How do you carry cache info

[+thumbs1]

Ok this may sound like a bit of overkill but........... I used to download the coordenants by hand. You guys helped me be able to download many caches at a time. Now the problem. Do you carry any info with you about the cache when you to the field? I ask this because when downloading many caches at a time I just cant remember some of the info for the cache that would be very nice to have. For example. Don't attempt in wet weather, park in this area, look for the hollow tree. Ok I could print out the sheet or hand write the info down but when it comes to many many sheets it could be a pain. Can you use a PDA or some kinda thing to download the info and take it with you? How do you guys take the info for each cache with ya?

 

Thanks for the help

[+briansnat]

I use a Palm M505 running Cachemate. When I run a PQ and download the cache info to my GPS, I load the cache pages to Cachemate. That way I have the page available for every waypoint on my GPS.

[+redcoyote12]

Step by step guide to using a Palm is here:

 

http://www.geocacher-u.com/resources/paperless.html

 

or this program is popular too:

 

http://www.gsak.net/

 

I'm kind of new to using Palm as well, but my phone has Palm OS on it so I was stoked to learn I could use that.

Edited March 14, 2007 by redcoyote12

[+team5150]

A lot of people (us included) use a PDA for carrying around all that info. Its known as paperless caching. I used to print off all those sheets, try to organize them, then remember to haul them to the cache site. By using a PDA, you can carry all the info from the cache page including description, hints, past five logs, etc. that came with your pocket queries. The most popular software for this seems to be GSAK and Cachemate. There is an excellent step by step tutorial here that will tell you all about it. Also, try a search for paperless caching in the forums.

[physics_boy]

When I go caching, the only things I record are the name of the cache (for later logging), and three numbers: the difficulty, the terrain, and the size (as noted on the web site). I just put these on my GPS. I don't like to bring anything else simply because I enjoy not knowing what to expect and trying to figure out how the heck to get there myself. It's fun! I don't think it really qualifies as paperless caching because - even though I don't print anything off, I really don't record anything either.

[+StarBrand]

Mostly I carry my Dell Axim X3 PDA running GPXSonar. But I still go the "old" way and print out a few sheets off the web site and plug in the numbers by hand once in a while.

[+mudsneaker]

For the first year, I was hand writing name, size, and hint if it was going to be a tough one. I just couldnt bring myself to waste all that paper, nor could I afford all that ink.

Finally switched to a PDA last December and love it. They can be found on Ebay for $30 and up. well worth it.

[+Celtic_cacher]

Well, my PDA screen cracked on me, so I have been set back a few steps. However, these days I have been using the GTDTiddlyWiki and printing the cache info off on 3x5 index cards. Yes, it still means entering the information by hand into the Wiki, but that way I can make any notes I need to (turn at this road, etc). It took a little work in Firefox to get the index cards to print the way I wanted them, and a little work with my printer, but it's working great now.

 

-CJ

[+briansnat]

Step by step guide to using a Palm is here:

 

http://www.geocacher-u.com/resources/paperless.html

 

or this program is popular too:

 

http://www.gsak.net/

 

I'm kind of new to using Palm as well, but my phone has Palm OS on it so I was stoked to learn I could use that.

 

The Geocacher U instructions are for using Spinner and Plucker. They are free apps and will work for paperless caching. I personally found using them to be a bit of a pain, to the point where I rarely updated my PDA. Once I purchased Cachemate, I found it to be so easy that I now update my Palm weekly.

[+sbell111]

I've tried Plucker and Cachemate and I definitely prefer Plucker. While it's true that there's an extra step involved compared to CacheMate, the output is worth it. It isn't very much work:

1. Export the cache data to html using GSAK
   
2. Convert the html to a format that can be synced to your pda using Plucker or Sunrise (as easy as clicking one button).
   
3. Sync your pda.
   

The first thing that I would suggest that you do is print out CYBret's excellent tutorial from the link posted by redcoyote12. This will walk you through the basic process of getting the cache pages onto your PDA using Spinner and Plucker.

 

Spinner basically prepares the gpx file sent by geocaching.com (or as output from GSAK) to a format that Plucker can use. The truth is, I don't use Spinner anymore. I convert the information to HTML using GSAK, instead. The output is pretty much the same as Spinner's, but slightly better, in my opinion. Also, I use GSAK anyway, so exporting from GSAK to html is no big deal, at all.

 

What people refer to as Plucker has two parts: a desktop application that generates the pages to be read by the palm-based application. Once you get used to using Plucker, I would recommend that you try out Sunrise. Sunrise works pretty much just like Plucker's desktop application, but it is a bit faster and allows you to transfer any pictures that are posted on the cache pages to you pda's cache pages. Plucker does not do this. The version of Sunrise that I linked to only works with Windows XP. If you have an older computer, try this version.

 

Another program that I recommend for your pda is Cache Log Book. This is a pda-based database to record all of your cache hunts. It really makes my online logging a breeze.

Edited March 14, 2007 by sbell111

[+Tidalist]

I have a Garmin 60Cx, which has a 'comments' field on the cache page (I'm sure most models have something similar - this is my first GPSr). The only problem is it is very limited as to character count (maybe 25 char). I usually will manually add some condensed quick notes on the cache there (i.e. "in tree at top of hill" for a hint should I need one). Doesn't always suffice, but works better for me personally than printing out sheets or using another device. I only hope in the future they can expand upon this feature and have a richer notes/comments field for each waypoint.

[+Miragee]

I use a Palm M505 running Cachemate. When I run a PQ and download the cache info to my GPS, I load the cache pages to Cachemate. That way I have the page available for every waypoint on my GPS.

Like briansnat, I use GSAK and Cachemate on my inexpensive Palm M500. That unit is easy to see in bright sunlight, unlike some of the color Palms.

 

You might check out this little tutorial. After you have your Pocket Queries loaded into the database, and once you figure out how to use the filters in GSAK, you can get 500 caches, or more, in your GPSr and PDA in less than five minutes.

 

Less time at the computer means more time for caching . . .

[+wesleykey]

Palm Zire PDA bought used off Ebay for $25 or so.

[+zeobandit]

I just print out the cache sheets and carry them with me.

[+thumbs1]

Ok, I really would like a pda anyway. What ones would you suggest? What are the things I should look for in a pda for our purposes? You know how much memory and whatever else is important.

[Fat Tayls]

I use my Sony Clie NX80 and use cachemate. I DL all the caches from my PQ and convert them w/ cachemate and use that

In conjunction with mapopolis on my clie I can "map" each cache w/ the cachemate mapopolis conduit

I also have an explorist 400 that has a cache companion on the sesktop so I also just pull out my PQ and use the desktop companion to transfer all the caches in my GPX querry to my 400 and then go from there. It to gives me the description and hints and other pertinant info listed right on the GPSr

[+niffir]

Ok, I really would like a pda anyway. What ones would you suggest? What are the things I should look for in a pda for our purposes? You know how much memory and whatever else is important.

 

Do a search in the forums for "paperless caching" to find quite a few threads on this subject. I did just this a few weeks ago and ended up getting an ancient Palm IIIxe on ebay for my paperless caching. I also had to buy an adapter for it, but the end cost (including shippingx2) was right around $25. The 8MB memory of the Palm IIIxe works fine for holding hundreds of caches in my geocaching area and I have no complaints so far about battery life or data transfer time.

[+sbell111]

Ok, I really would like a pda anyway. What ones would you suggest? What are the things I should look for in a pda for our purposes? You know how much memory and whatever else is important.

Pretty much any old Palm will work. I picked up a used 2mb Palm V for my dad to use a while back for something like twenty bucks on ebay. He was able to keep at least 500 caches in Plucker, a Cache Log Book database, as well as his address book and calendar. Obviously, a newer unit is going to scroll through the cache pages faster.

 

I use a Tungsten E and like it. I've considered upgrading to a TX, but I would hate to destroy it in the woods. This brings up an important issue. If you drop your palm in a creek or trip while hiking with it, it will be destroyed. You might consider buying one that's on teh cheap end so you won't cry too much if you have to replace it.

[+thumbs1]

yeah thanks guys. I was considering a Palm z22 but if I can get something for less than 50 bucks that will do what I want it to that's a different story. To tell ya the truth I really don't have anyother use for a pda anyway. I was out this afternoon and sure could have used a pda to find this cache.

[+sbell111]

If it were me, I'd look for an m505 on ebay.

[+The Leprechauns]

My method is a little different. I run GSAK and mapping software on a notebook computer in my cachemobile. I grew tired of scrolling through PDA screens to read cache pages, and tired of squinting at a GPS display to see the position of caches relative to each other on a map.

 

When I get to the parking area, I read the cache page in the car. Then, if it's any sort of a hike I make sure to hide the laptop and all the associated wires from sight, for security reasons. Then I take off into the woods. But what if I need the hint or the cache description?

 

For in the field, I use the Geocache Navigator application on my cellphone. If I need information while away from the car, I just flip open my phone and call up the cache description, an aerial photo, a topo map, the hint, ALL the prior logs, or whatever it is that I need. It's like having the entire website delivered in a pocket query.

 

Of course, there's those caches that are outside of cellphone range. This is usually the mark of an excellent cache! In those cases, I will have planned my hunt in advance of heading out the door. Sometimes I still print out cache pages and topo maps for these caches. It's smart to have a backup.

[+markz68]

Like many people here have stated, I use GSAK to download caches into my handheld GPS, my car GPS and into my Palm.

 

On the Palm, I use CacheMate in the field to have everything I need to know about the cache at my finger tips. I log each cache as found in CacheMate.

 

When I get back to my PC after a day of caching, I hotsync the Palm with the PC.

 

Then I use this website: http://boulter.com/geocaching/express/ to import the CacheMate log into a webpage that lets me quickly log every cache I found (or Did Not Find) in the correct order that I found them. I highly recommend this step. I haven't seen it mentioned here before, but it makes logging my finds so easy and fast!

 

Then every so often I download a My Finds pocket query. I then load that PQ into this website: http://www.itsnotaboutthenumbers.com/ to generate stats for my profile page.

Edited March 15, 2007 by markz68

[+thumbs1]

I appreciate the help but you guys are lightyears ahead of where I am with this stuff. It takes me a while to figure what your saying in you posts let along figure how to do it. I just figured how to download the coordenants from the site to my gps. What I want to do now is take the cache info from the page and put it into a pda. I did read the site from the guy from UGA and can probably follow it. I gotta take this stuff step by step. LOL

 

Hey I found a Palm 111ex. Is this a good unit for what I am tryin to do? I know there are more expensive units but this guy is pretty close by and I can pick the thing up. Watcha think

[+Miragee]

That Palm will probably work, but if it has a serial connection, make sure your computer has a serial port. If it doesn't, you will have to get a serial to USB cable.

 

The Palm M500 is a good choice. A friend got one of those on eBay for $30.00 including the shipping. It has a USB connection for the HotSync.

[+sbell111]

I appreciate the help but you guys are lightyears ahead of where I am with this stuff. It takes me a while to figure what your saying in you posts let along figure how to do it. I just figured how to download the coordenants from the site to my gps. What I want to do now is take the cache info from the page and put it into a pda. I did read the site from the guy from UGA and can probably follow it. I gotta take this stuff step by step. LOL

 

Hey I found a Palm 111ex. Is this a good unit for what I am tryin to do? I know there are more expensive units but this guy is pretty close by and I can pick the thing up. Watcha think

The Palm IIIex is an older black-and-white 8mb pda. It uses 2 AA batteries instead of the internal rechargeables that modern palms use. I'm not positive, but I think that this unit will lose your data when you change the batteries, so you have to remember to sync before you run out of juice.

 

You should be able to pick one of these up for less than $20 with shipping.

[+ZapMe]

I'm going up to the ski hill this weekend and figgered if the weather was bad I could go caching instead. Faced with the prospect of hauling all those pieces of paper with me I opted to try out the 'caches along a route' and then the pocket query features available to premium members.

 

I installed mobipocket on my wife's older ipaq - that was free and took but a few minutes, had the pocket query generated on gc - that took a couple more - the query arrived in my email within a minute or two. I had it email me an ebook format as well as the gpx file. I uploaded the ebook to the ipaq and used easygps to load all the cache coordinates to my etrex legend. Both these steps were very easy and now all the caches in the area are in a nice format for reading off the ipaq complete with hyperlinks to jump to the cache I want plus an appendix with all the hints already decrypted (this is really nice cuz you don't have to see the hints if you don't want to). Not only that - all the caches show on my etrex (I have the topo maps loaded for the area) so everything is just ticky.

 

This was my first go with the PDA but it was really easy and MUCH better than all that soggy paper (imho)

 

.z

[+sbell111]

If you think they're ticky now, wait until summer.

[+cach2find]

I'm wanting to get a PDA for paperless caching. Planning on getting one through EBay. What do I need to make sure it has? Sounds like the Palm m500 is a good choice. Feedback please!

[+Knight2000]

I appreciate the help but you guys are lightyears ahead of where I am with this stuff. It takes me a while to figure what your saying in you posts let along figure how to do it. I just figured how to download the coordenants from the site to my gps. What I want to do now is take the cache info from the page and put it into a pda. I did read the site from the guy from UGA and can probably follow it. I gotta take this stuff step by step. LOL

 

Hey I found a Palm 111ex. Is this a good unit for what I am tryin to do? I know there are more expensive units but this guy is pretty close by and I can pick the thing up. Watcha think

 

Might want to check your local craigslist too.

[+Knight2000]

Before a person goes to paperless, is there a way to do it w/o all the papers? Like a spreadsheet or something u can print?

[+Suzdebi]

Im new to this also. I find that printing off cache isn't so bad. I write down the area the cache is in because the map is kinda hard to read. I just read it before I get out of the car then carry it with me incase I need it. PDA would be nice, but I do good to figure out the G.P.S.

[+Miragee]

I'm wanting to get a PDA for paperless caching. Planning on getting one through EBay. What do I need to make sure it has? Sounds like the Palm m500 is a good choice. Feedback please!

Make sure you check the seller's feedback. If they have 100% positive feedback, or close to that, you should be okay making your purchase.

 

Another thing I often do is ask a question of the seller, like the condition of the screen (any scratches, use of screen protector, etc.) before the auction ends. If I get a prompt reply, I am even more assured the seller will be prompt in taking care of the auction details and shipping.

 

I know someone who got a new Palm M500 for only $30, including the shipping. If you can afford a little bit more for a PDA, check out the Palm Zire 72 (silver edition). That is a nice PDA that even has a built in camera.

[+cach2find]

Miragee- Thanks for the helpful information. Would you happen to know what the difference is between the standard Palm Zira 72 and the silver edition? Thanks!

[+Miragee]

The standard Zire 72 has a blue coating that seems to wear off. The Silver Edition is the same, AFAIK, it just looks classier . . .

[+Brianslost]

I use an m500 and it works fine for me. Others that have better units can use Windows style searching and sorting. I can only use it as an e-book and its much slower to search though I got used to it and don't mind. My next one will be a few steps up but this thing is still going strong after several years.

 

I'm wanting to get a PDA for paperless caching. Planning on getting one through EBay. What do I need to make sure it has? Sounds like the Palm m500 is a good choice. Feedback please!

Make sure you check the seller's feedback. If they have 100% positive feedback, or close to that, you should be okay making your purchase.

 

Another thing I often do is ask a question of the seller, like the condition of the screen (any scratches, use of screen protector, etc.) before the auction ends. If I get a prompt reply, I am even more assured the seller will be prompt in taking care of the auction details and shipping.

 

I know someone who got a new Palm M500 for only $30, including the shipping. If you can afford a little bit more for a PDA, check out the Palm Zire 72 (silver edition). That is a nice PDA that even has a built in camera.

[+Lovey Pigs]

call me old fashion but we use a spiral bound small notebook & a pencil! we write the waypoint, name, some basic directions, hint, etc.. and then when we find the cache we can record what we found, anything interesting when we log our finds and what we took/left. and we have found this notebook is great to place your GPS on while searching so muggles are thrown off some. So, no PDA, and don't think we are 'wasting' paper either with the notebook.

[+thumbs1]

Well I am driveing myself nuts tryin to go to paperless. But that being said I want to go paperless just for the use of the technology. If I can get this to work it's just plain cool stuff. Really paper and pencel will work just as well but...... The capability of downloading 50 or 100 caches at a time and then transfering them to a gps and then the info to a palm is just mind boggeling to me. And to be able to do all this in just a few minutes is unbelievable. We do a lot of traveling and to sit at the liberary and write this stuff down is a major drag. And it takes tons of time. I have to do a bunch at a time because I only get to the lib once a week or so while on the road. Paperless will (again if I can get it to work) will free up a hugh amount of time.

I guess you can call going paperless a (toy) but this whole thing is a toy right?? LOL

[+Miragee]

Well I am driveing myself nuts tryin to go to paperless. But that being said I want to go paperless just for the use of the technology. If I can get this to work it's just plain cool stuff. Really paper and pencel will work just as well but...... The capability of downloading 50 or 100 caches at a time and then transfering them to a gps and then the info to a palm is just mind boggeling to me. And to be able to do all this in just a few minutes is unbelievable. We do a lot of traveling and to sit at the liberary and write this stuff down is a major drag. And it takes tons of time. I have to do a bunch at a time because I only get to the lib once a week or so while on the road. Paperless will (again if I can get it to work) will free up a hugh amount of time.

I guess you can call going paperless a (toy) but this whole thing is a toy right?? LOL

50 or 100 caches . . .

 

That's small potatoes . . . I have more than 1200 caches in my default GSAK database. I can pick a "centerpoint" anywhere in a 35-mile circle from my house and have 450 caches in my GPSr (it has a 500-cache limit) in a matter of minutes. I do try to keep all the caches in the Palm database . . . just in case.

 

And, you are right. Playing with all this technology is just plain fun . . .

[+scotte]

I've got an old palm3x that I use. I have yet to try cachemate, I just convert my gpx files to palmdoc with gpsbabel and read them with CSpotRun. Works well enough for me, though I still keep a notebook for taking notes instead of doing that on the palm.

[+cach2find]

Miragee- What does "AFAIK" stand for

[Motorcycle_Mama]

AFAIK stands for As Far As I Know

 

If I recall correctly, part of thumbs1's problem is only having internet access (and maybe computer) access at the library.

 

It's going to be difficult to go paperless this way.

 

Maybe getting a PDA with wifi might be an option. ??

Edited March 25, 2007 by Motorcycle_Mama

[+ac7ss]

Miragee- What does "AFAIK" stand for

As Far As I Know.

[+cach2find]

Gotcha

[+thumbs1]

Motorcycle_Mama

 

Yes and no. I was on the road when I was talkin about the lib. When I hit the lib I use my own laptop so everything should load. I only use their wifi. I am home now and have a cable hookup.

[+Roc34ky]

I use my HP Pocket PC to hold my cache's using Mobipocket reader. I loaded GPXSonar on it as well, now I just need to learn how to transfer the .gpx waypoints into my Garmin 60CSX. I recall reading a post somewhere on the forums about how to do this.

 

Paper...who needs it....

[crawil]

thumbs1,

 

You might check out the regional sections of the forum and see if there is anyone in your area that can sit down with you and help you out. Many geocachers will bend over backwards to help out someone in need.

 

There is no substitute for the personal touch!

[+thumbs1]

crawil

 

Yep your right. I contaced a guy I know that is pretty good with computers and he is gonna check out some things. I have reached my level of incompitence. I have a ton of stuff on Brighthand and still nothin. Lord knows their tryin. I'll take a look and see what turns up.

 

This can't be this hard. It has to be something simple we are overlooking. The guy that had my palm before me said he ran it on xp. Unfoutunatly he can't remember what he did to make it work.