RumJungle

I believe the link above explains that. Look for GPXToMaplet. Link: http://www.mdgps.org/modules.php?name=pocketcaching

Mapopolis is good for vehicle navigation. As for Geocaching and for the kill, BeeLineGPS. Tuned for geocaching, reads GPX files, displays detailed information about the cache and a lot more. Also there is other geocaching software: GPSTuner Vito Navigator

That's funny -- may be it should be called the "Pic-n-Save" as for it is using the Microchip PIC CPU...

Thanks for the update... I'm not sure how you were using waypoint averaging to find the cache. In most cases, you place the GPS receiver in a static position and run an average to better the location of the new waypoint. How were you using averaging in finding the cache? Also, did you know that BeeLineGPS (version 1.6x) will show you the cache details. Tap and hold on a cache icon on the map and select "Show cache details". It will build a html page with the details.

So I guess it cheaper to buy SiRF chip set than manufacture their own. Mybe Garmin will have a $50 GPS one day? Wait and see... I have not tried a SiRF Star III product. I know that the SiRF star II stuff did not report any WAAS satellites via the GSV message and their elevation models were not to the NMEA specification. I would hope that the new SiRF chip set has this fixed before it gets to Garmin.

It’s always good to have somebody such as Topografix (thank you) that is willing to sponsor an open standard. It is a central place where all can go and find out more. HP/Agilent has done this for years. IEEE etc.. In most cases for standards there are comments sumitted and rebuttals for those comments with a comity (is there one for GPX) of other people or companies who vote on the comments. Off the GPX site there is a link to a yahoo forum for GPX discussion. Fourm Link GC.com has added their own proprietary extensions to the GPX format. As an example, those exertions may be a start for a contribution to GPX format in the format of a comment proposal. I’m not sure if there is a comity for GPX, but it seems that it has become a accepted open standard.

Don't forget about cell phones -- they are becoming very GPS aware and the CPUs are more powerful and capable. Most phones seem somewhat rugged. (link) (Nokia) (Garmin) (funny) I've also noticed that the bigger the screen on a GPS device, the more fragile...

I just received the Garmin GPS 10 Bluetooth. I like it. It seems to perform as one would expect from a Garmin. Used it with BeeLineGPS with success. Amazon had it for about $207USD shipping included. Not too bad of a price. It came with the City Select for the PC and PPC. I would say it’s a go for the GPS 10…

Pocket PC use a special version of the Microsoft operating system. It's tuned for PDAs as for VisualGPSce and BeeLineGPS those are specifically for the PPC platform. There is a version of VisualGPS Free for the Windows XP platform and can be found at here.

You have lots of choices and it seems that you have use a few. You could try VisualGPSce(free) - no frills, just position, satellite data and compass. You could also try BeeLineGPS. Full featured specific for geocaching, support GPX files and reliable. There is also GPSTuner. Keep looking and you will find something that works!

You are correct. I think so. Since I've been using PPC for caching, I have had no problem if finding the location. There are many makers of GPS devices for the PPC so accuracy could differ. The Navman uses the SiRF GPS chip set and this is a very popular GPS engine and many other manufactures use it with the PPC. I’ve noted that Garmin has better elevation models of the Earth and report altitude much better than the older SiRF models. However, I’ve been told that the new SiRF star series do a much better job in the elevation model. I should point out that I too have a dedicated handheld GPS as well. I've been using my Garmin GPS V for years and still use it. The ease of having a dedicated device sometimes outweighs the flexibility of a more complicated device. So using just a PPC may not be the ultimate tool, but it is much more flexible and has features that a handheld may not have. However, a dedicated handheld is much more rugged and reliable. You could debate this forever…

Hi, I use the PPC for caching, autorouting and mapping. However, you will not find one application that does all. The nice thing about a PPC, is that if you do not like the current GPS software, you can purchase something different. For vehicle navigation I use TomTom or Mapopolois. I bought the Navman PiN (Output.com for $350) and the Navman software was not very desirable. So I bought TomTom. For geocaching I use BeeLineGPS. It gives your PPC some of the same features that a handheld has. It also will import GPX files and give you very detailed information about the cache much like GPXSonar with a generated HTML page. Another note of advice, if you do use a PPC for caching, it is a good idea to get some sort of hard-case protection. PDAs can easily break. Links to similar threads: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=97735 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=99203 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=104299

PocketPC is WinCE with all of the software components installed. The Medion has a custom version of the WinCE OS. Microsoft allows manufactures to pick and choose different components of the WinCE OS to include into their custom system. The desktop shell is usually not one of them and GPS manufacturers will create their own. Finding an application that will work will be a challenge especially if they have their own screen resolution or non-standard orientation. Most CE apps are not resolution aware. The new 5.0 CE Apps have to be. Actually that fact you were able to get BeeLineGPS to function tells me that at least OS version 3.0 is installed in the unit with the correct MS DLLs. Since tap-and-hold does not function, that may be because of an early 3.0 version of the OS. To answer your question I don’t think you will find an app that will function normally "off the shelf". It may be a trial-and-error project for you. Good luck…

That's interesting - so CacheDragon is not supported anymore? Let us know if (when) the author emails you back.

I would say it's based on memory, the power of the microcontrollers used in the handheld devices and the price the market will pay. With Google Earth, the computers providing the databases are very powerful and updated on a constant bases. These servers communicate to the client computer that has its own CPU and graphics engine displaying the data, Google Earth application. As with handhelds, the storage technology is getting better but it cannot compare to what is provided from workstations and large databases. You will find that some GPSR will use the same map database as GE, TeleAtlas. The GPSRs may use TeleAtlas POI data or may use some other database as well. As for GE, they have the Google Search engine behind it thus giving it an advantage over a handheld. At one time Google Maps was using a combination of two map databases, TeleAtlas and Navteq. But now I think they have setteled on Navteq. As handheld GPS receivers become more sophisticated and have Internet connectivity or large amounts of memory capacity, I think that you will see improved accuracy in your data. PDAs are coming close to this.

The M3 is specifically for vehicle navigation and will not have some of the features that a handheld GPS receiver will have. Like the M5, the M3 specification does not specify if a NMEA output is supported. However, the M5 does output NMEA data although again, Garmin does not specify that it does. If the M3 does output NMEA, then you will be able to use third party application. Take a look at this thread it has links and info on Pocket PC apps and hard cases (link). It should answer some questions.

Take a look at your satellite signal to noise graph (BeeLineGPS or GPSTuner). This will indicate how well the GPS is performing. Typically a good signal quality would be values above 40. Another factor is the number of satellites being tracked. If that is low (3 or less), this too will give you unwanted results. GPS receivers will act strangely when the view of the sky is obstructed.

Some like northernpenguin do not like taking their PDA with them on a cache hunt and some like me do. There are lots of different ways to protect a PDA. Ruggedness – PDA’s are fragile animals. Dropping one can end its life. There are manufactures that make hard cases for these devices and it is recommended to use them. Nontheless, take a look at the software below: BeeLineGPS Manages caches, reads GPX files, makes the PDA act very much like a handheld GPS receiver. Works very well for finding caches. Upcomming versions will have GPXSonar-like information (beta link). GPSTuner– Downloads GPX files, has nice graphics presentation, uses scanned maps Vito Navigator (reveiw) Mapopolis– Very good street level mapping software http://www.mapopolis.com/ GPXSonar -- brings the cache details from the web site to your PDA Happy caching!

We use while Geocaching: * While a premium member – pocket queries from this site (GPX files) * GPXSonar – for field reference * Using a Pocket PC PDA with GPS, BeeLineGPS for the find Links: (Premium member info) (GPXSonar) (BeeLineGPS)

BeeLineGPS will show you some information if you tap on the icon in the map. Also if you tap and hold on the icon, it will give you a menu with options.

Take a look at the thread below. It has a few links to some good geocaching software that will work with the M5. Read This Thread

Mapopolis is good for navigating the road. However, if you still want to use the PPC as an off-road navigation device, BeeLineGPS will act as a traditional handheld like your Garmin or Magellan with the added features to support Geocaching.

If you are looking for navigation features like you would find in a handheld GPS, has LOTS of support for Geocaching and performs well, take a look at BeeLineGPS. It looks as there will be a new version released in the near future ( beta link ).

Exactly -- looks to me the solar only augments the battery life.

Hi, Some of the Garmin and Magellan GPS receiver do that. However, it depends on how much information you want to have for driving directions. For example, for years I used the Garmin GPS V for exactly what you have questioned. I could enter a location on the GPS V and given that I had the correct maps loaded, it would create a route (turn by turn) and get me there. It even had Point of Interest (POI) capability such as food & drink, lodging, attractions and other items. What it did lack is voice navigation. When driving, voice navigation is very valuable because you don't have to look at the GPS receiver to get to your destination. The small handhelds would "beep" and a direction screen would appear instructing you to where to go by showing arrows and map intersections. So in short, there are GPS receivers that do exactly what you enquired about. I have many GPS receivers and tend to like the Garmin V because of its capability of rotating the screen in portrait or landscape mode. Use the landscape mode for driving and the portrait mode for caching. However, I now use a voice navigation system for driving.