Xangxa

Very good advice. My mistake was in loading the GPS with waypoints, and doing ad-hoc hunting. I.e., "Hmmm, I've got a few minutes, what's close by?" I only read the data sheets when I couldn't find the mark, and then only the directions not the coordinates. I'll have to change my strategy per your suggestions. Thanks.

I think I see what you mean. It appears to be a problem with MSST and not GSAK. The data for terrain is at the bottom of the ballon, and gets pushed beyond the bottom edge. If you click INSIDE the ballon, the cursor changes to the I-bar shape, and you can press the down key to move to the end of the data. In my partial screen capture notice GCHBRY in the lower right corner in the screen shot above. It appears that terrain is missing. Once I click inside the ballon I was able to scroll down and have the terrain display (see below):

Should be easy to do via a macro. The GETMAIL and DATABSE commands would be the important ones.

The few BM's I've hunted have mostly been via the data sheet descriptions. I do not use maps (paper or computer) except to get "in the neighborhood." But the BM I mentioned above, and a few others I couldn't find, made me think I may be working with bad data. Does a Magellan Meridian actually shift a waypoint on its map when you switch datums? For example, if I'm standing on confluence and mark a waypoint at latitude 35.0 longitude -85.0 while datum is set to WGS84. Tomorrow, I go back using a NAD27 datum. Will the Meridian store the location is some special internal format that will take me back to the same spot? Or will it send me, as one might expect, to a considerable distance becuase the coordinates are interpreted independently of the datum? The reason I ask, is because I load the Meridian from inside GSAK. Once in the field, I tried switching datums, but could not find the disc. It should have been an easy find according to the data sheet description. But maybe I was way off becuase somewhere along the way a conversion didn't happen when it should or did happen when it shouldn't (now even I'm confused). I guess I need to find an adjusted BM and do some testing on a low-EPE day.

What I've done in my situation is to manually create a second waypoint. For example, if GC9999 is an offset cache, I have created a waypoint named X-9999 and I use the smart tags %drop2%typ1%con1%dif1a %notGC %code. Then when I look at the GPS's screen I see the two waypoints and can tell from their names which is the offset and which is the actual cache (the latter having an "X-" prefix).

I have converted the NGS data files to GPX files using BMGPX and then loaded them into GSAK and then from GSAK uploaded them to my Meridian Gold. The question is, has the datum been converted during any of the travels? Should I be using NAD83 instead of WGS84 on the GPS? Take FC1844 for example. In GSAK it shows: N35° 03.099 W85° 03.757 (WGS84) The data sheet shows: NAD 83(1995) 35 03 05.95886(N) 085 03 45.40870(W) ADJUSTED QUESTION #1 When I convert the NGS data to DD MM.MMM they match when rounded. Is that correct? Or did GSAK just display the NAD83 coordinates as WGS84 datum? I wish I'd noted my EPE on the day I found this BM. I don't think it was bad since there was no tree cover and I was on top of a mountain. An old photo shows my location as N35° 03.1116 W85° 03.7488 (about 28 YARDS off unless I made a math error somewhere). QUESTION #2: Is NAD83 and WGS84 that far apart? I thought they were pretty much the same. Should I be switching my Magellan to NAD83 datum for adjusted hunts? QUESTION #3: So far it appears that all the NGS data sheets (at least for my area) have been converted from NAD27 to NAD83. Are there any NGS markers that will still be using the NAD27 datum?

For free software, consider GPS Trackmaker and DG Terrain Viewer. You may find GPSBabel useful. For inexpensive software, consider Microsoft Streets & Trips (less than $30 at Wal-Mart or Sam's). I've used it many different ways, including making push-pin maps of all caches in an area, mapping crumbrail tracks, creating routes, and if you have a PocketPC it comes with a free copy of PocketStreets. Another inexpensive software package is GSAK -- an EXTREMELY useful tool! If you're hard up for cash, you can run the trial until you're able to register it. It'll throw up nag screens until you can afford the fee -- which will be money WELL spent! Lastly, buy a normal compass. They're great for triangulations and they serve as a backup if your GPS's batteries die or the GPS malfunctions.

I've seen some wierd stuff like that before, with an ordinary compass. If I hold my Silva to my chest I do not get an accurate reading sometimes. And I do not have any implants (at least that I know of. Maybe there was an alien abuduction in my past ). I do not even wear a watch or any jewelry. So was it a magnentic field caused by my body? Or was there a magnetic field created by something beneath the soil and thus creating a coincidental effect? Stainless steel is non-magnetic? That's new to me. I'll have to get my wife's flatware out and check that out. The skeptic in me thought that all ferrite based materials were magnetic, but I've been wrong before.

Benchmarks use NAD27 if I remember correctly. If you hunt those, it might be handy to set your secondary to that. EDIT: The NGS converted their data sheets to NAD83, which is approximately WGS84, so it depends on how pedantic you're feeling.

You can use GPSBabel to convert the GPL into something that can be understood by the free analysis programs such as GPS Trackmaker or DG Terrain Viewer

My daily PQ is 55 hours late, and another that runs FRI-SAT is 61 hours late.

Yes, I understand that. But why can I see all the official geocache images (logos for cache-type, smilies, etc) - the only image I can't see is the user uploaded images such as the puzzle graphic... Because those graphics are delivered with the GPXsonar install. There's no help for the image issue except to prepare the images ahead of time (e.g., go online on your PC, right click the image, select Save As, and save to your PPC). But unfortunately, that precludes any ad hoc hunting. It's bitten me a couple of times too.

You coud do a custom export /File /Export /Custom Export One of the options of GPSBabel is a custom CSV or XCSV format. I did this once, but it was a long time ago, and the details are hazy. But you can find those details in the GPSBabel documentaion on their website: http://gpsbabel.sourceforge.net/readme.html I'm curious. What add-on are you using with MSST that's incompatible? I didn't even realize there were MSST add-ons and I'd like to learn more. I'm sorry to hear that the new MSST export isn't working for you. I didn't have to change a thing for it to work for me, and the extra fields are nice to have handy.

Has anyone used this device: http://pc-mobile.net/bta.htm The price is VERY reasonable if it indeed works. It appears that I could connect my iPAQ 4155 to my Magellan Meridian Gold via Bluetooth. Then I could use the Merigold with PocketStreets, GPS Tuner, etc. While I have a GPS for the iPAQ, the problem is I must keep its GPS (a HAiCOM 303s) and the iPAQ powered on during the entire hunt. Otherwise, I must wait while the HAiCOM gets a fix. It'd be much simpler to connect to the Merigold which is already happily spitting out NEMA sentances.

Yes indeedee! I've been a big RE fan for years. I cut my teeth on BRIEF for DOS's RE, then switched to Visual SlickEdit, and of course I use UNIX regular expressions regularly (was that repitiously rendant ). So I have to keep a cheat sheet handy for the different flavors, because old age has made me susceptible to confusion. I can't wait to invent a few uses for GSAK's RE. On a side note. This may be a GPSBabel behavior. And it's not critical for me, but the Microsoft Streets & Trips export has "Unknown" for the container type field if the cache is of the type Letterbox, Benchmark, Earth, or CITO. The other cache types are correctly identified. As I said, it's no biggie since I use a different icon for each cache type and can readily tell them apart. But other users might be confused by the missing data.

Wonderful program Clyde! My wish list is very short: 1. SOURCE field that can be used for filtering Populated from the GPX import (perhaps from creator= or GPX author name fields?) This would allow filters that can distinguish between Geocaches, TerraCaches, BMGPX Benchmarks, etc. 2. Allow multiple owner ID's For example, a player may use the name "George" for Geocaching.com and "Tom" for TerraCaching.com. When limited to a single owner ID the owned, FOUND and DNF flagging will not work for the other user name. An exact/partial/# option for matching each entry would be nice.

Version 1.02 of PushPins.exe is available: * Updated the GSAK macro for version 5.5.0.10's new syntax. * Updated PushPin.exe to enable balloon field activation for new fields sent by new GSAK 5.5.0.10 export for MSST * Updated the icon collection to include one for TerraCaches (build filter via UserData field) plus four generic icons (tiny dot, midsized dot, tiny cross, circle with a cross [useful for track crumbtrails, base camps, etc.]) * Static data sets are more logically located in the PushPinResetList.bat file than in the GSAK macro * Version 1.01 added an optional command line parameter for icon offset, so if a user already has 2 custom push pin graphics imported into a map, then they should specify 2 as the next command line parameter. * Version 1.01 added a file open dialog prompt if no parameters are specified or if the file specified does not exist. Visit http://www.craiggiven.com/gc_pushpins.htm for downloads and details.

There are times when my Merigold thinks it is a stereo equalizer, and the signal bars rapidly fluctuate, even after it has been on for several hours. It can happen at any time, but most often as dusk approaches. But that my just be my perception since I usually cache more in that time period. Doesn't sun spot activity increase in the spring and fall -- could that be a factor?

You are basically limited to these choices: Magellan MapSend Topo Magellan MapSend Topo 3D Magellan MapSend DirectRoute You'll find an excellent explanation of their differences here: http://www.mtgc.org/robertlipe/myfaq/Magellan_FAQ.shtml Also, visit the Magellan site and try the online demos. That really helped me with my decision (I went with MapSend Topo 3D because I wanted the NavTech street database)

Some of the Magellans have "NorthFinder" for their compasses. I don't know about the explorists, but the lower end Meridians use this. It shows a picture of the sun and an icon of the GOTO outside the rose. You rotate the GPS until the sun icon is pointing to the sun, and now North is pointing north, and the GOTO icon shows the bearing to your destination. At night it will be a moon icon. At dusk it shows nothing (grrrr) I wish it would let me decide when it's too dark! I recommend that you always take a physical compass with you. I got funny looks from the Wal-Mart cashier when I was buying 4 of them but I'd found some nice Silva Guides for only $6 and now the whole family has their own. Besides the contingency benefit, a physical compass is less obtrusive in a muggle filled area. I slip the GPS into my cargo shorts pockets and use the compass to follow the bearing. Of course the new Explorists are pretty small, so that moot for you, but I've got a gigantic Meridian Gold that I can't even pretend is a cell phone

It just acts funny sometimes. Sorry, I know it's not helpful, but I share your pain (although of a different flavor). I have it loaded on an SD card and I think the file system on the SD got corrupted today. Everything else but GPXsonar was okay (I guess I shouldn't have tried to load that 7Mb GPX ) It appears that if you push GPXsonar too hard (which I do on occassion) it corrupts stuff. Usually a de-install and re-install fix it. But today I did a backup of the SD card, reformatted it, and then copied everything (except the GPXsonar directory) back onto the SD card, and then did the de-install/re-install. The SD card HAD to be reformatted since the GPXsonar directory had become an infinite loop of sorts. I used a card readers since the SD is a 1Gb card (nearly full) and it's much faster than using ActiveSync.

Thanks for the heads up. I got busy today and didn't install the new 4.0 version. I may wait for the 4.0a version The track analysis is the most interesting feautes, since I've not had success calibrating maps (but then again my attempts have been pretty feeble). What do you use for your source of maps?

New Features: -UTM support -Using Hardware buttons -New/Selectable Track Analysis Tools -Graphs for Track Analysis -Calibrating rotated maps -More calibration points (up to 100) -Track recording by distance interval -Track segment support -New Map Tool buttons -Selectable Drawing density -Map Grid drawing -Info Box -Projection-line drawing -3D distance calculation -Advanced NMEA playback http://www.handango.com/ampp/store/Platfor...7&productType=2

Anyone compared these two yet?

I doubt very people many supply the coords in another format and if they do, the reviewer will just ask them to convert it or will do the conversion themselves (probably depends on how busy they are). I suppose it couldn't hurt to make it more clear in the guidelines, but it doesn't seem like a big deal to me so I wouldn't consider it to be a high priority change. What if the reviewer assumes the format? I was flat out denied on the basis that the offset was miles away. I was lucky in that format issue was identified. Why not prevent a reocurrence by informing new players of the expectation?