Pda's To Gpsr

[+gps_junky]

I have read quite a few articals here in the forums and think I understand how to do the paperless caching thing. Thanks for all the help from everyone on that issue. NEW QUESTION. I have read in a cuple of the articles that "it might" be possible to hook your PDA with the gps so you don't need a laptop puter with you when you go on vacation or whatever. Does anyone have any idea if this "could" happen or have any links to any info on doing it. NOTE: I curintlly do not have a palm, I just won one on ebay but have not gotten it. But it would be much appricated if anyone can tell me what will work or perhaps what dosn't work any help would be nice... Just for the record, I have a etrex Legend and I want to say my palm is a Sony Cipris (somthing like that) III (I think) Dont' know much about that thing yet.... But if it matters, I will find out and post on this Forum....

[CoyoteRed]

I've been wondering the same thing. Here's a web site that sells the cables. You'd have to look around for software to pusht he waypoints to the unit, though. Cachemate has a plugin that is supposed to work, but I've not tried it yet.

[+Bullfrog Eh-Team]

Not sure about those PDAs that are 'Palm' variety. But if your PDA is a PPC (Pocket PC), you should be able to link to the internet with wireless and/or Blue Tooth, and download your 'Pocket Query' or other .GPX file from Geocaching.com, and then dump it to the GPSr for paperless geocaching.

I haven't done this yet; but am interested in how this thread progresses, since I am using an iPAQ PPC along with my Garmin map60CS for paperless caching now (but I still require the direct desktop computer link to get data from GC). I'd like to 'go portable' for the entire operation.

PS - I'm using GSAK in the 'puter', and cachemate mobile on the PDA.

[ElevenBravo]

I am doing it now, have discarded my aged GPSr for this setup...

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=135695

 

HTH,

ElevenBravo

[+Renegade Knight]

You can hook your GPS to you're PDA. The GPS needs a way to connect a cable to the PDA and the PDA typically needs a serial connection.

 

Then you need software for the PDA that does what you need it to do. Something like Garmins' City Select for the PDA (but since you can get that with a Compact Flash GPS you don't really need the GPS anymore) or Mapopolis. There are other mapping programs that will work but not all of them have routing.

 

The bottom line is that you need to start by figuring out what you want to do, then figure out if there is software that supports it, then figure out what type of PDA will do it. (example, at the time I got my PDA USGS map based Topo sofware only existed for pocket pc).

[ElevenBravo]

I really dont want to start an argument over Palm Vs. PPC, that said.. and as I have owned both... The practical and ready to deploy solutions are most readily avaliable for the PPC.

 

See my link above...

 

I will be updating my post with pictures and video as soon as I can.

 

ElevenBravo

[+Maingray]

Only thing you need to watch for with the Palms is their tendency to now use (mini) USB connections to talk to the PC, rather than their older universal serial -based connection... these are not compatible with GPSr that also use USB, as both are considered "slave" units. Unless there is now some new fangled way around this. Palms with bluetooth would obviously be OK with bluetooth GPSr.

 

I played around with GPSr and a Palm setup (+Mapopolis and Cachemate) last year or so but its kinda clunky to carry around in the field, and battery life was a worry. I much prefer the smaller rugged handhelds now, and reserve the PDA setup for a backup solution (both for GPSr use and sending waypoints to a backup GPSr in rare absence of a laptop). I do tend to have a laptop for longer trips, GSAK is the key component in this.

Edited June 16, 2006 by Maingray