Paperless caching on a budget?

[+kabads]

Currently, we print everything off and take it with us. However, I am interested in getting a cheap PDA and using this for paperless caching. Ideally, we'd like it to hold Ordnance Survey quality maps, but it doesn't need to be linked to the GPS (Garmin etrex). Even something which just held a copy of the geocaching cache page would be better than us printing it off each and every time.

 

What can people recommend? Ideally, we'd like to spend as little as possible (money isn't growing on tress for us).

 

TIA.

[+Simply Paul]

If you've got a digital camera, bring up the Streetmap that's linked from the cache page and photograph both on the screen. Serious budget solution!

[+2202]

Fugawi for your maps (@£49 for the whole of Southern England and Wales below Ipswich in one hit is a good deal and very simple to operate. (Memory Map more expensive and more complicated)

PDA, An Acer, (the Germans like them)

[+Jimblonduk]

Hi Kabads and welcome to geocaching.

 

First, I would decide exaclty what you need as opposed to what you would like: -

 

OS maps dont come cheap and you would need a fair amount of memory to store them on the PDA therefore maybe a memory slot would be useful.

 

USB connection - much easier and infinitely faster than trying to transfer large files like maps or pocket queries than by using serial connections that older PDA's use.

 

Batteries - some older (and cheaper) PDA's are a nightmare to change the battery, if at all. I would recommend one that the battery clips on to the rear and is easily changed or updated with a higher power (mAh) battery.

 

WIFI - may be useful if you wish to take advantage of 'in the field' updating of cache information (if within a hotspot/fon area).

 

Bluetooth - Some available software like BeelineGPS turns your PDA into a full featured portable GPS unit. For this you need to use a separate GPS receiver which can be either cable connected or more usually connected via bluetooth.

 

Go for a PDA that is as fast as your budget will allow. The more Mhz, the faster. Handling large files can put a real drain on a PDA's resources.

 

Once your made up your checklist, then I would search what models are available that fit your requirements then check out end of lines from online retailers and compare the prices to what is available from ebay or similar auction sites.

 

Good luck and hope this helps.

[Edgemaster]

If you've got a digital camera, bring up the Streetmap that's linked from the cache page and photograph both on the screen. Serious budget solution!

Or even better, save the streetmap image onto the camera directly, even better quality!

[+Bambography]

If you've got a digital camera, bring up the Streetmap that's linked from the cache page and photograph both on the screen. Serious budget solution!

Or even better, save the streetmap image onto the camera directly, even better quality!

Or even a colour iPod, I hear lots of people have those...

[+Moote]

A nice Pocket PC can be got fot around £120 if you look hard enough, and one with a SiRF III GPSr for £169; then get yourself a copy of GeoScout for £20, this application, will grab OS maps off the internet, (from Streetmap.co.uk), stitch them together and hold all the cache details you require. It imports GC.com GPX files and is well worth the money. Oh yes and it can double as a GPS with an enabled PPC GPS.

 

Geoscout Features:

 

* Download cache details direct from www.geocaching.com (requires suitable internet connection).

* Import cache details from gpx or loc files.

* View cache details.

* Show decrypted hints at the tap of a button.

* Add secondary waypoints for navigating to multi-stage / offset caches.

* Maintain record of caches you have found.

* Works with any NMEA compatible GPS, including BlueTooth devices.

* Sophisticated GPS screen showing position and satellite status.

* Navigate mode shows bearing and distance to cache waypoint.

* Conversion of waypoint locations between lat/long, OSGB, UTM, MGRS etc.

* Travel bug management features.

* Map view with background images.

* Cache and travel bug log management facilities.

 

System requirements:

 

* Microsoft Pocket PC (Windows CE 3.0 or later)

* .NET Compact Framework version 2.0

* 500KB memory for program files (may require additional memory for data files)

* NMEA compatible GPS (for GPS functions)

Edited June 5, 2007 by Moote

[+pauliesg]

This topic is similar to a question I wanted to ask

 

I have got a nice Garmin 60scx and mapsource v2 I manage the data in GSAK.

 

I want to go paperless and was going to follow sid and bobs advice and get cache mate and a cheap Palm, I will use it exclusively for geo caching.

 

I dont think I need a PDA with really good maps, but I would like one that holds a lot of cache data logs etc and one from which is easy to transfer gsak data onto via usb. Any suggestions?

[+scanker]

I bought a cheap Palm from ebay. I already have Fugawi on the PC so it was relatively simple to transfer small maps to the Palm. I bought a copy of Cachemate to use on the Palm with waypoints imported from GSAK.

 

My experience was that I quickly gave up with maps on the Palm - it took too long to transfer them; I couldn't see a way of only updating the maps if they changed so they updated every time I synched. Also the screen was too small to be of any real use - hard to get an overview and not very easy to see in sunlight.

 

I now use the Palm for Cachemate and also for taking notes or using the calculator when working out multis etc. Cachemate on the Palm is great - I have nearly all the waypoints I have in GSAK stored (over 2000). If we're going somewhere we might need a map I either print an A4 1:25000 map with the waypoints plotted or take an OS map if I have one.

 

Unless someone tells me different, Fugawi also seemed very basic in the waypoint symbols it uses. Anything transferred to the Palm seemed to be a standard square marker and I ended up making my own custom found/not found icons for the different cache type waypoint markers. I also have to export each set one at a time from Fugawi to give them a different icon, but maybe there's an easier way that I'm missing.

[markandlynn]

I have a pocket PC on order and will be selling my palm VX's soon. Drop me an email if you are interested

 

Our current budget solution is

 

Microsoft streets and trips for plotting out caches £9

Palm Vx £14 holds 2 - 3 K of caches

Lead for Palm to GPS transfers

Cachemate and GSAK £15 ish ithink

Leads etc to connect it all £12

 

Our new expensive option is

 

Tom tom 510

Gsak

Mio 350 (thank you Moote for the advice)

GPX sonar or cachemate again (anyone used both ?)

Memory Map.

Leads included at this price

[+thehaggishunter]

Mio Digiwalker168 pocket pc with intergral gps - £ 70 ish from ebay new

 

put in a 2gb SD card - £ 10 from ebay

 

Use cache mate $8 from www.smittyware.com

 

and Memory Map - present from friend

 

Excellent combination that beacause of the gps function shows you exactly on an os map on the screen where in the country you are

[+PopUpPirate]

I have a pocket PC on order and will be selling my palm VX's soon. Drop me an email if you are interested

 

Our current budget solution is

 

Microsoft streets and trips for plotting out caches £9

Palm Vx £14 holds 2 - 3 K of caches

Lead for Palm to GPS transfers

Cachemate and GSAK £15 ish ithink

Leads etc to connect it all £12

 

Our new expensive option is

 

Tom tom 510

Gsak

Mio 350 (thank you Moote for the advice)

GPX sonar or cachemate again (anyone used both ?)

Memory Map.

Leads included at this price

 

Try ditching the GPX sonar / cachemate, and giving the GSAK-generated HTML export a whirl, well nifty.

[+FollowMeChaps]

 

Try ditching the GPX sonar / cachemate, and giving the GSAK-generated HTML export a whirl, well nifty.

 

Thanks for the tip, the html export seems 'well cool' as the kids would say. Can these be exported to a Palm does anyone know? If so how? Any help would be much appreciated.

[+scanker]

I use cachemate on my palm - is that the sort of thing you mean?

[+minstrelcat]

 

Try ditching the GPX sonar / cachemate, and giving the GSAK-generated HTML export a whirl, well nifty.

 

Thanks for the tip, the html export seems 'well cool' as the kids would say. Can these be exported to a Palm does anyone know? If so how? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Plucker is an application to view HTML on a palm. I've not used it in years so I can't really help you with it. I use cachemate and it does me fine (data generated by GSAK, of course).

 

Lisa

 

Edit: linky

Edited June 6, 2007 by minstrelcat

[+Moote]

Try ditching the GPX sonar / cachemate, and giving the GSAK-generated HTML export a whirl, well nifty.

Not sure if this is good advice, for several reasons:

• Searching is far more flexible using GPXSonar and Cachemate, as you can query the data, and by a far greater set of criteria.
  
• No record keeping in the HTML export, so you need a way to remind you what caches you actually found.
  
• Cachemate can do a GPS query, and order caches by there proximity to your present location.
  
• No way to hide the caches you have found "today", with the HTML
  

In fact I can't think of any reasons why the HTML is superior.

 

There is a free caching program called Smache that is worth a try, but it will not link with Icons on MemoryMad, niether will GPXSonar as far as I am aware.

 

Cachemate and the GSAK HTML export will link with MemoryMap and some other PPC mapping apps.

 

Now the new boy on the block, which I mentioned earlier in this thread (GeoScout) will give you free mapping, yes 1:50000 OS maps for nowt, works with a GPS. It also has loggong features for caches and TB's (Cachemate and GPX Sonar also can do this)

 

To finish I use Cachemate and MemoryMap and no matter where you drop me, I know what is my nearest cache; you could not do that easily with the HTML

Edited June 6, 2007 by Moote

[+FollowMeChaps]

I already use Cachemate on the Palm but PopupPirate's suggestion of using the html option looked intriguing as it includes pictures. Guess I'll have to stick to cachemate then - thanks all anyway.

[+*mouse*]

 

Now the new boy on the block, which I mentioned earlier in this thread (GeoScout) will give you free mapping, yes 1:50000 OS maps for nowt, works with a GPS. It also has loggong features for caches and TB's (Cachemate and GPX Sonar also can do this)

 

 

Geoscout sounds like a program I might consider, mainly because of the maps. Does it automatically grab maps from Streetmap or would I have to configure it to do this? I'm not the most technically minded person so if it was easy to use that would be good.

 

I have a Mio350 and am currently using cachemate and GSAK. I was planning on buying Memory Map to allow me to navigate. However, if Geoscout will grab a map of the cache location it will be a far far cheaper option than MM. Any feeback and advice on either set up would be very useful.

[fraggle69]

get a cheapo palm from ebay for a few quid, you'll have to check with cachemate and fugawi if you plan to use these as tools that the palm you purchase is supported.

It would be worth buying an incar charger for your palm if you decide that is your way forward.

 

Aii

[+pauliesg]

This may seem a simple question .

 

If I buy a pocket PC which I assume is similar to a normal PC but smaller.

 

Can I simply download the GSAK programme onto it and

Can I download my Topo V2 map onto it aswell?

 

If this is the case then I would buy one as that is all I really need.

[Edgemaster]

Pocket PCs are not just small PCs, they are far less.

GSAK will not run on a PPC, it is designed to manage caches on a normal pc, and be used to transfer sets of caches to other devices.

 

I don't know about topo v2, isn't that a GPS map? Probably not, though.

[+pauliesg]

Thanks

 

To summarize I think these are my options

 

1 A simple palm compatible with cachemate is the way to go to be able to take basic GSAK imported data onto my travels.

 

2 Go for a more advanced palm and a different programme to cachemate.

 

3 Spend more and go for a pocket pc and a more advanced cache management programme and also possibly get programmes of cache management that allows map transfer and advanced features?

Edited June 7, 2007 by pauliesg

[fraggle69]

In option 2, what software would you replace cachemate with??

I think it's a really good database especially if you have an SD card, I currently have 5000 caches on my SD card in cachmate format. I can also export the coordinates to cetus GPS and away I go. The only thing lacking here is photos/images which you need for some caches!! Maybe someone knows a way round this for me??

[+PopUpPirate]

HTML export does images, fine for PPC but a bit more maither for a Palm.

[+Pharisee]

2 Go for a more advanced palm and a different programme to cachemate.

 

Not an option....

 

CacheMate has no (serious) competition on a Palm.

There are, however, different 'Palms'. I use a Garmin iQue3600 which is a Palm based PDA with added GPS functionality. My Lady uses a Palm Tungsten E2 with the same CacheMate program. When it comes to doing searches for the nearest cache, mine is faster by a factor of 10. Mine is clocking up in hundreds while hers is clocking up in tens. It all boils down to the same thing... you get what you pay for. Buy something cheap and you'll get something slow. Take time out to look at the specification.

[+pauliesg]

Thanks Pharisee and Fraggle

 

I saw mentions of geo scout and assumed it was a cachemate alternative but can see it is for a PPC

 

It is option 1 or 3 then, I thought it would be handy if there was something compatible with garmin map source v2, seeing as I already bought it but I really dont know if I need another portable map as I already have a nice Garmin GPS with Mapsource on it,

 

I also have a tom tom in the car which I believe I can put waypoints onto as points of interest, and I am just learning how to operate the map programe the gps and GSAK.

 

Pharisee I have looked at the Garmin iQue3600 and am not sure it is another bit of kit that I will probably never use extensively enough as I still havent learnt enough about the other gear and programmes

 

I am still undecided but take your point about speed, I would not like a palm that took ages to flick between the relevant cache data.

 

Can you or anyone else reccomend a palm that will be used solely for running the cachemate programme at a decent speed.

 

Thanks again to everyone for their advice I listen to all of it and It was a great help to me when I first started and got my GPS.

[+The Flying Boots]

In option 2, what software would you replace cachemate with??

I think it's a really good database especially if you have an SD card, I currently have 5000 caches on my SD card in cachmate format. I can also export the coordinates to cetus GPS and away I go. The only thing lacking here is photos/images which you need for some caches!! Maybe someone knows a way round this for me??

 

I use an ancient Sony Clie (about £10 from Ebay) with Cachemate and have another program installed called "PG Pocket" which stores the pictures on this palm. There are other programs too, one I can think of is called "Photo Stand". One of these programs came with the Palm installation disc.

I'm sure there are Freeware versions out there somewhere too.

Recently did the "Caerphilly Pictorial" using only the pictures stored on my Palm to find the clues

[fraggle69]

palm

 

This palm should be fast enough for cachemate purposes. There's also the zire72 but I use that and I am not happy with the battery life but I use it for getting to GZ and as a sat nav aid on the bike. Someone maybe able to suggest something a little cheaper that would run just as well.

[+MartyBartfast]

While not exactly cheap, if you (or your kids) happen to have a Sony PSP you can use the GSAK HTML export and stick the output on your PSP and view the pages on it out in the field. You can also use the PSP web browser to go online if you fine a suitable WIFI zone, & if you run out of caches you could always break to play games.

 

BTW There's also a plugin GPS for the PSP now, don't know what S/W they do to go with it though.

[+SidAndBob]

This topic is similar to a question I wanted to ask

 

I have got a nice Garmin 60scx and mapsource v2 I manage the data in GSAK.

 

I want to go paperless and was going to follow sid and bobs advice and get cache mate and a cheap Palm, I will use it exclusively for geo caching.

 

I dont think I need a PDA with really good maps, but I would like one that holds a lot of cache data logs etc and one from which is easy to transfer gsak data onto via usb. Any suggestions?

With the Garmin GPSmap60 CSx the GPSr angle is covered.

GPX files are tiny so you can hold several thousand listings with all the past logs you have in GSAK on a tiny little SD card (or similar). Nearly all Palms will have a USB interface. Try and get one with a cradle for convenience.

 

The only time you ever need any processing power in Cachemate is

1) when you're importing gpx files

2) sorting listings by location

Both may take a couple of minutes each on an older Palm, but as I do the first once before setting out on a trip and the second never (as Cachemates sorted listing mode is useless) it matters not a jot to me.

[+NickandAliandEliza]

Can you use Memory Map with the Mio 350 does anyone know?

[+GeoCornetto]

BTW There's also a plugin GPS for the PSP now,

 

DIY PSP GPS

[+Jonovich]

Prices for Garmin Topo UK V2 have come down recently I've noticed... Checkout Ebay item 300125058222. Just received a copy myself and have it registered, installed and working!

 

Jon

Edited June 27, 2007 by dakar4x4

[+SidAndBob]

Prices for Garmin Topo UK V2 have come down recently I've noticed... Checkout Ebay item 300125058222. Just received a copy myself and have it registered, installed and working!

 

Jon

I see it's £80 here too.

I know from the US Groundspeak forums that US Topo 2008 has just been released. I wonder if UK Topo 2008 or V3 is about to be released here.

Great bargain price though and I find virtually nothing is out of date - especially in the mountains.

[+Jonovich]

I see it's £80 here too.

I know from the US Groundspeak forums that US Topo 2008 has just been released. I wonder if UK Topo 2008 or V3 is about to be released here.

Great bargain price though and I find virtually nothing is out of date - especially in the mountains.

 

Yup, Pentagon are one of the other Ebay sellers with it listed.

 

I'm not sure how frequently these are updated... All the mapping copyright labels are dated 2005, so I guess it must be about ready for an update?

 

Jon.