, potentially a number of caches could have been missed. I think when I was checking the dates the GPX data was last receieved I had around 250 or so caches that hadn't been updated, which would have been accounted for in the changes in the date ranges.
So, again trying to be logical, shoudl the logic be for the ranges to be from day 1 to day ?? where day ?? the total number of caches are less than 500 caches, rather than from day 1 to day ?? where the total number of caches equal 500. The second logic could result in more than 500 caches being returned in the query, but GC will only send 500 caches.
OR, am I completely missing something.
With regard to archiving caches, I would have assumed the ranges would have moved forwards, that is the date range between dates would have increased, not decreased, which resulted in my "missing" some cahces.
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caughtatwork
- Posts: 17017
- Joined: 17 May 04 12:11 pm
- Location: Melbourne
- Contact:
Currently there are 5 ranges for SA. 4 ranges have 500 the other has 497, so quite soon there will be a need for a 6th range.
Correct.
So, if I am following you, there really shouldn't be exactly 500 caches in each range, unless the last date in the range did in fact return exactly 500!
Again, correct, although this does indeed happen that you get a range which has exactly 500 days in it.
So, if on last date in a range 50 caches were placed and on the date before the total in that date range may have been 480, including the last date would result in a PQ with potentially 530 caches to retrieve, and as a consequence 30 caches wouldn't be retrieved.
That's what it avoids. i.e. It will cut down the number of days in the range until the count of caches in that range is 500 or less.
And if there are 5 ranges, depending on the numbers over 500 in each range, potentially a number of caches could have been missed. I think when I was checking the dates the GPX data was last receieved I had around 250 or so caches that hadn't been updated, which would have been accounted for in the changes in the date ranges.
No, that what it avoids. As far as I can tell from the date ranges today, when I check the PQ, matching these dates exactly, changing the end day by 1 less produces a few less than 500, so I am confident that the actual ranges being provided are right on 500.
So, again trying to be logical, shoudl the logic be for the ranges to be from day 1 to day ?? where day ?? the total number of caches are less than 500 caches, rather than from day 1 to day ?? where the total number of caches equal 500. The second logic could result in more than 500 caches being returned in the query, but GC will only send 500 caches OR, am I completely missing something.
See above, it will reduce the day range to a point where the number of caches is 500 or fewer which is why some ranges have (say) 496, 497, etc in them.
Now, having said that let me say this. You've reminded me of a problem that mtbikeroz was having a few weeks ago with regards to his count of found caches in SA. It seems that some of the faeries food was being provided without a state for some SA caches. As such, they would no longer have been listed as being in SA and as such would not have shown up in mtbikeroz's find count AND ... in the cache ranges.
A fix was put in place to avoid updating cache states where the was no state provided in the GPX file. That seems to have alleviated the issue. I'm quite confident that this is the same issue that was causing you problems. I just didn't recall it.
If you happened to catch the ranges in the middle of the fix period, it would be showing the wrong ranges as there were many fewer caches listed in SA.
Correct.
So, if I am following you, there really shouldn't be exactly 500 caches in each range, unless the last date in the range did in fact return exactly 500!
Again, correct, although this does indeed happen that you get a range which has exactly 500 days in it.
So, if on last date in a range 50 caches were placed and on the date before the total in that date range may have been 480, including the last date would result in a PQ with potentially 530 caches to retrieve, and as a consequence 30 caches wouldn't be retrieved.
That's what it avoids. i.e. It will cut down the number of days in the range until the count of caches in that range is 500 or less.
And if there are 5 ranges, depending on the numbers over 500 in each range, potentially a number of caches could have been missed. I think when I was checking the dates the GPX data was last receieved I had around 250 or so caches that hadn't been updated, which would have been accounted for in the changes in the date ranges.
No, that what it avoids. As far as I can tell from the date ranges today, when I check the PQ, matching these dates exactly, changing the end day by 1 less produces a few less than 500, so I am confident that the actual ranges being provided are right on 500.
So, again trying to be logical, shoudl the logic be for the ranges to be from day 1 to day ?? where day ?? the total number of caches are less than 500 caches, rather than from day 1 to day ?? where the total number of caches equal 500. The second logic could result in more than 500 caches being returned in the query, but GC will only send 500 caches OR, am I completely missing something.
See above, it will reduce the day range to a point where the number of caches is 500 or fewer which is why some ranges have (say) 496, 497, etc in them.
Now, having said that let me say this. You've reminded me of a problem that mtbikeroz was having a few weeks ago with regards to his count of found caches in SA. It seems that some of the faeries food was being provided without a state for some SA caches. As such, they would no longer have been listed as being in SA and as such would not have shown up in mtbikeroz's find count AND ... in the cache ranges.
A fix was put in place to avoid updating cache states where the was no state provided in the GPX file. That seems to have alleviated the issue. I'm quite confident that this is the same issue that was causing you problems. I just didn't recall it.
If you happened to catch the ranges in the middle of the fix period, it would be showing the wrong ranges as there were many fewer caches listed in SA.
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Jardry
- 600 or more caches found
- Posts: 295
- Joined: 23 June 07 9:52 pm
- Twitter: Jardry
- Location: Berri, SA
c@w,
I think you've hit it on the head with the "missing" state on the GPX.
I was wondering why the daily state email update had so many caches which had the state updated.
No doubt, reincluding them is what then threw out the ranges for the PQ. And, the reason why when I loaded my 5 PQ's four of them were for exactly 500 cahces (ie whatever extra numbers where in the PQ were ignored once it reached 500).
So, now that you've feed the faeries, and I've readjusted the date ranges, my PQ's will be correct and everything we've discussed this morning is now pretty much irrelevant!
Thanks c@w for clearing it all up for me.
I think you've hit it on the head with the "missing" state on the GPX.
I was wondering why the daily state email update had so many caches which had the state updated.
No doubt, reincluding them is what then threw out the ranges for the PQ. And, the reason why when I loaded my 5 PQ's four of them were for exactly 500 cahces (ie whatever extra numbers where in the PQ were ignored once it reached 500).
So, now that you've feed the faeries, and I've readjusted the date ranges, my PQ's will be correct and everything we've discussed this morning is now pretty much irrelevant!
Thanks c@w for clearing it all up for me.
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caughtatwork
- Posts: 17017
- Joined: 17 May 04 12:11 pm
- Location: Melbourne
- Contact:
As a simple change to see how effective it will be to differentiate content based on your home state, when you visit the site now, if you are logged in and you have a state set in your profile (AU / NZ only),you should now see at the top left, next to the GCA logo, your state flag. Clicking on that state flag will take you to the dashboard for your state.
Further to this, if your home state is set as NI or SI of New Zealand, you will now see a slightly different skin for the header and tabs. Black and Silver is the theme with a silver fern indicating that you are using the NZ skin. Over time I expect that a choice of skins may be available based on your location as well as the ability to set your choice of skin regardless of which state is set as your home state.
This is only the first part of state based content based on a discussion here:
http://forum.geocaching.com.au/viewtopi ... highlight=
If you have ideas / comments / opinions, please start up a thread in the GCA website section or in The Senate where we can discuss the possible future of this type of functionality.
Further to this, if your home state is set as NI or SI of New Zealand, you will now see a slightly different skin for the header and tabs. Black and Silver is the theme with a silver fern indicating that you are using the NZ skin. Over time I expect that a choice of skins may be available based on your location as well as the ability to set your choice of skin regardless of which state is set as your home state.
This is only the first part of state based content based on a discussion here:
http://forum.geocaching.com.au/viewtopi ... highlight=
If you have ideas / comments / opinions, please start up a thread in the GCA website section or in The Senate where we can discuss the possible future of this type of functionality.
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caughtatwork
- Posts: 17017
- Joined: 17 May 04 12:11 pm
- Location: Melbourne
- Contact:
Send to GPS
GCA have now deployed the Garmin Send to GPS functionality. Please note that this is ONLY for Garmin products. I only have a yellow etrex so my testing has not been comprehensive to cover all Garmin products.
Use this fuctionality at your own risk.
If in doubt, backup your GPS prior to attempting to use the software.
GCA and the developers take no responsibility for damage to your unit.
You will need a client on your own computer which you can get from here:
http://www8.garmin.com/products/communicator/
On GCA caches you will now see a button marked Send to GPS.
Plug in and power up your GPS.
Click the button marked Send to GPS (allow popups if necessary).
Wait until the software detects your GPS or click on the Find Devices button on the pop up page.
Click the 'Send' button on the pop up page.
It should send the cache information and the last 10 logs to your GPS.
If you're like me with a yellow etrex, it only sends the waypoint and co-ordinates, so doesn't break anything.
While this functionality is now live, due to the limited capability to test, it is considered BETA. If you experience an abnormal situation, please fire up a new thread (not in this thread please).
Please provide your Operating System and any service patch level.
The browser you are using and version number.
The make and model of your GPS.
We hope that this functionality allows you to make a quick upload and getaway to that GCA cache you are all so desperate to find
GCA have now deployed the Garmin Send to GPS functionality. Please note that this is ONLY for Garmin products. I only have a yellow etrex so my testing has not been comprehensive to cover all Garmin products.
Use this fuctionality at your own risk.
If in doubt, backup your GPS prior to attempting to use the software.
GCA and the developers take no responsibility for damage to your unit.
You will need a client on your own computer which you can get from here:
http://www8.garmin.com/products/communicator/
On GCA caches you will now see a button marked Send to GPS.
Plug in and power up your GPS.
Click the button marked Send to GPS (allow popups if necessary).
Wait until the software detects your GPS or click on the Find Devices button on the pop up page.
Click the 'Send' button on the pop up page.
It should send the cache information and the last 10 logs to your GPS.
If you're like me with a yellow etrex, it only sends the waypoint and co-ordinates, so doesn't break anything.
While this functionality is now live, due to the limited capability to test, it is considered BETA. If you experience an abnormal situation, please fire up a new thread (not in this thread please).
Please provide your Operating System and any service patch level.
The browser you are using and version number.
The make and model of your GPS.
We hope that this functionality allows you to make a quick upload and getaway to that GCA cache you are all so desperate to find
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CraigRat
- 850 or more found!!!
- Posts: 7015
- Joined: 23 August 04 3:17 pm
- Twitter: CraigRat
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/CraigRat
- Location: Launceston, TAS
- Contact:
Zones
Zones
The zones interface has had a major overhaul, all zone details are editable after uploading, and owned zones can be viewed via your 'my' tab.
The system now opened up to allow more types of zones to be added.
Zones now also automagically work out the location and the state in which they reside.
Current available Zone types include:
Banned/restricted Areas
Regions of Interest
Urban regions
State/countries
Postcode Boundaries
Any other zone types can be added by PM'ing me
Now all we need is more data!!!
Click here to see how easy it is to add zones to the system!
To do: Zones need to be added to the search & query systems somehow.
The zones interface has had a major overhaul, all zone details are editable after uploading, and owned zones can be viewed via your 'my' tab.
The system now opened up to allow more types of zones to be added.
Zones now also automagically work out the location and the state in which they reside.
Current available Zone types include:
Banned/restricted Areas
Regions of Interest
Urban regions
State/countries
Postcode Boundaries
Any other zone types can be added by PM'ing me
Now all we need is more data!!!
Click here to see how easy it is to add zones to the system!
To do: Zones need to be added to the search & query systems somehow.
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CraigRat
- 850 or more found!!!
- Posts: 7015
- Joined: 23 August 04 3:17 pm
- Twitter: CraigRat
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/CraigRat
- Location: Launceston, TAS
- Contact:
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CraigRat
- 850 or more found!!!
- Posts: 7015
- Joined: 23 August 04 3:17 pm
- Twitter: CraigRat
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/CraigRat
- Location: Launceston, TAS
- Contact:
Zones
now the zones function lists caches within that zone.
For example: setsujoku created this zone for Morphett Vale here: http://geocaching.com.au/zone/view/9/
If you click on 'Caches in this zone' it will list all active caches within that zone (if any). (thanks to c@w for making it look better!)
Zones also now have a sexy Google Map on them now as well.
now the zones function lists caches within that zone.
For example: setsujoku created this zone for Morphett Vale here: http://geocaching.com.au/zone/view/9/
If you click on 'Caches in this zone' it will list all active caches within that zone (if any). (thanks to c@w for making it look better!)
Zones also now have a sexy Google Map on them now as well.
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caughtatwork
- Posts: 17017
- Joined: 17 May 04 12:11 pm
- Location: Melbourne
- Contact:
Further Send to GPS
Further to the ability to load a single waypoint to your Garmin GPS via the cache page.
You now have the capability to set up a My Query to select a range of caches that you are interested in and us the GPS link on your My Query page to send those results to your Garmin GPS. This functionality is, of course, restricted to GCA caches.
Note that if you do this you should restrict the number of caches returned to the number that your GPS can handle. i.e. Fill in the "Number of items to return" field. This will avoid your GPS overflowing.
Try and preview the results to the screen before you decide to send them to your GPS as it will save you time.
Further to the ability to load a single waypoint to your Garmin GPS via the cache page.
You now have the capability to set up a My Query to select a range of caches that you are interested in and us the GPS link on your My Query page to send those results to your Garmin GPS. This functionality is, of course, restricted to GCA caches.
Note that if you do this you should restrict the number of caches returned to the number that your GPS can handle. i.e. Fill in the "Number of items to return" field. This will avoid your GPS overflowing.
Try and preview the results to the screen before you decide to send them to your GPS as it will save you time.
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caughtatwork
- Posts: 17017
- Joined: 17 May 04 12:11 pm
- Location: Melbourne
- Contact:
Placed By capability now available
http://wiki.geocaching.com.au/wiki/Placed_by
Normally when you hide a cache you are listed as the cacher who placed the cache as well as the owner.
If you want to hide a cache with someone else, you must decide which of you will own the cache listing. That person will be those one whose caching name the cache is listed under and who will be able to edit the cache listing.
If you want, though, you can list both caching names in the Placed By field when you are hiding or editing a cache listing. This will make the cache appear to have been hidden by both of you.
Note that the cacher listing the cache will still retain ownership of the listing, the other party just gets kudos for helping in the hide.
http://wiki.geocaching.com.au/wiki/Placed_by
Normally when you hide a cache you are listed as the cacher who placed the cache as well as the owner.
If you want to hide a cache with someone else, you must decide which of you will own the cache listing. That person will be those one whose caching name the cache is listed under and who will be able to edit the cache listing.
If you want, though, you can list both caching names in the Placed By field when you are hiding or editing a cache listing. This will make the cache appear to have been hidden by both of you.
Note that the cacher listing the cache will still retain ownership of the listing, the other party just gets kudos for helping in the hide.
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caughtatwork
- Posts: 17017
- Joined: 17 May 04 12:11 pm
- Location: Melbourne
- Contact:
Geocaching Guru by Google Map Region
A recent change has been made to the Geocaching Guru functions.
You can still search by locale or postcode or use the statically linkable locale/state functions.
For those visitors who want to find a Guru but are frustrated that there are none within 65km, or they can't find a locale where there is a guru within 65km, we now bring to you the capability to view Geocaching Gurus using a Google Map.
http://geocaching.com.au/search/gurus/
Select a region in the drop down and ... tada. Geocaching Guru Google Goodness.
Clicking on the name takes you to the cacher page.
Clicking on contact will take you to a contact page for people who aren't logged in. People who are not logged in cannot see your profile details and phone number.
Clicking on profile will take you to their profile page in the forum for a choice of how to contact and if you have your phone number listed, they might even call you.
Please note: Your home co-ordinates have been rounded to 2 digits, so the pin shows close to your locale, but not your exact location.
Yes, the regions can be statically linked if you want to have a link on your own website.
A recent change has been made to the Geocaching Guru functions.
You can still search by locale or postcode or use the statically linkable locale/state functions.
For those visitors who want to find a Guru but are frustrated that there are none within 65km, or they can't find a locale where there is a guru within 65km, we now bring to you the capability to view Geocaching Gurus using a Google Map.
http://geocaching.com.au/search/gurus/
Select a region in the drop down and ... tada. Geocaching Guru Google Goodness.
Clicking on the name takes you to the cacher page.
Clicking on contact will take you to a contact page for people who aren't logged in. People who are not logged in cannot see your profile details and phone number.
Clicking on profile will take you to their profile page in the forum for a choice of how to contact and if you have your phone number listed, they might even call you.
Please note: Your home co-ordinates have been rounded to 2 digits, so the pin shows close to your locale, but not your exact location.
Yes, the regions can be statically linked if you want to have a link on your own website.