POCKET PC AND BLUETOOH RECEIVERS

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Hello All Geocacher's

 

I would like to hear about your experiences with ppc gps and the programs you use and how accurate are your hunts compared to a regular gps as for me i am new and use a ipaq 2490 with 2 extra mem cards , wifi, and globalsat BT-338 , the first hunt i did with navigato2 was pretty good , now using geoscout which makes me completly paperless and independant of my laptop , i can download new caches at the coffee shop or from my car, found this to be Great ! Has anybody compared a regular gps accuracy to a ppc with gps ?????? I have not but will soon buy a gps for my small son who loved are experience , wonder what type of unit i could by and are any of the new models paperless ????

Cheers to all Geocachers

[+JBDragon]

I'm going the paperless way also. I got tired of all the ink being wasted, and all the paper being thrown away when done. Besides I really didn't have many places printed out at a time. Now I can have hundreds of places to go to at any time. I can even find new ones on the road because of all the OPEN WiFi locations almost everywhere you go. I just got a used, but looks NEW HP Ipaq 2795B runnings Windows Mobile 5.0.

 

I've had it for 1 week now, and I'm just getting used to using it before installing any software until a couple days ago. Now I'm trying out CacheMate and GPXSonar and seeing which one I like the best on it. Now if I can figure out a way to easy transfer all the data back to Geocache.com that I've found or not, along with Notes and pictures, I'd be set. I always take a picture or 2 at every place I go to. Like to remember where I've been.

 

Also trying to get used to GSAK on my Vista PC. I've used EasyGPS before, and I've done things the hard way using that, since I didn't know about the Build Pocket Queries feature. This is a lot better. I'm still trying to figure things out.

 

Normally before I would use EasyGPS and dump the way points into my Garmin 2610 and Garmin GPS60. Then using my Printouts, I'd select a way point on the 2610 and have it lead me where I need to go and get in the general area, then I would use the GPS60 hand held to find the final location. Then take my picture and go on to the next place repeating. Then get home and manually enter all the places I found and upload the pictures also.

 

I'm looking as getting a GPS thing for my IPaq. I'm kind of thinking of going with one that plugs into the Compact Flash Port as then it's right there, I could get a Blue Tooth one and use that, but how am I going to hold that also? It needs to be in the open to pick up good I would thing. If I can not have to use the GPS60, that's one less thing to carry everywhere, I can just carry the IPAQ and of course my Camera. I'm just not sure which way to go yet. I really don't need to use it for my car as that's what the 2610 is for and works great and the Map Software I keep Updated already.

 

I'm just trying to figure this all out. The Simpler and quicker it's going to be and still allow me to do everything I want, the better.

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Thanks for your input , by the way you can use the bluetooth receivers , mine came with a belt case and reception is great even with my big winter jacket on .

Please post how your doing with the paperless geocaching , heres a few programs you might want to try beelinegps , gpstuner5, and my favorite Geoscout , it can download cache descriptions ,maps ,clues, moving position(trace) compass and lots more and every cache is in place automaticly , for premium members of Groundspeak only , they have a 30 day free trial worth trying, let me know , what works best for you and update your comments so we can all profit from each others experience

Keep on Geocaching !

[+JBDragon]

I have a Compact Flash GPS Receiver on order. I would rather have it attached then another piece of hardware on me even if it is attached on my belt. I have enough on my belt. Knife(You never know!), GPS 60 at times when I'm not holding it, and cell phone just in case. Now add to that the Pocket PC, though I think I won't have to deal with using the GPS60, so a basic swap plus my Camera, since I take a picture at each location I go to, at least the General Area, or right at the Cache, not to big of a clue for others to see.

 

I've been a Premium Member of Groundspeak(Geocaching.com for over a year, but I always did things the slow hard way and printing everything out. Now I'm starting to learn now to do things a little easier. I was using EasyGPS to dump the waypoints into my 2 garmin units, I have just this week switched over to GSAK on my Vista PC. I'm also looking at Cachemate and GPXSonar for the PPC mainly, but am also taking a look at BeeLineGPS and GeoScout. I'm not 100% sure which I'll use for sure yet, or maybe a couple of them. I have to try them all out a whole lot better and see what features I like the best. Right now Cachemate and GSAK seem to be the best Combo, but it's still to early to tell. It'll help once I get the GPS receiver and I can use all the programs full Capabilities. I also have GPS Tuner 5, and also was going to look at BackCountry Navigator. There seems like there's all kinds of programs for a PPC. Almost confusing but at least I have a large selection to pick from, and that's always a good thing.

 

I've had my PPC now for not quite a week so far, and I'm not only using it for GeoCaching, but other things also like my DVD Database, and even Game playing, not to mention the calender is nice and I have my Local Weather on the Main screen at all times. Even a little streaming Music and Video. I've done quite a bit in so little time. It's all NEW to me.

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Hello BJ Dragon

Great , i sure would like know how you find the compact flash GPS, here's how im setup hx2490 ipaq with 128 meg , processer 600 ,1 gig sd card regular not high speed and 1 half gig scandisk card also regular, with the bluettoh receiver very small, wifi, bluetooth, infrared , Wm5 and i use it for work so i have lots of stuff on it plus i use worldmate for the wheather very practical. I have many gps programs i bought beeline, navigator2,gpstuner and geoscout.

I have tried many programs , backcountry i found too difficult , the others all needed at least to programs to do what i needed, with the geoscout , i do not need the others i don't even need my laptop or home computer , i can do it straight off my ppc , using wifi anywhere its available or if im home if its on its cradel it uses the highspeed internet through my usb port , my choice of geoscout is i only need 1 program i have the following, cache lists and subfolders if you want , found ones are green in my case not many lol , a description page with decrypter if theres a clue , a waypoints page if needed to add, a map of the area , compass, gps #of sats and strengh, read and write nmea , this helped me with a receiver configuration problem i had , good for other stuff too , also you can choose to see close by caches if there in your database on the map which has a trace line as you move , im told there's more features coming, hey this is the only one that gives me a 1 year of updates as they become available and they answered every e-mail i sent , can't say the same for others i have, and also theres a page for Groundspeak only members for your user name and password so you download your cache locations right into your database all in the same program on the road or from home. PS if you try geoscout get the 1.2.7 from geoscout site the others have version 1.2.0 , which do not have all the features

Please let me know how your new compact flash gps works , programs used or tried , and accuracy compared to your garmin units , for the benifit of all Geocachers ! Feel free to e-mail and please do Post !

[+lspence5]

Stilll new to geocaching. I am using a TREO 700W with a Navibe GB735 Bluetooth receiver. So far it is as accurate as my etrex Legend. Right now I am using BeeLineGPS software but looking for other options.

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Stilll new to geocaching. I am using a TREO 700W with a Navibe GB735 Bluetooth receiver. So far it is as accurate as my etrex Legend. Right now I am using BeeLineGPS software but looking for other options.

 

Hi lspence5

Glad you posted ! I This is the first confirmation i have about the accuracy of the ppc , i to have beeline, also gpstuner5 but i prefer beeline to gpstuner but my favorite for now is geoscout,

Do Please Post again with your comments and experiences with your Treo and any programs you try , guess i won't need to run out and buy a gps to test the accuracy although i will soon for my son , who's only 7 and loved the experience !

Alain

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Stilll new to geocaching. I am using a TREO 700W with a Navibe GB735 Bluetooth receiver. So far it is as accurate as my etrex Legend. Right now I am using BeeLineGPS software but looking for other options.

 

Hi lspence5

Glad you posted ! I This is the first confirmation i have about the accuracy of the ppc , i to have beeline, also gpstuner5 but i prefer beeline to gpstuner but my favorite for now is geoscout,

Do Please Post again with your comments and experiences with your Treo and any programs you try , guess i won't need to run out and buy a gps to test the accuracy although i will soon for my son , who's only 7 and loved the experience !

Alain

 

Sorry lspence5

I forgot to ask you if you were running the program right off your treo or memory card ?

[+lspence5]

Stilll new to geocaching. I am using a TREO 700W with a Navibe GB735 Bluetooth receiver. So far it is as accurate as my etrex Legend. Right now I am using BeeLineGPS software but looking for other options.

 

Hi lspence5

Glad you posted ! I This is the first confirmation i have about the accuracy of the ppc , i to have beeline, also gpstuner5 but i prefer beeline to gpstuner but my favorite for now is geoscout,

Do Please Post again with your comments and experiences with your Treo and any programs you try , guess i won't need to run out and buy a gps to test the accuracy although i will soon for my son , who's only 7 and loved the experience !

Alain

 

Sorry lspence5

I forgot to ask you if you were running the program right off your treo or memory card ?

 

I installed BeeLineGPS to my memory card. I want to try geoscout, but could not find where to download it. Any help would be appreciated.

Edited March 17, 2007 by lspence5

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Hi

Here is one link you can download a 30 day trial

 

http://handheld.softpedia.com/get/GPS/GeoScout-17295.shtml

 

or from

 

http://www.navstation.co.uk/

 

do let us know your experiences for the benifit of all Thanks

[bosmatj]

I am using my HP iPAQ PPC running Pocket PC 2003. I have a 256MB SD card and the Garmin cfQue 1620 GPS unit. The compact flash untis from Garmin are now discontinued since they are making Bluetooth ones, so I got a good deal. I am new to geocaching, but not to GPS navigation, having used them for several years racing sailboats. My cfQue is as accurate as the GPSMAP76 and 76C and 176 that I have used before. It usually puts me within 12-15' of the waypoint. I can zoom to the 120ft level and at 10' accuracy the position indicator covers the waypoint icon.

Thanks,

[+Rocker-Mtl]

I am using my HP iPAQ PPC running Pocket PC 2003. I have a 256MB SD card and the Garmin cfQue 1620 GPS unit. The compact flash untis from Garmin are now discontinued since they are making Bluetooth ones, so I got a good deal. I am new to geocaching, but not to GPS navigation, having used them for several years racing sailboats. My cfQue is as accurate as the GPSMAP76 and 76C and 176 that I have used before. It usually puts me within 12-15' of the waypoint. I can zoom to the 120ft level and at 10' accuracy the position indicator covers the waypoint icon.

Thanks,

Hello bosmatj

Thanks for your contribution to this post , what programs are you running for geocaching? And i am still wondering about the possible difference in precision between a compact flash gps and a bluetooth unit ? I know JBDragon is supposed to give us some news too on how his new ppc and compact flash gps is working out in the field soon, he is not a new comer to geocaching and still has his regular gps , personaly i have only done 6 hunts for the moment because of very cold temperatures and 2 pretty big snow storms , in the 6 hunts i have been accurate to about 3 to 10 feet ,(was i just lucky?) i really can not base much on that yet , until i have a chance to do a cache with a seasoned geocacher using a regular gps plus mine to really see ! With the comments so far it looks promising ! Also i might buy a compact flash gps to see the difference in my mind i would tend to think the compact flash would be faster responding , but i do not know.

[+NateDawgCC]

Hi all, I'm using a XV6700 which is a Windows Mobile 5.0 PPC from Verizon wireless. My GPSr is the Garmin 10, they connect via bluetooth. I have a 2GB MiniSD card in the phone that has plenty of room for the maps, gsx files, some programs and mp3s to listen to on my way through the woods.

 

I'm currently using a few software apps, I hope to find a way to combine some in the future. I have GPXSonar to find the nearest caches and to read about the cache as I'm trying to find it. Qarmin Que gives good turn by turn driving directions to drive me as close as possible to the cache and is useful for road trips. then I use GPSDash2 while I'm hiking in the woods to try and actually find the cache.

 

GPSDash2 works well if you can find a JPG map of the park because, it can be loaded and calibrated with two or three known GPS points I.E. water towers, parking lots, houses, anything that can be seen from Google Earth. map the cords from Google Earth to the points on the JPG.

 

Here is an example of a day spent geocacheing with my set-up in the St. Louis Parks System. The STL Parks System has JPG maps for all all the parks on there website, these maps have the trails and other points of interest marked on them. I download them to the map utility on my laptop for GPSDash2. I then pick out GPS points from Google Earth that match points on the map I then build the map and use Active Sync to send the map and the GPX file for that park to my phone. I use Garmin Que to drive me to the Parking lot. Then I switch to GPXSonar to find the closest Cache and read about it. I then switch to GPSDash2 to guide me to the Cache it will typically get me with in 10 feet of the cache.

 

Another nice feature with using the phone for geocaching is that if I have a cell signal, I can use the Verizon data network to surf the web, and go to the geocaching.com website to log my find, while I'm at the cache. The phone also has a camera for taking pictures while caching or for the caches that require pictures to prove that you found it. Other handy tools would be the Note application for writing clues or making notes about caches. the calculator for any caches with math problems in the clues. Surfing the Internet to Google trivia questions that some caches have in the clues.

 

I'm rather happy with this set-up it allows for paperless caching and is a little more flexible then using just a hand held GPS receiver.

 

The cons would be:

-cost, just the phone is more money then a Garmin 60cx. If you have a need for a PocketPC phone other than geocaching and can justify the cost(or you have too much money and can't figure out what to do with it) then this might not be such a problem.

-Having two things (phone and GPS antenna) to hold is a pain. I've come up with a dumb but simple solution for this, I put the Garmin 10 under my hat... that way I'm just like signal with the antenna on top of my head. it gets better reception up there anyways... right?

-It can be time consuming to switch from one application to another, some times they don't share the serial port for the GPS well, this requires me to shut down all applications that use the GPS, then shut down the GPSr and turn off the phones bluetooth. then I have to turn on the GPSr and the bluetooth and open up the application that I need. If anyone else knows of applications that would work with this set-up to help stream line this process please let me know.

-The phone is not waterproof, and is a little on the fragile side. my solution is get insurance on it from Verizon. (I already took advantage of this once)

 

I hope this helps, Nathan Rover

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Hi all, I'm using a XV6700 which is a Windows Mobile 5.0 PPC from Verizon wireless. My GPSr is the Garmin 10, they connect via bluetooth. I have a 2GB MiniSD card in the phone that has plenty of room for the maps, gsx files, some programs and mp3s to listen to on my way through the woods.

 

I'm currently using a few software apps, I hope to find a way to combine some in the future. I have GPXSonar to find the nearest caches and to read about the cache as I'm trying to find it. Qarmin Que gives good turn by turn driving directions to drive me as close as possible to the cache and is useful for road trips. then I use GPSDash2 while I'm hiking in the woods to try and actually find the cache.

 

GPSDash2 works well if you can find a JPG map of the park because, it can be loaded and calibrated with two or three known GPS points I.E. water towers, parking lots, houses, anything that can be seen from Google Earth. map the cords from Google Earth to the points on the JPG.

 

Here is an example of a day spent geocacheing with my set-up in the St. Louis Parks System. The STL Parks System has JPG maps for all all the parks on there website, these maps have the trails and other points of interest marked on them. I download them to the map utility on my laptop for GPSDash2. I then pick out GPS points from Google Earth that match points on the map I then build the map and use Active Sync to send the map and the GPX file for that park to my phone. I use Garmin Que to drive me to the Parking lot. Then I switch to GPXSonar to find the closest Cache and read about it. I then switch to GPSDash2 to guide me to the Cache it will typically get me with in 10 feet of the cache.

 

Another nice feature with using the phone for geocaching is that if I have a cell signal, I can use the Verizon data network to surf the web, and go to the geocaching.com website to log my find, while I'm at the cache. The phone also has a camera for taking pictures while caching or for the caches that require pictures to prove that you found it. Other handy tools would be the Note application for writing clues or making notes about caches. the calculator for any caches with math problems in the clues. Surfing the Internet to Google trivia questions that some caches have in the clues.

 

I'm rather happy with this set-up it allows for paperless caching and is a little more flexible then using just a hand held GPS receiver.

 

The cons would be:

-cost, just the phone is more money then a Garmin 60cx. If you have a need for a PocketPC phone other than geocaching and can justify the cost(or you have too much money and can't figure out what to do with it) then this might not be such a problem.

-Having two things (phone and GPS antenna) to hold is a pain. I've come up with a dumb but simple solution for this, I put the Garmin 10 under my hat... that way I'm just like signal with the antenna on top of my head. it gets better reception up there anyways... right?

-It can be time consuming to switch from one application to another, some times they don't share the serial port for the GPS well, this requires me to shut down all applications that use the GPS, then shut down the GPSr and turn off the phones bluetooth. then I have to turn on the GPSr and the bluetooth and open up the application that I need. If anyone else knows of applications that would work with this set-up to help stream line this process please let me know.

-The phone is not waterproof, and is a little on the fragile side. my solution is get insurance on it from Verizon. (I already took advantage of this once)

 

I hope this helps, Nathan Rover

Hello NateDawgCC

Thankyou for sharing with us your setup (equipement and programs used) seems pretty good with a 10 foot accuracy. I was not aware that a regular gps could be used like that, you might want to look for a water proof case i am ording one for my ipaq from www.thepocketsolution.com , very good price . have you tried geoscout ? theres a new version 1.2.9 pretty well covers all geocaching needs in one program, i see that you are not new to geocaching , how long have you been paperless ? Thanks again for your post im sure it will help some one , i personally am learning a lot from all of you geocachers posting ?

Alain

[+NateDawgCC]

Hello NateDawgCC

Thankyou for sharing with us your setup (equipement and programs used) seems pretty good with a 10 foot accuracy. I was not aware that a regular gps could be used like that, you might want to look for a water proof case i am ording one for my ipaq from www.thepocketsolution.com , very good price . have you tried geoscout ? theres a new version 1.2.9 pretty well covers all geocaching needs in one program, i see that you are not new to geocaching , how long have you been paperless ? Thanks again for your post im sure it will help some one , i personally am learning a lot from all of you geocachers posting ?

Alain

 

Hello Alain,

I'll have to try geoscout... thanks for the tip. This is the set-up I started with, so I've been paperless from the start.

Thanks, Nathan

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Hello NateDawgCC

Thankyou for sharing with us your setup (equipement and programs used) seems pretty good with a 10 foot accuracy. I was not aware that a regular gps could be used like that, you might want to look for a water proof case i am ording one for my ipaq from www.thepocketsolution.com , very good price . have you tried geoscout ? theres a new version 1.2.9 pretty well covers all geocaching needs in one program, i see that you are not new to geocaching , how long have you been paperless ? Thanks again for your post im sure it will help some one , i personally am learning a lot from all of you geocachers posting ?

Alain

 

Hello Alain,

I'll have to try geoscout... thanks for the tip. This is the set-up I started with, so I've been paperless from the start.

Thanks, Nathan

Hello Nathan

Your very welcome ! Let us know with an update as you go ! If you have trouble finding the new version e-mail me , i know its not on all the sites yet

Thanks

Alain

[+NateDawgCC]

OK, time for an update.... first off, GeoScout looks promising. I used it for like 4 hours last night loading caches, and downloading maps, the auto download map function is by far the best I have seen for geocaching. The ability to download caches right from the gc.com website is also very cool. On a smart phone which uses both WiFi, and the cellular network this program is almost never without an internet connection. this is much better than other programs which require me to download from gc.com to my laptop then from my laptop to my phone.

 

Now for the bad news... today I go out to my truck and try to sync it with my GPSr and it was all down hill from there. with GeoScout as the only application running, and using the GPSr. It gives me this error message.

 

“No data received from GPS for 5 minutes. Please check GPS connection and restart.”

 

Now when I turn on GPS port sharing and launch GPSDash2 it will connect and GeoScout will give the same error message. Next I found out just by dumb luck that when I’m in my basement I don’t have a good enough signal to get a GPS lock, so I launch GeoScout and it will run without the error message as it is trying to get a satellite lock. I can watch the NMEA data flow from the one or two satellites that it has, but once it gets a lock the flow stops and I get the same error message.

 

This program looks very promising but right now it's just a big waste of memory if I can't find a way to fix this. I posted a issue on the GeoScout issue tracker, now I just have to wait and see if I get a reply. If anyone else has encountered this same issue, please let me know.

 

Thanks, Nathan

[+huskerrich2000]

hi guys, curious I'm considering becoming a premium member, however i'm trying to figure out the best software setup, for my hardware combo. the pc i will be download from is linux fedora. my palm synch ap is jpilot

and my palm is a Z22. I am considering cachemate for my palm ap along with either gpsbabel or cachemate's conversion tool to convert files to and from palm. Will this work?

[+rjosprey]

I have been using a Axim X30v PPC/Bluetooth Solar Sirf Star III GPSR for nearly a year now with BackCountry Navigator software.

The pluses: Free downloads of 7 ½ minute quads for USA, cheap - $106 for GPSR, $140 for used PPC, $20 for 1 GB chip, $30 for BackCountry Navigator software with great backcountry coverage. That is cheaper if you already have the PPC or a PPC phone. Full info from gpx downloads except for cache container size – need cachemate or SAK to get container size. The Solar panel on the GPSR recharges it – and it last about 14 hours anyway. The accuracy is usually about 6 ft from the cords of the $400 Garmin CSX and the maps are much better than the Garmin. It works with the MS Pocket Streets. You may be able to use WiFi directly to get maps, cruise the Internet, check email and log your finds. Lots of other programs work on the Pocket PC. It gives a precise bearing to the cache or any point you select and you can use a compass to get that direction even stopped when the Nav arrow is spinning.

The negatives: a battery last about 5 hours on slow speed 208 MHz – extra batteries are needed. Touching the screen or a button can throw it into another program. You must keep the PPC and GPSR within 30 ft of each other or it loses contact. The PPC screen can more easily be broken in a fall than most GPSRs. It bombs and must be reset more often than most GPSRs. The setup and functioning can require a bit more of a computer geek. Download time for maps can be very slow on dialup and may require extra memory cards – a 100 miles by 100 miles takes around a GB of memory – so it is wise to backup maps and use the ones for the area you are hitting.

 

If I lost everything I would buy another PPC and Bluetooth GPSR because I like detailed 7 ½ minute maps for getting to remote locations.

[+Rocker-Mtl]

hi guys, curious I'm considering becoming a premium member, however i'm trying to figure out the best software setup, for my hardware combo. the pc i will be download from is linux fedora. my palm synch ap is jpilot

and my palm is a Z22. I am considering cachemate for my palm ap along with either gpsbabel or cachemate's conversion tool to convert files to and from palm. Will this work?

Hello

I was searching to find an answer to your question (linux) but i see that one of the members (clan_Barron) found an answer for you

Happy Geocaching

[+Rocker-Mtl]

OK, time for an update.... first off, GeoScout looks promising. I used it for like 4 hours last night loading caches, and downloading maps, the auto download map function is by far the best I have seen for geocaching. The ability to download caches right from the gc.com website is also very cool. On a smart phone which uses both WiFi, and the cellular network this program is almost never without an internet connection. this is much better than other programs which require me to download from gc.com to my laptop then from my laptop to my phone.

 

Now for the bad news... today I go out to my truck and try to sync it with my GPSr and it was all down hill from there. with GeoScout as the only application running, and using the GPSr. It gives me this error message.

 

“No data received from GPS for 5 minutes. Please check GPS connection and restart.”

 

Now when I turn on GPS port sharing and launch GPSDash2 it will connect and GeoScout will give the same error message. Next I found out just by dumb luck that when I’m in my basement I don’t have a good enough signal to get a GPS lock, so I launch GeoScout and it will run without the error message as it is trying to get a satellite lock. I can watch the NMEA data flow from the one or two satellites that it has, but once it gets a lock the flow stops and I get the same error message.

 

This program looks very promising but right now it's just a big waste of memory if I can't find a way to fix this. I posted a issue on the GeoScout issue tracker, now I just have to wait and see if I get a reply. If anyone else has encountered this same issue, please let me know.

 

Thanks, Nathan

Hi Nathan

I am not sure about that one , i know my unit does not support port sharing , so i use only one program , i went and checked issue tracker , and i was still not clear about your question ? are you trying to run both gps programs at the same time? I know that every time i sent an e-mail with a question that i have been answered each time and i did ask quite a few when i started using the program. The only time i got such an error message was when i had put a check mark in the use bluetooth in the com port section of the program ,in my unit i use bluetooth com 8 and do not check the (use bluetooth) and works fine , keep me posted on your issue

Thanks

Alain

[+Rocker-Mtl]

I have been using a Axim X30v PPC/Bluetooth Solar Sirf Star III GPSR for nearly a year now with BackCountry Navigator software.

The pluses: Free downloads of 7 ½ minute quads for USA, cheap - $106 for GPSR, $140 for used PPC, $20 for 1 GB chip, $30 for BackCountry Navigator software with great backcountry coverage. That is cheaper if you already have the PPC or a PPC phone. Full info from gpx downloads except for cache container size – need cachemate or SAK to get container size. The Solar panel on the GPSR recharges it – and it last about 14 hours anyway. The accuracy is usually about 6 ft from the cords of the $400 Garmin CSX and the maps are much better than the Garmin. It works with the MS Pocket Streets. You may be able to use WiFi directly to get maps, cruise the Internet, check email and log your finds. Lots of other programs work on the Pocket PC. It gives a precise bearing to the cache or any point you select and you can use a compass to get that direction even stopped when the Nav arrow is spinning.

The negatives: a battery last about 5 hours on slow speed 208 MHz – extra batteries are needed. Touching the screen or a button can throw it into another program. You must keep the PPC and GPSR within 30 ft of each other or it loses contact. The PPC screen can more easily be broken in a fall than most GPSRs. It bombs and must be reset more often than most GPSRs. The setup and functioning can require a bit more of a computer geek. Download time for maps can be very slow on dialup and may require extra memory cards – a 100 miles by 100 miles takes around a GB of memory – so it is wise to backup maps and use the ones for the area you are hitting.

 

If I lost everything I would buy another PPC and Bluetooth GPSR because I like detailed 7 ½ minute maps for getting to remote locations.

Hello

Thankyou for the very good information !!!! How about presion , we got a few answers on gpsr/pocket pc being just as presie as a regular gps, how about you ? have you tested versus regular gps ? That would sure help a few of us !

Thank you

Alain

[+J-Way]

I use a Dell Axim x51 with a Garmin bluetooth GPSr. I run Garmin Mobile 10 for vehicle navigation and BeelineGPS for caching. I coordinate downloads on my PC using SAK, but BeelineGPS can import GPX files directly.

 

I actually get much better accuracy and precision with the Garmin GPSr + BeelineGPS than I did with my original Magellan eXplorist 200, as long as I hold the receiver in a horizontal position (satelite signal strength drops about 30% if it's held vertically).

 

BeelineGPS is good for caching, and I like it much better than using the base Magellan. It's geared toward caching, with the ability to view the full informatoin from the cache page (including hint and 5 logs), direct import of GPX files, several different icons (traditonal, mystery, offset, new, found, letterbox, virtual, etc.), and lots of ways to customize caches including on-the-fly icon modifications (unfound to found, for example). BUT, it's still seriously lacking in a few areas, most notably the absence of any form of background map. No roads, town, landmarks, or contours of any kind, so finding a specific cache can be a pain.

 

I'm still on my 30-day trial period with Beeline, so I'm exploring other options. I'm going to check out the other two programs listed in this thread, so thanks for starting it.

[+Rocker-Mtl]

I use a Dell Axim x51 with a Garmin bluetooth GPSr. I run Garmin Mobile 10 for vehicle navigation and BeelineGPS for caching. I coordinate downloads on my PC using SAK, but BeelineGPS can import GPX files directly.

 

I actually get much better accuracy and precision with the Garmin GPSr + BeelineGPS than I did with my original Magellan eXplorist 200, as long as I hold the receiver in a horizontal position (satelite signal strength drops about 30% if it's held vertically).

 

BeelineGPS is good for caching, and I like it much better than using the base Magellan. It's geared toward caching, with the ability to view the full informatoin from the cache page (including hint and 5 logs), direct import of GPX files, several different icons (traditonal, mystery, offset, new, found, letterbox, virtual, etc.), and lots of ways to customize caches including on-the-fly icon modifications (unfound to found, for example). BUT, it's still seriously lacking in a few areas, most notably the absence of any form of background map. No roads, town, landmarks, or contours of any kind, so finding a specific cache can be a pain.

 

I'm still on my 30-day trial period with Beeline, so I'm exploring other options. I'm going to check out the other two programs listed in this thread, so thanks for starting it.

Hello J-Way

Thanks for posting, i too have beeline , i do like it but as you said its just base , although i did my first caches with beeline and was straight on , now i use geoscout 2.11 on my ppc with a bluetooth receiver , it is very complete and always being updated , i just wanted to say that today i got a magellan 500 for my son who's 5 and loves the sport , he actually got me to do the first one , today i did 6 caches and my average belive it or not was 3 to 4 foot from each cache one actually came to 1 foot ! Hope to have time this weekend to do a comparism with the magellan 500 against my ppc. can't wait to try it and see!

Thanks again for posting and please give us updates on how your doing , it benifits all of us , me too

Alain

[+lspence5]

Stilll new to geocaching. I am using a TREO 700W with a Navibe GB735 Bluetooth receiver. So far it is as accurate as my etrex Legend. Right now I am using BeeLineGPS software but looking for other options.

 

Hi lspence5

Glad you posted ! I This is the first confirmation i have about the accuracy of the ppc , i to have beeline, also gpstuner5 but i prefer beeline to gpstuner but my favorite for now is geoscout,

Do Please Post again with your comments and experiences with your Treo and any programs you try , guess i won't need to run out and buy a gps to test the accuracy although i will soon for my son , who's only 7 and loved the experience !

Alain

 

After a week of geocaching, I have quit using my Garmin completely. I tried using Geoscout on my TREO 700W, but had trouble with the program shutting down. Also, my TREO gives me low memory errors when I try to zoom in on maps. For now I will stick with BeeLine.

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Stilll new to geocaching. I am using a TREO 700W with a Navibe GB735 Bluetooth receiver. So far it is as accurate as my etrex Legend. Right now I am using BeeLineGPS software but looking for other options.

 

Hi lspence5

Glad you posted ! I This is the first confirmation i have about the accuracy of the ppc , i to have beeline, also gpstuner5 but i prefer beeline to gpstuner but my favorite for now is geoscout,

Do Please Post again with your comments and experiences with your Treo and any programs you try , guess i won't need to run out and buy a gps to test the accuracy although i will soon for my son , who's only 7 and loved the experience !

Alain

 

After a week of geocaching, I have quit using my Garmin completely. I tried using Geoscout on my TREO 700W, but had trouble with the program shutting down. Also, my TREO gives me low memory errors when I try to zoom in on maps. For now I will stick with BeeLine.

Hello Again lspence5

Glad to hear from you

So tell us why you stopped using your garmin completly ? apart from the paperless issue , are you getting better average using your ppc ? Like to hear from you about that and anybody else that would like to share with us their experiences and opinions , good or bad , the thing is to share information to better ourselfs and i really appreciate everyone that has done that

Alain

[+SparkyInCali]

Just thought I would add some insights to using a pocket pc and Bluetooth receiver for geocaching.I started with the same kind of setup using an Ipaq 2750 mated to an oncourse bluetooth receiver.The nice thing is there are a ton of free or cheap options programs to use on the devices.Also most of the bluetooth recivers are now using the sirfIII chips which are much more senitive than older chips and the same that is used n garmins x series.As

far as accuracy you should be just as accurate as a comparable handheld unit.Mine has been tested agaist a known calibrated benchmark and showed 4 feet away and after letting it settle and average for a while that reduced to under one foot.I have tried quite a few of the caching programs out there and have stuck with Cachemate it is cheap it works rock solid for me and combines paperless caching with the goto navigation screens.Cchemate can also interface well with gsak and other programs.The only thing cachemate doesnt have is mapping but there are plenty o other programs that have that.For any of you guys with a smartphone that has high speed internet make sure you get the google maps app so you can download but street mapping and high quality color aerial photos.

 

Also to address the issue of multiple applications sharing the gps if you have windows mobile 5 it is already built in you just have to set it up.If you have 2003 or below look into gpsgate it creates a virtual gps port that multiple applications can access.

 

If you have any ?s feel free to post up or email me directly at crazyon2wheels@bayareageocaching.com

[+lspence5]

As far as acuracy, I think they are about the same. I just like being paperless. It's nice being able to quickly refer to the cache information when needed. My wife still uses the Garmin when she is with me and when I'm by myself I keep it around as a backup. I keep my BT GPSr on a lanyard and it seems to do fine with no signs of interference.

Edited March 25, 2007 by lspence5

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Just thought I would add some insights to using a pocket pc and Bluetooth receiver for geocaching.I started with the same kind of setup using an Ipaq 2750 mated to an oncourse bluetooth receiver.The nice thing is there are a ton of free or cheap options programs to use on the devices.Also most of the bluetooth recivers are now using the sirfIII chips which are much more senitive than older chips and the same that is used n garmins x series.As

far as accuracy you should be just as accurate as a comparable handheld unit.Mine has been tested agaist a known calibrated benchmark and showed 4 feet away and after letting it settle and average for a while that reduced to under one foot.I have tried quite a few of the caching programs out there and have stuck with Cachemate it is cheap it works rock solid for me and combines paperless caching with the goto navigation screens.Cchemate can also interface well with gsak and other programs.The only thing cachemate doesnt have is mapping but there are plenty o other programs that have that.For any of you guys with a smartphone that has high speed internet make sure you get the google maps app so you can download but street mapping and high quality color aerial photos.

 

Also to address the issue of multiple applications sharing the gps if you have windows mobile 5 it is already built in you just have to set it up.If you have 2003 or below look into gpsgate it creates a virtual gps port that multiple applications can access.

 

If you have any ?s feel free to post up or email me directly at crazyon2wheels@bayareageocaching.com

Hello CrazyOn2Wheels !

Thanks for contributing with your post

I personally have no problems with the way im set up hp ppc hx-2490 bt-338 bluetooth , and the program im using Geoscout , have others too , but i do not understand the wm5 at all used to have an older ppc win 2003 i think ? that one got stolen but i never had an issue with it , so i will take you up on your offer to e-mail concerning wm5 since i have seen many people with problems on the web so i too may help someone if i understand it properly, which i do not !

Secondly i would like to hear from any and all of you geocachers comments in accuracy , i seem to be the only one getting a 1 to 4 foot hits , okay i don not have a high smount of caching since im new but i am curious am i lucky ? do i have a good matched equipement ? I looked around a quite a bit and did not see mentions of being so close, really appreciate comments on that for me and others too !

[+Rocker-Mtl]

As far as acuracy, I think they are about the same. I just like being paperless. It's nice being able to quickly refer to the cache information when needed. My wife still uses the Garmin when she is with me and when I'm by myself I keep it around as a backup. I keep my BT GPSr on a lanyard and it seems to do fine with no signs of interference.

Hello lspence5

Thanks for answering , my bt came with a little leather belt pouch and even under my big winter jacket it has worked fine. As i mention some where up there , i got a magellan 500 for 1 of my son's and have not yet tried it out , soon though because he's in a hurry ! LOL , gonna test his against mine and hope they are close, will post it when its done

Alain

PS There really a lot of nice people in Geo Community its nice to see that in this day and time !!

[+Rocker-Mtl]

[/size][/color]UPDATE

 

Hello all!

I promised to let you know the difference between my sons magellan 500 i bought for him and my hp ppc and globalsat bt=338

did 4 caches to compare them , well my ppc surpassed the magellan 500 in each case ! I am pretty surprised by this , while the ppc led to a few feet the magellan was not far maybe a 4 to 6 foot difference , did like the alarm , the compass was slow reacting but precise compared to my very nervous compass on my ppc.

Might change the unit for a higher priced garmin or magellan if its faster and has more features

like to hear some comments and or suggestions

Thanks to All

[LeDragonier]

Hello Rocker and all of you

I read all these posts and tried quite a few programs bought backcountry navigator , great program but complicated , before that i tried gsak,cachmate, and a few trials of more complete programs, i tried geoscout and loved it because it was easy 1 step and everything i need is there to geocach ,what i don't like about it is there is no way to trace your way back ! and i think thats a pretty big thing ! Any of you know if this will be implemented ?

Thanks

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Hello Rocker and all of you

I read all these posts and tried quite a few programs bought backcountry navigator , great program but complicated , before that i tried gsak,cachmate, and a few trials of more complete programs, i tried geoscout and loved it because it was easy 1 step and everything i need is there to geocach ,what i don't like about it is there is no way to trace your way back ! and i think thats a pretty big thing ! Any of you know if this will be implemented ?

Thanks

Hi Ledranier

I too have tried many programs , backcountry has many good features probably the most any program for ppc users but i myself found it a little difficult for what i wanted to use it for , if i knew someone that could show me , i probably would try it again, maybe even buy it , right now im using geoscout 1.3.0 and it works fine for me ,except as you say there is no real way to find your way back , the tracer shows a line but its impossible to find your way back using that , i have e-mailed that question to the company, seems its an enhancement , could be that they will implement it , since i still see it on there list , but i do not know if and when it will be done, as far as im concerned its an important feature that should be in the program , my suggestion is that you write to the company and ask them too , since a lot of the programs do have this feature!

Let me know if you get an answer

Thanks Alain

[+Appetite]

I use a Dell X51v / BT-339 combo. Backcountry navigator and Beeline GPS softwares. Finally learned how to download the terraserver background maps into Backcountry. I get both aerial and topo versions. Really helps me get a general orientation of cache locations. I also have a calculator, notepad, mp3 player, video player, etc. at my disposal this way. All in one unit!

I don't get to hunt geocaches as much as I'd like, but have no problems with this setup when I do. When I get lost or tired, I can sit down and watch a movie or listen to a few songs I have saved. That's something I don't think the GPS only bunch will be able to do!!

Seeing how many of y'all use Geoscout, I'm gonna look into that too. Can never have too much software.

[tossedsalad]

I have been looking at going the PPC BT route mainly because I don't like having two units to deal with. Not only is it a PITA when in the field caching, it is two units I have to load info into for each cache.

 

All the units listed here seem to be Windows units. I have a very old Palm which I like. It is not even current enough to buy software for, but I like the user interface and may consider a newer Palm unit like the Zire 72. This has BT as well as a camera. So it really would cut my entire equipment list to just one item in my hands. But I will also look into the Windows units to see if I can find a comparible item.

 

My main concern is that these units are not designed for field use. I don't mind caching in a bit of rain, especially in the woods. How do you guys deal with the weather using your PPCs? The BT GPSrs I have looked at also are not weatherproof, but I figure I can fix that with a ziplock :^)

 

I don't want to quit caching just because it is raining a bit and I don't want to ruin $100+ of equipment.

[+NateDawgCC]

 

My main concern is that these units are not designed for field use. I don't mind caching in a bit of rain, especially in the woods. How do you guys deal with the weather using your PPCs? The BT GPSrs I have looked at also are not weatherproof, but I figure I can fix that with a ziplock :^)

 

I don't want to quit caching just because it is raining a bit and I don't want to ruin $100+ of equipment.

 

look at the Garmin BT GPSrs they are designed to stick on the top of a car, and survive any weather that your car could survive (at highway speed). As for the PPC, like I said before, I use the 6700 from Verizon wireless. insurance is only like $6 a month. And, it covers everything even water damage from dropping it in a creek... go ahead ask me how I know.

[+yyzdnl]

A quick contribution. I am running an Asus Mypal A632 with built in sirf III GPS, 1gb mini & 4gb standard sd-card. I am using BeelineGPS and love it, but will have to try Geoscout after readying this thread.

 

I use Destinator for my car navigation and POIconverter to get gpx files converted to Destinator data files to set caches as custom favorites, so I can get voice nav to the cache site. I can even set alarms to notify me if I am within a set range of any cache.

 

I have experienced good accuracy usually being put within a few feet of a cache.

 

Edit: I was looking at the Geoscout info and read this on thier website.

"GeoScout requires individual gpx files for each cache"

 

If so, it doesn’t sound like it is pocket querie friendly I think I will stick to BeelineGPS.

Edited April 19, 2007 by yyzdnl

[+aarons924]

I am using a Cingular 8125 SmartPhone(2GB MiniSD) with a BT Receever Model: BT-359 and Backcountry Navigator. Works great together. I also use this set up for a turn by turn navigation system. No problems. I found with this software and hardware setup, I recieved very little "stationary floating." I replaced my Garmin eTrex Legend with this because I got tired of having to tote my laptop on my long trips, so I could get turn by turn navigation. Gave my brother the Garmin and he now geocaches too.

[+rlridgeway]

I am a forester and have been using USGS topographic maps for 30 years. I am comfortable using them.

It seems people who are familiar with these maps seem to prefer GPS software which displays a USGS maps over software (like Garmin) which have their own proprietary maps.

Is this just an indication people like what they are used to, or are USGS maps generally superior to other maps for hiking type purposes?

Or am I barking up the wrong tree and even these folks perfer other maps over a USGS topo?

Edited April 29, 2007 by rlridgeway

[+rjosprey]

Hello

Thankyou for the very good information !!!! How about presion , we got a few answers on gpsr/pocket pc being just as presie as a regular gps, how about you ? have you tested versus regular gps ? That would sure help a few of us !

Thank you

Alain

My hiking partner uses a Garmin 60 CSX with the same Sirf Star III chipset. We usually agree to location to about 6 feet. But her unit shows a smaller error normally than my PPC/Bluetooth setup. I was having some problems with bombs and slow loads, but after sticking in a 4 GB ECC SD Card, purchased here, the problems are gone.

[+rjosprey]

I am a forester and have been using USGS topographic maps for 30 years. I am comfortable using them.

It seems people who are familiar with these maps seem to prefer GPS software which displays a USGS maps over software (like Garmin) which have their own proprietary maps.

Is this just an indication people like what they are used to, or are USGS maps generally superior to other maps for hiking type purposes?

Or am I barking up the wrong tree and even these folks perfer other maps over a USGS topo?

I far as I can see, the maps that come with Garmin, TomTom and Megellan are maps of standard roads. By paying more you can get topo maps that are 1:100.000 these can be National Geographic, Garmin or Megellan. For laptops/PCs you can get Delorme maps. But to get 1:24,000 maps is with USGS maps used by BackCountry Navigator (Pocket PCs and PDAs only), plus you get black and white aerial downloads. There are some very expensive solutions sold primarily to geologists that have 1:24,000 maps. The BackCountry Navigator maps are downloaded via a link and take up a lot of memory; I use a 4 GB ECC x150 SD chip. While the 1:24,000 maps are old, typically 1983 or earlier and there maybe changes in the civilized areas (roads and buildings), the topographical lines are great for the backcountry traveler/hiker. I like the USGS maps and wish they were updated. USGS PLEASE UPDATE! praying now.

[+Rocker-Mtl]

A quick contribution. I am running an Asus Mypal A632 with built in sirf III GPS, 1gb mini & 4gb standard sd-card. I am using BeelineGPS and love it, but will have to try Geoscout after readying this thread.

 

I use Destinator for my car navigation and POIconverter to get gpx files converted to Destinator data files to set caches as custom favorites, so I can get voice nav to the cache site. I can even set alarms to notify me if I am within a set range of any cache.

 

I have experienced good accuracy usually being put within a few feet of a cache.

 

Edit: I was looking at the Geoscout info and read this on thier website.

"GeoScout requires individual gpx files for each cache"

 

If so, it doesn’t sound like it is pocket querie friendly I think I will stick to BeelineGPS.

Hi !

I have used pocket querries only 1 time and transfered the files onto my sd card and then from geoscout imported all the files it worked , but i prefer downloading by postal code max 100 at a time , works perfect for me and it now in version 1.3.0 has travel bugs tab , and you have the last logs and can update the logs anytime, has the maps download from the site all at the same time, lots of features that the trial version does not have, the only issue i have with it is theres no back track unless your good enough to follow a little line, apart from that no complaints , everything is done in 1 operation and no you don't have to download 1 at a time, hope this helps , any questions go ahead and email me, i think to really appreate the easy operation of this program is to try it , version 1.3.0 not the one offered on some sites, i do not know how well it works on phones but on pda's its perfect

Alain

[+Rocker-Mtl]

I have been looking at going the PPC BT route mainly because I don't like having two units to deal with. Not only is it a PITA when in the field caching, it is two units I have to load info into for each cache.

 

All the units listed here seem to be Windows units. I have a very old Palm which I like. It is not even current enough to buy software for, but I like the user interface and may consider a newer Palm unit like the Zire 72. This has BT as well as a camera. So it really would cut my entire equipment list to just one item in my hands. But I will also look into the Windows units to see if I can find a comparible item.

 

My main concern is that these units are not designed for field use. I don't mind caching in a bit of rain, especially in the woods. How do you guys deal with the weather using your PPCs? The BT GPSrs I have looked at also are not weatherproof, but I figure I can fix that with a ziplock :^)

 

I don't want to quit caching just because it is raining a bit and I don't want to ruin $100+ of equipment.

Hi ALL of You People !

Answer for tossedsalad theres a website that sells case that are completly waterproof and you can still work with it in the case this is the one i ordered http://www.thepocketsolution.com/PSI-6154.html

im trying to answer a few of the people that posted as for our friend the forester , Yes i agree that the topo maps are more precise , elevation etc, but in my case the program i use has each map automaticaly downloaded with each cache , up to date it has been okay, but im sure if i was in heavy terrain it would be different !!!! I will have to look into that and see if its possible to use with my exisiting program , i know that we can get out of almost any situation with are gps and softwares whatever they may be but they sure will never beat topo maps, Thanks for bring up that subject , i will for sure check it out ! Because i will be out in heavy forests this summer , maybe not geocaching but camping and thats were it will help me more then regular maps that have no presicion and bearings, elevation , correct me if im wrong anybody !

Alain

[tossedsalad]

I am a forester and have been using USGS topographic maps for 30 years. I am comfortable using them.

It seems people who are familiar with these maps seem to prefer GPS software which displays a USGS maps over software (like Garmin) which have their own proprietary maps.

Is this just an indication people like what they are used to, or are USGS maps generally superior to other maps for hiking type purposes?

Or am I barking up the wrong tree and even these folks perfer other maps over a USGS topo?

I far as I can see, the maps that come with Garmin, TomTom and Megellan are maps of standard roads. By paying more you can get topo maps that are 1:100.000 these can be National Geographic, Garmin or Megellan. For laptops/PCs you can get Delorme maps. But to get 1:24,000 maps is with USGS maps used by BackCountry Navigator (Pocket PCs and PDAs only), plus you get black and white aerial downloads. There are some very expensive solutions sold primarily to geologists that have 1:24,000 maps. The BackCountry Navigator maps are downloaded via a link and take up a lot of memory; I use a 4 GB ECC x150 SD chip. While the 1:24,000 maps are old, typically 1983 or earlier and there maybe changes in the civilized areas (roads and buildings), the topographical lines are great for the backcountry traveler/hiker. I like the USGS maps and wish they were updated. USGS PLEASE UPDATE! praying now.

 

My Merigold that just broke uses MapSend Topo which had good data for geocaching, but it was also not up to date. The area where I live has been growing like a weed for the last 10 years or even more. So it is not unusual to find entire neighborhoods that are not on the maps. The USGS maps are more out of date than my Megellan maps, but I'm not sure just how much.

 

I use USAPhotoMaps on the PC and it uses "U.S.Geological Survey aerial photos / topos from http://terraserver-usa.com/". The topo data for my area was gathered in 1993 and the photo data was gathered in 1988. So I agree, it is time to update the data.

 

I know that higher resolution photos are available, but only for certain urban centers at the time. I expect the coverage to expand with time, but they have increased the resolution from 1 m/pixel to 0.25 m/pixel, 16X more data! I don't know if they can collect that very fast or not.

 

Since you bring up the USGS maps, can you help me understand what I should see in these maps. I assume 1:24,000 means one inch on the map is 24,000 inches which is 0.395 miles, correct? But the USAPM maps are expressed in m/pixel. The mi/inch depends on the pixels/inch that your monitor shows. On my 17" monitor, 1280 x 1024 resolution, shows about 0.23 mi to an inch for the 4 m/pixel map data. Any idea what map scale these maps would be from? Is this likely to be the 1:24,000 map data? The next higher resolution available is 64 m/pixel or 8x less resolution. If the next size out from USGS is 1:100,000, then that would be 4:1 relative to the 1:24,000 maps and that ratio does not match the two resolutions that terraserver provides for the topo maps.

 

I am very confused about the map data I am looking at in relation to the maps everyone else talks about. Can anyone help explain this?

[tossedsalad]

Hi ALL of You People !

Answer for tossedsalad theres a website that sells case that are completly waterproof and you can still work with it in the case this is the one i ordered http://www.thepocketsolution.com/PSI-6154.html

im trying to answer a few of the people that posted as for our friend the forester , Yes i agree that the topo maps are more precise , elevation etc, but in my case the program i use has each map automaticaly downloaded with each cache , up to date it has been okay, but im sure if i was in heavy terrain it would be different !!!! I will have to look into that and see if its possible to use with my exisiting program , i know that we can get out of almost any situation with are gps and softwares whatever they may be but they sure will never beat topo maps, Thanks for bring up that subject , i will for sure check it out ! Because i will be out in heavy forests this summer , maybe not geocaching but camping and thats were it will help me more then regular maps that have no presicion and bearings, elevation , correct me if im wrong anybody !

Alain

 

Thanks for the pointer. I had not found this company and their products appear to be good and at a decent price. They don't even try to rip off on shipping like so many eBay sellers do.

 

They have a waterproof case for the Zire 72 I bought. Is the plastic screen replaceable? I would think this would get scratched up with use and needs to be replaced from time to time. Also, can these cases be used with car mounts? They offer a powered car mount, but they don't say if the waterproof case can be used with it. In fact, they don't realy say it is even powered, they just show various cords coming from it. How do you use your PDA in its case?

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Hi ALL of You People !

Answer for tossedsalad theres a website that sells case that are completly waterproof and you can still work with it in the case this is the one i ordered http://www.thepocketsolution.com/PSI-6154.html

im trying to answer a few of the people that posted as for our friend the forester , Yes i agree that the topo maps are more precise , elevation etc, but in my case the program i use has each map automaticaly downloaded with each cache , up to date it has been okay, but im sure if i was in heavy terrain it would be different !!!! I will have to look into that and see if its possible to use with my exisiting program , i know that we can get out of almost any situation with are gps and softwares whatever they may be but they sure will never beat topo maps, Thanks for bring up that subject , i will for sure check it out ! Because i will be out in heavy forests this summer , maybe not geocaching but camping and thats were it will help me more then regular maps that have no presicion and bearings, elevation , correct me if im wrong anybody !

Alain

 

Thanks for the pointer. I had not found this company and their products appear to be good and at a decent price. They don't even try to rip off on shipping like so many eBay sellers do.

 

They have a waterproof case for the Zire 72 I bought. Is the plastic screen replaceable? I would think this would get scratched up with use and needs to be replaced from time to time. Also, can these cases be used with car mounts? They offer a powered car mount, but they don't say if the waterproof case can be used with it. In fact, they don't realy say it is even powered, they just show various cords coming from it. How do you use your PDA in its case?

Hi

I wish i could answer that question , i have not received mine yet , i had put a hold on ordering , because i thought i might upgrade my unit, but changed my mind , but i have met a fellow with one and he said that he had no problems and he had it for at least 6 months, i know you can access the card slots , power slot, etc. , i did not see a car mount for this case on that website but i know some are adaptable sizes the squeeze clamp type , but make sure you check the specs, as for using it in the case the plastic screen of the case is touching the pda's , i even tested handwriting with phatpad and it worked ! but its not the same feel , as for the rest no problem for selecting and operating programs , even the bluetooth is not hindered, and we actually submerged the unit underwater! this is the case i choose so be careful to make sure the one your looking at is the same before atempting that ! I will e-mail the company and see if the screen is replaceable , to late i ordered mine but , i still want to know.

and about your questions about the topo maps , i see a few up there that will surely answer your question, really some nice people on these posts !!

Alain

[+Rocker-Mtl]

Hi ALL of You People !

Answer for tossedsalad theres a website that sells case that are completly waterproof and you can still work with it in the case this is the one i ordered http://www.thepocketsolution.com/PSI-6154.html

im trying to answer a few of the people that posted as for our friend the forester , Yes i agree that the topo maps are more precise , elevation etc, but in my case the program i use has each map automaticaly downloaded with each cache , up to date it has been okay, but im sure if i was in heavy terrain it would be different !!!! I will have to look into that and see if its possible to use with my exisiting program , i know that we can get out of almost any situation with are gps and softwares whatever they may be but they sure will never beat topo maps, Thanks for bring up that subject , i will for sure check it out ! Because i will be out in heavy forests this summer , maybe not geocaching but camping and thats were it will help me more then regular maps that have no presicion and bearings, elevation , correct me if im wrong anybody !

Alain

 

Thanks for the pointer. I had not found this company and their products appear to be good and at a decent price. They don't even try to rip off on shipping like so many eBay sellers do.

 

They have a waterproof case for the Zire 72 I bought. Is the plastic screen replaceable? I would think this would get scratched up with use and needs to be replaced from time to time. Also, can these cases be used with car mounts? They offer a powered car mount, but they don't say if the waterproof case can be used with it. In fact, they don't realy say it is even powered, they just show various cords coming from it. How do you use your PDA in its case?

Hi Again

Heres the answer i got from pocket solutions

Hello Alain,

 

the soft membrane is removable, however we do not sell replacements, and I am not sure Otterbox does either, You can check with www.otterbox.com. We do not have a mount for this case.

 

Thanks for your continuing support!

 

-Anna

____________

Anna Cederman

Customer Support Manager

Pocket Solutions, Inc.

www.PocketSolutions.com

 

and the link to some other interesting cases for pda,gps, laptops etc. Hope this helps a few

 

http://www.otterbox.com/

 

Alain

[+thedeadpirate]

I have a Treo700w with the globalsat bt359w. I tried beelinegps and was really impressed with the map mode where you can get a quick visual of caches around you. I also really like its tracking and its ability to import/export directly to/from gpx.

 

I was disappointed with its compass mode, however. When it came time to actually find a cache, the needle moves way too much.

 

I wound up going back to cachemate for the cache listings and using the BT359 + Treo700w + TomTom as a nice mapping combination to get me to the cache location. Then I switch over to my eXplorist for the actual search.

 

I will give geoscout a try. It sounds promising.

 

My goal when purchasing the bt359 was to be able to dump the laptop for good and hopefully not need to carry the eXplorist with me.

[tossedsalad]

Hi Again

Heres the answer i got from pocket solutions

Hello Alain,

 

the soft membrane is removable, however we do not sell replacements, and I am not sure Otterbox does either, You can check with www.otterbox.com. We do not have a mount for this case.

 

Thanks for your continuing support!

 

-Anna

____________

Anna Cederman

Customer Support Manager

Pocket Solutions, Inc.

www.PocketSolutions.com

 

and the link to some other interesting cases for pda,gps, laptops etc. Hope this helps a few

 

http://www.otterbox.com/

 

Alain

 

I checked with Otterbox and found that they *do* sell replacement screens in a three pack along with several of the seals for the box, all for $13, IIRC. The basic unit does not come with any extra screens. Pocket Solutions seems to be selling the Otterbox products at the same price. I'm not sure why I would buy from them rather than from Otterbox directly. But I have time to ruminate on this since my units won't be here until next week.

 

Thanks for all the info!

[+SparkyInCali]

I have a Treo700w with the globalsat bt359w. I tried beelinegps and was really impressed with the map mode where you can get a quick visual of caches around you. I also really like its tracking and its ability to import/export directly to/from gpx.

 

I was disappointed with its compass mode, however. When it came time to actually find a cache, the needle moves way too much.

 

I wound up going back to cachemate for the cache listings and using the BT359 + Treo700w + TomTom as a nice mapping combination to get me to the cache location. Then I switch over to my eXplorist for the actual search.

 

I will give geoscout a try. It sounds promising.

 

My goal when purchasing the bt359 was to be able to dump the laptop for good and hopefully not need to carry the eXplorist with me.

If you already are using cachmate why not use the cachnav part of it?It gives you a compass screen and it worked very well for me.The first few hundred caches I found were using cachemate with cachenav to locate the cache and you dont need any extra programs or imports.If you have a pocket pc you can easily get by with only a few programs.Cachemate with the cchenave plugin for paperless and final cache navigation and something like mapopolis or tom tom for road navigation.Also anyone with a treo or other pda phone make sure you get the google mobile maps application(might want unlimited data plan as well)It is free and can be used with the bluetooth gps and will show you high res color aerials just like google maps on your computer.I

love te google maps program it will even show real time traffic data for when you are traveling as well