Ppc Help

[+denali7]

Alright, so I've heard over and over how great it is to use Gsak, so I try once again to figure it all out. I finally have Gsak and Cachemate successfully installed on my pc and ppc (ipaq). i've run several pq's now, put them in Gsak, and...nothing. I just can't get them sent to Cachemate. I was doing great with a tutorial I saw here somewhere, a link from a Florida caching site, but when it gets to the last step something is wrong and I don't know where the problem is. The last screen, where I sync the ppc and send the files into Cachemate isn't showing ANYTHING in the first two boxes (the long boxes at the top of the page). The second box has an empty dropdwon menu, but the tutorial shows that there should be something in there about where the file will be going. The first box seems to be where I name the file, but I don't understand if the name should have a special suffix or just anything I choose to call it. I'm not even sure which program is causing te problem. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, as I am really tired of loading caches one at a time into my ppc through Easgps. For that matter, if there is a way to load an entire list of caches into GPXsonar using Easygps, I'd LOVE to know about how to do that, too. Thanks to anyone who can help at all.

[+Steel City Seekers]

Don't use cachemate, so I can't help you with your root problem. However, you shouldn't need EasyGPS or GSAK to load an entire list of caches into GPXSonar. You should (I do) be able to simply move the .gpx file to the Pocket PCs My Documents directory in either the main memory or a storage card, then open GPXSonar, then open the .gpx file. Make sure that you extract the zipped file before copying to the Pocket PC if you are receiving your pocket query as a zip.

 

Again, not being a cachemate user, one thing that might come to mind is that maybe you have to have the Pocket PC turned on and docked for the software to see potential locations.

[+denali7]

That sounds great, SCS. I know this sounds like a dumb question, but how do I do what you just described? I don't know anything at all about zipped files and what it means to extract. Could you tell me in sort of a step by step way how you do this?

[+Steel City Seekers]

Well, wait, let's back up one more step. Do you have the GPXSonar program installed to your PocketPC? If not, you need to visit the website and download the software, then follow the installation instructions to get it on the PDA. If you don't have this done, I could post some additonal step-by-step for it if you like, I'd just have to look it all up.

 

Now, with regard to zipped files, are you using Windows XP? If so, then you only have to save the e-mail attachment to your hard drive, find that file, right-click on it, and tell it to extract all files to the existing folder or some other place on your computer where you can find it. The pocket query probably has two files zipped to it. One is a rather large file with the cache information that you want, and the other is additional waypoints where people have added parking coordinates and the such. Maybe later you want to import them both, but for now, just stick with the larger file until you are familiar with the program.

 

Copy the larger .gpx file that you've extracted to your My Documents sync folder -- the one you created when you installed the Pocket PC. Then dock the Pocket PC and let it sync. Then, open GPXSonar, then open the .gpx file. Alternatively, you can find the Pocket PC with Windows Explorer. It should show up as another drive when the Pocket PC is docked and on. Using Windows Explorer, you can find the folder you want, but I suggest putting in the Pocket PCs main memory under My Documents or in a top-level directory on a storage card that you have named "My Documents."

 

Also, you can have your pocket query delivered to your e-mail unzipped, so that the actual .gpx file is attached to the e-mail. You have to change this at the bottom of the pocket query setup page, and it does send a much larger file, of course.

 

Sorry for the not-so-easy-to-follow post I've likely created here, but it should help with the zipped files. I can help with anything else you might need if you post back.

[+denali7]

That works perfectly! I've always used GPXSonar, but when I tried to send a list of caches to it in the past all I got was the list of titles, so I just got in the habit of downloading them into EasyGPS, opening them one at a time, and sending them to the ppc documents folder one at a time. I've been playing around with the ppa lately, wanting to use more of the features I previously ignored.

(I can hear you laughing!)

 

I never actually let the pocket query come to me, I always just previewed my lists and used "click to download." I've been playing with GSAK and Cachemate all afternoon, just to do what you explained how to do using GPXSonar the RIGHT way. I'd be embarrassed to admit how much time I've wasted entering caches into my ipaq one at a time before long caching days, you'd think I was nuts!

Thanks more than I can tell you! [applause smiley]

[+Steel City Seekers]

Great! You're welcome, and I'm glad you got it. I love being able to take so much information with me when away from the computer. Almost, not quite, but almost like having the gc.com website with you. GPXSonar is quite powerful for sorting, searching, etc. Not as much as GSAK, but powerful nonetheless.

 

And, yes, much more time efficient and informative then one-at-a-time through EasyGPS.