Paperless Logging

[+GrabCachetic 4]

Hi everyone,

 

Just discovered this great sport and I've been doing alot of reading and am ready to go on my first hunt today.

 

I'm in Ladson, SC and I'm going to try and find Plantation cache (since my kids play at that playground all the time, and I never knew this sport existed ) )might go for Sissy's too today )

 

I've set up my Palm for the cache information, but to go truely paperless, I was wondering how you all note your finds and everything in your palm. Do you just use a note or is there a Geocaching logbook program somewhere.

 

Thanks for the advice and thanks for the new addiction!

Edited January 1, 2006 by grabo172

[+Team Cotati]

Cachemate...$8.00

[+Kealia]

What are you using for the cache information on your Palm?

[+GrabCachetic 4]

What are you using for the cache information on your Palm?

I have Plucker right now to get my GPX files to my palm (got the process from Geochacher U)

Edited January 1, 2006 by grabo172

[+The Leprechauns]

Scribble in the notepad or memo feature of your Palm .... $0

 

The last thing I want to do in the woods is sit and pick letters on a keypad to eke out a log. So, I open the notepad, grab the stylus, and scrawl the GC number, anything I took or left, any travel bug info., anything about the condition of the cache, and a reminder to myself of anything I'd want to include in my online log. Often I can do this while walking back to the car, or while a friend is signing the logbook.

 

A typical entry:

 

GC1234

Cache wet

saw deer

 

Of course, the date and time of the find are recorded automatically, and the caches are then listed in the order found when I get back home to write the online logs.

Edited January 1, 2006 by The Leprechauns

[+sbell111]

Strangely, I have cachemate and Plucker (free) on my palm TE. I prefer Plucker, by far. Of course, Plucker doesn't let you make notes of your cache finds (or did not finds). For this, I use ABXguy's awesome Cache Log Book program. You can download it for free on his site here.

 

Here's a screenshot:

It has fields for just about anything you'll want to write. The date and time fields autopopulate (allowing you to make changes) and the found dropdown lets you choose 'yes', 'no', 'note', 'archive', and 'logged'.

Edited January 1, 2006 by sbell111

[+Kealia]

Scribble in the notepad or memo feature of your Palm .... $0

 

The last thing I want to do in the woods is sit and pick letters on a keypad to eke out a log. So, I open the notepad, grab the stylus, and scrawl the GC number, anything I took or left, any travel bug info., anything about the condition of the cache, and a reminder to myself of anything I'd want to include in my online log. Often I can do this while walking back to the car, or while a friend is signing the logbook.

 

A typical entry:

 

GC1234

Cache wet

saw deer

 

Of course, the date and time of the find are recorded automatically, and the caches are then listed in the order found when I get back home to write the online logs.

Yup, that's what I do.

[+Pasha]

With Cachemate and GSAK and your Palm, it is possible to set up nearly automatic logging. It's a pretty involved process, however; there's a couple ancillary programs you'll need, as well as a GSAK macro. I log my finds at the cache in Cachemate (this is easier with a Treo or some such Palm-powered device with a keyboard)... when I get home I sync the Palm with my laptop and run my GSAK macro, which pulls the finds from Cachemate, marks the finds and inserts the logs into the GSAK records, and pops open the GC.com logging page to each cache in turn, with the log entry already copied into the clipboard. I choose Found (or DNF as often as not), paste the entry, hit OK, and go on to the next one. It actually sounds more complicated than it is - the complication is setting it up in the first place. I can log 15 caches in a couple of minutes.

[+Ed & Julie]

cachemate

It does eveythng I need...description, hint (and decoder) and has a log section for what you found, left, tbs taken or left, and notes. You can even sort the records on your palm to find the nearest caches to the one you are at.

[+N8OFP - Del]

I use Cachemate and GSAK.

 

I load all the caches from my current Pocket Query into Cachemate via GSAK.

 

Once I've found the cache I open Cachemate tap on the found box and then on the Start Time and your cache is logged. If I trade any items I enter that in the Took: and Left: fields in Cachemate along with any other notes I may want to enter about the cache or the view etc.

 

At the end of the day I hotsync my PDA and laptop, and then import all my Found caches along with the Notes from Cachemate into GSAK.

 

I then have a macro setup in GSAK that will copy the Notes imported in from Cachemate into the Windows Clip board, it then opens the Cache's Log Visit screen on Geocaching.com, I select Found It from the GC.com drop down, paste my notes (Which includes the found Time, Any Trades made and any notes I may have entered into Cachemate), and click on Submit.

 

Very quick and easy. I've logged as many as 40 cache finds on Geocaching,com in less than 10 minutes and each contained the Time Found, Traded Items, and any special notes I may have entered.

[+Kai Team]

Another vote for GSAK and Cachemate. I use a Palm m515 (no keyboard) and don't find entering the logs with Plam Graffiti very difficult since that Cachemate records some standard information (e.g. data and time) for you.

[franck]

I use GSAK on my desktop in which I copy-paste the info from the cache's info ( the whole page including the logs) in the short description after I loaded the LOC file.

 

With GSAK you can see the cache's info in html, I copy paste that info in the palm pilot in the memos under a geocaching category that I created. You could also copy-paste the web page directly to the palm (palm desktop) if you do not use GSAK. But I keep all the info in GSAK so I start from there.

 

On the road I just take my notes in the memo on the Palm like kealia said but with the cache's info. Sp i have all the info I need. I do not bother cutting out the text like "Make this page print-friendly (no logs)"

 

On the palm it looks like this:

...Dans un parc pres de chez moi by Kerosen et son clan (1/1)

N45° 30.989 W73° 29.911 (WGS84)

UTM 18T E 617272 N 5041424

Use waypoint: GCRM56

Size: Micro Hidden on 2005-12-13

In quebec,

Difficulty: * Terrain: *

...Dans un parc pres de chez moi

 

Traditional Cache

GCRM56

log your visit

watch listing

ignore listing

bookmark listing

 

2 user(s) watching this cache.

 

This is a Micro cache.

 

stealth required available in winter available 24-7 bikes allowed takes less than 1 hour kid friendly drinking water nearby parking available dogs allowed

 

Travel Bugs / Geocoins

Joe's 1st German Geocoin: Silver

What is a Travel Bug?

 

Traditional Cache ...Dans un parc pres de chez moi

by Kerosen et son clan [profile]

 

N 45° 30.989 W 073° 29.911

UTM: 18T E 617271 N 5041424

WW 8.4km from your home coordinates.

or convert to NAD27 at Jeeep.com

 

Click icon to download:

 

Read about waypoint downloads

 

In Quebec, Canada [country map]

Hidden: 12/13/2005

Use waypoint: GCRM56 (what's this?)

 

Make this page print-friendly (no logs)

 

Print PDF: ** Become a Premium Member today! **

 

Please note: To use the services of geocaching.com, you must agree to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

(ratings out of 5 stars. 1 is easiest, 5 is hardest)

Difficulty: 1 out of 5 Terrain: 1 out of 5

 

Dans un parc situer a seulement 160 metres de chez nous

 

Voici une micro cache dans u.........

[+GrabCachetic 4]

Thanks for all the advice!

 

We found the two we were looking for today Our first two ever!

 

All I did for my palm is make a "Geocaching" catagory in my Memo Pad and wrote anything pertenant there...

 

I have to say though, THIS IS THE GREATEST FUN!! I love reading the logs in the caches.

[+ekanow]

I see that most of the replys are for Palm PDA's, I use a Windows Mobile base PDA (Axim X51, WM5) running navigator II and paired to a BT-339 GPS reciever to find the cache. Is there any other software I should be considering?

 

TIA

[+Alan2]

Mapopolis (in PPC) for voice/visual prompt auto-navigation.

gpxsonar (in PPC) for paperless caching

GSAK in your PC for management of the PQ files of all hte caches you download from, geocaching.com

National Geographic Topo (for PC) wiht Pocket PC add-on for your PPC for 24K topo maps.

Edited January 2, 2006 by Alan2

[+ekanow]

Alan2, thanks so very much for the info, looking into the siftwae now.

[+Alan2]

Alan2, thanks so very much for the info, looking into the siftwae now.

Oh I forgot gpxtomaplet to convert all the caches from the GSAK gpx files into icons that can be overlayed into the Mapopolis street maps so you can see the caches as you drive around, get info about them and then auto-navigate to them if you desire.