GPS on your PDA

[Captain Chaoss]

I've been caching for years with a GPS, but last year added a pocket pc for wirless caching. Recently got a CF GPS card for voice guided navigation to the caches, making my Axim ppc even more useful.

 

Then, a month ago, I found the "Back Country Navigator program ! Now, I've got topo and aerial maps added to my arsenal. Loving this program ! Anybody else using their PDA / Pocket PC this way ? Which system, software, etc. are you having success with ?

 

I will always have my GPS, it can take WAY more abuse than the Dell, but this has really made my pocket pc a whole new animal.

[+jcblough]

I use cachemate myself.

[+NightPilot]

I have a Palm, and I use Cetus, occasionally CacheNav in Cachemate for caching. Mostly, though I just use my Garmin for navigation while walking. While driving, I use Mapopolis. All the features of the high-end car nav systems for $100, if you don't count the cost of the Palm, which I already had.

[+CYBret]

GeoNiche for Palm

 

Bret

[+TrailGators]

GeoNiche for Palm

Bret

This looks very cool! I have used CacheNav in Cachemate with with iQue but this looks like it is a lot better! I'll have to give it a try!

[+Bad_CRC]

In the past couple months, I've gotten totally addicted to PDAs... I bought a palm IIIxe for caching. loved it, bought a sony clie to have color pictures, loved that. my gf was jealous, so I bought her a Tungsten E palm, I was jealous of that, so I bought myself a axim X50 PPC, and now I'm getting a GPS card for that.

 

 

I just love the thing so far. Can't wait to try it with GPS, since it does everything else. heck, I'm even reading this forum using it.

 

Don't know if I'll cache with it though, as I don't want to drop it off a cliff or fall on it.

[+flamejobgrrl]

I was using cachemate, but I like the free version GPXSonar better. There are a few features that are superior on the free version over the paid version of cachemate. Best of luck.

[+TrailGators]

I was using cachemate, but I like the free version GPXSonar better. There are a few features that are superior on the free version over the paid version of cachemate. Best of luck.

Now I am curious.....What are the few features on GPXSonar that are superior?

[+geoduck.5]

I use BeeLine GPS, and have benn trying out a newcomer, Smache. These are both for PocketPC PDA's.

[+Runfrog]

What about GSAK??? I'm fighting getting stuff on my Palm. its worse than ten DNF's in a day. GSAK is super complicated. I want the dummy version that WORKS. Remember computers are/were supposed to make our lives EASIER, have they? I say no.

Edited December 21, 2006 by Runfrog

[+NightPilot]

GSAK is super simple, unless you want it to be complicated. You only need to use a few of the icons on the toolbar to do everything you really need. One click on the Cachemate icon sends all the caches in GSAK to a Cachemate file. If you tick the Hotsync to Palm box in the final dialog, all you have to do is click Okay and then hotsync. One click on the Open icon opens your zipped pocket queries, then one click to send to Cachemate, and you're ready to go. GSAK has lots of features, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to. I have several filters set up that show only the caches I want, but it's not the end of the world if you put everything on the Palm.

 

Computers are stone stupid. They can only do exactly what you tell them to, in exactly the way you tell them to do it. You just have to know how to tell them.

[+Alan2]

I use Mapopolis on my iPaq PPPC for auto navigating. With gpxtomaplet you can create icon for all the cches and overlay them onto the street map. CLick once and you get basic ionfo about the cache like miles from home, smartname, D/T, type container, cache type, etc. Click and hold and you auto navigate the street to the cache (nearest street location). You can also use Mapopolis gps screen for navigating off road.

 

ALso National Geographic Pocket Topo for 24K topo maps in real time and gpxsonar for paperless caching.

[+geocacher_coza]

GSAK is super simple, unless you want it to be complicated.

I second that! I use GSAK and Cachemate on my Garmin Ique 3600 with great success and ease!

[+Jeeperman]

I have an Axim X51-V with BackCountry Navigator for my maps/aerials...... have both GPXSonar on the AX and GSAK on the PC. Giving CacheMate a try.....but can't get it to see the GPS....... But with the others... I really don't need it anyway....just like trying all the programs I can. All I have to do is Export the GSAK files to a folder on my SD Card......Import them with my BCN........They're on the maps.....then I can just use the GPXSonar to keep track of everything...... I DO love my AX!

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Take a look at PC Miler for use with a GPS, PDA and SmartPhones!

[+geocacher_coza]

I downloaded Geoniche yesterday after reading here about it. It seemed a nice program at the time so I went ahead and bought the registered version. This is where my problems started.

It seems like Geoniche still have a lot of problems. I cannot get it to work at all now on my GArmin Ique 3600. I also cannot convert all GPX files to Palm database files. Some work, some dont!

Seems like I should stick with GSAK and Cachemate. At least the authors of these programs back up their product 100%

I have sent emails but get no answer. Maybe it is because the Xmas period, but surly if someone choose to market a product he should back it up no matter what time of the year it is.

[+naviguesser74]

i use geoniche on a palm and love it. can store targets on SD card and move in and out of internal memory. i use gpsvisualizer to convert a downloaded .gpx file to a geoniche .pdb file. then transfer to SD card. never have any problems. however, i don't try to connect to a garmin -- no need to. a gpsglobal BT GPSr plus palm and geoniche is better than a garmin, in my opinion.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

a gpsglobal BT GPSr plus palm and geoniche...

IS effectively a Garmin Ique 3600 isn't it? Aren't you reinventing the wheel?

 

Ed

Edited December 24, 2006 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+Bad_CRC]

oh my goodness.

 

I just found GpxSonar ( http://gpxsonar.homeip.net/cs/ )

 

wow. so much better than the other things I've tried. loads GPX files from pocket queries without any modification or work required. I can download them right from email to my Axim without even turning on a PC.

 

wow.

 

and it's free.

[+KansasRTs]

In the past couple months, I've gotten totally addicted to PDAs... I bought a palm IIIxe for caching. loved it, bought a sony clie to have color pictures, loved that. my gf was jealous, so I bought her a Tungsten E palm, I was jealous of that, so I bought myself a axim X50 PPC, and now I'm getting a GPS card for that.

 

 

I just love the thing so far. Can't wait to try it with GPS, since it does everything else. heck, I'm even reading this forum using it.

 

Don't know if I'll cache with it though, as I don't want to drop it off a cliff or fall on it.

 

I know this is probably a stupid ?...but I am new to my AXIM x51v....How do you use it as a GPS? I saw where you had wrote about a GPS card...what is that all about? Sorry I am just kinda a little stupid about this new toy of mine.

[+NightPilot]

You can buy CF cards that have a GPS built into them. You just insert the card into the CF slot and you have a GPS. Google should find you several.

[+Bad_CRC]

I know this is probably a stupid ?...but I am new to my AXIM x51v....How do you use it as a GPS? I saw where you had wrote about a GPS card...what is that all about? Sorry I am just kinda a little stupid about this new toy of mine.

 

well I just got the card for christmas, so i don't know how well it works yet (it finds my house when I turn it on in my bedroom, but that's as much as I've done.)

 

I got this one: http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GR-271&cat=GPS

 

it seems to work well for being so cheap. I still have to try it with some better software (the software it comes with only gives coordinates and nothing more as far as I can tell. I have virtual earth and microsoft something or other downloaded on it, but they require internet access, and I don't imagine there will be wifi everywhere. I also bought streets and trips 2006 which comes with pocket streets (2007 doesn't) and someone told me that I should be able to download waypoints into that, which should be cool, and probably work fine for geocaching (maybe).

 

if you get one and find some good software, let me know, as I'm still experimenting and haven't found the "perfect" software yet.

 

though gpxsonar is a definite must have for pocket pc geocachers!

[+Alan2]

gpspassion.com is a great resourse for GPS's used with PPC's, etc.

[+fratermus]

GSAK is super simple, unless you want it to be complicated.

 

Like the ability to select a few arbitrary records and perform a simple action on them? Maddening.

 

Computers are stone stupid. They can only do exactly what you tell them to, in exactly the way you tell them to do it. You just have to know how to tell them.

 

Agreed. So I find it odd that the GSAK author appears to have gone out of his way to make his interface so freaking weird. I am pretty good at compiling/installing/configuring software on several operating systems and gsak is just perverse. It's the Lotus Blotes of the geocaching world. IMO and YMMV, of course.

 

That's my rant for the day.

 

ObThread: I run Plucker viewer on the Treo.

[+Buddaman]

Easy Gps and cachmate

what can I say i'm cheep(yes I did pay the 8 bucks)

[+NightPilot]

What's so hard about selecting some records in GSAK and doing something with them? Just tick the user box, filter for caches with the user box checked, and do what you want. I admit there is no simple icon to do that, but it's not all that arcane. I've seen far worse.

 

BTW, there are also GPS receivers on SD cards. A couple coming out have microSD slots built in, so you can have your SDIO GPS and an SD card too. There are a number of GPS software programs for Palm, and probably for PPC too. The Cachemate plugin CacheNav is decent, and I think it is probably in the PPC version as well as the Palm one.

Edited December 29, 2006 by NightPilot

[+geocacher_coza]

So I find it odd that the GSAK author appears to have gone out of his way to make his interface so freaking weird.

WOW! Nothing weird abount GSAK! VERY nice program! AND easy to use. Good value for money

The combination of GSAK and Cachemate for a PDA/GPS is unbeatable

Edited December 29, 2006 by geocacher_coza

[+TrailGators]

So I find it odd that the GSAK author appears to have gone out of his way to make his interface so freaking weird.

WOW! Nothing weird abount GSAK! VERY nice program! AND easy to use. Good value for money

The combination of GSAK and Cachemate for a PDA/GPS is unbeatable

I agree. I think that some of the advanced features can be a little bit confusing but all in all it is a very useful program.