Pda's- Who's Using What Out There?

[+k7-wave]

Palm Tungsten E

 

GSAK

 

Cachemate

 

These three are an awesome combination for paperless caching!

[+Mystery Ink]

We use a good ol Palm IIIx it's old but works great.

[+Mastifflover]

Palm Tungsten E

 

Cachemate

 

GSAK

 

Can't imagine going back to paper.

[+stevepaget]

Ipaq rx3715 - designed for media stuff, but works great with a bluetooth GPS receiver and also runs TomTom to get me close by car.

 

GSAK at home, GPXSonar and GPSTuner in the field.

[+The Source]

PALM TX

Cachemate

GSAK

 

J

[+foxfire949]

PalmT2 connected directly to garmin etrex.

Cachemate

Mapping software on palm (delorme)

GSAK on PC.

[+jlday70]

Not to get off topic, but I am going to be getting a palm TX for Christmas. Where would I get the cable to direct connect my Legend C to the PDA?

 

Ok to keep it on topic I will be using:

Palm TX

Cachmate

GSAK

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Palm Tungsten T5

CacheMate

 

Treo650

CacheMate

GPS Car Kit

TomTom

 

I don't use the T5 much since the Treo replaces and adds to its functionality, and may sell it or just hang on to it for a back-up in case I have to ship off the Treo for repairs (it's delicate - not designed for outdoor use...actually, that's true of both units).

 

Beyond geocaching I do quite a lot with these units, from tracking daily expenses with PocketQuicken to maintaining an extensive contacts list.

Edited December 20, 2005 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+JMBella]

I use a garmin 3600. I do the normal paperless stuff, but I also import cache locations as addresses so I can see them on the "big map" and use the nivigation feature to get close.

I have the Garmin M5 which is basically the same thing. I don't know how I cached without it. She speaks to me. I like that. I named her Nikki. Nikki Navigator. And she is my friend.

[+CharlieP]

Palm Zire 31 with a 256MB card, Spinner & Plucker software. The 256MB card allows me to store a lot of files, including maps.

[Hugh Jazz]

Palm Zire 21 - got it for $40 on eBay a couple years ago, a factory refurb. It's fast enough for caching with cachemate, yet cheap enough that I won't care if it gets smashed or lost. I don't use it for anything but caching.

[+geobc]

I've used a Palm Zire71 and now a Palm T3. If I were to buy a PDA solely for running Cachemate, I'd get a cheap monochrome unit that supported external memory so you could back up your data onto it just in case your batteries died on you. With the backup, you could pop in new batteries and restore its information.

 

So my specs would be:

- monochrome screen

- removable batteries (typically AAA for Palms)

- external storage (typically SD for Palms)

 

An example of such a device would be a TRG Pro or a Palm M105.

 

The last completed sale of an M105 on eBay sold for USD$22.

 

I recommend monochrome because it is VERY easy to read in a variety of lighting conditions. The colour displays tend to be difficult to see in bright light (don't know why they don't use the same great screens as Garmin's current colour GPS units).

 

 

GeoBC

[+geobc]

With GSAK on the PC and GPXSonar on the PPC, manipulating data and exporting to a gpx file to put onto the storage card is at its easiest.

 

With it being wireless, I can order up a customized GPS from the website, download it as e-mail to my PPC, save the zip file on the PPC, and either extract the GPX file or use it straight from the zip file with the GPXSonar.

 

So, you can either save the bucks, and spend more time fiddling the data to get onto a Palm, or you can spend the bucks and spend more time on the cache hunt.

My experience has been different from yours. I'm on my fourth Palm (T3) and have been quite happy with them. True, they have their downsides as well, but then so does WinCE/Pocket PC.

 

With GSAK and Cachemate, getting the data onto my Palm isn't a problem at all. Here are the steps:

1) GSAK: Press the button that retrieves the Pocket Queries from my email, extracts them, and merge them into GSAK's database.

2) GSAK: Press the button to export to Cachemate.

3) Palm: Hotsync it to my computer (depending on your gear, you can do this via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, IR, or USB). I use a cradle so it's a one-button push.

4) Palm: the next time I use Cachemate, it will ask me if I want to import the latest data into its database. I click on OK and it's done.

 

From what I recall reading in the latest Cachemate docs, Step #3 can be replaced by dragging/dropping the Cachemate .pdb file from my PC to my Palm's data card (my Palm can act as a generic drive) but I prefer to Hotsync since I like to keep my data backed-up and up-to-date on my Palm and PC anyway.

 

But if you want to take a .gpx file directly from your email and store it on your Palm, you won't be able to merge it into Cachemate. Cachemate needs the PC-based Cachemate Converter to do that job. So if that is important to you, then get a PocketPC device. But if you foresee yourself using GSAK to handle your cache management, then this won't really be much of an issue since you'll have access to your PC anyway.

 

Generally speaking, if you are losing caching time because you're spending a lot of time trying to get your data onto your Palm, then you're doing something seriously wrong.

 

 

GeoBC

[+AtoZ]

Find a Pocket PC. Palms are a pain to use but then again they are cheap.

cheers

[+CraigInCT]

I went with the Palm Z22.

I got one last week, loaded cachemate and am tweaking my technique. Wish I had it on my summer trip around america.

[+Les Nomades]

Ipaq Z1710 with GPXSONAR

GSAK

LegenC or GPSMAP60C

[+DocDiTTo]

Ipaq 3975 w/ GPXSonar (beta testing Smache)

Streets & Trips for it (still figuring out the best HH mapping software though)

Gsak

Street Atlas USA on the laptop

And USAPhotoMaps as well

[+DrAwKwArD]

I use my Tungsten T3 that I bought on ebay with Cachemate. I bought it for $50.00 needing repair. It was an easy fix and I didn't need all the stuff it came with like the 1 GB expansion card and keyboard. So I sold them for $130. In actuality, I was paid $80 for my trouble and I've got one of the more deluxe models in hand!

 

I may drop it someday out in the woods, but who knows, I may get money from the next one! Gotta love ebay

[+Ed & Julie]

Palm Tungsten E

 

GSAK

 

Cachemate

 

These three are an awesome combination for paperless caching!

Me too, and agreed.

The combo works great for me!!

[+Contryguy]

Zire 72

Cachemate

GSAK

 

Use the Zire because I had it when I went paperless but a Tungsten E works great and is cheaper

[+geobc]

Find a Pocket PC. Palms are a pain to use

Could you elaborate on your statement? I know a number of Palm users who are perfectly happy with them.

 

GeoBC

[+M-T-P]

Find a Pocket PC.  Palms are a pain to use

Could you elaborate on your statement? I know a number of Palm users who are perfectly happy with them.

 

GeoBC

I use a Handspring Visor (Palm clone) for Geocaching because it runs Cachemate. However, I use a Toshiba Pocket PC for EVERYTHING else because it is so easy and powerful. I just wouldn't trust myself taking it out in the field geocaching.

 

GSAK and a new program called CacheMaps are really handy together. On long caching trips, I take my laptop and sync cables with me. Now, using CacheMaps, I can pull up Expedia or MapQuest roadmaps with cache markers on them even when I'm offline and don't have an available wireless signal.

 

Cachemaps basically loads your LOC files from GSAK or directly from GC.com into its internal database. Then, it allows you to fly to your caches and pull up an online map which is then cached in its memory for use offline. Right now, the offline caching is limited to a few map services, but he is planning to add many others soon including my favorite Google maps. You can already access Google maps and many other in online mode, but just not yet in offline mode.

 

M-T-P

[+Lone Duck]

iPaq 3955, it has been a really reliable unit (almost never reset it anymore). I figure on it lasting me another couple of years before there's a need to upgrade.

[+yogiabb]

My employer recently bought me a Palm Treo 650 so I started using my personal Palm M130 with gsak and cachemate after nearly two years of killing forests with paper. I wished I had realized how much more fun geocaching would be going paperless.