Miragee

Amazing photo!!! Thanks for posting that one. 3cd's and I saw this guy while hiking up to Sado-Masochism in the Otay Range.

How did you get the .gpx file? Did you get it in a Pocket Query, a zipped file that was emailed to you?

The directory you want to drag the .pdb file to on the SD card is Launcher.

I have used the 60CSx and much prefer the size, shape, and buttons on my Vista HCx. It still comes down to personal preference, but I would recommend the Legend HCx.

I'm not familar with how to get to the Menu options on the Legend, but on my Vista HCx, from the Trip Odometer screen, and then Menu, there are many Reset options, including clearing Tracks. Sometimes, when I am in difficult terrain and the arrow is less than helpful, I use the "Satellite" screen and try to match the numbers to the coordinates of the cache. You might give that a try on your return trip.

Welcome to the Forums! Getting a Venture HC, Legend HCx, or Vista HCx would be a better way to start this activity than trying to use the laptop. You can get an inexpenisve Palm, like a Palm m500, and keep all the cache info on that in Cachemate. For "paperless" caching to be truly viable, you need to become a Premium Member, so you can get the .gpx files from the cache pages, or in Pocket Queries.

I recommend the Vista HCx. It is a compact size for hiking and caching, but has nearly all the features of the larger, more-expensive 60CSx.

When you put the data on the card, it needs to go into the "Launcher" folder. When you put the files there, Cachemate will recognize that a change has taken place with the card and will rescan when you start Cachemate. If you have more than one database in Cachemate, you need to rescan each and put each into their correct database and folder. I put the Unfound caches into the Default database/Unfound folder. I put my Found caches into the Found database/Found folder

The Mapsource Update available on the Garmin Site makes some changes to the Mapsource program. Sometimes these changes are minor, other times they add new functionality that is important.

Did you get the attachment in your email after choosing a day for the PQ to run? If not, you might need to get a Gmail account for your GC.com mail and PQs. On your Palm, you do not need CacheNav. And, if you are using GSAK, you do not need CMConvert. From GSAK, you can Export the data in the correct format, and GSAK even prepares the file for the next HotSync. Or, just make note of the path of the .pdb file you create with the "Export" and then copy that file to the card in a card reader, if you are using a data card in your Palm.

Nearest Unfound cache is 2.78 miles away. It is a 15 mi. drive to the trailhead and then a 12-mile round trip hike to get to the cache. It'll be a while before I get to it . . . Nearest Found cache is 1.29 miles away. Nearest Owned cache is .55 miles away.

Welcome to the Forums! I believe you have to use Garmin's POI Loader to send the waypoints to the Nuvi. Check out this thread. The steps mentioned in it are only really useful if you become a Premium Member where you have access to the more-detailed .gpx files from the cache pages, or through Pocket Queries.

When you did the HotSync, did you install the Cachemate.prc program? If so, when you are on the main page looking at all the programs, Cachemate should show up as an icon. I created a separate category for Geocaching and moved the icon there, but when I show "All" it can be seen there.

I would get a durable, reliable handheld GPS unit like the Legend HCx or Vista HCx and keep your PDA in your pack until you need it for the cache descriptions in Cachemate, or whichever other program you decide to use. The batteries last for hours and hours on a handheld GPS unit and those can stand getting caught in a rainstorm or accidentally dropped in a rockpile.

You might be selecting opposing items. Here is how I fill out one part of the PQ form: Always "Preview" the PQ results first before choosing a day for it to run so you don't "waste" an empty PQ. Check out Markwell's excellent tutorial about Pocket Queries.

The "Difficulty" rating should let most cachers know how much of a "Brain Buster" the cache will be. For me, any cache with the icon is a "Brain Buster" . . .

On your "My Account" page, there is a link on the lower right hand side for "View My Stat Bar." You can change it there, and copy the HTML from there to put on other sites.

Welcome to the Forums! And, congratulations of choosing a great GPS unit for your first one. When you get it, familiarize yourself with each "Page" by hitting the "Menu" button on each to see all the options that are available. From "Setup" you can Add or Remove the default pages and change the Page order to be more convenient for your use. I only have Map, Find, and Compass in rotation because other screens can be gotten to easily from Menu/Menu. Someone else will have to let you know about the limits of the maps on a 2 GB card. I think you can get all of the US on one. In these Forums, you can change the settings from the "My Controls" link at the top of the page. Welcome to the addiction . . . err . . . activity.

I have the Vista HCx and the main reason I would recommend that GPSr is for the 'x' meaning it has the memory card on which you can put 1000's of waypoints as POIs. I have all the local "Unfound" caches, all the caches I have "Found," and more than a thousand "Benchmarks" on the card as POIs. I don't know how many Waypoints the Summit HC can hold, but I sure like having 1000 Waypoints on the Vista HCx after dealing with the 500-Waypoint limit on my Vista C.

If you already have a Nuvi, then you don't need a handheld GPS unit with all the bells and whistles. Check out Garmin's "Comparison Page" for the new 'H' units. Those are the ones with the High Sensitivity receivers. You want to look for one that connects with USB. I think you can get a durable, weatherproof GPS unit that has long battery life for under $150.

You have to have the same username in the Palm Desktop software that is on your Palm. It should HotSync after you create that account as long as the software and drivers are up-to-date. I have Win XP Media Edition and cannot HotSync because of compatibilty issues between the Palm Desktop software and that OS. I use the card reader to transfer the .pdb files for Cachemate on my Palm m515.

Welcome to the Forums! If you pick a central location, you can get several "Date Placed" PQs around it to cover a wide area. For this "cache-rich" area, I need six PQs to get a 90-mile search circle. I use GSAK to handle all the data and keep the data up-to-date between getting the PQ sets.

Because caches get Disabled and Archived all the time, I update my GSAK database about once a week, purging any caches that didn't update using the "Last .gpx Update" filter in GSAK. After I send the waypoints to my GPSr, I Export a new .pdb file and transfer it to the Palm, so I don't have stale data and have the information for all the new caches.

If you become a Premium Member -- immediately -- you can use the "Caches Along A Route" feature offered to Premium Members. Then, you can load those 500-mile-segment Pocket Queries for your driving route into your GPSr using Garmin's POI Loader. When I took a long trip, I saved each day's Tracks to my laptop I had taken with me. Maybe someone else can help you with how to save the Tracks to the memory card on the GPSr.

Here is how I set up one section of the PQ form: This area is very cache-rich, so it is easy to drive out of a 500-cache circle. Consequently, to cover this area adequately, I get several "Date Placed" PQs based on centrally-located coordinates, as opposed to my Home Coordinates. I have more than 3000 caches in my GSAK databases, but I can choose any one of those as the "centerpoint" for my day's adventure, putting two caches in the GPSr or 950. The rest can go into the GPSr as POIs . . . just in case . . .