not paperLESS, how about paperLIGHT?

[+IfIOnlyHadABrain]

I need some help/advice/wisdom from you seasoned cachers.

 

I have tried carrying my cache info pages out into the woods on my Dell Axim handheld...and I hated it. It drove me absolutley out of my mind trying to scroll around on that little screen to read the description or the hint, or worse yet trying to decipher the needed info for a puzzle cache.

 

Instead, what I have been doing is downloading the waypoints to my GPSr and printing out all the info pages for caches in the area where I plan to be. I usually end up downloading many more than I print, however, since my GPSr holds up to 1000 waypoints anyway.

 

Here's my dilemma: sometimes we end up somewhere slightly different than where I originally planned to be and decide we want to do some caching. Not generally a problem, since I have the waypoints in my GPSr... but if I don't have the info page we have no idea what type or size cache we are looking for, what the D/T ratings are, we have no hint and don't know if there is any other info we may need (parking coordinates, for example). Normally we will give it shot anyway and phone a friend at home to look something up if needed, but that's not really a solution in my view.

 

What I would really like to be able to do is print an Excel or Word table that gives just the basic info for many caches on one page, such as:

Cache Name, Coordinates, Type, Size, Difficulty, Terrain, Hint, Parking Coordinates, Additional Info

 

If I could fit the basic info for 10-20 caches on one sheet of paper instead of having to print 2-3 pages for each cache, I would be one happy geocacher.

 

Does anyone know of a way to accomplish such a feat? I was hoping I could download a .loc or .gpx file and somehow export it to excel or something along that line, but alas, I am stumped. Anyone, please... any suggestions?

[+Miragee]

What program were you using on the Axim? Cachemate is really easy to use and work with. You can search alphabetically for the cache name, or by location using the coordinates from a cache "page" or those you put in yourself from your location shown on your GPSr.

 

Anyway, I use GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife). And, have the opposite problem you have. My GPSr will only hold 500 waypoints, but I can load many more than 1000 on my Palm M500 in Cachemate. So, if I end up in a different area from where my GPSr covers, at least I have the info in my Palm. If you use GSAK, you can use a Smart Name code. This is the code I use for the Waypoint name:

 

%smart=6 %con1%typ1%dif1%ter1

 

This includes part of the name, the Size of the container, the Type of cache (Traditional, Multi, Virtual, Puzzle), the Difficulty and Terrain (based on a 10-point scale).

 

To get part of the hint, I use this code in the Waypoint Description blank:

 

%Name=10 %hint

 

I rarely print any info out, but I believe GSAK has a setting where you can print a lot of info in a very condensed fashion. If I were you, I would give that Axim another go . . .

Edited May 21, 2007 by Miragee

[Clan Riffster]

Prior to going paperless, I copy/pasted each cache page to Word, then deleted any extraneous information, leaving just the cache title, date hidden, GC number, brief description and hint. This kwickly became tedious, as I never learned any means to automate the process. On a side note, I still do this when hunting a series of caches where there exists a strong possibility that my PDA will suffer some trauma, such as a kayak river run. I fit about 20 caches per page.

[+sbell111]

If you use a garmin CX GPSr, you can load your caches to it as POIs. Using GSAK, you can build these POIs pretty much with the information that you are looking for as the description.

 

Take a look at the GSAK forums for more info.

[+Miragee]

<snip>

 

or worse yet trying to decipher the needed info for a puzzle cache.

 

<snip>

I don't get the "Unknown" caches in my regular PQs. They come in a separate PQ and live in a separate database in GSAK. If the puzzle is so easy I can actually figure it out, I move it to the Default database. Until then, a Puzzle will not be in my GPSr, or my Palm.

[+StarBrand]

Sounds like you were just transferring the cache pages as HTML or using the mobi reader.

 

Dump all that and use GPX Sonar or cachemate and you will get VERY readable page built for the PPC.

 

Having said that, I know of 1 or 2 developers working on a customizable "quick print" pdf for GPX files. I will let them announce it when it is complete.

[+thedeadpirate]

What I would really like to be able to do is print an Excel or Word table that gives just the basic info for many caches on one page, such as:

Cache Name, Coordinates, Type, Size, Difficulty, Terrain, Hint, Parking Coordinates, Additional Info

 

If I could fit the basic info for 10-20 caches on one sheet of paper instead of having to print 2-3 pages for each cache, I would be one happy geocacher.

 

Does anyone know of a way to accomplish such a feat? I was hoping I could download a .loc or .gpx file and somehow export it to excel or something along that line, but alas, I am stumped. Anyone, please... any suggestions?

 

Are you looking for something like this?

 

 

That is a small portion of the information output by the myGME v2 macro for GSAK. I haven't delved into the macro, but you could either run the entire macro and just print the portion of info you need, or you could look at the script and strip out the mapping stuff you may not want.

[+Wild Thing 73]

I need some help/advice/wisdom from you seasoned cachers.

 

I have tried carrying my cache info pages out into the woods on my Dell Axim handheld...and I hated it. It drove me absolutley out of my mind trying to scroll around on that little screen to read the description or the hint, or worse yet trying to decipher the needed info for a puzzle cache.

 

Instead, what I have been doing is downloading the waypoints to my GPSr and printing out all the info pages for caches in the area where I plan to be. I usually end up downloading many more than I print, however, since my GPSr holds up to 1000 waypoints anyway.

 

Here's my dilemma: sometimes we end up somewhere slightly different than where I originally planned to be and decide we want to do some caching. Not generally a problem, since I have the waypoints in my GPSr... but if I don't have the info page we have no idea what type or size cache we are looking for, what the D/T ratings are, we have no hint and don't know if there is any other info we may need (parking coordinates, for example). Normally we will give it shot anyway and phone a friend at home to look something up if needed, but that's not really a solution in my view.

 

What I would really like to be able to do is print an Excel or Word table that gives just the basic info for many caches on one page, such as:

Cache Name, Coordinates, Type, Size, Difficulty, Terrain, Hint, Parking Coordinates, Additional Info

 

If I could fit the basic info for 10-20 caches on one sheet of paper instead of having to print 2-3 pages for each cache, I would be one happy geocacher.

 

Does anyone know of a way to accomplish such a feat? I was hoping I could download a .loc or .gpx file and somehow export it to excel or something along that line, but alas, I am stumped. Anyone, please... any suggestions?

Use "bookmark" and (cut and paste only the info you want in the field) from Cache Page to book mark list. this also gives you a check off list. You can get 10-20 caches on a single "bookmark" page. good luck

[+The Jester]

GSAK has two print options that might help you. The Condensed HTML print option prints the main parts of the cache page in a lot less space, you can get several caches on one page (depending, of course, on how verbose the hider was). The Grid Columns print option will print a single line per cache with whatever columns (data) you want (this sounds more like what you want).

[+Knight2000]

It sounds like you are using MobiPocket or an another eBook reader. I tried that for about 2 minutes and realized it was a big waste of time and it would have drove me crazy.

 

I got cachemate and it has been awesome! I would never want to go back. I would quit if i had to go back. Before i would spend lots of time trying to print tons of pages. It was a mess and it got me very irritated. I would be so mad by the time to leave for the cache trip.

[+Miragee]

Sometimes I'm amazed at the frustration people will put up with just because a piece of software is free, as opposed to costing a few dollars (Cachemate is only $8.00 to register).

 

What is the price of frustration these days?

[+CheshireFrog]

Sometimes I'm amazed at the frustration people will put up with just because a piece of software is free, as opposed to costing a few dollars (Cachemate is only $8.00 to register).

 

What is the price of frustration these days?

 

Amen.

 

GSAK and Cachemate are phenomenal programs, easily worth three times the cost of registering.

[+IfIOnlyHadABrain]

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I decided to give the Axim another try after reading all your posts. Apparently what I was doing wrong before was that I was using the .pdf files which were horrible to try to view on the PDA. No wonder I hated it!

 

So I settled on Cachemate, but I couldn't get it to install (kept getting a "not a vaild Win32 application" error). Gave up on that and decided to try GPXSonar instead. Installed easily and I managed to get 600 caches on my PDA (300 near home and 300 near our cottage) in a matter of minutes and they are very readable.

 

I am thrilled and very appreicative of the help. I look forwawrd to trying it out in the filed. I noticed that GPXSonar even gives me a place to enter field notes, which is good for me since I like to make notes about Took/Left and any adventures we may have had in getting there!

 

Thanks again to all who responded!

[+CheshireFrog]

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I decided to give the Axim another try after reading all your posts. Apparently what I was doing wrong before was that I was using the .pdf files which were horrible to try to view on the PDA. No wonder I hated it!

 

So I settled on Cachemate, but I couldn't get it to install (kept getting a "not a vaild Win32 application" error). Gave up on that and decided to try GPXSonar instead. Installed easily and I managed to get 600 caches on my PDA (300 near home and 300 near our cottage) in a matter of minutes and they are very readable.

 

I am thrilled and very appreicative of the help. I look forwawrd to trying it out in the filed. I noticed that GPXSonar even gives me a place to enter field notes, which is good for me since I like to make notes about Took/Left and any adventures we may have had in getting there!

 

Thanks again to all who responded!

 

The CacheMate download file is not a Windows executable. Copy the downloaded file to your Axim and execute it on the Axim.

Edited May 23, 2007 by CheshireFrog

[+sbell111]

Sometimes I'm amazed at the frustration people will put up with just because a piece of software is free, as opposed to costing a few dollars (Cachemate is only $8.00 to register).

 

What is the price of frustration these days? :anicute:

I prefer Plucker. The fact that it's free is just a bonus.

[+Miragee]

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I decided to give the Axim another try after reading all your posts. Apparently what I was doing wrong before was that I was using the .pdf files which were horrible to try to view on the PDA. No wonder I hated it!

 

So I settled on Cachemate, but I couldn't get it to install (kept getting a "not a vaild Win32 application" error). Gave up on that and decided to try GPXSonar instead. Installed easily and I managed to get 600 caches on my PDA (300 near home and 300 near our cottage) in a matter of minutes and they are very readable.

 

I am thrilled and very appreicative of the help. I look forwawrd to trying it out in the filed. I noticed that GPXSonar even gives me a place to enter field notes, which is good for me since I like to make notes about Took/Left and any adventures we may have had in getting there!

 

Thanks again to all who responded!

I'm glad you got something to work better than what you were using before, but just to clear things up for others, Cachemate installs easily on either a Palm or PPC device. It also gives you a place to mark the time of the hunt and make notes about the experience, including what you Took/Left.

[+DanOCan]

I don't get the "Unknown" caches in my regular PQs. They come in a separate PQ and live in a separate database in GSAK. If the puzzle is so easy I can actually figure it out, I move it to the Default database. Until then, a Puzzle will not be in my GPSr, or my Palm.

 

That is similar to what I do. When I solve a Puzzle I'll check it off in GSAK. Then when I load up the GPSr I filter out any unchecked Puzzles and dump the solved ones into the GPSr. I also use smarttags in GSAK to dump basic info into the waypoint description so I know the Type, Size and Terrain along with as much of the actual name that will fit. If I need more info then I yank out the PDA (using Cachemate) for the hint and details.

 

I keep info on every cache in the province on my PDA however. That way if I am at an event or I hear other cachers talking about a certain cahce I can have all the info I need available.

 

I actually broke my Axim earlier this month so I have am temporarily non-paperless. It has added a whole new challenge to caching, but not one that I enjoy after all this time of having all the info available.

[+chihuahuak94me]

I need some help/advice/wisdom from you seasoned cachers.

 

I have tried carrying my cache info pages out into the woods on my Dell Axim handheld...and I hated it. It drove me absolutley out of my mind trying to scroll around on that little screen to read the description or the hint, or worse yet trying to decipher the needed info for a puzzle cache.

 

Instead, what I have been doing is downloading the waypoints to my GPSr and printing out all the info pages for caches in the area where I plan to be. I usually end up downloading many more than I print, however, since my GPSr holds up to 1000 waypoints anyway.

 

Here's my dilemma: sometimes we end up somewhere slightly different than where I originally planned to be and decide we want to do some caching. Not generally a problem, since I have the waypoints in my GPSr... but if I don't have the info page we have no idea what type or size cache we are looking for, what the D/T ratings are, we have no hint and don't know if there is any other info we may need (parking coordinates, for example). Normally we will give it shot anyway and phone a friend at home to look something up if needed, but that's not really a solution in my view.

 

What I would really like to be able to do is print an Excel or Word table that gives just the basic info for many caches on one page, such as:

Cache Name, Coordinates, Type, Size, Difficulty, Terrain, Hint, Parking Coordinates, Additional Info

 

If I could fit the basic info for 10-20 caches on one sheet of paper instead of having to print 2-3 pages for each cache, I would be one happy geocacher.

 

Does anyone know of a way to accomplish such a feat? I was hoping I could download a .loc or .gpx file and somehow export it to excel or something along that line, but alas, I am stumped. Anyone, please... any suggestions?

[+TH 1969]

If you use a garmin CX GPSr, you can load your caches to it as POIs. Using GSAK, you can build these POIs pretty much with the information that you are looking for as the description.

 

Take a look at the GSAK forums for more info.

Since I started using custom POI's, I hardly ever use my Palm anymore. I always have it loaded but tend to only use it to check out past logs.

[+Grenadyr]

Since I started using custom POI's, I hardly ever use my Palm anymore. I always have it loaded but tend to only use it to check out past logs.

 

Same here, the past logs can be helpful, also the full hint as some of the hints are quite long and get clipped in the small description field the POI's allow. FWIW, I've got the extra info loaded in my PSP using the HTML export from GSAK which works out very well when I need the extra info.

[ubievol]

If you use a garmin CX GPSr, you can load your caches to it as POIs. Using GSAK, you can build these POIs pretty much with the information that you are looking for as the description.

 

Take a look at the GSAK forums for more info.

 

wow! that sounds like you would be paperless, but also freed from carrying a PDA in addition to the GPSr.

 

is there any DISadvantage to this approach?

[+Miragee]

The POIs don't behave the same as waypoints entered as Geocaches. However, once one is on your map screen and you want it to be a Geocache, I believe you save it, and after giving it the Treasure Chest icon it will now give you the Geocaching options.

 

I don't have one of the 'x' Garmins . . . yet, but that seems to be what my friends do with the POIs. I'm sure others can fill you in on the other particulars.

 

The PDA is still nice because it will have the Past Logs and sometimes those are extremely helpful.

[+sjclimber]

Quick question. Will these macros work for the 60C/S? Not just the "x?"