Paperless Caching Set Up Success

[+WeR3]

Success

 

1. Old Palm VX not used in 3+ years.

 

2. Struggled to find charger - had it in a box of wall warts.

 

3. Charged Overnight.

 

3. Tried to turn it on. Dead

 

4. Searched Internet for Replacement Batteries. Said a few bad words to myself.

 

5. Read the Palm troubleshooting guide on the web site. AH - push the reset button. And low and behold I have a Palm VX.

 

6. Installed the palm desktop application. Entered one memo note record. Hotsync success.

 

7. Installed Cachemate.

 

8. Ran cachmate on the palm and it ran.

 

9. Generated 10 query pocket query run.

 

10. Used Cachmate file conversion tool cmconvert.exe. Imported pocket query.

 

11. Saved PDB file and auto hotsynced pdb file.

 

10. Cache pages on the Palm.

 

11. One happy camper.

 

12. Will buy the full version of cachmate and load up the palm.

 

The total cost of supplies $8 - Cachemate

 

The value to WeR3 - Priceless!

 

Thanks for the helpful threads.

[+IndyTechNerd]

My IPAQ only leaves my console of my car when I'm charging it. Like your Palm, it was largely forgotten and collecting dust before I started geocaching. Now, it gets more use than it ever did.

 

Good hunting, hope you have fun!

[Aushiker]

Well done.

 

Andrew

[+briansnat]

What's a wall wart?

[+sbell111]

I think its one of those plastic things that you stick into an outlet so your toddlers don't glow.

Edited February 3, 2006 by sbell111

[+Team Teuton]

A wall wart is usually a battery charger. One of those little black transformers that stay plugged in all the time whether it's charging a battery or not.

[+RockyRaab]

Since you've saved so much by not needing a new PDA, treat yourself with a copy of GSAK as well. Fabulous software with the best followup service you can imagine.

[luckykoi]

I got a palm m500 on Ebay for $20.00 plus shipping. (It came in the mail last Monday. I'm using Spinner and Plucker and am very happy with this set up. The palm cost me less then the price of one ink cartridge for my printer.

[+Cyclometh]

Unbelievable. This story inspired me.

 

1) Found my old Palm III (!) which I haven't used in at least 5 years. In a desk drawer. HotSync cradle, complete with serial port, in drawer next to it. I'm pleasantly surprised- this is the first thing that's gone right tech-wise today.

 

2) Replaced AAA batteries- no recharging for the old grey hand-brick.

 

3) Fired up, buzzed for a sec, then came up fine. Once again, I'm pleasantly surprised.

 

4) Go to Palm website, find that PalmOS 3.3 is available for the Palm III. Go to Cachemate website, find that Cachemate works on PalmOS 3.X. Joy!

 

5) Install Palm Desktop and Hotsync.

 

6) Hook up my USB-Serial adapter (which I also use for my GPS and GSAK- that thing's paying for itself in a BIG way) and plug the HotSync cradle in.

 

7) Syncs on first try. Now I'm quite happy.

 

8) Download PalmOS 3.3, install it, reboot. Still looking good.

 

9) Download trial version of Cachemate, install it (no problem) and it runs!

 

10) Get a Pocket Query going (100 caches, starting at home, any type, within 100 miles, run once and delete).

 

11) Get query results from email, run through GSAK and put on Palm.

 

12) With trepidation, Hotsync Palm and open CM- Get registration warning for 10 records, but who cares? Check out some of my caches that I had in GSAK before, and they're all there, complete with all the stuff I need.

 

13) Pay for Cachemate. While waiting for email with reg code, write this entry.

 

I had no idea I could go paperless with my crusty old Palm III. This is freakin' AWESOME. I'm as giddy as a little girl.

 

-Cyclometh

[+WeR3]

Excellent. I'm glad you were inspired. I'm now looking for my Palm 3 so that I can do the same as I did for the VX and give it to my daughter. Very cool.

[+Cyclometh]

Excellent. I'm glad you were inspired. I'm now looking for my Palm 3 so that I can do the same as I did for the VX and give it to my daughter. Very cool.

 

Yeah, when I first read about paperless caching, I thought about my old Palm III, but said to myself "nah, that thing's way too old to run anything like that." But then I gave it a shot and hit up 3 benchmarks and two caches yesterday with my son in tow. So much much easier with a PDA and a GPS than anything else.

[+Guitar4Him]

All this is exciting and useful. Just wait to you take the plunge and figure out how to use cm2gpx.exe to get the found caches back from your palm into GSAK. No more having to populate the fields in GSAK for your found caches. It even makes uploading the found data to geocaching.com easy.

 

This is a complete system for geocaching. It rocks! Thanks Smitty!!!

[+I.R. Geonut]

I think its one of those plastic things that you stick into an outlet so your toddlers don't glow.

at this.

 

Way cool. Congrats!

Edited February 5, 2006 by I.R. Geonut

[+Cyclometh]

All this is exciting and useful. Just wait to you take the plunge and figure out how to use cm2gpx.exe to get the found caches back from your palm into GSAK. No more having to populate the fields in GSAK for your found caches. It even makes uploading the found data to geocaching.com easy.

 

This is a complete system for geocaching. It rocks! Thanks Smitty!!!

 

OT, but is that a VTX 1800 in your avatar?

 

All this is exciting and useful. Just wait to you take the plunge and figure out how to use cm2gpx.exe to get the found caches back from your palm into GSAK. No more having to populate the fields in GSAK for your found caches. It even makes uploading the found data to geocaching.com easy.

 

This is a complete system for geocaching. It rocks! Thanks Smitty!!!

 

OT, but is that a VTX 1800 in your avatar?

 

Nevermind, I see that it is- Here's mine.

[+The Canning Clan]

Paperless is definately the way to go..after our first two days of caching we saw the incredible waste of paper. I dug out my Sony Clie and will never turn back.

I'd like to find out how to get more than 1 past log into cachemate though

[+BigFurryMonster]

Do you see all the cache pages like they should appear, including pictures and all?

[+Guitar4Him]

Paperless is definately the way to go..after our first two days of caching we saw the incredible waste of paper. I dug out my Sony Clie and will never turn back.

I'd like to find out how to get more than 1 past log into cachemate though

 

If you'll explain what you want better, I'll try to assist.

 

 

 

OT, but is that a VTX 1800 in your avatar?

 

Nevermind, I see that it is- Here's mine.

 

Are you a member of the VTXOA forum?

[+Maeglin]

I'd like to find out how to get more than 1 past log into cachemate though

Tap the log date, and be enlightened

Edited February 6, 2006 by Maeglin

[+Guitar4Him]

I'd like to find out how to get more than 1 past log into cachemate though

Tap the log date, and be enlightened

 

If you have a Palm device with a jog wheel, you can press "Down" and it will scroll down the list

[+Guitar4Him]

Once you get CacheMate working correctly, there's a Macro available for GSAK that will import the data from the CacheMate program, populate the entries in GSAK with the "Found" information from CacheMate and then, one-by-one, call up the online page for each cache where you can paste the information for that found cache from the clipboard. It makes importing the "Found" information and updating the online pages a snap.

 

Here's a link to the Macro page:

 

GSAK Macros

 

The one you want is called "CacheMateLog.txt"

[+Maeglin]

If you have a Palm device with a jog wheel, you can press "Down" and it will scroll down the list

...and, if you don't, the up/down buttons do the same thing.

[+Cyclometh]

 

 

OT, but is that a VTX 1800 in your avatar?

 

Nevermind, I see that it is- Here's mine.

 

Are you a member of the VTXOA forum?

 

Ha- I thought your handle sounded familiar. Yeah, I've seen you there before.

 

Paperless is definately the way to go..after our first two days of caching we saw the incredible waste of paper. I dug out my Sony Clie and will never turn back.

I'd like to find out how to get more than 1 past log into cachemate though

 

On my Palm III, Cachemate shows "Log" and "Past Logs". The page down button shows previous logs. I don't know how the Clie works but it should have something similar.