botzen67

After I posted my reply above I started playing with a few other options and I found what I believe is the "holy grail" for GeoCaching on a Windows Mobile Smartphone. Its called "GCzII" ... and its the bomb! It gives you real time search access in the field to the geocaching.com database and it integrates with Google Maps Mobile and your web browser. No more Pocket Queries, GPX or KML files. No more file conversions. No more planning ahead! Check it out ... you'll be glad you did! http://www.nicque.com/PQz/GCz.htm

I use my Samsung Omnia for Geocaching and it works great. I use two primary apps: RichesseGPS and Google Maps. RichesseGPS is great because it will import .GPX files from both pocket queries and individual page downloads. It lets you read a static version of the cache info, as well as download the latest info in real time if you want it. Also, it provides the more standard "Bearing & Distance" method for those times when you're out of range of a good data connection. Google maps is my preferred method, due to the fact that you can walk around guided by sat imagery which makes finding GZ soooo much easier. My main method is as follows: Download a .GPX from a PQ or cache page to my PC. Convert to .KML using Google Earth. Copy both the GPX and KML to my phone's SD card and then run both RichessesGPS (for the descriptions) and Google Maps (to navigate). The beautiful thing is that with a KML file you can have up to 100 caches showing up in Google Maps at once! The latest version of Google Maps also supports downloading info from "My Maps" if you have an account with google. If you have a bookmark set of caches you can simply download the KML file directly from Geocaching.com, upload it to google as a personal (or shared) map and then access it from your smartphone while in the field. Pretty cool. As you can see there are several ways to make it work. On additional build on my caching method. I recently bought a TomTom for road navigation and I use it to get me close parking to cache sites and then switch over to my phone when I hit the ground. GSAK allows you to convert the same GPX files mentioned above to a TomTom POI file. I even have my setup to alert me as I'm driving around town to nearby caches. The only thing the TomTom isn't really good at is getting you to GZ, especially if its anywhere near a road, as it always tries to snap to the nearest road. If anybody wants to discuss in more detail, let me know and I'd be glad to walk you through it all and swap tips and tricks. Paperless caching is the way to go, and IMHO having a smartphone with Google Maps makes it relatively easy.

My phone IS my device. I use a Samsung Omnia smartphone. I get the e-mail with the GPX file on my phone, save it, import into RichesseGPS, export a KML and use Google maps to make the find. RicheseGPX gives me all the same info that's on the website. Trust me folks, this would make my process 2 - 3 minutes faster, which may not sound like much, but when the average FTF is now down under 20 minutes in most cases, every second counts!

I'd like to see e-mail notifications contain a .GPX attachment for the cache. For all those FTF hounds out there, speed is of the essence. Currently when I get the notification I have to fire up IE on my Omnia, go to the GC site and download the .loc file from the cache page. It would be really cool if the e-mail had a .GPX for the cache attached so I wouldn't have to go to the GC site at all to get started with my hunt. Having it as an option would probably work best for those that don't need or care about the .GPX file.