vds

Able to do so ? Unknown. Planning to do so ? Not that I can recall hearing. The answer to both is that GSAK is written in Delphi, which does not support Mac. So the answer is pretty much a solid no. Oh, I was answering the 'if Groundspeak would be able to' piece of his questions, but interesting hearing what GSAK is written in. I always wondered.

I have the official app, but I don't really like it and use it very rarely now. You might want to take a look at Neongeo which is under half the price as the official app and also has a far more responsive author who updates it far more frequently. The neongeo author also has a wiki and support forums he frequents. Biggest features I like about neongeo is it actually ignores your ignore list, which is important to me as I need to filter all the boat-required caches and mountaintop ones around here that I'll never try. Other features I like in neongeo are: - more mapcentric way of searching, especially if you download some PQs - logs both field notes and logs natively - logs trackables natively - handles multiple databases - configurable size of the databases so you can limit/expand your footprint on the phone - supports the SD card I use a Verizon Fascinate (Samsung Galaxy S) for what that's worth. That said, the official app does seem to work ok too, but to me it's underwhelming in features and pretty darn expensive for what you get.

Wow - so much good info in there - you should write "The Fool's Guide to GSAK" :-) FWIW, I also keep the 'one big database' with all the caches in WA state that I haven't found, minus a bunch that I filter out with GSAK's "ignore permanently" feature - basically things on top of mountains and things that need boats. I built the original database with 15+ PQs based on dates hidden ala some postings way back when here by somebody I need to credit, but I can't remember who it was (thinking probably TotemLake) At this point, the only PQ that I run routinely is 'new caches in WA from the last 30 days'. I've found that if I keep up with that one, my database of all WA caches grows nicely with little if any maintenance. Basically I run the GSAK load PQ feature every couple weeks to catch up with the new ones. I use the GSAK refresh-via-api updates occasionally as needed. As a test last week, I wanted to see how many days it took to refresh the whole state. Even though I had 24,000 or so caches in the database it took just 3 days to requery/refresh via running 5 PQs daily plus nightly updating the next non-updated 6000 caches via the API query in GSAK. Once you build the big database once it's very low pain to maintain. For road trips I also use S+T to plan things because I like the auto-ordering feature for trips. I figure if Travis uses it to plan cache machine routes that it's probably a good method to use. In the field, for impromptu runs I usually use Neongeo on my Android phone because it's a far superior product for me than the official app. Nice thing about Neongeo is that it supports multiple databases 'plus' it actually ignores your ignore list, so you can focus in on what you want very efficiently. The official app also works, but it's way behind in functionality in my opinion. But nothing competes with GSAK. That thing continues to amaze me.

I figured this out on my own, thanks to your many earlier examples oooohhhhh - that's really cool !!!!!! thanks !!!!!

The new site update that added a 'recently viewed caches' list on our home pages is (to me) very visually jarring and seems to have little value. I'd like the ability to turn that feature off and save it in my profile please.

Able to do so ? Unknown. Planning to do so ? Not that I can recall hearing. I run on a Macbook, but multiboot with bootcamp (free) to Win7 to run just GSAK and Streets+Trips. Virtualizing with Parallels or VMware Fusion (about $50 each) works fine as well. Running GSAK as a Mac binary with winebottler seemed to work reasonably well although it was a bit unstable for me as well as painful to set up. Clyde is a very responsive Windows developer who provides great support. The $30 that I pay every couple years to keep up to date with GSAK update is well worth it for me. The power of GSAK to me is the one-click PQ downloads+processing, the incredible macro library and functionality, and the excellent very technical and helpful user community. Each would be a hard thing to catch up on. You have to wonder if it's worth any company's money to invest that at this point.

REALLY dislike the recently viewed caches update. Beyond really dislike it. How do I turn it completely off and save that setting using no third party hacks or the like ?

That must be the threshold. I'm running with 3GB RAM and haven't crashed it yet. I crashed mine many minutes into it with 2GB ram trying to refresh 5000 caches via the API using gsak8. I later found that I had somehow set it to 30 logs, which I'm guessing was part of the issue.

GSAK with the FindStatGen3 macro run against a PQ of your finds. I automate uploading the results as my profile with GenUploadStats

One of the things I do is keep multiple bookmark lists like "solved puzzles" or "to do list" and the like. I then generate a PQ linked to each list so I can run it periodically as well as download them to the GPS/phone/PC. While a PQ permits you to specify looking within a distance from a particular location (typically 'home'), that there is no such feature on PQs linked to bookmark lists. What happens is that when you click on the PQ online, you see no distances from home generated. Would it be possible to add the distance picks to the PQ for ones generated from bookmarks ? That would greatly aid in planning hunts based on custom lists and the resulting PQs.

Geez - are you guys all wanna be clue police or something ? Lets rephrase the question. How about "can somebody please give me a hand with how to approach this puzzle" ? Again - please follow up with which cache you're referring to so others can try to help. SOME of us actually try to help on occasion.

Sigh - too many wanna-be lawyers and nannies around here. To the original poster, how about mentioning which cache it is. Context usually helps.

One of my brothers used to roof as a summer job and his boots would get covered by tar. He used to end the year by taking his boot and letting it get totally tar covered, then using it as a planter for roses. Actually looked pretty cool.

I have one of those. originally designed as a zipit to retrieve but most just float it with water. How do you make one of those? Take a PVC pipe. Drill a couple holes in it. Stick the floatable container in the pipe. Adjust the number of holes so the thing is catchable before the water drains. I've seen two of these, one in Seattle, one near the Hood River Bridge across Puget Sound.

google "ebay oregon bicycle mount" for starters. first hit I got was http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Mount-Garmin-Dakota-20-Oregon-450-450t-550-550t-/380192722215

take a weekend or two and finish the Washington County Challenge - have the 8 counties in eastern WA to go in the process, add Idaho and Montana to my list of states cached in pick out a truly 'quality' cache for my 2k find (125 to go) hopefully before my 10-year caching anniversary on 3/29 do the virtual on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National park (http://coord.info/GC9C5F) as an excuse to go hiking up there again stretch goal is to get to some of the old caches toward filling in my 2001 (need Jan) and 2000 months placed (need May-Dec except Sept) and if I don't get it done between Christmas and New Years' Day.... finish the most excellent 'The Di Gital Code' (http://coord.info/GC2MP3A)

If that's not a photoshop, you win (or lose - yeccchhhhh). Yikes !!!!!!!!

While this event is sad, I don't see any action needed in the general sense. People often over-estimate their abilities. People often are thinking of other things. People often aren't even thinking/looking at all. Stuff happens. That's why it's called an accident. The fact that the fellow is reported to have been caching at the time is a mere detail. The general problem is that in caching, like in doing anything else, you need to be aware of your surroundings and the associated risks. Just as you can fall off a bridge, you can fall out of a tree, or step in a hole, or walk backwards into traffic, or the like. That's why you teach your children to look both ways before crossing the street. I don't see any action required here.

Really? I've not seen anything that comes close to what you can use on a PC. I think the point of the reply above was that the poster believes that Garmin's map apps are not any good, which I tend to agree with. They're pretty lousy software in my opinion.

I don't think anything comes remotely close to GSAK in terms of functionality. I use Bootcamp to multi-boot Windows7 on my mid-2006 Macbook White in order to run GSAK. In the past I've virtualized Windows with both Parallels and VMware Fusion (about $50 each) but I had some USB issues. Bootcamp works great (for free). Well worth it for me. You'll also find that the good mapping programs like Topo tend to be Windows-only, as are things like Quicken. Other than those and GSAK, I run the Mac version of everything at this point.

YIKES - I hadn't noticed the PQ download in the betas. That in itself made it worth the $20 upgrade fee for me !!!!!!!!

Beyond disagree, but you've already heard that story elsewhere in this thread. To the original poster - GSAK is 'certainly' worth the learning curve if you are planning to get serious about caching. The macro capability will help you filter possibilities, calculate and upload creative personalized stats, etc. Very fun to fiddle with, and a great user community on the gsak forums site. You don't "have to" use it, but once you learn it even a little you'll "want to". Have a more experienced cacher or somebody in a local user group give you a demo and it'll be obvious. The point of PQs is whatever that particular user thinks the point is. For "me" it is usually unfound caches meeting certain criteria that aren't on my ignore list. Others have their own ideas of how to use the PQ feature. There is no right or wrong answer. That's why PQs are customizable. Play with them (hint - do not check a day of the week, make a PQ, then use the view on a map feature and see what it calculated). Also - once you start finding caches with it the Oregon keeps track of those, so you can 'show found' and see the caches you've found with the unit. Use the trip computer and track how far you've travelled hunting caches. Use it in an airplane and see how fast you're going (it's surprising when you go west->east and get a tailwind). The Oregon is pretty cool to say the least.

Converting your desktop is a big deal. You should look at the apps you use currently and whether you can do the same things on Linux or not (and if so, what workarounds you need to do). Even though I've been running Linux both personally and professionally for almost 20 years now (really - April'92) there are many many things I can't do under it. The apps just all aren't there. Virtualizing works great but you might want to think about multi-booting as a cheaper alternative. For geocaching, GSAK is a much have in my opinion. I multiboot my Macbook to Win7 via Bootcamp, after previously using VMware Fusion and Parallels as virtualization solutions. Linux virtualization works great as well, although products are pricier in general. Depending on how hardcore you are re: caching and hiking, you're probably going to find that you need to run Windows for GSAK and mapping software. That stuff just doesn't exist other than under Windows. Unfortunately the app developers aren't porting desktop stuff to Linux for this kind of stuff.

Thanks for the update - glad I ordered as well, mine's arriving today Is there enough room to have the belt clip on, or is it a pretty tight fit? My Oregon 300 has a number of scratches on it, most of it collected while it is not in use. Figured this case should spare my new 450 from a similar fate. I just removed the Zagg screen protector from my 300. The protector has a couple of small scratches on it, but the screen is pristine. It was a major pain to put on properly, but now I'm glad I did. I've had a Oregon 200 for a couple years and other than the Zagg screen protector, it doesn't have any damage worth mentioning. Those things are pretty tough. No case for me although I'll probably add a lanyard. I'm getting a 450 for Xmas so this reminds me to order the Zagg for that (I got a couple scratches on the 200 screen in the first month from keys in my pocket etc. before I added the Zagg).

Nice to see a new release. Personally I got tired of waiting and switched to Neongeo ($4.00 or so) and never looked back. It is simply amazing and revolutionizes how you search for caches. Also, it actually 'ignores' your ignore list, has a personalized signature to automate appending to your logs, realtime maps vs. caches. Just a fabulous app with a developer who almost immediately answers any question or reports of perceived bugs. Definitely worth a look as (in my opinion) a far superior app and interface.