Mojoski

I just repaired mine today with "Gorilla Glue" from Home Depot. So far it seems to be working quite well, and I've read threads from people who had used it and were still happy over a year later. I used rubbing alcohol and strips from an old undershirt to clean all of the old glue gunk off of the rubber sleeve, as well as the clear strip that waterproofs the unit. Be careful not to stretch the rubber out while you're cleaning it off.. Then I used a Q-Tip to spread a very thin layer of Gorilla Glue around the clear strip on he GPS unit. The glue expands as it sets and dries (read the directions) so you don't want to use much. I glued mine down and within an hour I was back out on the trail hunting caches today. And the threads I read said that Gorilla Glue wasn't effected by heat like the stock Garmin junk. I guess only time will tell. Hope this is helpful! Mojoski PS - I got a smear of glue on my screen. I'm not sure if it was the old gunk or the Gorilla Glue. I believe it was likely the former, since the old gunk is a mess to get off.. Anyway, I put some rubbing alcohol on a fresh strip of t-shirt and polished the screen until it was gone.. Whew!

That is more of an issue with the software you are using, as opposed to any problem you have with the hardware accuracy. I use geocache navigator on my Blackberry 8820 and it takes me to within 5-10 feet of a cache with no problem on the compass screen.. Just an FYI..

Any more thoughts on this, Wherigo guys? Any movement towards a smartphone version? My BlackJack II is begging for a Wherigo adventure..

My BlackJack II is turning into a nice little geocaching device. Brian just released Cachemate for Smartphones v1.0.4 and has supplied a export plugin for OziExplorer WPT file exports that can be loaded into gpsVP for viewing on a map. Also, the Garmin Mobile XT software is available for these devices as well and you can export caches from GSAK into a format that MapSource can load them into that application as well. We've also been discussing, in the Smittyware forums, a way to create a plugin for Cachemate that would allow you to dump a single cache at a time into Google Maps Mobile in the form of a Contact in your Contacts database that could be loaded into GMM. That one isn't there yet but would be a cool feature to use along with the CacheNav plugin. Mojoski

OpinioNate, a very reasonable position to have! Thanks for the quick reply! I certainly know how you feel and what you mean. I'm in a similar role professionally as well. That said, can we log the missing data on the cache page (size, difficulty and terrain) as a "bug" and work it in? If not, I understand completely! Skippermark, I like it very much as well. I thought I made that clear but if not, I'm sorry.

Is anyone from the Groundspeak team interested in commenting on the WAP interface?

One more thing! How about a new field in the GPX file format that would include a URL to view the WAP version of the cache page? There is an element that holds the URL already. How about an additional optional element in the Schema that holds the WAP URL also? That way Cachemate (or other mobile caching database apps) could load the WAP version instead of the full HTML page when viewing the webpage for a cache on a mobile device! What do you guys think?

Hey guys and gals, I have been using the WAP interface to the site more and more from my Blackjack2 lately and there are a couple of basic things missing that would be hugely valuable, in my opinion. First of all, I think the cache viewing interface is missing the cache size as well as the difficult and terrain ratings. Am I just missing something obvious? This seems like an unintentional oversight. Having that info is mission critical when on a hunt! Can we get that added? It should be simple, I think. Also, being able to click a link on the owner's name and send them a quick email would be a HUGE nice-to-have, if you are a logged in and a premium member. This is obviously a bit more work than the missing data on the cache details page, but being in the field on a hunt and having a simple way to send a quick email to the cache owner, which could be answered to your blackberry, would be really cool. Thoughts? Some type of simple map view would really rock, but many users might not like the bandwidth usage . For that reason put it behind a button, like the "Show Logs" option is now. It could be the "Show Map" button. It could be a simple, small Google Map view with links for zoom and pan maybe? Thoughts anyone? How many of you knew about and use the WAP interface. I'm constantly amazed by how many serious geocachers I have met who have nice mobile devices but didn't realize there was a WAP interface for the geocaching.com website! http://wap.geocaching.com I log my finds from the road now and it is MOST handy! Thanks for all you guys do! Mojoski

Add one more user of the Blackjack 2 who would love to have Wherigo support! Let us know if you get any closer!! And if you need anyone to help test the beta, I'll be happy to try it before it is ready for prime time and give you guys feedback. Thanks!

I bought myself a eTrex Vista HCx for use primarily with geocaching but secondarily for street navigation. I couldn't be more happy with the performance. The routing works extremely well with the City Navigator maps and the high sensitivity chipset gives me a good GPSr lock in places my old unit couldn't make a lock at all. I don't find the controls to be bothersome at all when using with the windshield mount in the car. I have never used any of the other units mentioned, however, so I can't compare. I can recommend the Vista HCx highly. Get a 2GB microSD card and the proper mapping software and you'll have all you need and more.

I just ordered one for my HCx and I'll let you know whether mine fits properly or not. I have had one on my Creative Zen Vision:M media player for about 18 months now and have been very happy with it. It's a great product and well worth it if you have a device you want to keep from getting all scratched up. Thanks for the tip on the discount!

1 - Approx. Date Of Purchase? 01/07/2008 2 - Purchase Location? Amazon.com 3 - Unit Software Version? 2.50 4 - GPS SW Version? 2.60 5 - Unit ID? 3382**2230 6 - Have you updated the firmware yourself? Of course!! 7 - Have you noticed the Trip Computer bug firsthand? Nope! 8 - Does your typical usage depend on the Trip Computer function? Not really.. 9 - Have you contacted Garmin about the issue? Nope Hope that is helpful, although I'm sure it won't be since I haven't observed whether I have the issue or not. Sorry!

I was hunting around for interesting things to do with my new Vista HCx and came across this web page: http://www.thepropers.com/geocaching/60Ser...stomSymbols.htm It was written a few years ago but still applied, generally, to my new device. The icons, however, were not compatible with my device, so I simply used the xImage program from Garmin to snag my own waypoint images and updated them with The Gimp to look like the ones the original author had created for his device. A zip file of the resulting icons (and the garminother.txt file to use with GSAK) is included in my zip file at the following URL: http://ourhikes.freespeech.com/Icons_for_Vista-HCx.zip Follow the directions on that web page, but use the icons from my zip file instead if you have a eTrex Vista HCx. In addition, I also decided to use the following codes in my GSAK config for the waypoint description field: %Dif/%Ter C:%con1 TB:%bug=YN %last4 LF%datelf With that set for the waypoint description in the appropriate GSAK settings, I can tell the Difficulty rating, Terrain rating, Cache type, Travel Bug status as well as what type the last 4 notes were and when the cache was last found, without having to open my Palm device up and get into CacheMate. Hope this is helpful for someone! Mojoski

I highly recommend this combination as well. Once I tried this paperless system, there really was no going back. Any old Palm device will do. (Mine is a Handspring Visor Prism that has to be at least 6 or 7 years old by now!) That said, look for something reasonably rugged since it will need to go everywhere with you. I also grabbed myself a Visor stylus that had a ballpoint pen built in (along with a few replacement ink cartridges) for signing the cache logs. That way, all I need is my eTrex Vista HCx and my Visor and I have everything I need for some serious geocaching! Good Luck! Let us know if you need more tips! Mojoski!

Did anyone happen to snatch the latest GSAK release before the websote went over its bandwidth quota? (I'm guessing that is what happened..) If so, please mirror it somewhere and post a link so we can try out that juicy Google Map integrated goodness!! Thanks! Mojoski

Thanks for the tips! I'm doing the GSAK/Cachemate thing already, and you are correct that those are well worth having. I guess I'll start saving for my City Navigator maps next... :-)

I second that question! My Vista HCx should be here within a week! What do you guys recommend? Thanks!

That is good news! Has anyone tried it yet? If so, let us know what you see and if you think the issue is really fixed..

Bounce...

Hey, Robert! That was me, actually. I'm sorry I never ended up getting anything together worths sending in as a patch. I was just a bit overwhelmed with the C coding and I never made anything worth submitting. I did spend a fair amount of time on it as well, and I still have all of the data we collected when discussing the protocol, and that is why I would guess it is about 90% understood. You and the others on the GPSBabal-devel list very EXTREMELY helpful, and I'm sorry I never was competent enough to make some actual working code with the info you guys helped us discover. The bottom line is that I'm rather C ignorant and honestly didn't know where to start. I know you guys had a template file to use when creating new serial plugins but the code didn't make sense to me and I wasn't sure how to do, in C code at least, many of the basic calculations that the protocol required. Anyway, I got a new job and had gotten very busy for a while and I had basically taken a break from geocaching for quite a while. So anyway. the other day I picked up my Cobra and started having fun with it again. That is why I was looking for someone with some C skills to help me take it to the next level. We wouldn't be starting from scratch, thanks to the assistance of Robert and others on the GPSBabel developers mailling list. I still have all of the data I collected last year. If anyone here has some decent C coding skills, I will be happy to help out. I just need someone to get the basic skeleton written and then I think my skills are probably good enough to get the code debugged and running reasonably well. As for importing an RM file into the provided software, that sounds like a simple enough workaround in the mean time. I am not at home at the moment and therefore can't test it at this time. But I definitely will try it when I get home. So does anyone here have any C coding skills and is interested in helping me make this happen? Are you a C programmer, sataraid1? That handle gives me hope that you're a techie kind of guy as well...

Well, I did start down the road of deciphering the serial protocol last year, and figured most of it out. Writing the C code to actually create a plug in for GSAK was where I got stuck. I saved my data about the protocol, but really just need to find a C programmer who is willing to assist in writing the code to implement it. The other option would be to ask Robert Lipe of GSAK fame, and the other GSAK developers, what it would cost to get one of them to implement it for us, and then take up donations to make it happen. Would anyone else be interested in making that happen? Does GSAK work on the MAC? It seems that, if so, that might be the best way to quickly get a cross platform solution for the Cobra 100 in place. Anyone else interested in chipping in some C coding skills, or some cash to get a C coder to implement it for us? If we could just get one of the GSAK guys to take an initial stab at writing the plugin, I could probably modify and debug it enough to make it work well. I was just a bit overwhelmed at trying to get the initial code written. I'm not a C programmer.. Thoughts?

I have one of these units and am really interested in other who are interested in helping me figure out how to upload waypoints onto it from GSAK or some other geocaching tool. Any interest?

Well, I've done some open source programming, and have even written drivers that work over the serial port before. (Ancient submission to the GPhoto app for supporting the Kodak DC25 camera.) I wouldn't mind taking a stab at the coding to get way points or POIs to upload. I am completely new to Geocaching however and would like some pointers on what the best tool to try to add this to. I just got my Cobra 1000 on the Woot-off last week and just started geocaching for the first time this week. Putting the waypoints in by hand is a slight pain, and I'd be willing to work to get it supported by some geocaching app. Any suggestions on what app would be the best for me to try to add this to? I use a windows laptop usually but have a Linux machine if that is needed. I believe I got the GPhoto driver working by setting up a virtual serial port under linux and monitoring the traffic on that port to figure out the protocol for moving images from the DC25. Would something similiar be appropriate for sending way points to the Cobra? The only way I know to do it now is with the StreetFinder software under Windows. Does anyone know of a virtual serial port driver for Windows that will let you log all traffic on the port? That might help us figure out what StreetFinder is doing when it uploads a waypoint. Thoughts? Anyone else interested in helping me out on such a program? UPDATED: It looks like this software might be a good first step. Anyone else want to help me figure this out? If so, email me and let me know! Mojoski