Re: GC2RJ52 Salem Thomas Guide Challenge

This cache challenge uses the Thomas Guide map for Salem, Oregon. The challenge is to find one cache on every map page. This is a total of 92 caches. The map page coordinates are in DMS. To confirm if a cache on the edge of the map is in bounds a person must transpose the coordinates to the listed DDM format (or vice versa). The cache owners have been validating the finds by hand for each person claiming to have completed the challenge. They are saints. I recently completed the challenge and asked the COs why they didn’t have a checker. They said they didn’t know how to get one made.

If some kind soul could help the cache owners it would be very much appreciated. It will also be very appreciated by everyone who is interested in doing the challenge. It is very tedious to verify and bookkeep the caches.

There are other Thomas Guide checkers already available so I would like to think that this should be straightforward provided a good list of the page coordinates was established. If the page coordinates cannot be obtained from a public place, I would be willing to slog through the book to supply the information. Just let me know and I will make a file with the coordinates.

I had just started to look at another Thomas Guide challenge requested a long while ago:
https://project-gc.com/forum/read?8,65611

That one has a GSAK macro that a user can use locally to verify qualifications, and the ask there is that it be converted into a PGC checker. That GSAK script has a bunch of these challenges in it, but, it doesn't appear to have this one. I doubt any of the PGC folks have a Thomas Guide for Oregon, and... I think I can speak for them to say, they're likely not buying one. If you happen to have the required map page coordinates and could provide them (or have the CO provide them to us), it is possible to make a checker.

Thanks bmuzzin for looking at this.

The map pages are in DMS format. I will start with documenting them that way. If you need me to convert them to a different format let me know. Unless you need it differently, I will list them as follows:

PAGE, NDMS, SDMS, EDMS, WDMS

Any format should be fine - we can convert them (to the required format). Although, you should be aware that the turnaround time for these kind of checkers is usually pretty long... although the ones that are just "squares" (ie this one) are much easier to handle.

Here are the coordinates:

PAGE,NORTH,SOUTH,WEST,EAST
5086, 45°11’53”, 45°08’51”, 122°54’01”, 122°50’57”,
5087, 45°12’01”, 45°08’59”, 122°50’57”,122°47’52”,
5152, 45°08’47”, 45°05’44”, 122°56’57”,122°53’53”,
5153, 45°08’55”, 45°05’52”, 122°53’53”,122°50’49”,
5154, 45°08’55”, 45°05’52”, 122°50’49”,122°47’45”,
5218, 45°05’44”, 45°02’42”, 122°59’53”,122°56'49”,
5219, 45°05’44”, 45°02’42”, 122°56'49”,122°53'45”,
5220, 45°05’52”, 45°02’50”, 122°53'45”,122°50'41”,
5221, 45°05’52”, 45°02’50”, 122°50'41”,122°47'38”,
5222, 45°06’00”, 45°02’57”, 122°47'38”,122°44'34”,
5283, 45°02’25”, 44°59’23”, 123°08'56”,123°05'53”,
5284, 45°02’34”, 44°59’31”,123°05'53”,123°02'49”,
5285, 45°02’34”, 44°59’31”, 123°02'49”,122°59'45”,
5286, 45°02’42”, 44°59’39”, 122°59'45”,122°56'41”,
5287, 45°02’42”, 44°59’39”, 122°56'41”,122°53'38”,
5288, 45°02’50”, 44°59’47”, 122°53'38”,122°50'34”,
5289, 45°02’50”, 44°59’47”, 122°50'34”,122°47'30”,
5290, 45°02’57”, 44°59’55”, 122°47'30”,122°44'26”,
5347, 44°59’05”, 44°56’02”, 123°21'02”,123°17'59”,
5348, 44°59’14”, 44°56’11”, 123°17'59”,123°14'55”,
5351, 44°59’23”, 44°56’20”, 123°08'48”,123°05'44",
5352, 44°59’31”, 44°56’29”, 123°05'44",123°02'41",
5353, 44°59’31”, 44°56’29”, 123°02'41",122°59'37",
5354, 44°59’39”, 44°56’37”, 122°59'37",122°56'34",
5355, 44°59’39”,44°56’37”, 122°56'34",122°53'30",
5356, 44°59’47”, 44°56’45”, 122°53'30",122°50'26",
5357, 44°59’47”, 44°56’45”, 122°50'26",122°47'23",
5358, 44°59’55”, 44°56’52”, 122°47'23",122°44'19",
5415, 44°56’02”, 44°53’00”, 123°20'53",123°17'50",
5416, 44°56’11”, 44°53’09”, 123°17'49",123°14'46",
5417, 44°56’11”, 44°53’09”,123°14'46",123°11'43",
5418, 44°56’20”, 44°53’18”, 123°11'43",123°08'39",
5419, 44°56’20”, 44°53’18”, 123°08'39",123°05'36",
5420, 44°56’29”, 44°53’26”,123°05'36",123°02'33",
5421, 44°56’29”, 44°53’26”,123°02'32",122°59'29",
5422, 44°56’37”, 44°53’34”,122°59'29",122°56'26",
5423, 44°56’37”, 44°53’34”, 122°56'26",122°53'22",
5424, 44°56’45”, 44°53’42”, 122°53'22",122°50'19",
5485, 44°53’04”, 44°50’02”, 123°17'40",123°14'37",
5486, 44°53’13”, 44°50’11”, 123°14'37",123°11'34",
5487, 44°53’13”, 44°50’11”,123°11'34",123°08'31",
5488, 44°53’22”, 44°50’19”, 123°08'31",123°05'28",
5489, 44°53’22”, 44°50’19”, 123°05'28",123°02'24",
5490, 44°53’30”, 44°50’28”, 123°02'24",122°59'21",
5491, 44°53’30”, 44°50’28”, 122°59'21",122°56'18",
5492, 44°53’38”, 44°50’36”, 122°56'18",122°53'15",
5493, 44°53’38”, 44°50’36”,122°53'15",122°50'11",
5557, 44°50’19”, 44°47’17”, 123°08'22",123°05'19",
5558, 44°50’19”, 44°47’17”, 123°05'18",123°02'16",
5559, 44°50’28”, 44°47’25”, 123°02'16",122°59'13",
5560, 44°50’28”, 44°47’25”,122°59'13",122°56'10",
5561, 44°50’36”,44°47’33”, 122°56'10",122°53'07",
5562, 44°50’36”, 44°47’33”, 122°53'07",122°50'04",
5563, 44°50’43”, 44°47’41”, 122°50'04",122°47'01",
5564, 44°50’43”, 44°47’41”,122°47'01",122°43'57",
5627, 44°47’21”, 44°44’18”, 123°05'11",123°02'08",
5628, 44°47’21”, 44°44’18”, 123°02'08",122°59'05",
5629, 44°47’29”, 44°44’27”, 122°59'05",122°56'02",
5630, 44°47’29”, 44°44’27”, 122°56'02",122°52'59",
5631, 44°47’37”, 44°44’34”, 122°52'59",122°49'56",
5632, 44°47’37”, 44°44’34”, 122°49'56",122°49'53",
5694, 44°44’10”, 44°41’07”, 123°11'08",123°08'05",
5695, 44°44’10”, 44°41’07”, 123°08'05",123°05'03",
5696, 44°44’18”, 44°41’16”, 123°05'03",123°02'00",
5697, 44°44’18”, 44°41’16”, 123°02'00",122°58'57",
5698, 44°44’27”, 44°41’24”, 122°58'57",122°55'54",
5761, 44°40’54”, 44°37’52”, 123°17'05",123°14'02",
5762, 44°41’03”, 44°38’01”, 123°14'02",123°10'59",
5763, 44°41’03”, 44°38’01”, 123°10'59",123°07'57",
5764, 44°41’12”, 44°38’09”, 123°07'57",123°04'54",
5765, 44°41’12”, 44°38’09”, 123°04'54",123°01'52",
5829, 44°37’52”, 44°34’49”, 123°19'58",123°16'56",
5830, 44°37’52”, 44°34’49”, 123°16'56",123°13'53",
5831, 44°38’01”, 44°34’58”, 123°13'53",123°10'51",
5832, 44°38’01”, 44°34’58”, 123°10'51",123°07'48",
5833, 44°38’08”, 44°35’07”, 123°07'48",123°04'46",
5834, 44°38’08”, 44°35’07”, 123°04'46",123°01'44",
5896, 44°34’40”, 44°31’37”, 123°25'53",123°22'51",
5897, 44°34’40”, 44°31’37”, 123°22'51",123°19'49",
5898, 44°34’49”, 44°31’47”, 123°19'49",123°16'47",
5899, 44°34’49”, 44°31’47”, 123°16'47",123°13'44",
5900, 44°34’58”, 44°31’56”, 123°13'44",123°10'42",
5901, 44°34’58”,44°31’56”, 123°10'42",123°07'40",
5902, 44°35’07”, 44°32’04”, 123°07'40",123°04'38",
5903, 44°35’07”, 44°32’04”, 123°04'38",123°01'35",
5904, 44°35’15”, 44°32’12”, 123°01'35",122°58'33",
5905, 44°35’15”, 44°32’12”, 122°58'33",122°55'31",
5906, 44°35’23”, 44°32’20”, 122°55'31", 122°52'29",
5967, 44°31’42”, 44°28’39”,123°19'40",123°16'38",
5968, 44°31’51”, 44°28’49”,123°16'38",123°13'36",
5974, 44°32’12”, 44°29’10”, 122°58'25",122°55'23",
5975, 44°32’20”, 44°29’18”, 122°55'23",122°52'21",

Thanks bmuzzin. Understood.

A couple of questions. Just curious:

I was poking around some other Checkers of this type and they all seem to use the GenericPolyChecker as a base for the program. Will the person making the Checker use that too or start from scratch?

The 'polygons' in GenericPolyChecker seem to be listed in DD format. Does that make it easier for the program to operate? Or is there some other reason for that?

Is it possible to just list the coordinates as a 'local' instead of going out to geojson as is shown in the GenericPolyChecker? I can easily supply the coordinates in that format if required.

---------------------

EXAMPLE:

local Salem Thomas Guide Challenge_polygons =
{["5086"] = { polypoints =
{{{45.198056, -122.900278},{45.198056,-122.849167},{45.1475, -122.849167},{45.1475, -122.900278},{45.198056, -122.900278},},} },

------------------


CODE FROM GenericPolyChecker:
====================================================
-- polygon format:
-- {
-- ["name"] = polypoints = { { { lat, long }, { lat, long }, ... }, { { lat, long }, { lat, long }, ... } },
-- ["name"] = polypoints = { { { lat, long }, { lat, long }, ... }, { { lat, long }, { lat, long }, ... } },
-- }

local DeschutesCountyQuadrangleChallenge_polygons = {["Three Finger Jack"] = { polypoints = {{{44.375,-121.875},{44.375,-121.75},{44.5,-121.75},{44.5,-121.875},{44.375,-121.875},},} }, -----SNIP. LIST THE REST OF THE POINTS ETC.-----

local initialpolygons = {}
local archivedok = conf.archivedok or true
local regionfilter = nil
local bbox = { max = {-1000, -1000}, min = {1000, 1000}}

if (conf.polyset == "DeschutesCountyQuadrangleChallenge") then
initialpolygons = DeschutesCountyQuadrangleChallenge_polygons
elseif conf.polygons ~= nil then
initialpolygons = conf.polygons
elseif conf.polysets ~= nil then
for _, name in ipairs(conf.polysets) do
PGC.print("name: "..name.."\n")
local polygons = PGC.GetJsonData(name)
PGC.print("Polygons: \n")
PGC.print(polygons)
if (not polygons) then
return { ok = false, log = "", html = "Unknown polyset: " .. name }
end
for _, p in ipairs(polygons) do
table.insert(initialpolygons, p)
end
end
else

I think it will have to be converted into geojson and uploaded to the mothership, because there's no way it will fit in a tag. I haven't done that myself yet, but from what I understand, it's not that difficult.

Well, I’m a ‘not that difficult’ kind of person. As long as no funny Kool-Aid is involved in being converted and uploaded to the mothership, is there some way I can help the process?

The checker has now been made and is now live! https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC2RJ52/93606

The checker has been made and works. If the Admin could please close this thread it would be greatly appreciated.