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Paperless Caching

Rebel Alliance
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Rebel Alliance

+Rebel Alliance

Posted
Posted

I am getting fed up with printing out maps & cache sheets everytime we go out, only to find out we were 2 miles from a cache when we return. :D

I want to know what to look for in a hand held PC.

I am technically minded so the level of replies can be as technical as you like. :)

 

I basically want to run GSAK & memory map, not bothered about GPS, just want to see cache pages & view relevant OS maps.

 

I may want to at some point download the latest cache data but it is not that important. :D

 

Cheers

 

Mick

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markandlynn

markandlynn

Posted
Posted

Try our paperless caching guide (see link)

We use

GSAK

Cachemate from smittyware $8 i think using cachemate files generated by GSAK

a Palm Vx £18 from ebay with metal case (think about cost versus the areas caching takes you!)

Autoroute using csv files generated by GSAK

Pocket queries from GC.com

Cant help you with mapping though it a bit out of our price range

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Jan and the Percey Boys

+Jan and the Percey Boys

Posted
Posted

As a well known technophobe with the ability to lose everything that isn't bolted to my person I took Mark and Lynns advice and bought a cheap Palm (M series in leather case for a tenner and 3 quid postage on e bay). Whilst it doesnt do the map bit it has made my life easier and to be honest if I lost it I wont be crying in my beer (it's too weak already!!!)

 

This along with GSAK, premium membership and a lead to download waypoints to my gecko cost very little. Would recommend to anyone.

 

If you are a toy person who wants blue teeth and hot wires and that stuff Im sure pheonix will be along in a bit to tell you his opinion :):D

 

Anyway best of luck

 

Bob

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Snosrap

+Snosrap

Posted
Posted

Palm Tungsten E

GSAK (plus premium membership for gpx files)

CacheMate.

 

All excellent value and highly recommended. :D

 

I also use CacheNav as I have a gps link to the Palm but it doesn't give anything that the normal gps gives. No maps, but I've not noticed this is a handicap (I keep paper maps in the car in any case).

 

I also use Autoroute to give me lots of little red & green dots on a printable map.

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Happy Humphrey

+Happy Humphrey

Posted
Posted

I use the geocacher's favourite, the iPAQ 2210. You'll need something of similar power to be able to use Memory Map and GPX sonar (which is the minimum that will do the job you want).

 

I must say, this setup is superb and really makes a difference: I can't be bothered to list all the advantages right now but they are legion.

 

I think the reason that the 2210 is popular is because it has 2 memory card slots, so you can have tons of data (maps and GPX files) on an SD card, and still be able to add a GPS unit or Wi-Fi card via the CompactFlash slot (I use both a lot). Tom Tom can be installed too, to allow in-car navigation between caches (which I use to great effect).

 

If I was UK based, with one of these PDA's to help I guarantee I'd have found over 1000 caches by now! :D

 

With the bluetooth connection as well to allow you to connect to the internet via a mobile phone, it's a powerful beast. Unfortunately, it's discontinued and I haven't looked at the latest alternative, but I'd venture that something similar is what you want.

 

HH

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Learned Gerbil

+Learned Gerbil

Posted
Posted

I use an IPAQ 1710 for mapping and directions using TomTom and Fugawi, and a Sony Clie SJ22 Palm for Cachemate.

 

I found mapping on the Palm not so good, and none of the PPC applications for cache descriptions and logs was as neat and efficient as Cachemate. I also could not get used ot the PPC as a PDA - the OS and applications are so badly designed for quick retreaval of information, it is a joke.

 

Mapping o na Palm would be better but only by spending a lot more on a high end Palm than I spent on the Ipaq + TomTom + GPS.

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markandlynn

markandlynn

Posted
Posted
Looks like your site is down Mark & Lynn

It's back up again now???

We dropped our first palm 4 inches :D in the car and the screen went black.

We now own two palm Vx's most caches i have got into one is 2500 am sure i could get up to 4000 for a holiday if i stopped exporting previous logs. but with two and a charging lead (cost almost as much as the palm!!) we have a backup plan.

Best investment we made was a data lead for the GPS sending your 490 nearest waypoints to the GPS makes trip planning as easy as getting in the car and setting the gps into nearest waypoint mode.

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harrogate hunters

+harrogate hunters

Posted
Posted

Ok.... I am now seriously thinking about paperless caching....

 

So I have done the GSAK thing, and downloaded the caches @ 500 a time, and looked into Palm IIIxe, but I can not get hold of one, as they have been replaced

 

Can anyone help ? Fingertech tell me that they have now been replaced with new colour screen models..... so which one do I purchase ?

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markandlynn

markandlynn

Posted
Posted
Ok.... I am now seriously thinking about paperless caching....

 

So I have done the GSAK thing, and downloaded the caches @ 500 a time, and looked into Palm IIIxe, but I can not get hold of one, as they have been replaced

 

Can anyone help ? Fingertech tell me that they have now been replaced with new colour screen models..... so which one do I purchase ?

Search ebay for palm handhelds

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Skippy and Pingu

+Skippy and Pingu

Posted
Posted

Be a bit carefull before you buy if you want to run Memory Map. I doesn't work on Palm tops (if I remember correctly). You must have a PDA that is running Microsoft pocket PC with PC ActiveSync. I use an iPAQ 2400 and its wonderfull. Can plug my Garmin Summit in (via the normal PC cable and a little adaptor). I run Memory map and GPXSonar which is compatible with GSAK. You cannot run CacheMate though if you are running Microsoft Pocket PC but GPXSonar seems to do everything that CacheMate says it does but haveing not seen CacheMate I couldn't be 100% sure of that.

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The Hungry Caterpillars

+The Hungry Caterpillars

Posted
Posted

We have Memorymap at 1:25000 for the Dartmoor area which I download onto my iPAQ-FANTASTIC as I can then link it up to my Garmin and off we go. Sufficient reason to have an iPAQ. The biggest problem of course is the price of Memorymap partly due to the license fees they have to pay to the OS.Anquet is another product that seems to have a lot to offer. Tracklogs I just cannot to proper grips with and is not downloadable to a pda at all at the moment although I think it is being worked on. Isys is another product that seems quirky. Fugawi could be so much better, they seem to make things very difficult. All the above are my own humble opinion. :rolleyes::anitongue:

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Team Maddie UK

+Team Maddie UK

Posted
Posted

We use Ipaqs ourselves and are very happy with them. Lynn has a 4150 and I have a 1940. Both running GPSsonar. We are still coming to grips with it all but thanks to the good people on the forums we are making progress. Personally, having seen a few Palms I would much prefer the Pocket PC approach.

 

While everyone is asking the questions about Ipaq's and Garmins, we have an Ipaq 1940 and an Ipaq 4150. We also have the necessary cable to connect our Garmin Etrex 'yellow' to both (the connector is the same). Do any of you experienced folks know of any quick and dirty software that will allow you to establish wether you have comms with the GPS from the Ipaq as I can't seem to coax any of the packages into talking.

 

Martin & Lynn

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Rebel Alliance

+Rebel Alliance

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I have noticed that HP have discontinued the HP2210 which I was going to get.

I have been advised that the dell axim x50 is similar in specs, but I cannot find out if you can connect it to my etrex venture via the cables available at globalpostioningsystems.co.uk.

Does anyone know?

 

Cheers

 

Mick

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Learned Gerbil

+Learned Gerbil

Posted
Posted

My understanding is that Axims need special cables and that even then, the X5 (unlike the others) can't send waypoint data to a GPSr. The X5 is also known to have problems when receiving NMEA data in that it can hang when software is running that is looking for serial data. The solution is to have the data stream sending before running the GPS software on the X5.

 

pc-mobile.com sell cables and explain the workrounds.

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Sue and Bernie

+Sue and Bernie

Posted
Posted

I originally went for the mega-cheap Palm IIIxe solution. It is effectively a standalone paperless database solution completely seperate from the GPS. I bought one Palm from eBay Germany for €17 - the postage cost more! I ended up kitting out the famiyl with the beasts because I was so impressed with the PDA bits it provided. Unfortunately, once you do get used to using one of these little marvels to run your life, it is hard to see an easy way of organising otherwise! You're hooked!

 

Wanting to go for the total solution, I eventually upgraded to an Ipaq so that I could use MemoryMap out there too. I avoided all the cable faff by going for a Bluetooth connection to the little GPS unit. This in turn led to TomTom 3 for route guidance (and a few BT headaches that TT3 causes).

 

Now we have one box that provide route guidance in the car, OS maps in the field along with a database (GPSonar) of caches and it even has a phone too! - although I have not reached the dizzy heights of using this box to access GC.COM in the field, it sounds expensive. The setup is ideal - expensive, flakey and tempremental but when it all works, it's lovely.

 

Mind you, we do not use the Ipaq when moving - it is too delicate and lives in a metal hip case and only comes out when it's safe. A rugged litttle Vista C does all the field work.

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Pharisee

+Pharisee

Posted
Posted

I use a Garmin iQue 3600 (Palm thingy) for in-car navigation. This coupled with CacheMate, SpoilerSync, Plucker & FirePad supply all my 'paperless' needs. For navigating to the cache, my Legend (or if the going gets really tough, my GPSIII) does the biz.

I have a cable that connects my iQue to the Legend for downloading waypoints. That was a custom made piece of kit supplied by friend 'Techie Grockle' :unsure:

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__chris__

+__chris__

Posted
Posted

The Mitac Mio 168 and its clones (such as the Navman PIN) are Pocket PCs and I use mine to run Memory Map. I locate the caches on the PC and then export the current map view to the PPC along with the data. Having the built-in GPS unit means that I now have a single unit able to track my position in real time on the OS map on screen with a nice poiny arrow which shows if I'm going in the right or wrong direction.

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crunchiespg

+crunchiespg

Posted
Posted

for paperless caching (without maps) i have just bought a palm m500, it has usb for fast link to the pc, but also has a serial connection so can link the gps to it. has sd memory card slot so can have loads of memory.

and it only cost £15 still sealed new in a box.

ill let you know how it works out, but from my research it seems to do everything needed, only thing missing is colour. but hell of a lot cheaper.

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Radler

+Radler

Posted
Posted

I about to buy a mobile phone. I might go with a very inexpensive 75 gramm phone (sorry, don't have ounces ready). Unless ...

 

are there any MIDP written tools out there to support paperless Geocaching on mobile phones??

 

It would be a shame if I missed the opportunity to maybe use a 90 gramm phone with colour display and be able to without paper and without my Palm V.

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marinor

+marinor

Posted
Posted
Do any of you experienced folks know of any quick and dirty software that will allow you to establish wether you have comms with the GPS from the Ipaq as I can't seem to coax any of the packages into talking.

 

 

GPS viewer 1.5 from Holux technologies will at least let you know if the ipaq is receiving the gps signal, free and simple to use.

 

http://www.holux.com.tw/Temp%20web/download-data.html

 

pick any download that says GPS Viewer 1.5, they will all work.

 

stay safe

Bill

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macroderma

+macroderma

Posted
Posted

Just a quick note to say thanks to everyone on the forum, and this thread in particular, that has enabled me to go paperless :D

 

I am using GSAK to generate HTML files and then Plucker to read them on my Sony Clie

 

Amazingly it nearly worked first time :(

 

I discovered that I had to load the Plucker application onto the Clie itself, rather than onto the Memory Stick, although the Plucker files were fine on the Memory Stick

 

Just a quick question. I generated about 30 cache's worth of Plucker file for an imminent trip to sunny [i hope!] Cornwall. It took over an hour to complete the file - I realise it is making a lot of links in the background, but is that normal? I was using 4 levels of detail, with no images.

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Jonovich

+Jonovich

Posted
Posted

Oh dear... I've only been paperless caching for about 2 weeks now and already on several occasions I've found myself trying to tap the screen of the Etrex to choose options and on one occasions trying again before realising it wasn't a PDA! Doh!

 

:(

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macroderma

+macroderma

Posted
Posted
Oh dear... I've only been paperless caching for about 2 weeks now and already on several occasions I've found myself trying to tap the screen of the Etrex to choose options and on one occasions trying again before realising it wasn't a PDA! Doh!

 

:(

Funnily enough shouting at it doesn't work either! :D

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