Hip Deep In The Learning Curve.

[+Team J.A.R.]

Usually I do good reading other posts. searching forums and getting answers to my questions. Right now my brain hurts and I'm getting frustrated. So... just gonna ask for help from the experts!

 

Lets see... so far we have bought and returned the Garmin Legend (just didn't care for it). We have now purchased, and are still waiting for delivery on, the Garmin GPS60cs. Since I am too impatient, and want to play tomorrow, we borrowed my in-laws unit (GPS 60). So all is good, right?? LOL Sort of. After getting my unused Pal Pilot Zire31 to work (dl new software, reboot a few times) lots of fun, I downloaded and paid for Cachemate. I also paid for and am waiting for my premium membership on geocaching.com.

 

So here's what I have:

Windows XP

Garmin GPSmap 60cs (MapSource installed on PC)

Palm Pilot Zire31 (with CacheMate)

Basic membership (upgrade to premium pending)

Oh and Google Earth with my trips waypoints manually entered.

 

My issues: (Ill stick the the gps related ones )

 

1. How to get waypoints onto my GPS. (Can I get them out of google earth into map source?) MapSource doesn't seem to want to take LOC files. Do I have to wait for my premium membership so that I can do pocket querries?

 

2. How to get all the info (not just basic) into my palm pilot. With the converted loc file I don't get the description or hint.

 

I think i've got he rest of the basics. I'll tackle routes, pocket querries, and whtever else when my brian stops hurting.

 

Thanks for the help,

Mary (Team J.A.R.)

[+Miragee]

Here is the link where you can create Pocket Queries. And, here is where you can learn more than you probably need to know right now about PQs.

 

And other helpful software is available.

 

The learning curve for GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) was very steep for me, however I finally figured it out and don't know how I could cache without it. Here is a rudimentary GSAK tutorial.

 

You can send all the waypoints to your GPSr from GSAK. You can also Export in the correct format for Cachemate on your Palm.

 

You don't say which "Mapsource" you have on your PC. If you don't already have either City Select or City Navigator, you will want to get those maps for the auto-routing feature on your GPSr. You can download the latest version of Mapsource from the Garmin site. It can read .loc and .gpx files.

 

Welcome to the addiction!

[+Team J.A.R.]

 

And other helpful software is available.

 

The learning curve for GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) was very steep for me, however I finally figured it out and don't know how I could cache without it. Here is a rudimentary GSAK tutorial.

 

You can send all the waypoints to your GPSr from GSAK. You can also Export in the correct format for Cachemate on your Palm.

 

You don't say which "Mapsource" you have on your PC. If you don't already have either City Select or City Navigator, you will want to get those maps for the auto-routing feature on your GPSr. You can download the latest version of Mapsource from the Garmin site. It can read .loc and .gpx files.

 

Welcome to the addiction!

 

Wow thanks for the quick response.

 

I will check out all the links you gave me. I just figured out how to get the loc files into MapSource (Trip & Waypoint Manager - newest version from Garmin site).

 

When you say that I can export in the correct format for my palm, what is the correct format and where am I exporting it from?

 

And yes, addicted is putting it mildly.

[+Team J.A.R.]

Oh when I fially imported the loc file into MapSource my waypoints showed up with their GC name. Will this get resolved when I start downloading in GPX format?

 

Right now I can only seem to be able to download in loc. Am I doing something wrong or do I just need to wait until my premium membership is activated?

 

Mary

[+Team Teuton]

When you become a premium member you can get Pockey Querys which are available as a .gpx file.

 

Open that file with GSAK. From GSAk you can send the waypoints to the GPS and export all the cache page information to your PDA.

 

The links Miragee posted will get you there.

[+Miragee]

You have to wait until your Premium Membership is activated to get the .gpx files. GSAK has a "Smart Name" feature so you will get useful waypoint names on your GPSr.

 

In GSAK (which you can use for free for 21 days before the nag screens start), under File/Export the Cachemate format is in the list. GSAK will create a .pdb file and even get it queued for Install on the next HotSync.

 

I put the icons for the programs I use most frequently on the GSAK tool bar. The little azure "world" for Cachemate is right in the center.

[+Team J.A.R.]

When you become a premium member you can get Pockey Querys which are available as a .gpx file.

 

Open that file with GSAK. From GSAk you can send the waypoints to the GPS and export all the cache page information to your PDA.

 

The links Miragee posted will get you there.

 

Very good. Thank You! Looks like I need to wait for my membership to go through. Going to dl GSAK.

 

Thanks for the answers.

Mary

[+Team J.A.R.]

You have to wait until your Premium Membership is activated to get the .gpx files. GSAK has a "Smart Name" feature so you will get useful waypoint names on your GPSr.

 

In GSAK (which you can use for free for 21 days before the nag screens start), under File/Export the Cachemate format is in the list. GSAK will create a .pdb file and even get it queued for Install on the next HotSync.

 

I put the icons for the programs I use most frequently on the GSAK tool bar. The little azure "world" for Cachemate is right in the center.

 

TY so much. Glad I asked all my questions!

Mary

[+briansnat]

You're jumping into the pool all at once with Cachemate, PQ's, GSAK, etc... No wonder your brain hurts.

 

You should take it one step a time. Hand enter coords for your first few caches. After a few finds, then use something very easy like EasyGPS to load waypoints to your unit. Once you're familiar with that you can start running PQs then moving up to GSAK (heck I've been at this 5 years and have just started using GSAK after being very happy with EasyGPS all along).

[+Team J.A.R.]

You're jumping into the pool all at once with Cachemate, PQ's, GSAK, etc... No wonder your brain hurts.

 

You should take it one step a time. Hand enter coords for your first few caches. After a few finds, then use something very easy like EasyGPS to load waypoints to your unit. Once you're familiar with that you can start running PQs then moving up to GSAK (heck I've been at this 5 years and have just started using GSAK after being very happy with EasyGPS all along).

 

ROFL

 

My evil computer nerd gene is showing isn't it??? I did hand enter my first few. On Saturday I spent all day (and I mean all day) entereing coordinates into google earth so I could easily see my map and the roads we would be taking. I then copied and pasted the Cache name, corrdinates, description and hint (encrypeted of course) to a word document. This allowed me to get the info on 17 caches on to 4 sheets of apper. I am down to green and black ink so I'm trying to conserve. About half way through the day my evil computer nerd gene decided there had to be a better way. Of course there is so I upgraded my membership, realized it was not instant, and kept copying. The area that we are doing tomorrow covers quite a bit of teritory and its an area that we frequent (even before the addiction of geocaching!) so we wanted to get as many points as we could. We have 4WD but our companions do not. We will be re-visinting for the harder areas I'm sure.

 

Now I'm in between both worlds. My brain goes to the bigger solutions (more info, more transfers, less data entry, automated.. automated.. automated). Unfortunatly I'm just not caught up yet. This is how I ended up learning to program HTML pages and ACCESS. That evil gene knows there has got to be an eaiser way. Now I know too mcuh to go back.

 

I truly am one of those people that knows just enough to get myself into trouble and not enough to get out of it! I'm better off when I don't knwo what I am missing.

 

Mary

 

- now if only my upgrade would go through, It will prolly happen Wednesday (also the day I am supposed to get my very own GPSr).

[+parker313]

If you do a search on paperless caching, you'll get even more info to pore over. I'm a big ol' dork too and am jumping in headfirst with CacheMate and GSAK and a Palm to go with my GPSr. I love techie toys

Edited July 4, 2006 by parker313

[+Team J.A.R.]

If you do a search on paperless caching, you'll get even more info to pore over. I'm a big ol' dork too and am jumping in headfirst with CacheMate and GSAK and a Palm to go with my GPSr. I love techie toys

 

Why suffer a step at a time when you can jump in and get it over with (deep end of the pool sink or swim). LMAO.

 

Honestly I think I mostly got ahead of myself. Seeing the stuff I could do with a premium membership and now waiting for it to go through... Daddy I want IT NOW (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

 

Happy Swimming, I mean caching.

 

LOL If this isn't the best game for electronic dorks I don't know what is! Happy 4th.