Pocket Pc Software

[+N Danger]

Hi

I am new to geocaching.

I have a pocket pc and bluetooth gps receiver.

I am not sure what the best (some of the best) programs are to use.

 

I want to be able to easily download caches and mark found on the fly

as well as find what are close to me.

 

Some of the ones suggested are

Vito Navigator II

Easy GPS

GPS Tuner

GPS Sonar

and a bunch more

 

Also what is the best format for the waypoints?

My friends hh GPS used a different format than my PDA (OSTIA software) did

 

THANKS

[+[MF]taz]

Vito Navigator II would do all that I will use it for geo caching using a PPC.

 

the only thing is marking found on the fly... but you can set a different icon for waypoints, so you could change the icon for found caches.

 

It also alows you to import the *.LOC file format.

[+Greymane]

I use Memory-Map Navigator and love it. If you buy the Discoverer set, you get all of the USGS topo maps for your state along with the software. It lets you look at the maps in 3D, so you can figure out the best way to approach a cache. It also allows you to import GPX and LOC files. The software works on both your PC and your Pocket PC, so it is like getting two programs in one.

[+N Danger]

Thanks

I will check it out

GPS tuner seems good too

Edited August 17, 2005 by N Danger

[+ColoradoFather&Son]

To add another question!! (I am a NU-BE as well)...

 

I have a pocket pc, and a Garmin GPS. I want to use the PPC for paperless GeoCaching. I want to be able to download cache coordinates, and update findings and attach notes, etc in my PPC on the fly. Which program is the best??

 

Thanks

[+geoduck.5]

There is one program that does all...BeeLineGPS

[+N Danger]

I am beginning to think with all of these programs, it is simply a matter of "user error"

I have tried

Vito Navigator II

GPS Tuner

Bee Line

and GPS Dash 2

 

Perhaps the programs cant do what I want (though I find that hard to believe)

I am hazy on when I want to use .loc vs .gpx

Also, I get the waypoints imported yet I dont get a screen shot showing my coordinates and the destination coordinates, or how many feet away I am and in what direction or a map of all of the other nearby caches.

I want to do more caching (without depending on my friends handheld unit) but I am getting very frustrated!

[+Miragee]

I have a Palm, but I think I can answer that you will always want the .gpx files. They have all the information for the cache that you can view on your PDA. The .loc files have very limited info . . .

[+Alan2]

Paperless: I use GSAK to create a gpx file. Then I drag and drop the file in the PPC's SD memory card. Then, open GPXSONAR in the PPC and select the GPX file in the card to see the web cache pages.

 

It's a good idea to store the .gpx files in the memory card rather than the PPC main memory to save memory space. 1500 caches can take 8M or so. You can create various GPX files. For example, on vacation, I just created a 500 cache file for an area about 50 miles from where I'm staying. I've got a couple where I live (caches within 40 miles from home and caches over that). Just select the one you want to load into gpxsonar.

 

Navigation: I use Mapopolis. Besides great audible and visual prompts for auto navigation on the road, with gpstomaplet program and the gpx file, I can overlay all the caches on the maps in the PPC with little red icons for the caches. That way I can see them while I''m driving. Tap the cache icon and get info like D/T, name, who hid it, how many miles from home, type of cache, etc. Tap the icon again to auto navigate to the road nearest the cache. Very sweet.

 

Mapopolis will also work in the woods as it gives altitude, current coordinates, distance to cache, and arrow/compass rose for bearing to cache and current direction. My high gain GPS receiver (in the PPC's CF slot) pulls in the sats better than the Vista I also use in the woods.

 

As an aside I also have NG Pocket Topo in my PPC for 24K topo maps. Combined with the on-board GPS, I can see and track my real-time position on it as well.

 

edit=spelling

Edited August 19, 2005 by Alan2