FOR FREE (or a
small contribution towards the upkeep of the software*), Cajun Abear (aka
Wayne) will take a pocket query of your finds and makes a detailed map to your
specifications. Wayne was VERY patient and
accommodating, and these maps are of an amazing quality and can be printed in
an 18x24 format (if desired). My wonderful map includes the states I’ve cached
in, my FTF’s, my first finds by type, my best weekend and best day, and my
milestones.
He will also personalize it upon your request! I liked his initial draft, but D/T is not as
important to me as the adventures I’ve had. He took the D/T detail out and added
my Michigan Star geo-art, my team logo, an image of my almost-complete JASMER
(I’ve come a long way, baby!), and the Power Island adventure! He even added a sea dragon to signify my fear
of water! I still shake with the memory
of my walk along that dock towards the boat… stepping up into it… and heading
out into the open bay. I wasn’t sure if
my stomach was flipping in fear of the water or the adventure ahead. Terrified
and excited – as much of a cliché as it sounds, this is really what geocaching
is all about.
I feel like a child every time I pull up my map. It’s a visual image of everything I’ve
accomplished so far and the journeys geocaching has taken me. I told TaGeez that it motivates me towards my
10,000 milestone and completing my JASMER.
It also makes me itch to travel to all those green areas that border my
main map. I’ve got that travel bug and
Spring is so far away!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
How to get your map
Instructions from
their Facebook page - I am not affiliated with this group - just spreading the word
In order to make a personalized map
there are a number of requirements,
- Your My Finds Pocket Query (email
to: cajunabear@gmail.com)
- A list of your FTFs by GC codes.
- And as much detailed information about
your history using GC codes for your Milestones, favorite finds,
challenges you have completed and related finds. Special Trips which you
would like shown on the map can be given by the days in which you
made the finds on the trip. (Alternatively if you post this information on
your profile and keep it updated I will data mine the information for your
map.
- Notification of your position on
whether you allow the map to be posted to the web. (You may tag the image
after it is posted)
THE PROCESS
Taking this information a table is constructed
using the following programs, GSAK, MS Excel, MS Access. This table
list all of your accomplishments tied to the GC code and thus the location.
The data is then converted into an ESRI GIS
Shape file which can then be thematically mapped by different categories of
data in the table that was earlier finished.
Using ArcGIS a map with insets is created to
show many facets of the geocachers adventures.
The finished map is exported as an image out
of ArcGIS AND then an art program Paint Shop Pro is used to do touchup
and special affects to give the map an antique look associated with a
"pirate map".
The whole process is about 4 hours long for a
1K map and longer for more finds and depending on the history of the geocacher.
*$0 Costs! Why?
This is just another way of geocaching, it
also helps me in learning the tools of ArcGIS and gives me a way of giving back
to this fun hobby. Actually this is a hobby within a hobby. While I
love doing this there is an annual associated maintenance fee for the software
of $490. I do NOT want to charge for the maps (they are priceless for
more than one reason), but donations are accepted and if you wish to purchase
one of our Geochallenge Gazettes for your state, it will certainly help.
It takes about 5 hours to make a map, what does that costs you in gas during a
geocaching trip? I don't need that much LOL, but $20 will help maintain
my software. Printing costs generally will run over $10 and I understand
as high as upper $20s for special prints such as canvas. My extraordinary
business manager and life partner has set up a Paypal account if you are
interested in helping with the Yearly $490 maintenance fee that enables me to
keep making the maps.
Product
You will receive the JPG image by
email, full resolution, about 5 MB on average. The image will be at
200DPI 18 inches high by 24 inches wide. The size is usually easy to
find frames and not so large as to take up a lot of wall space.
Why not a printed copy mailed?
The costs of printing, packing and shipping a
map is actually about 3 times higher than if you take the image file to a
Walmart, Office Depot, or other place that can print poster size images.
Permission to post your Map.
If you request a map be made for you it will
be assumed that you are ok to post it here on the site. If this is not OK
please let me know when you send your "MyFinds PQ" whether you
are ok or not with allowing me to post your Map when it is completed on the
Facebook Page. After posting the map you may tag the map image with your
name. If you desire I can tag it for your but please be sure to give me
the correct spelling for your FB name.
1.Notification of your position on whether you allow the map to be posted to
the web. (You may tag the image after it is posted)
THE PROCESS
Taking this information a table is constructed using the following
programs, GSAK,MS Excel, MS Access. This table list all of your
accomplishments tied to the GC code and thus the location.
The data is then converted into an ESRI GIS Shape file which can then be
thematically mapped by different categories of data in the table that was
earlier finished.
Using ArcGIS a map with insets is created to show many facets of the
geocachers adventures.
The finished map is exported as an image out of ArcGIS AND then an art
program Paint Shop Pro is used to do touchup and special affects to give
the map an antique look associated with a "pirate map".
The whole process is about 4 hours long for a 1K map and longer for more
finds and depending on the history of the geocacher.
$0 Costs! Why?
This is just another way of geocaching, it also helps me in learning the
tools of ArcGIS and gives me a way of giving back to this fun hobby.
Actually this is a hobby within a hobby. While I love doing this there is
an annual associated maintenance fee for the software of $490. I do NOT
want to charge for the maps (they are priceless for more than one reason), but
donations are accepted and if you wish to purchase one of our Geochallenge
Gazettes for your state, it will certainly help. It takes about 5 hours
to make a map, what does that costs you in gas during a geocaching trip?
I don't need that much LOL, but $20 will help maintain my software.
Printing costs generally will run over $10 and I understand as high as
upper $20s for special prints such as canvas. My extraordinary business manager
and life partner has set up a Paypal account if you are interested in helping
with the Yearly $490 maintenance fee that enables me to keep making the maps.
Product
You will receive the JPG image by email, full resolution, about 5 MB
on average. The image will be at 200DPI 18 inches high by 24 inches
wide. The size is usually easy to find frames and not so large as to
take up a lot of wall space.
Why not a printed copy mailed?
The costs of printing, packing and shipping a map is actually about 3 times
higher than if you take the image file to a Walmart, Office Depot, or other
place that can print poster size images.
Permission to post your Map.
If you request a map be made for you it will be assumed that you are ok to
post it here on the site. If this is not OK please let me know when you
send your "MyFinds PQ" whether you are ok or not with allowing me to
post your Map when it is completed on the Facebook Page. After posting
the map you may tag the map image with your name. If you desire I can tag
it for your but please be sure to give me the correct spelling for your FB
name.
