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Want To Go Paperless...


Jester2112

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OK folks, seen lots of topics on the how, when, where and why of no print-out necessary caching. I REALLY want to go paperless caching. Before I ask, keep a couple of things in mind:

 

1.) I've already found every cache within 35 miles of my house so gas prices have come into play

2.) I'm expecting my 2nd caching buddy around the end of January and we all know how expensive kids can be, if you don't, I hope you will one day as it's one of God's little blessings that he can bestow upon you that actually make you thankful to be alive, much like the "best place on earth" that your favorite cache to date has taken you to, only better

3.) The PDA in question will strictly be used for the sole purpose of caching and nothing else. I live/die professionally by the calender on my laptop which is handy around the office and on the off-site sessions I do for my job. However, it's not so great for carrying around the great outdoors.

4.) I'd really LOVE it if I could get away with spending $100 or even better, much, much, much less than this. Let's all hear it for Ebay, I just need to know what model to type in to the search bar. Should I start with the Palm Pilot version 1.0?

 

My question is this:

 

What is the most basic, cheapest, nobody but me will be impressed by it, don't show it off at events type PDA that you recommend for paperless caching???

 

I know based on the el-chepo request that I can't expect much, but I would like it to be able to at least handle 1 full pocket query (500 waypoints worth of info). Not that I ever have that many downloaded to the GPS for individual hunt days, but I'd like the option.

 

I see this question come up all the time as to what is the cheapest GPSr to invest in to get started with caching, but I haven't seen a thread, nor can I find one using the search feature, that talks about cheapo PDAs. Thanks in advance and if I've touched on a subject already covered, somebody please MARKWELL it for me. :ninja:

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I got a used Palm IIIxe on ebay for $20.50, and paid $8 for cachemate. This very basic greyscale model has 8 MB RAM and will hold several thousand caches. If you only want to hold 500, you could get a used IIIx with 4MB, or a IIIe with 2 MB, for even less than $20.

 

My only issue with it is that it can be difficult to read the screen in bright sunlight.

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I have a Palm M500 that works great. It has a memory card so I put the caches on that in order to hold lots and lots of Caches in a couple of different databases in Cachemate.

 

I got a hard case for it at BigLots!, but you can get those on eBay for less than $20.00, including the shipping.

 

I have dropped the Palm a couple of times, and that case, now scratched and dented, has saved it from damage.

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A Palm or compatible PDA with 2 MB of memory will handle 500 waypoints with CacheMate with some to spare, as long as you haven't loaded other applications that take up memory. This means you can really go bare minimum.

 

You should ask around if your colleagues at work have old PDAs collecting dust. Better way to get one than eBay, and maybe you can get others interested in Geocaching that way.

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I got a used Palm IIIxe on ebay for $20.50, and paid $8 for cachemate. This very basic greyscale model has 8 MB RAM and will hold several thousand caches. If you only want to hold 500, you could get a used IIIx with 4MB, or a IIIe with 2 MB, for even less than $20.

 

Ditto. An old palm will work fine.

I have a IIIxe, which can hold 2000+ cache pages in the 8mb memory. Of course I never find more than about a dozen at time so thats overkill and you could probably make it work with one smaller memory, though ones with 8mb isn't hard to find.

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The Palm IIIe will work fine with Cachemate installed.

 

Just remember to update the data frequently. When I first started caching, I didn't realize how important that was and I spent a lot of time looking for a cache that had been disabled a week before I set out to look for it.

 

Although it has a fairly steep learning curve, GSAK has turned out to be invaluable for filtering the waypoints I get in my Pocket Queries.

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I just did this and got away with it for $20.99. First I bought a Palm m100 on Ebay for $12.99 plus $8.00 shipping. Next download the free limited version of Cachemate, now download your caches 10 at a time from GSAK (also free download), next export them to memo pad, use the overview tab and it will also give you the hint. It will show as two entries in memo-pad but works fine. The Palm m100 is more limited in size than IIIxe but still will hold 500 caches. It's a little time consuming but dirt cheap.

I'm going to upgrade everything but being Scottish, no Frugal, No conservative, alright CHEAP. I just had to see if i could do it.

Edited by CWFI34
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Even tho' I have 2 geo set-ups for paperless. 2 GPSrs and 2 Palm Pilots I went paperless for 8 bucks......the price of Cachemate.

I already had the Palms around so I downloaded Cachemate and used the limited free version 1 time. That was all it took to prove how useful a tool it is. I bought it and it is the ONLY online software I have ever bought.

 

btw-1 of our paperless set-ups is on a Palm 3...old and slow, but works well and is ultra reliable. And really, it's only slow on the sync w/ the laptop.

 

Matt

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Should I start with the Palm Pilot version 1.0?

 

The answer to this is NO. If you are going to use cachmate (which I highly recommend) you need Palm OS Version 3.0 and higher. There are only two Palms that don't meet this requirement, the first two that where made by 3com, the Original Pilot and the original Palm Pilot. So just keep that in mind when buying.

 

Personal, I got a M500 for $40 on ebay including shipping.

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Is cachemate the only program you need?

 

I was about to download EasyGps to upload to my GPSr but wanted to load the hints and logs onto the Palm.

You also need software on your PC side to generate the CacheMate database files (PDB) from Geocaching GPX files. GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) is an example of such software ($20 to register).

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Is cachemate the only program you need?

 

I was about to download EasyGps to upload to my GPSr but wanted to load the hints and logs onto the Palm.

Yes its all you need. Cachemate has its own CMConvert program, so no need for GSAK or any other application. GSAK is nice to have, but by no means is it necessary.

 

EasyGPS will get the waypoints to your GPS.

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Yes . . . I started out printing all sorts of cache pages and then found out about "paperless" caching.

 

I already had a Palm M500, so all I had to do was download Cachemate.

 

I highly recommend getting an inexpensive, monochrome Palm because they are easier to see in bright sunlight, and if you break it, or it gets rained on, it won't be as painful to replace. Also invest in a hard case. I've seen those on eBay for around $10.00. You should be able to get a Palm for less than $50.00, including shipping.

 

I have 1000 caches in my Palm so I can head out in any direction and be prepared to hunt. :o

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SO IT SOUNDS LIKE GET A PALM500 or a palmIIIxe download cachemate OR GSAK and im good to go??

Not exactly.

 

You need something to run on the Palm -- that would be Cachemate.

 

You also need something to run on your PC, to send stuff to the Palm. That could be GSAK, but if you're looking to go the most basic way, you could use CMconvert (which comes with Cachemate) rather than buying GSAK in addition to Cachemate.

 

So: you could download just Cachemate. You could download both Cachemate and GSAK. But you can't download just GSAK, because you wouldn't have an application to run on your Palm.

Edited by the hermit crabs
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I got a Palm M125 for $35 off EBay. You can add SD so your storage is unlimited. I use Easy GPS(free) to load waypoints and use a tool call Geoclipping(free) to pull cache details and load them to the Palm. Sure, you have to do it page by page, but I reviewed each cahce even trying Pocket Queries to weed out the ones I really didnt want to go after.

 

Considering I am a seasonal cacher, really only going out in the cooler months (no poison ivey, no ticks), I try to find the cheap way out.

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We use an M505 that we picked up for free with CacheMate. Works fine.

The screens on the M500 series are real bad in high light conditions and the M130 works so much better. Maybe the M130 will be a better overall PDA for use outside.

The screen on my Palm M500 is very easy to read in bright sunlight. :ph34r:

 

My friend has a color Zire and can't read that screen except in the shade.

 

Maybe there was a contrast setting that needed to be set differently on the one you used . . .

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